A Wee Bit Distracted

With things having been a bit more frantic than usual the last couple of weeks, I have been attempting to find simple, happy distractions.  While out shopping for the rather mundane combination of soap and hair dye, these lovelies caught my eye!

I met the age requirement on the package (3+) and I believe that drawing on yourself (or someone else) is fun! They had to come home with me.
One of the other distractions was actually inspired by a friend who suggested a particular lip gloss that changes color with your chemistry  which of course I immediately wanted to try.  This of course led to wandering their site and remembering how well their products had worked in previous years, and you know, it's been ages since I replaced my makeup basics and wouldn't it be nice if I got the foundation that didn't immediately migrate to the wrinkles?

Definitely a good idea! The foundation and powder stay put without looking fake.  The mascara doesn't flake everywhere and make my eyes itchy.  It's been a pleasant surprise to buy face paint that has worked for me!  I bought the pink lip gloss, because the natural wasn't available locally (I plan on getting a tube soon).  The gloss isn't overly sticky, doesn't have that weird smell/taste so many glosses tend to, and (on me) turned a vibrant shade of rose pink that was surprisingly flattering.  When I had my daughter try it, the color was a deeper, more muted rose.  For some reason she was unsurprised that the gloss was "louder" on me.  Think she is trying to tell me something? :-D

Just one...to take the edge off

I had an argument with a sweater yesterday.  Okay, maybe not an actual argument, more like the realization that I dropped a stitch marker several inches previously and was now missing a quarter of the increases I was supposed to have made so the sweater will actually be wearable.  With a sigh of pain and frustration, the sweater was carefully put back into a project bag and set aside to be slowly and methodically ripped back at a later time.  I had walked upstairs to find my removable stitch markers (which I still can't find), only to have a flash of color flecked with sparkle catch my eye.
Which is why I now have my umpteenth shawl on the needles.

The pattern is Out of Gas by Zhora Designs.  It's been sitting and waiting for me, particularly since I found and purchased the perfect yarn for it at Nerd Girl Yarns
I will admit to having more than a couple skeins from her shop with various projects in mind.
There is something very satisfying about casting on a shawl.  They tend to start small, so you feel like you are making progress quickly. A simple design with a pretty edging lets you feel capable but not frustrated. The finished piece can be draped round neck and shoulders to artfully display beautiful yarn, lovely pattern and knitting skill. (At least I'm pretty sure that's the idea with a finished shawl, I've got six in progress within easy reach, we won't discuss how many are upstairs waiting to be picked up again.)  They are definitely one of my favorite types of projects.
I'll pick the sweater back up to fix it...in a day or two. :-D

Time for Spring Planting

At least around here it's time for the early planting.  There's no frost predicted for the foreseeable future, the weather is comfortably warm during the day, if a bit windy.  So this weekend, a run was made to a couple of garden shops to acquire seeds, dirt, a few more pots and maybe a few seedlings that absolutely insisted on being planted right away, mostly herbs. How could I say no to chocolate mint?  A few strawberry plants may have fallen into the cart as well.

Salad greens, jalapenos, and cucumbers all got started directly in pots, left outside to mostly fend for themselves.  Peas, beans, sweet peppers(purple and chocolate) and tomatoes(Black Krim and Purple Cherokee) are sprouting inside on windowsills in recycled egg cartons.  Marigolds, poppies and carnations have been planted in their (naked looking) pots on either side of the front door.
I am determined to make the most of what seems to be (after a year of observation) a ten month growing season. 
The best part so far is the looks I get from the neighbors, whether for the early planting or the way I am dressed is still uncertain. ;-)

My new glasses get an airing

Since we went out on Friday night, almost unheard of anymore, I decided to wear the new glasses that had come in that afternoon. I can honestly say I was distinctive in a pub full of people.  Sadly, the food at this particular pub was not very good, paired with crowded, too loud (good only if you wanted to sit by yourself and watch the game they had on the multiple televisions) and the beer was about average.  Husband and I agreed after a couple of hours or so, we were ready to head home.
I love my new glasses, so I wore them out again to do the grocery shopping later on in the weekend.  You would think no one had ever seen someone wearing sparkly cat's eye glasses before! ;-)

In Anticipation of Spring

Since I've been told that the few weeks of cold weather we have had around here counts as "winter" I figured it an ideal time to think about my spring/summer wardrobe (since summer is most of the year around here).
My favorite way to change things up is nail polish.  I love the flash of contrast against whatever I am wearing. As my wardrobe tends towards blues, greens, black and grays, I tend to favor a true red nail, a bit conventional but rarely boring. 
I began my search for one nude and one bright color for my nails at one of my favored lip and nail paint sites, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics. Not just an entertaining name, their colors are really outstanding and the products high quality.  Scrolling through their nail lacquer colors, my eyes lit upon a shade called Strumpet. The vibrant plum-red with the name that makes me grin got put on the shopping list!  The lighter color will probably be looked for in person as I am finding it hard to judge the colors online.
As a distraction from hunting down perfect nail colors, I get to play dress up and go to a bit of a shindig this weekend!  I hurriedly knit up an Of Creatures hat this week to wear to the get together, while really hoping my new cat eye glasses get here in time. I just have to remember to get Husband to take pictures before we head out this time, after is rarely very flattering. ;-)

Is rustic high maintenance a thing?

If it is, what is it actually called?  Do we have to use the phrase, "high maintenance"?  Is there another way to describe a love of high end in our handmade?
Some way to announce a preference for better quality components for the things we make (whatever the project may be) that does not involve the word "snob"?
Calling someone "particular" is only slightly better, certainly more polite, though most often used currently to apply to people who fuss over seemingly random details of no apparent consequence,(think diva dressing room requirements).
I enjoy making nice things.  I like to use the best quality I can get my hands on to make those things. I would like a title/description/word for that tendency that doesn't end up sounding like an insult when spoken in modern English.

Happy New Year!

The adorable bear pattern that makes me giggle every time I look at him was found at Urban Threads, one of my favorite places to get embroidery patterns.
I wanted to share him so hopefully you could start the year with a giggle too!

A Late Christmas Post

We all had the same rather horrible cold for Christmas, so our festivities were rather subdued.  Darling Daughter still made beignets with help from her brother.  Yum!!
I got some books that have been fantastic and highly entertaining.

Husband got a box of crackers that made him laugh.

We played a new card game Husband bought, which while an incredible amount of fun, is not for the younger kids or those easily offended.
All in all, it was a slow day with lots of good food and as much laughing as we could manage while coughing. :-)

Happy Solstice!

I decided that today would be the start of the holiday festivities.  This lets me make all the lovely edibles I planned to make that caught my fancy the last few months and brings a little joy a bit earlier than expected.

One of the pretties on my list to make was this outstanding eggnog cake over at Sprinkle Bakes  I suffered from a lack of sugar cone to adorn, so I melted down some white chocolate, printed out a stencil, made a mess and liberally applied sprinkles. My frosting is pastel green instead of pink and I may have given it a bit of a spray with edible gold paint after it was all assembled.  It's still one of the best decorated items I've ever produced (even if I did actually throw the candy snowflake pieces at the sides of the cake).
We also made truffles.  I made the base last night, the kids rolled them this afternoon...and I may have hit them with the edible gold spray as well.  It's so much fun to play with!

A bit free-form in the shape department, but outstandingly tasty.  They are a modified version of these  golden snitch truffles
There's also a plan to make a mulled red wine cake to go with Christmas dinner as well as some of my favorite Greek almond cookies...and then eat leftovers through New Year's day. ;-)

Not technically on the To-Do list

Though it will look lovely with the black velvet dress I plan on wearing to the holiday office party.  It was going to be a shrug, but I didn't like the way the shrug looked with the neckline of the dress, so we are going with the 1950's cocktail party look instead.   While I pondered this look, there seemed to be a need for something around the hand/forearm area.  First, I thought of the not quite elbow length black satin gloves I have, which might look a bit overly formal... what about some fishnet lace armwarmers? Genius! They'd be done in a day! 
It's been three days.  I have ripped and re-cast five different times as well as having changed yarns once.  A start had been made with a pattern written by someone else, which didn't look quite the way I wanted, so of course I started trying to design my own.
This is not going so well either.
The basic pattern looks exactly the way I hoped, but the sizing is kicking my behind,as the lace is stretchier than I expected.  Paired with the current state of my hands and nails...those satin gloves might be the best option.
Possibly providing a bit of time to attempt to end the battle between my hair and the curling iron.

Trying something different

Today I decided to take a different approach to knitting for my family this holiday season.  Instead of stressing myself out with deadline knitting (along with the baking and decorating and gifts that have to be mailed out and the standard shopping), panicking over whether or not items will be finished on time, not to mention liked by the recipients, I decided I would let them choose a pattern and the yarn(s) involved.
My kids, being decidedly geeky teenagers, picked superhero themed fingerless mitts with large grins on their faces. 
The project for my husband is a bit more ambitious, but as it uses ten rather large skeins of yarn from my stash and he picked a fairly uncomplicated pattern, I may get through his sweater in time for him to wear it next year.  Maybe. The odds are improving on a daily basis as I slowly but steadily keep working through all the unfinished projects currently on my needles.  Every once in awhile I may pause and make a pair of fingerless mitts or knit marathon style on something needed immediately.  This works out.  It keeps me from casting on any large new projects before I finish the ones in front of me.  So far.