on trial

i love my hobbies. i truly do. they give me great pleasure. although, lately, i've been wondering: at what point does a hobby become an addiction, an obsession?
perhaps, i no longer have hobbies... maybe i've become addicted?

Exhibit A:





seems harmless enough. a little clip light i purchased... for the times we are in the car and the sun has gone down so that i can continue my project.

Exhibit B:





i know i have a lot of yarn, but seriously, how did this happen? ladies and gentlemen, this is not a staged photo. this is what i saw when i went to get a coffee mug out of my cabinet. should i be ashamed?

Exhibit C:





recently, we took a road trip. my heart went pitter-pat as we passed through miles and miles and miles of cotton fields. i was truly saddened to see the little bits of fluff left behind by the tractors. such a shame to see it go to waste.

so, my jury of peers, what is the verdict?
should i be found guilty, what is my sentence, my punishment?

i didn't mean to, honest!

how does so much time pass so quickly? it's already been almost a week. no real reason why - too much blog reading.... :) seriously, i have over 100 in my blogroll. craziness i tell you. and i enjoy them too much to cut any out.
okay, so what has happened in a week? my 3 year old son, is now my 4 year old son. i just can't believe it. maybe he'll mellow out a little this year. he will be starting pre-K in august. my kiddos go to a magnet school, so the pre-K is all day, not just a few hours... oh how i feel for those teachers - mwua ha ha
hmmm what else? i had my monthly bunko group tonight... i didn't win, drats! but it's great fun to be with my friends and goof off and have strawberry shortcake. mmmmmmm i saw a thing on tv the other day where someone was making strawberry shortcake and they used a biscuit! what the heck? i've never had it any other way than poundcake.
is it a regional thing?
where are you and how do you eat strawberry shortcake?

projects:
i made another needle felted creature. my little sister asked for a monkey - so here he is. he turned out a little bigger than i had wanted... and he has a few flaws. but she will love him anyway. this is my first attempt at making a 'jointed' critter. it's tougher than i thought i'd be. he's not exactly symmetrical. but don't go lookin for his "character" i tried to take a picture where it doesn't show up :)



monkey of another kind:
are you living in spring bliss yet? finally - the sun has come out and we took full advantage last weekend. i planted some little monkey grasses in an add non-concreted space next to our driveway. looky at me in my big brim sun hat... my oldest just praying no one sees me in :)



moving on:
because tomorrow is WIP day, i'll save my crochet stuffs til then.

Aiy-yi-yi!

so i guess it's time i take this Wednesday Report seriously:
disclaimer: if you are injured during the reading of this post by falling out of your chair (or off your ball - i'm still doing it... are you?!?) due to fainting or shock, i can not be held responsible either through guilt or medical bills, as this warning has been posted.


Crochet
Charming in chenille for Kaylee
floral scarf for laura
home design
school design
christi's red throw
xavier's rainbow blanket
blue project
mr. speckles
goldenrod cardigan
granny belt
granny scarf
hubby stripe ghan
floral granny ghan
63 squares
entrelac baby blankie
fancy cross for nannie
sandals
tan basket
autumn purse
navy throw for sil
wine bottle bag
noah cardigan
stole turned scarf


so now you know the real reason why i never post in Show-and-Tell --- because i never finish anything.
what causes this? is it a sickness? is there anyone else out there aflicted with this disease?

okay, i count 23 crochet projects going that i can currently think of

being thoroughly depressed with this realization, i choose not to go into my knitting or spinning.

hmmm, so a picture for the day? a little bit of productivity - i DID get my "cami" yarn off the niddy noddy and have added it to my stash. now to get the "fire" of the spool and on the niddy noddy and ready for 'setting'.....

Twins!!!

albeit fraternal!






how did this happen?! 2 skeins of yarn in the very same dye dish... look at the difference!





now what? here is a picture of 4 skeins of the exact same yarn, dyed the exact same way with the exact same flavors of kool-aid. now what? the project i wanted to use these for will definately require more than one skein. but i'm afraid of using these together. don't you think it will create a stripe when i switch? UGH!! so, anyone have any good ideas for single skeins of wool? i'm very disappointed in this adventure. guess i'll have to order some store-bought --humph, not what i wanted to do.

check out my new toy! how fun is this going to be!?! although, i have to say, wish it would make a little thicker cord. or at least come in different sizes.





guess that's all i'm going to post for now. i have much housework to do before the demolition of the bathroom begins. clean it before destroying it? well, i wouldn't want the builder to see it dirty, now would i?

april fools ... a little late

man oh man, where does the time go?!?
my third babe will be 4 in a few days. he is crazy for all things superman. his collection is massive and all-inclusive. what do you get the boy with everything? yes, i know it is all my fault that he already has it all... but how can i resist those baby blues? yes, 3 of my half-mexican kiddos have blue eyes and one heck of a beautiful year'round tan. back to the question: what in the world do i get this guy for a birthday present?!!

i'm still working on the thing that i can't talk about.
but also working on a design... course can't talk about that either.

so we move on to "Flash Your Stash"
although i didn't officially join the group - as i'm not near the knitter these ladies and gents are, i feel somewhat (okay, a LOT) inferior and am intimidated by their work. yes, there is a great button to go along, but as i was to chicken to join, just a link for you to see.

for those of you who wish to see beautiful yarn, and read a great letter to the significant others in our lives that just don't understand the want, desire and need we have for fiber, go here

so here it is, in all it's glorified mess, my stash:

spinning fiber/yarn combo laundry basket



spinning fiber closet



yarn



more yarn



basket of 'need to be put away stuffs




so come on, all. FLASH YOUR STASH!!

the land of too damn much!

this is pile scored by my kiddos Easter Sunday!

not to worry, it has all been given a new home... which i am not going to go into now because i already typed this and "son of a bitch" blogger ate my post!

so, sorry guys, you're getting poked. i had this big long funny thing going. but don't have the time or the want to re-do.

more tomorrow
*sigh*

(yes, this time i am copying before i hit send-dammit)

too long gone

i've been away longer than i would've liked. but it's been somewhat prductive. not necessarily in the fiber department, but in my mental health and the eneral cleanliness of my house - ugh!
getting caught up on my blog reading is just almost terrifying- YIPES!

i'm not going to add anything more, not right now, anyway. just popping in to say hi, and yes, i'm still here :)

science experiment

yes, i know it is thursday, but what the hay...
things i am interested in completing these past few days

i have been working on chase's baby blanket. i have about 15% of the actual blanket to go and will then need to border it



i also have a design in my head that i have been working out. it is a several step process, i'm finding ---- frog frog frog i'm very excited about it as well. a little hint: it requires fulling, so each re-working of the pattern takes a while. not to mention, it's not the cheapest yarn out there. so i don't really mind the slowness of it.


after putting the kiddos to bed yesterday i spent all my time working on getting the list out for the yarn swap. i didn't get completely done. but i'm heading back to that after i finish here. just trying to get better at making time to post everyday :). aren't you glad ?! :)

do you ever experiment on your children? WHAT?!? nothing harmful, just little tests...
yesterday, i was in my craft room getting a skein of yarn wound on my fabulous new yarn winder because i had made the mistake of setting it down and it became a jumbled mess courtesy of my 2 year old. "mo-om" i hear him calling..."where are you?" "where'd you go?" i hear his little foot steps getting quicker as he is making the circle of the house. passing the craft room without looking in and still calling, his voice fades and then returns again. again making the circle. then 3 year old brother joins in, for the entertainment of it, not desire for his mom. twice they circle the house together...even making it up the stairs and down again. i know this sounds horrible, but i just wanted to see what they would do. not yet hearing panic in their voices, i figure i haven't caused a need for therapy yet. much to my surprise, the search is over. no concern or worry for mommy, oh no, not these two. the next thing i hear - my 3 year old jumping around in the tv room shouting "We're free, we're free!" gee, they love their mom. *sigh* free from what? am i a complete ogre- well, no, that couldn't be. they have a great time watching shrek... hmmm. oh well, i did get 2 giant hugs when i walked into the tv room. so i ask my son, "what are you so excited about? free from what?" with the rotten, up-to-no-good grin only my Xavier can give, "oh nothing" is his answer.


pssst - to my phantom, i FINALLY mailed a very special RAOK off yesterday, in your name :) well, the phantom, that is

here a stash, there a stash

every where a stash stash!!

dawn asks the question, "What holds your hooks?"

well, i kinda have 'em all over the place. sorta organized.
my 'regular' sized hooks are in a pencil case, save the one i'm using that travels with me. it goes in this handy toothbrush holder (thank you holly).






mu tunisian hooks are in the ArtBin Hook and Needle Case my parents gave me for Christmas, which can be found at JoAnn's... they also gave me the ArtBin Needlework/Yarn Tote! chezcrochet has some excellant tutorials and such for tunisian. hooks and pattern books can be bought at Annie's Attic





my crochenit hooks are in a under-bed storage (along with projects i am ignoring... notice my 63 squares, well only about 13 or so)






all other hooks; afghan, cro-hooks, my TOTC hook, double ended hooks, cabled hooks.... they are in a drawer to a plastic oganization unit thingy.






not asked, but i'll answer anyway. "what holds your needles?"

my straight needles are in an old old case for brass welding rods, which i got from my Grandpa. and my cable hooks are in a tangled disaster in a canvas tote.









whew! i'm all linked out - and out of time.

help me!

okay, i have a million and 2 things to post about, do not fear ya'll, i've been keeping notes.

so what's this cry for help?
well, i have (seriously) probably 20-30 WIPs going. none of which are calling out to be done - using my oh-so-precious crochet time.
here is where the problem comes in, as if having 30 WIPs isn't a problem, i have a great idea for a design of my own rattling around. i've drawn it out and have some yarn that i think will be great for it----

do i behave like a good little girl and get some stuff done, or do i go ahead and start to work on this design, knowing that it could be fairly time consuming... ?

rose colored glasses, vol. 2

have i told you lately how wonderful that man of mine is?

rose colored glasses

yes. he is always that wonderful. and have i mentioned that he's gorgeous too?!
here he is. my man, on his way to work last week.






he is the love of my life, my soul mate, the reason i breathe... (i'll spare you from any further mush)


on the fiber front:
i am SOO far behind in posting! eeek






look at these gorgeous pink bookmarks i received in the mail, from my friend Jayme. they are fabulous!! currently the reside on top of my jewely stand because i don't want to tuck them away between pages!

i was tagged the other day and still haven't gotten to it. but it is on my 'to do' list.

oh, gotta tell you about the microwave:

yesterday afternoon. my 2 year old decides he is hungry and gets a left-over Arby's roast beef sandwhich. happily munching away and playing. he put it down and one of the dogs ate it. now the boy is not so happy and wailing. my 3 year old suddenly develops compassion and decides to fix his brother another. so he gets one out of the refrigerator and puts it in the microwave to warm it up. pushes the 'popcorn' button... and then starts screaming "mama mama, it's all fired up!" huh? then he starts talking and all i hear is "cooking burger" and i immediately know what he is talking about.... so i take off running... i round the corner to see my 5 year old daughter with her hands on her cheeks and mouth wide open and eyes HUGE - think "Home Alone". i came through the backdoor of the kitchen, the microwave is on this wall, so i don't see what's happening inside, just the bright neon orange glow cast on my daughter's face. i open the door to stop it and smoke rolls out, filling the kitchen with the horrible stench of burned foil burger wrapper and bun. i mean this thing was toasted!! hungry??






that's it so far today. my alotted time is over. although i have much much more to post. maybe tonight. maybe.

A Valentines Day Message

I am writing this on my wife’s blog to share with the world the way I feel about her. Let me first start off with the immortal words, “I Love My Wife”. I will always love her and she will always be a part of me. I want to explain this a little further by saying waking up every morning with her lying next to me is like watching the sunrise spread across sky painting it yellow, red and gold. Every day is more then breathing fresh air it’s like being reborn into new state of joy. She is my best friend, my partner, my happiness. She has given my four wonderful children, she has made my house a home just by residing in the same place I do. Every night is more then special it’s like … well its life. I know that may seem odd, but without her I feel I would wilt and blow away. On this Valentines Day 2005, I reaffirm my love for her to the world, this 9th Valentines Day we have spent together as man and wife.

Rebecca, I love you. Always and Forever.

Your Husband.

WIP wednesday

i updated my picture again to show off my new piercing.... but it's just too small to see.
i know there are other things i'm supposed to be posting about, but today is:



Grayson's Baby blanket 75% done
Hubby's Chenille blanket - about 10 inches wide
Mr Speckles has a head, body and both arms
my sisters HUGE red (was to be throw - has become bed covering) has YET ANOTHER skein completely on it... more to go
knitted soldier's hat is finished and mailed to julie for anysoldier
nannie's cross sits with just one round to go --- don't know why i can't get into this

the prayer pot is complete






Katey's baby blanket is finished! thank you mitzi for sending the final skein i could not get at the stores anymore!!






this is all i can remember right now... i may go in and do some editing and updating to this post later. depending on if i have time. my youngest is not feeling well and is wanting to be held a lot this morning. we'll see how the day goes

proud!

what a proud mommy am i! take a look at this:



this is my 7 year old using a nifty knitter to make a hat for his teacher's new baby. she has been on maternity leave since a few days before Christmas break and will be returning tomorrow. my heart just glowed as my son and i were sitting on the couch working side by side.... and he say's "oh man, i missed a peg, i'm gonna have to frog this whole row!" ahhhhh the joys of motherhood :)

but alas... my boy is still a boy and the justice league and gameboy won his attention for his free time today... the hat sits, unfinished. but i am determined not to let him follow his mom and go from one project to the next without finishing any of them. so much so, to prove that to him today... i finished up a baby blanket that has been lying around for a LONG time...... more on that tomorrow, i also completed a little pouchy thing for him to put his baby teeth in for the toothfairy (he lost a tooth the other day... again, more tomorrow - i'm against the clock tonight). i also added another entire skein to my sister's Christmas present (yes, this PAST Christmas *sigh*) this blanket is driving me nuts... i'll post a pic tomorrow. i miss guessed the length of a beginning chain i would need and didn't realize it until i was several feet into it. decided to press on and that it would just be bigger than i had planned. wrong decision. this thing is HUGE! hubby also finished up a soldier's hat that i had started on a larger sized nifty knitter. seems like a productive weekend :).

oh, the time thing. my weight control person at the center told me to start going to bed 1 hour earlier than i normally do. i'm gonna try to mind for as long as i can. with that, i leave you, because i only have 12 minutes left!!

what did I do last week end?

my sissy that lives in (well, near) San Antonio came up for a few days. because of different issues, she was not able to make it up for thanksgiving or Christmas... SOOO, on Friday night, my sister's and our hubbies (and SO) and a few friends went out. i got a sitter WOOOHOOO! we went bowling! i know, i know, we really whooped it up big!

check this out:


yes, i'm all proud! that is the only time during the night that i got all the pins down during 1 turn!! yeah, i pretty much suck at bowling. i think my highest score was a 68!
but, the fashion - ck out these shoes (and my dorky bil's feet)



we left the bowling alley just after midnight and decided to visit a friend of all of ours that owns a tatoo parlor..... i know what you're thinking!
wait for it.....








no. i didn't get a tatoo (i already have 2), and neither did anyone else. BUT, i did get PIERCED!







although it looks like i'm crying in the last picture, i wasn't :)
it hurt a bit, i'm not gonna lie. but it was not painful, if that makes sense. anyhow--- i'm pleased with it.

now, this coming weekend - TOP THAT!!


just a memory teaser.... the first one who can tell me a bit about the necklace i'm wearing --- no cheating --- gets a prize :)

what did YOU do last weekend?

and again

i'm going to try and do some more updating on the look of the page... try

the meeting was neat last night. the speaker (helen) showed some of her woven chenille scarves - simply GORGEOUS! i also got a quick weaving lesson from John, it's very very neat, looks complicated though and something i am not ready to get involved in yet. i want to become a better spinner first. okay, that's all for now, i really want to work on other things.
a quote to leave you with:

Maturity is the ability to do a job whether or not you are supervised, to carry money without spending it, and to bear an injustice without wanting to get even.

Ann Landers
(i think i might still be a toddler)

meeting

no time tonight, i have to go to my Handweavers Guild meeting.
no, i don't weave... but it's the only resource of fellow spinners around here.
so i go. look at everyone's creations and learn spinning tricks/techniques :)
funny little side note about my guild - i'm about 30 years younger than everyone else... it's pretty funn :)
'til tomorrow (unless something fabulously interesting happens at the meeting... oh so doubtful.

needing a title

normal day today, as far as i can remember right now.
went to the gym, then went for my twice weekly weigh in. still haven't lost any more??? but i spoke with the supervisor and she sat down with me. got a new plan figured up and i'm supposed to go check in again on friday. i'm absolultely pathetic... sitting here now, i totally can not remember what we did next. i think we just went home. had lunch. mmmmm salad - gads, the pounds of salad i've eaten... then, bathed the boys, took my early trip to the school, sat there in the comfort of my suburban with 2 snoring children in the back, crocheting as fast as my fat little fingers could go for a little over an hour. i've got this mystery gift in the works for hubby and so can only work on it when he's not around. got my daughter, drove halfway across town, picked up my oldest son, then back across town the in yet another direction to get home --- to what? no good mail! i'm expecting some roving from oregon*trail*yarns. you know how it is when you're anxiously awaiting for an exciting package in the mail. seems like it takes twice the normal time of delivery *sigh*. that's not all i'm waiting for. i ordered a teddybear felting kit from living felt. i'm ready for it to arrive too *sigh* hubby took 2 of the kiddos to their tumbling class and i stayed home and goofed off with the other 2. dinner was beef tips with egg noodles, salad (yes, MORE salad) and asparagus. put the kids to bed and then spun a spindle of this really bizarre roving i've had for a while. it's acrylic pencil roving on this giant red plastic spool thing. i have no idea how much??? i filled to capacity a spool and the roving spool looks untouched. i have no idea what i am going to do with this. i was just spinning for relaxation and to practice consistency. i'm sure i'll come up with some thing for it. recap of my day. isn't it thrilling. tomorrow, i'll do it again :)
so do you feel cheated? you read all of this and absolutely none of it was thrilling or abnormal... not even a joke! you just got poked by a blog

new do

well, i got a new hairstyle so thought i would update my picture with it...although, i don't think i like it as well as the other one. picture, that is. i like my hair better. felt like i was 'stuck' in the other. like i'd had it too long. something funny about this particular hair appointment - i took my daughter with me, just she and i. we pull into the place, Solutions, and walk inside. it is the kind that there are several rooms in one large building and a large waiting room out front for all the stylists inside. so we're waiting and talking laughing and playing around...biff, my hair guy, (yes, his name really is biff) has his door open and i can see him chatting away with his client, but never seeing her. a few minutes later, he hollers (because that's what we do in Texas) "hey rebecca, i'm ready for ya!" i grab my purse and daughter, stand up to go and my sister is coming down the hall ??? huh ??? sorry, i know it's not as funny to you, but totally cracked us up that we scheduled our haircuts on the same day just 30 minutes apart. so she waited and she and i and my daughter went to starbucks and had a coffee. no, my daughter didn't have coffee. she got a hot cocoa. she is only 5. i need to get her addicted to chocolate before we move on to the luxuries of coffee.
as for any crocheting stuff. i've been working on a mystery gift that i can't talk about (she's a reader). i've gotten a few rows done. still plenty more to go... i'm just bored of it now. wish i could work on mr speckles. and now it occurs to me that i have not told you of him. i have spoke of him in town. i'll post some pictures of him tomorrow. or, if you're impatient, go here. i need to learn how to make the words that are links either a different color or something...
Julie, how do you make your words change the way they do????? oh, that reminds me: i know i said that i would post a picture of my wonked out scarf... truthfully, i got caught up in the johnny carson tribute on the tonight show and didn't take pictures. don't let me forget about it. that's it for tonight. i've gotta go sit in bed and do another row on my knitting project... guess i should update that knitting page too....

can a woman resist beads?

after several days of making beaded stitch markers, and then reading donna's blog, and being still further inspired by the book i have been reading:



i couldn't help myself. i picked up a huge ball of sz 10 white thread, given to me by the wonderful kelly, and loaded it with a hundred or so silver beads. i knotted each bead on individually from 3-5 inches apart. thick/thin spun some yummy scarlet wool and then plyed it with my bead-laden thread. i think it looks great! YAY, me! you can definately tell i'm a beginning plyer (it is patheticly uneven), but i'm still super pleased with myself!


the color in this photo is a bit off... the yarn is a much deeper red.

not sure what is to become of this yarn.... i'm thinking a cell phone cozy for my sister... or maybe a change pouch. something for her, though, that's for sure... red is her favorite color and i think she will enjoy the beads.

wonder if this will full well??? what do you think?

(a few days behind in posting from my soapbox)
sorry, but i've gotta get political for a sec:
for those who decided to protest on inauguration day and deprive our country's economy by not making purchases, gasoline or otherwise....
here's a little bird:



yup, that's an inauguration celebration purchase of 37.9 gallons of gas for my fuel-sucking 4X4 chevrolet suburban at a grand total of Sixty One Dollars and Forty Two cents!

surprise in the mail

how cute is this?!
one of my sisters sent this to me. i just love it. just so... me!
and the heart is change-able... maybe she'll send me a pink one soon :)
thank you sister, i really love it.

i also received this beautiful bookmark from a crochet fairy
i LOVE it!



went to Cracker Barrel for dinner, surprise surprise - their Christmas decorations were on SALE! so i bought a few of their 'toy' ornaments. i hope to continue to find them through the year and redecorate our tree next year.

how could i pass these up?!?

leave it alone!

just one question:
what were they thinking?


don't they know reese is the perfect candy - a wonderfully delicious mixture of perfectly textured peanut butter covered in chocolate
i just don't understand the logic behind this failure...
okay, moving on: i'm feeling a bit better, still an effort to breathe, but no longer a struggle. so that's good. my kids have been so good these past couple of days, i'm so proud of them. they are doing so well in their activities. my oldest is in kenpo karate, my daughter and 3 year old son do tumbling. they are all loving their activities, practicing hard and taking the discipline needed seriously. i'm a proud mom :) i love to gush over my kiddos

okay, on to crochet. well, i've been working hard on projects i can not show you here. there are 4 gifts in progress to 3 different people... all of whom drop in here occasionally, so... sorry, no pictures here. those of you from town have seen them :)

i'm going to be spinning tonight for the above mentioned projects! oh how i love my hilary!

that's all for now. i need to "urge" my boys into some more cleaning of their room.

entertainment

how does a sick mommy keep her 4 children entertained and happy?




she lets them do her hair :)

today i felt well enough to put a hook in my hand and made a hat for my dear friend, sherry. notice i did not feel well enough to photograph it. another day

yummy yarn

some oh so yummy yarn i got off ebay -

handspun for character :)




feeling too icky to do any more tonight... but thought you'd like to see it.