Trying To Keep It Together

Now Playing:
Destination Truth on SyFy Rewind
Chullachaqui/Bermuda Triangle

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Here's my progress on my scarf for the Red Scarf Project this year...


I'd say I'm maybe a quarter of the way done. Looks good, may need some blocking. The seed stitch is a bit fatter than the other sections.


Just one sleeve and a neckline ribbing on mom's sweater and it'll be done! This is what I'm working on today/tonight.

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Last night Bruce and Marissa took Stu and I out to Keys On Main. We really enjoyed ourselves. Requesting songs can be expensive and Stu said the drinks were a little steep. Stu paid $20 to stop a song and request his own, but someone else payed one more dollar and stopped his. Bummer. But the piano players were quite entertaining. I'd go again, only have a couple beers and not request any songs.

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In other news, I'm still looking for a job. I have been looking for a total of five days. I've gotten no calls on jobs I've applied for, have gotten only one call back from all the staffing companies I've applied for and they also had me come in to register with them. My consultant there says that July and August were dead for them, but it's starting to pick back up. So, I hope something good comes of this one.

Given that I'm not even getting calls yet, I've been getting a little worried and started feeling defeated and stressing out. But, Stu has assured me that we've got enough money and money coming from school refunds and taxes to be okay for a few months. He also said that I've got time to look for something I really want and to quit worrying. I trust him, so I've mellowed a bit.

Stu also told me that in order to keep myself going, it might help to think of my severence pay as being paid for a month to find a job. Plus, the more doors I knock on, the closer I get to a job... "It's all a numbers game.", Stu said. And he's right.

I don't know exactly when we'll be trying for a baby, but we have about 5 more weeks until we can. I would like to wait at least until I'm working, but we'll see.

I just hope this all works out. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared. Say a little prayer for me (us) please?

You've Got To Be Kidding Me

Now Playing:
Ghost Hunters
Fort Henry
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I knit a pumpkin hat and orange socks for a co-worker's October baby and she had his pictures taken in them! Cute, huh?

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[Photo property of Caron International Yarns.]

I was making this spider (and plan to make the web too) RIGHT before Halloween, but didn't finish in time. So, he'll be for next year's decorations.

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Our knit meeting this week was interesting... we had three husbands show up! Stu was there, Bruce tagged along with Marissa and Jessica's husband came with her as well. Stu said he had fun, it was nice.

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I'm trying my hand at painting. I'm using craft acrylics, cheap paint brushes and poster board. I'm only a beginner after all and this was stuff I already had on hand. This easel is homemade entirely of cardboard parts and packing tape.


[Clickable for larger view.]

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Happy Halloween!


Our family dressed for Halloween! I made the popcorn and Milk Duds costumes.


Ryn in her dead prom queen costume. The red eyes from the flash seemed fitting, so I left them.


I painted my nails black with orange polkadots! (Geez, I wish I could keep my nails long. I've been having a lot of difficulty keeping them from breaking for about the past year. I really miss my long nails. *sad face*)


Bruce and Marissa came over Halloween night and brought some huge pizza from The Pie. Stu and Bruce played some role-play board games while Marissa and I baked and decorated sugar cookies with candy melts and watched Ghostbusters, then The Nightmare Before Christmas.








I made this Joker cookie espeically for Stu... he didn't understand what it was!

We did have a Happy Halloween. But, on a sadder note...

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I was laid off from my job Wednesday. I never saw it coming... it bites. I thought everything was okay considering that my boss had always said it was great that we were doing good enough to not have to be letting people go, like so many other places have to. I knew things were tight, but I had no idea they were that bad. Another lady got laid off too.

We just had a miscarriage and are trying to start a family-- and now this. I'm trying to put a positive spin on this and actually look forward to some new opportunities. We also do have some options with health insurance that will be good for when I become pregnant, even if it's very soon.

It just would have been nice if I could have kept the same job until Stu graduated college and started working next summer. That would've been very favorable considering that I'd already been there three years and that would have given me some good perks with insurance and maternity leave.

I also got a month's worth of regular pay as severance, so we'll be okay financially. I don't see it taking a month for me to find work again. The only thing that's really bad about this is the fact that I thought I had a stable job, but out of nowhere had the rug pulled out from under me. That's causes very desperate feelings. Plus, I really don't enjoy job interviews, but who does? Haha.

Wish me (and our family) luck. I'm going job hunting tomorrow.

Lesson learned: Make yourself irreplacable and never settle for being the low man on the totem pole.

Just A Little Ketchup, Please.

Okay, not ketchup, but catch up.

Now Playing:
Say It Right
by Nelly Furtado

The following post is just a little update on what I've been up to.

Well, I've been busy making Stu and I's Halloween costumes. Whew, a lot of hours have gone into them! They are a surprise though, so I can only show you a glimpse...


Here's mine, can you guess what it is?


Here's Stu's. Anymore guesses?

I've also been doing some knitting & crocheting...


Oh, this is a fun game! Can you guess what this is? No? Oh, you don't like this game anymore? Fine...


It's my scarf for this year's Red Scarf Project! I LOVE that this scarf has different textures and I love each of them. I took out one texture in the pattern, it was too bulky, made the sides of the scarf bow out and the way I was doing it just looked like it didn't belong. The free pattern is called The Road Scarf and you can find it here. (Registration required, but free.)

Thanks to Jennifer at my knit meeting for donating yarn so our group could do some scarves this year! ♥


I've done the last coaster in a year of coasters for my niece. It was a great creative journey and I'm pretty proud of myself. You can find the free pattern for this coaster here.

My cousin, Peachy, even suggested that I incorporate all the coasters I've made for Danika into a blanket somehow so she can still use them and treasure them when she is older. Plus, that way, she could keep them all together effortlessly, haha.

Story behind the themed coasters here.


My mom's sweater is almost done, too! Yay! Then we get to go pick out yarn for Stu's bathrobe. Yay!

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In other news, I went to the doc on October 12th, she said everything looks good and suggested we wait two menstrual cycles before we try again. This will ensure that my body has healed from the miscarriage and all back to normal. Also, it helps give the couple (and family) time to heal emotionally from the loss before the next pregnancy. She told me that my next period could come between 2 and 6 weeks from the miscarriage. (That could put us trying again in early January at the lastest, ugh.)

She said that everything should go fine the next pregnancy considering why I miscarried (it happens quite often actually) and that the chances of this happening again are significantly lower. Nice. She also kind of said (under her breath) that it wouldn't be a big deal if I got pregnant before two cycles. So, I asked Stu if we could wait just one cycle, he said it's a good idea to wait and take advantage of this suggested healing time... he's right. [sigh]

God, I hope my cycle comes fast, that we are able to try by early December and that we're pregnant before we know it. I've been waiting a long time already to get married and have babies, so having to wait even longer to get there is difficult.

Wish us luck and tell my body to hurry up with the regular functions! Haha!
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Okay, I think I'm done... I need some cold pizza lunch and maybe a nap? Nah, lunch, knitting, more coffee and a movie! Yes, sir, that's what I need on this cold, rainy Saturday.

I Want Candy Coaster - Free Crochet Pattern

Materials:
H hook
worsted weight yarn
yarn needle

With yellow, ch 20.

Row 1 - sc in 2nd ch from hook and each remaining ch, ch 1, turn.

Row 2 - sc in each sc, ch 1, turn.

Row 3 - sc 2 tog, sc to last 2 sc, sc 2 tog, ch 1, turn.

Row 4 - repeat row 2, finish off weave in ends.

Row 5 - attach orange with a sc , sc in each sc, ch 1, turn.

Row 6 - sc 2 tog, sc to last 2 sc, sc 2 tog, ch 1, turn.

Rows 7 & 8 - sc each sc, ch 1, turn.

Rows 9-20 - repeat rows 6, 7 & 8 (change to white to start row 17).

Row 21 - sc 2 tog, sc to last 2 sc, sc 2 tog, ch 1, turn.

Row 22 - repeat row 21.

Row 23 - sc 3 tog, finish off, weave in ends.

sc evenly around entire edge with white, doing 3 sc in bottom corners and 5 sc in top corner, finish off, weave in ends.

It Was Fun, But I'm Glad It's Over

Now Playing:
Decode
by Paramore

So, last night Stu and I went out with some people from his old circle of friends for his best friend's upcoming birthday. I got drunk. I haven't gone out drinking or been drunk for years! There was a guy who was a part of the friend circle there. I kept referring to him as Ryan Reynolds (he looked a bit like the bearded Ryan). It made Stu laugh. Although I don't think "Ryan" found it as amusing as Stu and I did. Hmm.

And apparently after we left (Justin told Stu this morning) people made some positive comments about us, like how we seem so meant to be together and how cute we are together. Sweet, huh?

Justin, thanks for being born so I had an excuse to get poo-faced and sick, sucka.

Stu, thanks for suggesting I go, even though going out for drinks has kinda been your thing up to this point. I needed it and I had fun! ...until I got sick, lol.


Happy Birthday Dad


My nephew Mickel has started playing guitar a short time ago and played Happy Birthday for my dad during birthday cake time.


The army is growing!


Here's our October 1st meeting. We're slowly getting more regulars to the group! How exciting. Jessica is now a regular, Marissa comes everytime she doesn't have a church meeting and Ryn comes with me every other week now (so I can still have my just for me mommy time), because her interest in knitting has been revived.

Counter clockwise around the table from red shirt: (red shirt) Jessica, Michelle, Ashley, Ryn, Marissa, Peachy, Danika (behind Peachy), Jennifer.

Back To School Coaster


Septmeber's themed coaster for That Baby! Free pattern here.

Story behind the themed coasters here: www.flickr.com/photos/yarnpixie/3011425018/

Red Scarf Project 2009


Here's my scarf for The Red Scarf Project this year. I'm using the pattern for this scarf. Thanks to Jennifer from my knitting group for donating yarn she bought on clearance so some people in the group could make a scarf!

Our apartment management has had our apartment sprayed for bugs 5 times in the last 4 months and everytime they do, we have to clean out all cupboards and shelves in the kitchen and bathroom and linen closet. So it's like moving everytime, yay! Pfffft. They claimed that an ajoining apartment still has bug problems, even though we've had no evidence of this in our own home. And this time, to make things even "better" we were instructed to move everything out of our garage and given less than 24 hours notice. WHAT?!?! Our garage is our storage space (which we were told upon moving in was fine) and it's still SO very full of boxes.

Luckily, doing our best by moving everything away from the walls and to the center of the garage pleased the bug man (who was hired by management externally, not part of their staff) just fine. When Stu apologized to him for not moving everything out of the garage, he laughed and said, "No, this is great. Besides, where would you put it?!" Thank gawd the person we actually deal with each time this happens has THEIR head on straight.

So, yeah, I'm going to try to motivate myself to go unpack half our house again (ugh) so Bruce and Marissa can come over for dinner tonight. I think I'll make Dorito Casserole. I gotta repay them for being so sweet and bringing homemade chicken enchiladas for dinner the day I miscarried. I love them, they're always there for us, they're great! Thanks guys! ♥

Until next time, hugs and love to all! ♥

Back To School Coaster - Free Crochet Pattern

Materials:
H hook
worsted weight yarn (pink, grey, yellow, tan, black)
yarn needle


With pink, ch 16.

Row 1 - sc in 2nd ch from hook and each remaining ch, ch 1, turn.

Row 2 - sc in each sc, ch 1, turn.

Row 3 - repeat row 2, finish off, weave in ends.

Row 4 - attach grey w/ sc to previous row, sc in sc, ch 1, turn.

Row 5 - sc in each sc, ch 1, turn.

Row 6 - repeat row 5, finish off, weave in ends.

Row 7 - attach yellow w/ sc to previous row, sc in each sc, ch 1, turn.

Row 8 - sc in each sc, ch 1, turn.

Row 9-16 - repeat row 8 (at the end of row 16, finish off, weave in ends).

Row 17 - attach tan w/ a sc to previous row, sc in each sc, ch 1, turn.

Row 18 - sc 2 tog, sc to last 2 sc, sc 2 tog, ch 1, turn.

Row 19-22 - reapeat row 18 (at the end of row 22, finish off, weave in ends).

Row 23 - attach black w/ a sc to previous row, sc in each sc, ch 1, turn.

Row 24 - sc 2 tog, sc, sc 2 tog.

Row 25 - sc 3 tog, finish off, weave in ends.

Top stitch all pencil details, then sc evenly around entire outside edge, finish off, weave in ends.

My Deepest Thanks

I just wanted to say thank you to all those who have expressed regret for our loss and have offered love and support and especially those who commented on my last post.

Glo & Jessica, my sisters in crafting and blogging. You two have followed along with my life for a while now and in some small but significant way you both have touched my life in a wonderful way. Thank you. ♥

Mimi, mscl-thtr-lvr and Alisha (all yarn crafty ladies as well) also left a comment extending sympathies and well wishes for us. Thank you. ♥

All the support that My husband, step-daughter and I have recieved from all the people in our lives (and some we may not even know, like my readers) has meant so much to me, I can't say enough.

That is all.