Currently...

Eating... Crunchy Cookie Butter. OMG!

Mailing... my application for my CTR certification exam. I actually got my application mailed BEFORE the deadline. Go me! Now begins the wait for my application to be approved.

Freaking... out about said CTR certification exam.

Looking... forward to finally getting started on my Project Life album. It took awhile for my first week's photos to be delivered, but they are finally here and the weekend cannot get here soon enough. Scrapbooking. Yay!

Knitting... nothing. All my projects are just sitting here staring at me.

Crocheting... see "Knitting".

Squeeling... at all the Ravelry faves and helps that my Easton baby blanket has gotten. People really do like my blanket and that makes me happy.

I lied

Remember when I said that I was done with studying and that I didn't have to do it anymore? 

Well I lied.

I may be done with taking classes but I still have some studying left to do. I have a national certification exam that I must take in March. 

But before I can even think about the studying, I need to be approved to take the exam. I have spent this month working on getting all my ducks in a row so that I can mail off my application by this Monday. That's only 5-days from now! I just have one more signature that I am waiting on. I am totally freaking out about the whole thing.  I can't wait until it is all over.

2012: A year in scrapbooking

Well I guess I didn't "hope" hard enough because I did absolutely no scrapbooking in 2012.

But I did manage to share a two-page layout (that I actually made back in 2009). Which totally counts since it had been packed away in a box, forgotten and unseen for all these years. 

Even though I didn't scrapbook any layouts last year, I did participate in the Index Card a Day challenge. Technically it's not scrapbooking, but I did use my scrapbook supplies to make them so that is sort of the same thing, right?

This year should be totally different. Seriously. I really mean it this time. This year I will be doing Project Life and have even signed up for my first ever kit club {Citrus Twist Kits}. I don't really need any new scrapbook supplies but I think it will be fun to get a package of new goodies in the mail every month. In fact, I got confirmation that my package should arrive on Friday. Wait....That's tomorrow! Whoo hoo!

2012: A year in yarn

2012 was all about the blankets.....oh and the scarves. I guess sticking with what I know how to make helps with actually getting the projects done. I finished 2 of each so a total of 4 yarny projects for the year. That is one more than I completed in 2011 and one less than I completed in 2010. Sounds like success to this procrastinator.

My first project for the year was a knitted scarf that I made for the husband. It is also the first knitting project where I came up with the pattern on my own.

My next yarny project was also a scarf. This one though took me way too long to finish. Only 2 years! What is even sadder is that it only needed 32 rows to finish it.

The blueberry {ripple} blanket was my only completed crochet project for the year. I really do like making these ripple blankets. The pattern is so easy to memorize and that makes it a perfect project for mindless crochet in front of the television. I will most definitely be making more of these.

My final project for 2012 was a simple knitted baby blanket. I loved working with cotton and the garter stitch made the blanket really squishy. I see myself making more of these, maybe even one in a larger size.

2012: A year in photos

It's that time again. Time for my yearly year in photos post. I know I say this every year but looking through my photos from last year, I have to say I took practically no pictures what-so-ever. Which actually when I think about it kind of makes it easier to pick which ones are my favorites.

So here you go....some of my favorite photos from 2012. Thanks for looking.

I started knitting a special present for my Mom.

I bought a plant and it survived!

I bought another plant and it did not.

A special visitor showed up in our backyard.

It snowed in our freezer.

Arizona sunsets are awesome!

I saw a heart in amongst the clouds.

My cousin had a baby.

I won my first blog giveaway.

The husband sure knows how to decorate an awesome tree.

The end of the year...perfect time for a cat nap.

Good-bye 2012. Here's to taking a lot more photos in 2013!

Baby Easton has a blanket

 .....and the baby blanket is done.

I really love the look (and feel) of garter stitch. It is so squishy! And garter stitch using Cotton-Ease is even more squishy which really helped make a repetitious pattern less monotonous. This blanket has a very simple pattern which is perfect for me since I love patterns that don't require me to concentrate too much when I'm working on them.

I love that I finished making this blanket just in time for Christmas. I was so excited to bind-off that I totally forgot my plan to use a different bind-off method using a larger needle like I did for the cast-on.

I am totally in love with this blanket. One of my favorite projects so far.

Pattern: Super Easy Baby Blanket from Purl Bee 

Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton-Ease in "Seaspray, Lime, Taupe, Maize and Terracotta"

Needles: US 8 (5.0 mm) and US 9 (5.5 mm)

Started: July 25, 2012

Finished: December 24 2012

My Ravelry link: Easton

My modifications: 

I cast-on 120 stitches, using size 9 needles and knit the blanket using size 8 needles.

I slipped the first stitch of each row (purl wise) and attached new colors using the back join. Each block of color was 34 ridges (68 rows).

Finished measurements: 38 x 27 inches.

Blueberry {ripple}

The Blueberry {ripple} is finished and in the hands of Nephew 2.0.

I am a bit worried that the size of this ripple is a little off. It isn't as square as the Brownie {ripple} and that bothers me. I didn't want to buy another skein of yarn for just a few rows, so after 5 skeins I called it done. But since Nephew 2.0 is taller than Nephew 1.0 I think I may need a larger blanket. I will have to ask him if he wants me to make it longer but I hope that once the blanket gets some use that it will stretch out a bit.

And of course the little stinker had to jump in on the action. It doesn't matter if you tell her no, she still does what she wants to. The stubborn look on her face says it all.

Pattern: Neat Ripple Pattern from Attic24

Yarn: Red Heart with Love in "True Blue" and "Black"

Hook: 6.0 mm (J)

Chained: 171

Finished measurements: 53 x 60 inches

Started: September 23, 2012

Finished: December 23, 2012

My Ravelry link: Blueberry {ripple}

Currently...

Playing... with my new iPod Touch (thank you Santa) what a difference there is from the 2nd generation to the 5th. I can't believe how crisp everything looks. And the apps! The apps all work! Amazing!

Finishing... quite a few knitting & crochet projects. I have empty needles and waiting yarn. I am itching to start anew with one of the many projects I have been dreaming to make. I just need to decide on which one.

Thinking... about way too many things at the moment. A couple of big deadlines coming up next month and I just can't seem to get them out of my mind.

Wondering... if I will find enough photos for my year in photos post. It might help if I actually started looking instead of just wondering about it.

Wishing... that the Christmas tree could stay up forever.

Scrunchable Scarf

I just love this time of year when it comes to my working on my yarny projects. It's the time of year when projects get finished and sometimes it's the time of year when projects get put away and kind of forgotten about. My grape scrunchy scarf would be one of the latter.

This scarf started out as a Christmas present back in 2010, but then I changed my mind and decided to make something else so it got put aside. It sat for quite awhile on top of my printer collecting dust. Then it spent some time hanging out in the closet where I didn't have to look at it everyday. I finally decided that it needed to be finished. It pretty much was already done, it only had a few rows left to knit. I don't know why it took me so long to do it but here it is. Another project FINISHED!

Pattern: Scrunchable Scarf by Susan McConne

Yarn: Premier Yarns Serenity Chunky Weight in "Grape Jam"

Needle: US 10 1/2 (6.5 mm)

Started: October 31, 2010

Finished: December 9, 2012

My Ravelry link: Grape Scrunchy

Merry Merry Christmas!

still here

Happy Non-Apocalypse Day!

Back in 2009

Way back in 2009...I scrapbooked.

I know, I know that was years ago but soon after that we bought a house and everything went into boxes. Recently, I opened one of these boxes and was surprised at what I found. I thought the box would be filled with scrapbook paper and finished scrapbook layouts. I was wrong. I found tons of pages in various stages of completion and lots of supplies too. I also found the following pages. These were the last pages I scrapped right before the move.

I have 3-years worth of photo-a-day projects. The first year was 365 Days (a self-portrait a day for a year), then I did two years of Project 365 (taking a photo a day for a year). Since Project 365 is a photography project I never really planned on scrapbooking them, but I knew I wanted to do something with all the photos I took. I just didn't know what that something would be. I love the look of photo books but didn't really think I could afford one and to be honest I am a bit intimidated when it comes to making one.

For these pages I wanted to concentrate on showcasing the photos so there is very little journaling (I pretty much just copied what I wrote on Flickr) and the pages are very simple.

Thanks for looking.

Wordless Wednesday: Happy 12-12-12

The start of the Blueberry {ripple}

I am 39 rows into my next ripple with only 21 days left until Christmas Eve. I have no idea how many rows I have left to go but I hope to finish crocheting this blanket in time to give it to Nephew 2.0 for Christmas.

I have actually been working on it a little bit here and there since the end of September, but I really haven't gotten very far. A fact that really shouldn't surprise me since apparently, I was in the same exact predicament last year.

I had all kinds of ideas of what colors to use but decided in the end to go with his favorite colors of blue and black and decided to use Red Heart With Love acrylic yarn. I had the hardest time trying to decide which yarn to use but thanks to SIX 50% off coupons the decision to use this yarn was made for me. You just can't beat paying $2.50 for a 370 yard skein. I have not used Red Heart in a very long time and the Red Heart With Love is a lot softer than the regular Red Heart. So far it hasn't been too bad to work with and hopefully it will be just like the regular Red Heart in that it will be indestructible and last forever, which is perfect for a teenage boy.

Currently...

Waiting... for November to end. This month has not been very kind to me or my family.

Realizing... that life is short. My Uncle died last week, the day before Thanksgiving. This is my parents' generation. And now there are two Uncles that have passed away. It scares me more than I will admit. I don't like to think about my parents getting older.

Hoping... that this dime/penny sized hole in my chest heals quickly and doesn't leave too much of a scar. Actually a scar I can handle, a hole...not so much.

Eating... our own personal Thanksgiving. We spent Thanksgiving with my side of the family this year as the husband's parents were out of town. Every year, for as long as I can remember, the husband has made a turkey and all the fixings (a week or two after Thanksgiving) just for us. Tonight is that night. Yay!

My Uncle

not as planned

I had plans, BIG plans to take some pictures this last weekend for the blog....some honest to goodness scrappy related pictures. But on Saturday it was cloudy so there wasn't any sun streaming through the windows to take pictures with and by Sunday I was not in any condition to do anything but go to Urgent Care.

I won't go into much detail because let me tell you it is not pretty. But what I will say is that there is quite a large sized hole in the middle of my chest and the doctor said my skin had "evidence of venom."

And since I am positive that none you want to see a picture of it, you get an old kitty picture.

purr purr purr

I am an awesome baker and I knit too

Tomorrow is the Thanksgiving work potluck. I usually have a go-to dish that I usually bring but it appears that this year it is someone else's go-to dish. So, I had to come up with something else to bring to work with me tomorrow. 

I was going to bake something which is kind of funny because I really don't bake. I spent last night deciding on what recipe to make and even started the blog post in my head, you know the one where I write all about what an awesome baker I am. Well, I went to the grocery store today and found that a pre-made cake was a lot less expensive than buying all the ingredients to make something and the bonus is that I didn't have to do a thing.

It's a good thing that I decided to buy something for tomorrow's pot luck instead of making something. This way I can spend some quality time knitting. It has been awhile since I have been able to spend any time on my knitting due to that whole class thing. I had hoped to give the baby blanket I am knitting to my cousin on Thanksgiving. However, since I just realized yesterday that Thanksgiving is NEXT week, I doubt it will be finished in time. I am 1/2 way finished with the 4th color and still need to add a 5th. I guess I better get busy.








 

Done

I am officially done! 

No more classes! Whoo hoo!

Thanks to everyone that sent good study vibes and well wishes my way this last week. I took (and passed) my final exam this past Friday.

It has been a long 3 years and it feels really good to finally say that I am finished. Well at least finished with taking classes, I do still have to sit for the national certification exam come next March. 

Completing this online program is right in line with my one little word for 2012. I am so happy to cross this one off my list. Another thing FINISHED.

Instagram

Have you seen this?

Instagram finally has its own web viewer. For someone who rarely uses Instagram, I sure am excited about it. I think it looks pretty neat. I love that I no longer have to make a decision on which web viewer to use (out of the many different web options that are available) when I want to share my personal Instagram page with someone. There are way too many out there to choose from and I keep changing my mind. I like to keep things nice and simple and the Instagram web viewer does just that.

My Instagram webpage

If you use Instagram and want to see your own personal Instagram web profile page, type the following web address in your browser:    http://instagram.com/YourUserName and replace YourUserName with your actual Instagram user name.

Oh and after you find your Instagram web page be sure to share your link in the comments because I would love to go and see your photos.

the last week

It figures that the last week before my final exam would involve some kind of math. Well, not really math, more like statistics. I am so not a math person.

I have exactly one week to finish four lessons and take a quiz. Then on Friday I take the final exam. I cannot believe I am THIS close to being finished with this! Only 7 more days!