I'm such a girl......

I went out tonight with the girls that I used to work with.  It was sooooo good to see them.  Those girls are what I miss like crazy about my old job and I'm certain that I will never find a group with that dynamic anytime soon, if ever. 

Anyways.....I went out with the girls.  Wore cute shoes, some makeup and half way did my hair.  Well, everytime someone said how pretty I was or how good I looked, in my head, I immediately dismissed the comment.  I'm such a girl in the sense that I don't give myself any credit at all when it comes to my looks.  I don't think I'm pretty.  I definitely don't think I'm beautiful.  My friends are gorgeous girls.  Gorg!  They're all skinny, pretty and have amazing boyfriends....in my head, I'm chubby, not pretty, and doomed to be single forever.  Gahhhhh!  I am FULLY aware that these thoughts are crazy, that they're not rational, but they will not leave my head.  They're stuck.  They aren't going anywhere anytime soon.  Such.A.Girl.

Ok....I think I'm done now.  Sorry for the sad girl blogger tonight.....

Crocheting away!

After I finished up the swap gifts, I took a little break from crochet, knit, all of it.  Well, on my mini trip I took my bag with me and did one whole round!  haha, not much, but it was something.  So, I'm still working on that second panel.  I WILL get it done at some point!  I'm sure of it! 

This evening I've been working on Camille's apron for work.  I found the most adorable apron pattern that shouldn't take me too long to complete, but it is all single crochet and I tend to go cross-eyed after a few rows if I don't have a break every now and then.

I've also got to find something for the second swap I'm a part of.  This is the one that I kinda took over.  It has a project piece that uses over 400 yards of something.  That sounds like a lot, but it really isn't.  That bag I'm making called for over 600 I think, so that isn't the daunting aspect.  I want to make something really beautiful.  My swap partner is the sweetest gal and I already adore her to pieces!  She's getting married on June 25th so I would like to have the package mailed out to her asap so that it gets to her before she gets married, but I don't know if that will happen.  I've been thinking of making my first shawl for the swap but I can't find one that really jumps out at me and really says "Make Me Now!"  I keep looking though.  I think I have something like 60 or so shawls saved in my favorites queue on Rav so I keep flipping through them.  I will find something.  I will.  I don't have a choice!  The best part is that if I do a shawl, you *know* that I will have to buy some yarn because everything I have right now is spoken for....well, maybe I can use the silver/gray from Sunflower Yarns, but that is a wool blend.....hm.  Decisions.  Decisions. 

Oh!  And I'm still working on my non-baby baby blanket every once in a while.  Just not as often as I would like. 

Pictures soon!  :)

Bookworm Wednesday! (v.2)

Cookbook Edition!  

These are my top three most used cookbooks!  They have a prominent place on my shelf and where I can grab them quite easily!

Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book is a huge amount of information!  It isn't just about recipes, it is about how to cook various meats, what each piece of meat really comes from.  It has true, honest to goodness, old fashioned, down home cooking tips!  This isn't one of the original ones, it is the reprint of the 1950 edition, it is just like the one that my grandma got when she was young and a newlywed! 

The Happy Baker is a new addition to my collection.  I literally picked it up on a midnight Kroger trip when I was hunting for cookies.  This book has this as a note on the front: A girl's guide to emotional baking.  When I showed it to my sister, she said she was glad I finally wrote a book!  haha, I just adore this book!  It has recipes named things like I Need a Real Man Maple Pumpkin Pie and Bite My Peanut Brittle Bi-atch!  And, to go along with the fantastic recipes, there are HI-larious stories!  I almost peed my pants from laughing while reading them!

101 Cookie Recipes is my go-to cookie book.  It has the BEST peanut butter cookie recipe in it that I have perfected over the many years that I have had this book.  I got it while I was still in high school and have used it many times each year since!  It really is my go-to book when I have to make something for a carry-in and just about anything else!!

While all of these are great books and they are each nearly priceless to me, there is one that trumps them all.  I mean, quite literally if my apartment were burning, I would save this before I saved some other things....

THIS is my recipe binder.  I have handwritten recipes from my grandmothers, my mother, my sister-in-law, friends, everyone!  And, they're all in here.  If I find a recipe on the back of the butter tub that sounds interesting, it gets written in here!  I've gotten it pretty full, and am looking for a bigger one, but no such luck yet....for now I just keep doubling and tripling up the the cards in each pocket.  When I get married, if I have bridal shower I want a recipe shower instead!  Everyone brings a recipe that they love, and all of those will go in here too!  At some point, if I can't find a bigger binder, I will probably have to go to a card holder, but that day isn't here yet :)

Happy cooking and baking!

Dear Heather.....

We miss you.  I still have moments every now and then when I almost reach for the phone to text you something funny and then remember you're gone.  Even after two and a half years.  These moments, though, seem to happen more often around this time of year.  You're birthday was supposed to be today, you would have been 26.  The catch up day to me; don't forget to respect your elders!  haha

I spent this weekend out of town with Tuesday, you totally would have come with us!  We had a blast but you were on our minds.  We even sang you "Happy Birthday" at midnight, because well, you know how much Tues likes to sing "Happy Birthday" to people!  And, last night at the casino, I had a Tom Collins for you and threw some money away into a slot machine, then today I won some back, and I know that was you.  :)  

Well, there is about 15 minutes left of your birthday, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY chick-a-dee!!!

Finished Stuff....

Just thought I'd share some finished stuff, I'm rather proud of all of this.  :)

This square-ish shape of half double crochet turned into...

Wrist Warmers!

....and this knitting start became....

A Coffee Mug Cozy!

I need to find a better way to attach the button closure, but I was kind of winging it since I didn't write out the pattern at all.  I also made some more travel/disposable cup cozies.  Those are wicked easy to make, and I can make one in about an hour or less.  Oh!  That reminds me!  I was at Pier 1 today (buying the white mug!) and one of the guys that works there got to talking to me, he's a potter and has been wanting to make the travel/throw away style mugs/cups but didn't want to add a handle....well, I gave him my Ravelry info (he asked for a business card but I don't have those, Rav was the next best thing....) so that he can look at my work and see if maybe he would buy some of my travel-size cozies to put with the ones he makes.  How cool is that?  I hope he contacts me, I just think it would be fun.  And, if I use Red Heart (I hate it, but it is cheap....and holds up.) then if I sold them at just a $1 a piece, after the second sold, everything would be profit.  Gotta start somewhere, right?

(and just for fun, a pic of my booger butt.  <3 my nephew B!)

Ravelry Swap

Hey all!  I'm running a knit/crochet swap over on Ravelry!  You have to be a member of Ravelry to use the following link, but if you're a knitter or crocheter then Ravelry is a GREAT website to be on!!

I took over this swap because our moderator went MIA.  I am hoping that is turns out beautifully, and I'm thinking that it will!  There are already 10 sign-ups, so it is twice as big as my book swap on here!  I'm getting nervous, but it is a confident nervous if that makes sense.

In other news, I am going to check out for a few days and do some soul searching and thinking.  Sooooo if I don't post here for a day or two, don't be worried!  I will be back soon!

I hate this.

I had a really rough day.  Rough enough that I cried the entire drive home from the farm.  But....I got to come home to this little guy and I got to give him an extra big hug. If you have a pet, or pets, hug them.  Kiss them.  Love them stronger and harder than ever before.....you never know when they won't be there anymore.