I am making a more pointed effort to purchase handmade goods for all of the women in my family this year.  I won’t torture the men yet with handmade goods, but the time will most likely come next year.  Plus, Andy does the guy shopping and I do the girl shopping and I know he would think I’m absolutely crazy to suggest such a thing.  He prefers the “buy your brother obscure DVDs and books” option of holiday shopping.

Okay, panic attack setting in so no more talk of this Christmas shopping.  I need to decide on something special to make in the next two weeks for my coordinating teacher.  She has been an amazing resource over the past three months and I will miss seeing her every day.  So………

What would YOU make for a new friend?

We started the past weekend by nabbing a babysitter so that Andy and I could catch the new James Bond for my birthday.  I love the older Bond movies, but I have a thing for the new style (and Daniel Craig) and cannot wait for the next one in a year or so, hopefully.  We did manage to catch the new trailer for Star Trek.  I was disappointed to see it was moved back until next May because it was my pick for our annual Christmas Day movie viewing.  Saturday started off with Laura’s volleyball game followed by a drive to my grandparents’s house.  We met my mom there who brought me my birthday present - a new Schwinn Cruiser!

Isn't it pretty?

We wanted to hurry home on Sunday to go for a nice long bike ride before dark, but there was a neighborhood-wide power outage (someone was digging in their back yard most likely - evil trolls) that morning so we waited to drive back north until we had word from Andy that the power was back on.  We settled for a quick bike ride while the sun was setting and the cooler weather returned for the night.  Since tonight was our first of two busy nights for the week (dance class and band practice), we’ll take a longer ride tomorrow after school.  My dream job for next school year will be at the high school near the girls’ school so that we can ride to school together in the morning instead of driving.  I’ll be the kooky history teacher who rides her bike to school, but I don’t care!

Because I missed posting this here when I was really excited.  Laura had her first concert a few weeks ago.  She was awesome, but I am biased. :)

She’s playing the pink and white guitar, which is a junior sized Hello Kitty Fender/Squire.  It’s Mad’s but if she keeps up playing in the band, we might get her one of her own.  They’re playing “7 Things” by Miley Cyrus and are currently working on Taylor Swift’s “Picture to Burn.”

I’m teaching a beginning crochet class where the girls will make a flower chain bracelet.  I’ll definitely have photos to share when we return (after a nap of course!).

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Scarf in progress

This is from the Fall 2008 Interweave Crochet, a scarf version of Doris Chan’s Sweet Lorriane Throw.  Someone will get this for Christmas, I just haven’t decided yet who might like something soft and white.

I’m also slowly working on finishing my throw that’s been in progress since last fall.  I have six more rows to go and hope to get it completed before our first big cold front later this week. (Wishful thinking!)

Here’s a sneak peek of a skirt pattern I’m making for the girls.  Once I find my notes, I’ll get back to work on it so that I can complete it and list the pattern at the same time.

What are you working on right now?  I’m trying to make it through my Google Reader to get up to date on everyone.  Every time I get started, I get called away by the family.  I miss my me time!

As has become our family tradition, we went to the Texas State Fair a few weeks ago.  I always have to try one of the new fried foods of the year.   I couldn’t help but try deep fried s’mores.  It was like eating a funnel cake with chocolate and marshmallow gooey goodness in the middle - divine!

Deep fried s

I also came across a few beautiful flowers while walking through the garden exhibits.  They looked awfully familiar to me.

Random Flowers

Tonight, I promise to myself to spend time on myself.  I will start a new crochet project, which is by far my favorite part of crocheting.  Some time between now and Saturday, I will take a picture of this project and post it here.  Since I’m curious and seem to have a perpetual 1000+ blogs in Google Reader so I’ll never get caught up.  What are you working on???

The answer is:  Treaty of Paris, 1763 (ending the French & Indian War or Seven Years War from the European perspective).

Saturday evening with Ike

If you are in the Houston/Galveston area or have family or friends in that area, my thoughts and best wishes go out to you.

Like her, I don’t consider my blog to be brilliant, but I do love to find links for the crochet patterns that keep me inspired to pick up my hook. In honor of her, I thought I would post a few new patterns that I’ve come across in the past few days (I’ve been researching just for this post!).

• Rook Hat (Ravelry link) by Sophia Kessinger. The pattern is only available as a free download on Ravelry, but check out her blog for amazing knitting posts. There is a coordinating Rook Scarf also.
• Driftwood Cap (Ravelry link) by Ellen Gormley (check out her blog). It will be published in the Fall 2008 Interweave Crochet. I cannot wait for this edition to hit the stands. This is one of many patterns that I cannot wait to make from the magazine.
• Chicago Swing Jacket by Tammy Hildebrand. I want this to wear to school. The classrooms I’ve been in so far this year are freezing!
• Crochet Brimster. I am in a hat making mood when my haircut is the absolute worst for wearing hats.
• Mary Jane Slippers (Ravelry link - link to her blog here). I need slippers for walking around on my tile floors. I don’t know what happened to my old ones. They were eaten by the house goblins, I think.
• 9 Sided Kitchen Mat - I want to make this in a bunch of pretty, bright colors for my kitchen. I’m tired of my neutral/fall colored home. Bleh.
• The Munro Bag - I want this bag. I really, really need to get started on one.
• Felted Hook Vase (Ravelry link) This one is also available as a free download on Ravelry. I like the idea of using it not only for hooks, but pens and such for my future teacher desk.
• Matryoshka Roly-Poly Dolls - I cheated and bought the kit to make these so I would not be tempted to put them off because I didn’t have the right filling or felt materials.

I could keep going, but I’m just getting frustrated again at hard to find crochet patterns for girls. This is why I need to finish Mad’s skirt and Laura’s rocker accessories.

Now to give out my awards! I give Brilliant Awards to:

• Julie at With a hook, who is always amazing.
• Sheryl at Hip Cat Hooks, whom I miss now that I’ve moved out of Houston. Not only does she do brillian work with a crochet hook, she has by far, the best yarn shop in the Houston area.
• Vera,who inspires me regularly with such beautiful work.
• Sara at Crochet all Day. She’s a teacher so doesn’t post as much during the school year, but I still love checking in with her knitting and crochet work.
  

a. Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
b. Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
c. Cross out or italicize any items that you would never consider eating.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile (does alligator count?)
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. baba ghanous
11. Calamari
12. pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses (I don’t know - sounds like stinky cheese)
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/€80/$120 or more
46. Fugu Fugu to eating blowfish!
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads No way, no how
63. Kaolin(uh, the clay? otherwise, don’t know what this is)
64. Currywurst
65. Durian Anything that smells like stinky socks, doesn’t appeal to me
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears, and funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano (not a fan, but I’ve had it)
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

So if you wanna play along, just follow the rules as stated above.

Then, to make matters worse, Microsoft Word has decided to crash every time I attempt to open any saved document, particularly my pattern-in-progress for the headband and Mad’s skirt.  Curses on you, Microsoft!!!  The only reason why I use you is because I got a sweet deal on the Office for Students and Teachers pack a few years ago.  I am downloading Open Office as I type this.

I need a new project.  I want something for me.  A cardigan, perhaps.  Just something for me.  I have a few balls of a pretty new green in Lion Brand Wool Ease.  I think I need to do a pattern search tonight….

Little Church of the West

We look so young!

Look how young!

How we look today (or last winter!):

A & T Christmas 2007

Even though we do have Girl Scouts tonight, I do solemly promise a wonderful, mouthwatering romantic meal late tonight once the girls are in bed.  Love you!