Henna Power!

Yeah! Ren fest was awesome! And we didn't take any pics! Woo-hoo!
I know, I know. You're thinking, "What's up with that?". Well, I'll tell you. Actually, I guess all I can truthfully say is.....we forgot. No biggie. I'll give you a written description, how about that? Yea! Okay kids, put your imagination hat on, 'cuz here we go!!!
It was a dark and stormy night....Just kiddin'.
We got to the camp site late on Saturday night. You know, I don't think we have EVER arrived at our camp site during the day light hours! It's tough setting up camp in the dark! Anyways, we brought both sleeping bags this time because I knew the weather was going to be a tad chilly. Boy, was it ever! We were warm and toasty in our tent that night. But have you ever had the privilege of feeling your eyeballs freeze? Well, I have. I decided to sleep with my beanie pulled down over my face. Which was great because I was able to sleep even when the sun came up. For you campers out there, It is almost impossible to sleep in a tent after the sun has come up. It literally beams through the tent. So I was happy. And cold. Burr.
So, we woke up the next day and went to the festival, it was the last day and no, there were no great deals. But it sure was fun. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about our visit with the Celtic Rogues! Yeah! We met up with them again this year! We met them 2 years ago, and they painted some really pretty henna on my hand. WE also saw them initiate some new members. Ferrell claims it is a cult, but I just think these people are fun! Heehee! So, we met with them again, and I got the same lady to do my henna for me! Check it out! And all they accept are donations. Her name was Tigeress, by the way. Yeah, she even had a tiger print cape. So, I gave her $10 this time. I really like it. Not to mention that if I would have got it done in the festival, it would have been $25 or $30! I love it. Mainly because it will go away. I don't really like permanent things. People, but not things. Okay maybe some things, oh, whatever. I just like the fact that it will come off eventually, and I could have the choice of doing it again with something different. There. That is what I meant to say.
Thanksgiving is coming up, and everyone is invited to my house. Yeah, come on over. No joke. I'm sure we will have enough food to feed the entire state of Texas. You may have to sit outside on the lawn, but no biggie. Enjoy!!!

Kitty Kat!

I finished the KAL (knit-a-long) from the monthly dishcloths yahoo group today. I should do another in black.....
So it's getting closer and closer to my favorite time of year! Fall! You gotta understand, that here in good 'ol Texas, fall doesn't start until the temperature drops below 80. Which in this case won't happen until November. I can't believe it was in the 90's all week. It really sucks. And yes, I am still knitting! I am almost done with my brown "practice" pants. All I have left to do is attach a hook and eye, or latch, I can't remember the actual term....and I need to hem them as well. Looks like I will finish this weekend. And then I will start a new project! I saw a really cute shift-type sleeveless dress made from wool in the new Elle magazine. I didn't get a chance to tear it out (I don't think the nail salon ladies would have minded, I just wanted to be nice. They were wielding some dangerous Dremel tools). I just had to mentally sketch it in my brain. Thankfully, it stuck. I'm going to search for a pattern for it, and if that fails (which I hope it doesn't, I don't feel completely ready to do one freehand), then I guess I will have to do it myself. Shocker!

San Fran pictures!!!

So, I'm back!

We finally got a totally awesome camera, so now I can post actual PICTURES on my blog! Yay!

Okay, this picture is of us in San Fran! My favorite place in the world (so far) which runs a close second to the Grand Canyon (okay, not too close, but close) is the magnificent redwood trees of the Muir woods in San Fran. This picture is of us standing amongst these giant trees. The air was so crisp and clean. I truly felt rejuvinated and revived. It was a total spiritual experience to be there. Yeah, I know it sounds crazy, but it's true! If I could live there I would jump at the chance.

Now, this next picture I took of the light streaming through the trees. We got there around 9am, thankfully before all the tour buses and tourists arrived. In fact, as we were leaving we ran into a bunch of German tourists. The parking lot was full of buses!

I've been keeping busy on the weekends on my sewing, and during the week on my knitting. I bought a new book called Sew U, and it came with basic patterns for a shirt, skirt, and pants. I became obsessed with making a cool pair of slacks, that I ran out to Hancocks and bought a few yards of Gaberdine and started full force. I didn't quite finish, but I got close. Today I am going to finish, and I'll post the results soon.

Here are a few pics of some other things I'm working on or finished. There is a baby hat that I made a few months ago. I picked up the yarn and pattern at Twisted Yarns in Spring,Tx. It was free, because you are supposed to bring it back to be donated to the local hospital for the newborns. Well, seeing as how far away the store is (about an hour), and the fact that all my friends are pregnant, I decided to keep it for a gift. I also have a pic of a purple shawl I made from Lions Brand Homespun. Crocheted, and so unbelieveably quick, like a few days!!! Next, I have a picture of my brown outfit, made from microsuede, the skirt is pleated and fits well (thanks to my dress form!) and the shirt is short sleeved, but maybe a tad too shiny! I'm making an alternate shirt out of a cotton. And then I have a pic of a white lace shawl I'm making for my mom. My first endevor into the crazy, mind-altering world of lace. Believe me, this will take years to finish! In the same picture is my pale green sweater. I started it in the summer, and I won't finish it until next summer with the rate I'm going. But it will look cool. And the last pic is of a green cable-knit scarf I started last year. I really love it, cables are fun to knit!

Wizard and Glass...done!

Okay, I finally finished reading that freekin' loong book! It took me a couple of months, but I finally put it to rest. It ruined my plans of finishing the entire Dark Tower series this summer. Oh, well. I tried to find the next one, The Wolves of Calla, but to no avail. Half Price books over on Nasa didn't have it. I guess I have yet another excuse to go to the one in the Rice Village! Yay!
Update on our camera situation....Ferrell and I were at "The Store That Shall Not Be Named" and he showed me an Elph camera he has been looking at buying on the internet. I love it, of course, but any camera will make me happy at the moment, because I Need One!!!! It's kinda funny because when we had our camera I barely used it at all, but when you are without one it's like someone died and you miss them. Weird.
So, I bought some pillow forms to make some cushions for my kiddos at school to sit on when they read. I need to use those half yards I bought so long ago (a year ago). I loved the pattern so much I bought them figuring I would find some use for them. Now that I think about it, I'll make some shorts out of the 50's TV/Radio pattern. Too cool...
I'm back at my green tank. I am on the last lace pattern repeat before st. st. I haven't touched it since Monday, and even then I only did a few rows....so bad.
I am in desperate need of the new Lion Brand Romance mohair yarn! I got the email update about it along with some kick-ass free patterns but I can't find it anywhere! When will it come to the stores! I don't feel like paying full price on the website! But I may!!!!

Wizard and Glass...done!

Okay, I finally finished reading that freekin' loong book! It took me a couple of months, but I finally put it to rest. It ruined my plans of finishing the entire Dark Tower series this summer. Oh, well. I tried to find the next one, The Wolves of Calla, but to no avail. Half Price books over on Nasa didn't have it. I guess I have yet another excuse to go to the one in the Rice Village! Yay!
Update on our camera situation....Ferrell and I were at "The Store That Shall Not Be Named" and he showed me an Elph camera he has been looking at buying on the internet. I love it, of course, but any camera will make me happy at the moment, because I Need One!!!! It's kinda funny because when we had our camera I barely used it at all, but when you are without one it's like someone died and you miss them. Weird.
So, I bought some pillow forms to make some cushions for my kiddos at school to sit on when they read. I need to use those half yards I bought so long ago (a year ago). I loved the pattern so much I bought them figuring I would find some use for them. Now that I think about it, I'll make some shorts out of the 50's TV/Radio pattern. Too cool...
I'm back at my green tank. I am on the last lace pattern repeat before st. st. I haven't touched it since Monday, and even then I only did a few rows....so bad.
I am in desperate need of the new Lion Brand Romance mohair yarn! I got the email update about it along with some kick-ass free patterns but I can't find it anywhere! When will it come to the stores! I don't feel like paying full price on the website! But I may!!!!

Man am I tired. What a week. Work! Anyways, I am finally making progress with my green tank. It is looking good, I must say. I think I just channeled Ed Grimley for a second there. Was that his name? It's funny how names just pop out of my mouth and half the time I have no idea where it came from. But I'm usually right. Strange... So, my tank is looking great, and I have one more repeat of the lace pattern before I begin the monotonous stockenette stitch. But I kinda like that stitch especially for when I go to my group and talk while I knit. It is inevitable that I make many mistakes when I talk and knit at the same time. Duh! The st. st. is very easy to do in that situation. I should finish it soon? Maybe. Fingers crossed because I already found a new project. Gasp! Well, actually I am on 3 projects, but one of those I could finish in one day, I just haven't. I need another quick project and I found one. The Lion Brand website sent me an update! They have some new mohair (expensive) yarn and free patterns! I love the shawl and wraps, so I am going to make one! For me! Only me! And in Green! I love green! The shrug looks really good, and it is knitted on those huge needles, so it should be quick. Yay! I'll look for it this week!
I watched an eerie movie this morning. The picture of Dorian Grey. I started reading that book a few years ago online, but couldn't finish it. TiVo recorded it (it readmy mind!) so I watched beautiful Angela Landsbury. Yeah, I know what you are thinking, "But she's that old lady on Murder She Wrote!". You are right, but back in the late 40's she was beautiful. It was a good movie, black and white, but I thought it was really cool when they would show the picture and it would be in color. Very cool.
I am still reading book 4 of the Dark Tower series, and I am determined to finish it! I am at the end, the last 100 pages I believe. It will be finished! I haven't decided yet if I will get the next one anytime soon, but I had better or I will never finish the series.
Gotta go run. Need to lose some fat.

Just say "no", you may win something!

So, I just had a great breakfast and I am ready to be back at work! It's funny how when you have a good breakfast the rest of the day seems to float by. We just came back from our annual "Breakfast with the Stars" where we meet with the businesses in the area and start the new school year. There was a really good guest speaker and I got her book for free! Well, all I had to do was be the first to admit that I can't say "no" to anyone. I had just gotten through chatting with my friends at our table about how this year I am saying "no" and sticking to my guns. I was going on and on about this when the speaker began by saying "Who here can not say no?". Well, my friends very obviously start waving at her and pointing down at me! I blush 7 shades of red and the speaker says, "see me before you leave, I've got something for you!". Funny. Maybe it will help me to change this year. I've been here long enough that I can say no to people and not worry about what they will think of me. I've got a job to do, I've made friends, and now it's time to get to work.
Boy, last night I conked out on the couch for about an hour when I got home. I just didn't know when to quit working. My shoulder started aching, so I thought, "oh, I'll just rest a bit on the couch." Well, I slept like a rock, and when Ferrell got home he just laughed at me and said in a baby voice, "Aw, poor Stephanie! Did you have to work today? You look so sleepy! Poor thing!"
I could have hit him, but I was too tired!

Back at work!

I finished my skirt this weekend! Woo-how! I still need to work on polishing my seams and topstitching, but overall I am happy with it. I sewed it out of stretch suede, and my sewing machine wanted to stretch it when I sewed so I had to pull as it went through the needle. I hope this is what I was supposed to do to fix it... I also worked on the jacket. All I need to do now is finish the hem on the jacket and shirt and I'll be done. You know I've found that I try to make my clothes look nice, but I don't take the extra time to really make the seams look nicer. I guess I'm lazy that way. I'm happy with it, so who cares? I just can hear my mom's voice over my shoulder saying "you know you could make that seam look better...". I just hate going back over things once I've done an "okay" job. Yeah, you're right, that sounds pretty lazy. Oh, and the shirt I made to go with the "ensemble" didn't turn out the way I'd expected. I chose a Windsor satin in leaf green (very pretty on the bolt, but very different in my pattern). It just came out too shiny. I don't know if I'll actually wear it. I think I'll make another one in cotton. I'll post pictures of the outfit whenever we get our camera. I know, how could we be without a digital camera, but you can blame it all on poor Ferrell and his spranged ankle. He fell on it in Toronto reliving his childhood with our friend Dave.

Okay, school has started again and I am ready.
We have a new principal this year, so things will be different. But I am confidant that the year will not be too different (at least not in a bad way). Stay positive! I can't say too much here you know, but I really hope it's a good year with these changes. Tomorrow will be our awesome breakfast from the tea room! Yummy!

Yee-Haw! I finally succumbed to the masses and created a Blog!

Yeah, it seems that I have decided to take the plunge. Everyone seems to have one of these, and now I am like the rest. I know, boring. But I have to say, I haven't written in quite a while in my own journal, just when Ferrell and I travel, so this should be good for me.
So, here we go!