We have survived the holidays

And finally got snow today! There will be Christmas pictures in the near future.

I will catch up after New Year's

With pictures and everything! Right now, I am just more than a little pre-occupied. There's gifts to finish knitting, cookies still in need of baking, and presents still to be wrapped as well as all the standard housework paired with Husband working a lot of overtime. It's taking more than a little conscious effort to not stay in my pj's all day, curl up with my tea and a book and just let everything go hang. Ah well, back to being responsible. Maybe I will have a truffle or two to keep me going. ;-)

I'm over 30. Where's the fashion for me?

Be forewarned, this is a bit of a rant. I discovered a major point of irritation to me personally this morning and I am really wondering if anyone else has noticed.
I am a woman over 30. I have a dressy, all adult holiday party to attend in the near future. I have a dress picked out, Liz Claiborne wine and black floor length velvet. I am a bit nervous as I have been out of the social arena for quite some time, so I start looking up current styles. This is where the problems start. I start noticing almost everything targets females under 30, and while I could still wear much of what is offered, all too often the looks were inappropriate for meeting your husband's boss for the first time.
I found a page with a list of what I shouldn't wear, which was decidedly unhelpful. I did not need to be told a micro mini or regular mini skirt would be inappropriate for my age or that I should avoid glitter because it accentuates wrinkles.
Where is the style? Where is the elegance? Am I forsaken by the fashion industry courtesy of my over 25 status? I don't want a matronly version of some twenty-something's club wear or even a slightly less sparkly version of her showy holiday dress, vintage inspired or not.
I want glamour that isn't the neon and flash kind. I want clothes that are tailored, feminine, and have a bit of slink to them even if you are wearing a three piece suit.
I have no desire to look like some plastic fashion doll. I have wrinkles and I earned them. I would like clothes that respect that and the fact that women over 30 are sexy, without having to dress like they are barely twenty.

Really and Truly Thankful for the Internet

I lost a friend I've known since high school in a car accident on Saturday. This morning, almost one hundred friends, many from those same high school days, have been able to come together to mourn the loss off such a wonderful woman. It isn't the same as crying together in person, but it does let us cry together.

Ummm Happy Halloween?

Suffice to say silly costumes were worn, treats were consumed, and pumpkins were carved. There is even photographic evidence around here somewhere to prove it.
I have been primarily consumed with gift knitting. Eight hats have been completed, four in the last week alone. One out of yarn that stuck to itself constantly. Another was my first proper colorwork project. The rest are acrylic, not my favorite but washable, in dare I say, eye-searing colors. Button eyes have been painted and one holiday menu planned.
I've also been tending my winter garden. It takes a bit more research and work to have green growing things when it's below freezing at night now, but possible. I have radish seedlings to prove it.

I've been busy!

I am really really pleased with how things turned out! Yes I used purple and gold. It's kind of freeing not using a neutral color! I used cream stencil paint and a paint sponge with great success and minimal mess, (unless you count having gold fingers).
I decided this morning that what I really needed with my costume for Halloween was a green silk blouse. Not long after, I realized I had more than enough faux silk in a dark forest green laying about to make the design I had been pondering. Guess who is going to finish designing, cutting out and stitching together a whole new shirt out of scraps to go with her costume in time for Sunday night? Did I also mention I am having company over that night? I am not deluded! I like to think of myself as a bit overly ambitious and vaguely super hero-esque. ;-)

I love paint!

Paint is so amazingly fantastic! It really is a inexpensive way to work a major transformation in your house, while feeding my need to play interior designer.
Today I was experimenting on my laundry doors with a lovely shade of mahogany brown to see if I could get the Victorian-type look of elegant wood doors with matching frames. To my great delight, it seems to have been a success! It should be noted that I had chickened out of trying this before, just painting the edges, worried that it would be too dark. Now I am wondering what took me so long to make the jump and do it!
I will be adding some elegant (and maybe some odd) stencils done in an antique gold/brass colored paint and eventually some curtains for the archways in the living room.
Even better is the fact that it can all get done in two weeks or less primarily with supplies already on hand.
I will take pictures once I have a door in decent light properly painted.

It's October!

Which means first and foremost, joyous birthday wishes must go out to my lovely sister, Mara-girl and my grandfather!
It means the painted skulls can be put on the front porch, that the kids have their costumes all figured out and are eager to put them together and that I have not a single clue as to a costume at all. My darling husband even has one figured out for this year. I'm feeling a bit behind. Hopefully inspiration will strike this weekend. If the costume muse doesn't visit me, I may have to start picking other people's brains.

A Hurried Update

As my computer time is limited, there will be minor coverage of major events.

Happy Birthday Girls! (Yes, this is late. I'm sorry but I haven't had a computer for days!) Three girls, two generations, one week of birthdays. I still find it amazing.
One of the places we went for Daughter's birthday was The Chocolate Cartel . I highly recommend them!

Holiday gift knitting has commenced, along with the "Ack! It's cold in the morning!" knitting of wool socks and warm sweaters for me so I can continue to knit the gifts. I am finding it difficult to focus though as The Sanguine Gryphon has posted it's fall 2010 patterns

I admit having given in to Spatterdash, Zylphia Pilots Her Airship, and Innsmouth Bodice already. Two of my greatest weaknesses combined, knitting and steampunk. I also have a deep love for this yarn as well as it's other haunted location compatriots, but there is a very personal adoration of the Winchester Mystery House.

Halloween decorations are already in progress and my confused tomato plants are just starting to fruit. Enough herb tea has been mixed to last me through the winter months. Sewing will soon commence as the upstairs is no longer roasting at midday. New Dutch Hex signs are being designed and painted.

I believe that covers most things, hopefully I will be able to add more detail and pictures in the next week or two.

Out and About

For the last three days I actually had a social calendar! Friday was a ceremony for my husband at his office. I played dress up in a black and white polka dot '50's style dress with ruby red kitten heels and black pearls, looking very much the part of housewife. I was reconsidering my choice of outfit after a very well meaning colonel began extolling my wonderful child rearing skills, informing a rather large group of people (more than 50), that I was adding to our great Nation by raising such fantastic young people. Those of you who know me would have been impressed by my amazing self control. I did not roll my eyes. I did not even twitch. I kept a smile on my face and said, "Thank you sir" after the ceremony was over.
After that was the gathering at a local pub, where more than twenty people joined us for lunch. There was the discussion of everything from genetics to tattoos that went on for hours.
Saturday was a barbecue for the end of summer at a neighbor's house. An enjoyable evening of talking to other adults (for the second day running!) about everything from baseball and yarn to the current state of the school systems.
Sunday was Darling Husband's birthday and the harvest festival put on by the local Unitarian church. We enjoyed it last year and they run a food drive for the local food bank. Husband was more than willing to spend his birthday in the park, with beautiful weather, in a Ren Faire style atmosphere with friends and family. Afterward, friends took us all out to dinner for his birthday!
It was a very busy three days!
The downside to all this social time is the interruption in my housekeeping routine, which means my Monday has been even less pleasant than usual. Did I mention I found out last night we may be having company for the coming weekend at least? At this rate, I may get time to stop and breathe for a few days during the first couple of weeks of October....maybe, if we don't spend much time at Balloon Fiesta or the festival in Taos. There is also the chance of me getting over excited and planning for Halloween early!

Wahoo! It's Friday the 13th!

Yes, this does make me very happy as Friday the thirteenth tends to be a good day for me. And after yesterday, which resulted in a lump on my head, a bandage on my thumb and me afraid to eat ice cream lest I drop it on the floor, today has got to be an improvement!
There will be a battle with caterpillars over who gets to eat my watermelons. There will be knitting, which I would love to tell you about but three of the four projects within arms reach are presents for other people. The fourth is a cotton sleeveless top I have been working on since mid-April that I realized I should probably finish before it was wool sweater weather again.
There has been weight lifting and some minor bellydancing, which had to be done before the hot and humid afternoon confines me to the couch and minor housekeeping.
On a rare political note(gets out soapbox); thank goodness a judge with some sense got a hold of the prop 8 case! I would love to argue with folks about it, but I've read the Constitution. There is really nothing to argue. Sexual orientation does not make you a second class citizen any more than race, sex or creed do. I rather figured we would have learned that lesson by now. It's freedom and justice for all folks, not just the people you think should have it (puts soapbox away).
Now off to knit and tend my plants to stave off the irritation, depression and worry that stems from reading the news, contemplating current society and the political landscape.

For the sake of homemade beauty

This morning my face is green with honey and clay. My hair is also green, coated with henna and piled in a great mound on top of my head. Time was spent yesterday over a double boiler, melting and blending cocoa butter and coconut oil, creating a golden liquid that will keep my skin healthy and (hopefully)wrinkles to a minimum. There is a bottle of witch hazel on my bathroom counter that is now a deep, mossy shade of green, courtesy of the green tea and bee pollen that was added to it almost two weeks ago.
Each ingredient researched. Small batches made to test. Pretty jars bought to hold the larger batches when a recipe works.
It takes a bit more thought and effort to make these items. It takes truck loads more will power to not pay attention to all the commercials. Fancy containers with contents promising to make me look like the luminous woman on the screen. Then, a little voice in my head starts in with things like: well, yes, she's lovely,but I would love to see her without her makeup artist, hairstylist, and the photographer who insists on perfect lighting.
I like to think she would be prettier without them.

One of my favorite distractions ever!

I love playing dress up. Always have. Always will. The problem for me has been finding eras, genres, or styles that I like enough to have more than one outfit or piece of art from. I have made Renaissance Faire costumes, belly dance ensembles and 1950's house dresses.
In the last year or so, I have found steampunk. I love it. It allows me to incorporate almost everything I adore and then some. The decor in my home is slowly steampunking itself through choices made not only by me, but my Darling Husband as well. Leather and antique brass paired with darker wood and lush silks and velvets. It is a wonderful way for us to combine elegant and eclectic without being hodge podge. Someday, the whole house might actually be done.
My kids have also latched onto it in their own ways, so it's becoming kind of a family thing.
Now I just have to figure out how to get them all to dress up with me! :-D

Juney-Fu Accomplished

Let me confess now: I didn't exercise as much as I had intended this week, mainly because of lower back pain that reared it's ugly head. I also failed in the "eating the way I'm supposed to" department yesterday. My body is reminding me that I did something wrong yesterday by blessing me with a horrible creeping headache today so I remember I am not to do that again.
This week ended up being a weird blend of Victorian/1950's/ modern house management. I've been very conscientious about using up leftovers, making things from scratch, sticking to my planned menu choices, not giving in and have Hubby pick up Chinese take-out or pizza on the way home and using online resources to find menu plans and ideas for new recipes. I even sat down this morning, clipped coupons and put them in a clearly labeled envelope with date of expiration on the outside. I feel very accomplished JuneyFu-wise. The plants I have left are thriving, so hopefully I will be able to harvest fresh fruits and veggies from the yard before the summer is done.
I also started work on the Strider Cowl in some lovely Malabrigo in Black Forest. It's very simple, very lovely, and a lovely break from mass amounts of lace knit with yarn the gauge of dental floss.

Keeping it going

Our fourth of July weekend went fairly well. The kids made chocolate coated ice cream sandwiches because they heard me lamenting not being able to obtain an It's-It. Their version was quite tasty! We watched almost every firework show in the nearby area from our backyard, all at once. The entire horizon was swathed in multi-colored sparkles.
The hard part was my husband having a four day weekend. I did not. I still managed to get my workouts in Friday and Monday mornings. The housekeeping was accomplished. After a year of ripping, re-knitting and long bouts of hibernation, I finally finished Darling Husbands socks. Even in heavier sock yarn , much effort was put into The Socks.
I also finished a very over-dramatic, fuzzy, black hooded wrap that's been hanging around half done for ages. I admit to giggling when I tried it on after fulling. Now I just have to wait for the cooler weather so I have an excuse to wear it! Quite a productive weekend!
Now to just keep going....and not think about chocolate coated ice cream sandwiches, that are in the freezer.

Is the week over yet?

Not the greatest week this week. While I managed to stick with the exercise plan and not live off of cheese crackers and popcorn, there was a cloud of termites that tried to take up residence in our backyard, neighbors' landscapers who don't seem to understand what a fence line means and my poor old computer started sputtering again after we thought we fixed her up. The wind also ripped out one of my tomato plants, two of my cucumber plants and all three of my honeydew plants.
Nothing horrendous. I know others have had far worse weeks than I. This one just came with a lot more emotional irritation than we've had in awhile, some related to the goings on, some sprouting from other sources, none particularly enjoyable. At least I'm getting better at hula!

A Goal Has Been Set

Inspired by Nu(de) Motivation I decided it was time to get off my rear. I have a semi-milestone type birthday coming up in the far enough away future to be a good finish line, but close enough to make a good prod. I have a friend willing to make the attempt with me. All that was needed was a little get up and go. Easier said than done. It's taken me a month of half-hearted attempts, never really putting it all together. More water, small changes in diet. As of today I have finally managed to get in workouts two days running. Even if it did require forcing myself out of bed a bit earlier than I wanted.
A large bit of the problem has been complacency. A disturbing willingness on my part to accept myself as a standard, slightly out of shape housewife. Aiming for the high end of average, frequently only hitting mediocre.
This has got to change. The time has come to light a fire under my behind. Hula three times a week for cardio. Yoga(flexibility) and a bit of weight lifting(strength) twice a week. Actually combining the better eating, (not constantly snacking on little cheese crackers or a doughnut stashed for just such an occasion) and proper active exercise(not just the housekeeping).
Here's hoping the fire stays lit!

What is with the spiders?

I do not have a problem with spiders so long as they keep to themselves and out of my house. The last week, they have compromised by lurking by my front and back doors. Not the small ones either! On the front porch is a big ol' wolf spider. The back porch had a black widow lurking (I got rid of her), then there was a small tarantula hiding in my pot of spinach the other day(he left on his own), this morning when I went out there I ended up with a big black spider (not nasty I don't think, just rather large) on my left big toe! What the heck? It's more than a little disconcerting at this point.

On the not-being-stalked-by-spiders front, my computer is temporarily dead. My husband has been kind enough to share his till we can replace the case fan in mine.
With summer here, paired with lack of access to all my normal goodies on my computer, I have been reading a lot more. Two new series that are tons of fun to read. One is The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger. I love the combination of steampunk and fantasy! Her characters are fantastic with an entertaining story. I am eagerly awaiting the third installment!
The second series has been around a bit longer and even had a short run as a t.v. show that didn't do the stories as much justice as it could have, but the novels by Jim Butcher called The Dresden Files have been a huge hit around our house with everyone so far. They do tend to have very vivid descriptions that may not sit well with the faint of heart. The books remind me of the old detective stories meshed with magic, a very film noir feel that's quite enjoyable.
When I have managed to pull my nose out of a book, I've been tending the lovely plants in our raised beds out back and, of course, knitting. Eventually, I will have pictures of both.

I can't believe I am even contemplating this but....

I think it's officially time to go on a yarn diet. If I didn't get distracted, I could probably knit till this time next year and finally put a noticeable dent in the yarn amount I currently have. I know this is not an attainable goal for me. I am quite easily distracted, particularly by pretties. For right now, a good short term goal is about three months, with the potential to stick with it for six if I somehow manage a massive feat of willpower.
Sadly, this will force me to do one of my least favorite chores, clean my closet. Why should there be mass produced socks with holes in them taking up space if there are hand knit ones waiting to be worn?

Happy Mother's Day!

Any excuse to play dress up right? The dress is a recent purchase from ModCloth. I love this dress. It seemed appropriate attire for going out to lunch today. Quite honestly, it was an ego boost to wear and I wish I had five more in different colors.
I think all Moms(my definition is anyone who cares for children as their own, age and who gave birth to them does not figure in) should be allowed to play dress up. It makes for happier Mommies, thus happier children.
Love, blessings, respect and commiseration to all Moms out there. Not just today either, every day!

So glad April is over!

It rarely fails. My birth month insists on having at least one nasty surprise for me every year. Usually it is a physical issue; illness, injury or similar that puts a damper on the month. Those tend to be the good years compared to some of the other things that have occurred.
This year was no exception with the physical double whammy of burnt feet for my birthday paired with the week of flu as zing on the way out.
Which is why it is with great joy, my brain finally realized it was May! Time to re-integrate raw food back into my daily life. Time to plot birthday presents for all the upcoming birthdays. Time to really get off the ground all those things that were a good idea in April, but never quite took off the way they were expected to.
Today, the black pansies I planted from seed earlier this year were actually in bloom. The dress I ordered online because I thought it was so absolutely perfect arrived and was as wonderful as I expected. Leading me to realize, I could happily dress that way all the time, despite any opinions otherwise from...well, anyone really.
Here's to hoping that May continues to be better than expected!

Oh Gods did that suck! Or...

Why I crawled into bed Tuesday night and didn't leave my room again till Sunday.
I had the flu. It sounds so anti-climatic, but was a rather big deal to me. I hadn't had a major bout of flu for the better part of ten years. I do not remember whimpering in my sleep every time I turned over in bed. I watched cheesy television shows as I fell in and out of sleep. I tried to wind a ball of pretty new yarn, and only got about five minutes into it and had to put it down. That's how sick I was. There was no yarn time.
The good news is that the fever finally broke, the aches and other nastiness went away. Too bad I am still so tired. I am thinking lots of time with a plain sock and afternoon naps may be in order for at least a few days.

Digging in the dirt

The weather has been lovely the last couple of days, making it a perfect time for one of my favorite pastimes, playing in the dirt. A trip to the store yesterday yielded: alyssum, lobelia, petunias, dianthus, snapdragons, and stocks. I am personally pleased with the resultant bed. It adds color and warmth to an otherwise rather bland and rocky landscape.
It may be the season, but I seem to have an overwhelming urge to landscape my yards and re-decorate my entire house. This urge complicates things as I am already up to my eyeballs in things I am supposed to be doing.
I guess I will do what I am supposed to do, just with paint on my pants and dirt under my nails!

Pretend this was posted in time for Easter

The octopus bottle stopper was one of those things that I fell in love with in the store, (don't ask I just like octopi), and made the "it's the day before my birthday do I really have to put it back?" face, so he came home with us.
The cinnamon roll sheep was really my birthday cake this year. I thought it blended Easter and things that make me happy rather well. A cute woolly themed, holiday honoring, yummy tasting, silly thing to take pictures of, that was enjoyed by all. The sheep was actually inspired by a memory of one my mother made, many years ago, from, I think, a Sunset magazine recipe.

The kids both came down with head colds Easter Sunday, which they kindly shared. So this last week has been our Spring Break, as we were all in need of some recovery time. Which means I will have another summer top finished up shortly, because in between coughing and blowing my nose, there has been much knitting.

I do love my henna!

It isn't pretty to look at. It's horribly messy to play in. It takes longer than a standard bottle of chemical dye to prepare and use. There is no eye-watering smell. As for results, the proof in in the picture, taken in full sunlight the day I hennaed my hair and after it had dried. The color has darkened some, to something less carrot and more copper colored.
I have tried a lot of chemical dyes, henna still gives me the most authentic color. I use a mix of half henna, half cassia, bought from Mehandi , found courtesy of Wendy . I think using henna is worth the time spent, especially with complements about my beautiful hair and how wonderful the color is. No one need know I'm a blond in disguise, right?

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

My son was made a flying ninja monkey yesterday. It seemed only natural to fly said flying monkey next to one of the more entertaining signs in my house.
My daughter was the force behind making sure we had chocolate chip cookie dough, to be baked today, in a rather amazing shade of green.
I personally was insistent on there being Irish soda bread and that dinner must include potatoes and bacon. I also made sure all my finger and toe nails were bright metallic green
And in case you were wondering, yes we are all wearing green as well.
We have to celebrate our heritage somehow don't we?

Working on it

Things are slowly getting themselves back into order. We are back to one cat. The plotting of a cinnamon roll sheep for Easter(yes Mom, I remember) is in the works. Preparations for a full Spring Cleaning and Clearing are also starting. I made awesome banana bread with my great-grandmother's streusel topping, making sure an extra loaf was made for a friend who just got the keys to her first house. I thought a loaf of homemade bread and a little baggie of gray sea salt made a nice little package for a new house blessing.
There's the fretting over presents for other people and knowing that the planned gifts will be late.
The pondering of current definitions of good and evil while sorting through what to get rid of and what to keep.
Enjoying a perfect Spring day with the windows open and seedlings peaking through dark earth.
Still feeling emotionally drained, but trying to move forward nonetheless.

Do not try and re-adjust your monitor

Yes, this knitted item is really pink. Yes, I intend to wear it, as it fits beautifully. It also knit up super fast, so made a nice diversion from some of the more complex pieces I am currently working on. The pattern is Ophelia
This is my first true foray back into the realm of pink in many years. I was convinced to give it another go by one of my Darlings and now will likely be making a hat out of the leftovers.
It is the first of many summer tops that is not black, green or red. Those colors will not be left out, they just won't make up my entire wardrobe selection. I feel so daring. ;-)

Now that Valentine's Day is over

Happy New Year? This is the lovely display that greeted us at the Natural History Museum out here that we visited while my in-laws were out. Back at the end of December.

January just kind of bowled me over. There was too much to process with no real transition to the new year. It just kept coming. Some was personal, some was like the earthquake in Haiti. For this reason, I decided to skip January all together. Acknowledge what happened, fixed what I could, helped what little I could, but refuse to accept the past month as the start of, what in my science fiction consuming little brain, should be some sort of fantastically, amazing year. Not a re-do, rather more like a delay of game.

I've gone through two and a half books in the last month. I have my father in law to thank for the introduction to Christopher Moore. Lamb entertained my husband and I so much, we went out and bought one of almost every title he has out.
I've finished two sweaters, cast on for two more and have been knitting on a lace project that makes me go cross-eyed. There's also a hat with matching mitts and half of a pair of anklets in there somewhere.

Can we celebrate New Year's at the beginning of March? I should be ready by then. ;-)