Yankee Rose

Decided I needed to clean up and organize things this weekend so that's pretty much what I did, with the exception of reading 2.5 novels....I think I did pretty well!  First up my keys!  I had half of them on a lanyard so I could grab and go when walking the dogs and be able to separate my car keys from all of the rest because my Dad has it ingrained in my head that too many keys will pull out my ignition.  Anyway the problem was that my keys were constantly separated and that in itself was driving me crazy.  I sat down and put them all together with a hook on my car key to remove it for driving.   

I have too much places to get into

Started working on a new rooster.  I asked Katlyn to choose a color, she picked purple.  I dug out some purple and started working adding lime green for his plumage.   

new rooster

Now during my organizing I realized I had a sewing basket sitting around with stuff in it but nothing in it being used for sewing.  I cleaned it out and it is now used for my crafty bits....beads, fancy buttons, etc. and put those items into jars I had hanging around. It was a bit of chaos during the organizing, but I think I got it under control.

decided to organize

So the purple rooster got a name, Ramone and started getting himself together.  Well I kind of helped in that.

Ramone coming along

Ramone all put together though I think he is lacking something but can't figure out what he needs and he is not speaking to me. 

Ramone P. Rooster

Next up I finished my little pincushion that I started way back last May and never got around to putting together.  It just hung out in my project bag all crocheted up just waiting to be put together and stuffed.  While organizing I figured I needed a pincushion for my pretty little pins and grabbed it out of the bag and whipped in together and stuffed it!  Stuck some pins in and it's done!

Put together and finished

And of course since one can never have too many projects going on, I thought I would make a cute cuff that I ran across while checking out a link from pinterest.  The pattern is free from Lion Brand here.  The pattern calls for different yarn and a K hook and I of course being the rebel crafter that I am chose cotton thread and a G hook.  At bit of adjusting and experimenting and I got my own cuff.  Now of course I had to roll the hank of Tahki Cotton Classic Lite that my Sister had gotten for me awhile ago and I didn't have any ideas for it until last night. Got nearly done and then got a bit tangly.

so close to done

And ta-da...got it done.  Now since adjusting the pattern to my hook and yarn I also adjusted for to buttons instead of the one that the original pattern called for and dug out these pretty buttons to go along with my lovely new cuff.

made this

Busy is what I was this weekend I'll tell you!  Not to mention my regular chores that the weekend brings!  I feel very accomplished right now!   Wonder what I can get done this week?  And how many books can I read?  

Listening to:  Help Is On Its Way by Little River Band

cock of the walk

Sometimes I get creatively silly ideas either they pop into my head or I see a picture online and off my brain goes!  Well now this chicken, oops rooster came up when I was searching all things chicken related for a gift for my Sister.  I saw a couple different versions, both with patterns 1 free and the other not.  Now I do not have any problem paying for a pattern, none whatsoever in fact, but the pattern was pretty pricey for this little chic rooster and since I had done a taco bird a few years ago I though I would just do some creative adding of parts!

The bits...coming along

now of course I am always thinking of other projects when I start rolling and have to do a silly drawing...so I drew out some coffee cozy ideas and we will see if they come out or not!

Again my fabulous drawings

Last night was all about the rooster, who for some unknown reason picked up the name Eugene while I was putting him together!  Why yes, thank you I am a nut!

Eugene

Got Eugene put together and gave him some googley eyes and he is one happy rooster!

this morning

And now here comes the rest of my crazy confession....I crack myself up, I mean like really crack myself up!  Laugh out loud, alone in my car, driving to work kind of crack myself up!  I shall explain.  I decided Eugene needed a full name (don't judge) and proceeded to give him the middle initial J for standing for nothing at all just liked Eugene J. so what goes with that than?  Ok Eugene J. Rooster, perfect right...oh no wait here's the cracking myself up part, I changed Rooster to Cock and burst out laughing!  Good lord I am such a child!  So allow me to present Eugene J. Cock all complete!

Eugene J. Cock

My Sister loves him I think as much as I do and really I didn't want to give him away!  I guess I will be making another rooster for myself, who knows what name I will come up with next!

It is good to be crocheting again even though my reading has literally taken over my life lately!  I cannot seem to stop reading and the worst part is the books I'm reading are not exactly great literature...I mean entertaining to me yes and some even educational (haha, sex ed for sure!)  guilty pleasure indeed!  These small projects are my balance right now, read a bit and crochet a bit!

Listening to: Bad Motor Scooter by Sammy Hagar

Used to

Well now it has been a good while since I posted anything and truthfully I haven't really worked on a whole heck of a lot to post anyhow.  I made tiny flowers and still have some in the works, but truly other then my Mom's scarf...nothing!  So on with the latest....

I got the scarf finished up and figured I'd add a couple of flowers since it was a very simple and Katlyn suggested adding some flowers to add in a bit of green to give it a little something extra.  Of course she is the one who insists it looks like a strip of bacon so I had to add something to it!

a leaf

leaves and flowers

So added flowers, leaves and some fringe...a bit less bacony now and of course I gave it to her for Mother's Day yesterday when it happened to be 100 degrees out!  Gotta love California~

finished scarf

I decided my Sister needed a little something for Mother's Day as well and whipped up this coffee cozy for her.  I was quite pleased with how it turned out.  I haven't used my embroidery skills in many moons!  No pattern, just whipped it up and freehanded the embroidery.

coffee cozy for my Sister

I thought I would play around and try to make a chicken, a taco chicken actually.  I got the circle done, now I just need to work out the rest of him...oops, I guess that makes it a taco rooster because I need all the frilly bits that a rooster has!

things in progress

Now here's another little thing in progress, it is supposed to be a skull...a flat skull but I am having a bit of a hard time with it so we shall see if I get it done.

another project in the works

Mother's Day yesterday and it was HOT outside.  Katlyn and I went to the movies to see Iron Man enjoy the cool theater for a couple of hours and then we popped over to Target to get supplies for the week and well supplies included a bit of alcohol!  It was very refreshing on such a hot day :)

it was very hot yesterday!

We did go to Disneyland last week as well with Brooke...3 days in a row!  Yikes, that's a lot of Disneyland!  I cleared my phone of pictures the other day so I will post pictures later in the week!

Listening to:  Please Don't Leave Me by Pink

Learn My Lesson

Stuff happening and by stuff I mean I have actually finished things and am working on finishing things and of course starting wee little projects along the way!

My Sister bought me a chicken vase...a chicken vase you say?  Why yes indeed I do love a cool chicken vase...well to be fair I have never actually seen a chicken vase before BUT I love my chicken vase!

I got a chicken vase!

Came back from Santa Rosa and got a sore throat, thought I was getting sick but just turned out to be allergies or seriously the mildest cold in my history...whew!  Tea and E-mergencie my new friends!

sore throat helpers

This year is for the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, stamps have been issued featuring each of the 11 doctors.  I got this in the mail from a friend last week and was most happy indeed!

The Doctor

So Steven came home with Katlyn and I last weekend to live and get a new life going for himself...yeah well that worked out not even a tiny bit.  He hated every minute he was here and left on Saturday morning by way of train.  So less then a week later Katlyn and I are once again by ourselves.  Silly boys!

Steven and his beer

Working on and finishing up Alysha's purse on Friday night while my Son and my Sister got pissed in the backyard...good times I tell you!  

adding a bit of edging

Steven did like my Sister's dog, he really is a giant dog!  

End of the evening

Saturday back at my Sister's for Doctor Who viewing in the evening and carne asada for dinner.  Yum!  I assembled the purse and got it finished up finally!  Added a fancy button for the closure and added a flower and ta-da all done!

done!

 Ok so you every have one of those projects that you really just can't stand for some reason?  Well I have this red and white scarf and it is seriously my most hated project lately!  First I was annoyed with the width and ripped it out and then didn't like the curling and tightness so I ripped it out yet again!  Ok new stitch, very nice...no curling, solid yet loose but for some reason it is doing my head in!  It has gone all wonky, ok not gone, it's been a bit wonky from the beginning but I thought that I could add a border around it and do a bit of a fix to the wonkiness, but working on it the other morning on the way into work (Katlyn was driving) I realized I just hated it completely.  I stopped working on it and switched to a lengthwise scarf and I am hoping that it will help. 

taken Saturday night before the hate took hold

Sunday was spent just hanging around and relaxing since my allergies were causing me such misery.  Took care of cleaning Sheldon's tank and chopping him some pretty veggies. 

Lizard food...well people food that he loves

He was happy and enjoyed his worms too!

Sheldon

I was dusting on Saturday and while moving things about I decided that my empty branches in the vase on the corner table needed some pizzazz!  Grabbed a couples of balls out of my bon-bon jar and went to work on some flowers 

using all different colors for the flowers

Ok so now it is 9:56 on Tuesday evening and the cats are pestering me for food so I better go feed them, got some more flowers done up this evening while watching Broadchurch so I will get more pictures and start getting them on the branches instead of hanging about in a bowl!

Black Diamond

Back Sunday night from our trip with an extra boy again...just a different boy this time!  Pictures ahead of all sorts of things so yeah...have fun!

Here we go!

Katlyn drove and there was still plenty of daylight out so I was able to work on things for a few hours.  I managed to stuff about 5 projects into my small black project bag just in case I needed variety!  I got to sewing the velvet lining in Alysha's purse.

lap full of projects!

Had a great looking sky for the entire drive, even after the sun set the stars were gorgeous!  I took this shot through the windshield so it's not a fabulous as I would have liked because a the bug guts on the glass, but I think it gives you the idea well enough!

sunset and rays

Friday we went to the book store and Brooke and I sat in the children's section looking at books while the others in our little group wandered about the store.

:)

After the books store we went to lunch.  Brooke's soda was a bit full so she took care of it!

a girl and her soda

The evening was spent with all of my children hanging out at Alysha's for margaritas and burgers and general mayhem that goes along with that!

Saturday morning Brooke came a snuggled with me and I of course felt the need to capture the moment even with a flash!

she was awake

Spent Saturday with Christopher and gang, had Chinese for lunch....

Played at toys-r-us for a bit....

and babysat Eligh and Brooke while everyone popped out for a tattoo....

She was my helper with him

Trip home on Sunday afternoon, weather was nice and I worked on the strap for Alshya's purse.

project in the dash

Got my Arvin tower on the way home since the one on the way up didn't come out this time!

Got more done one the purse strap last night while watching Broadchurch and will get it finished up tonight.  I bought a pretty button for the closure and made a black rose for the front of it as well.  Hoping I can get the strap sewed on and get it of my hook and in the mail this week!  Pictures to follow as soon as it's done!

Listening to:  Helter Skelter by Motley Crue

Go You Own Way

Things going on....not tons.  Getting ready to head up North tomorrow night for a quick visit so I thought I'd do an update just so it's not overwhelming when I get back!  Went through the pictures on my phone and uploaded the ones I thought were interesting, making this a picture heavy post.  The full moon on Tuesday  was fabulous when we were coming home from Katlyn doing one last practice run in my Sister's big SUV so she could take her driver's test on Wednesday...she passed.

Huge full moon, bad phone picture

I usually bring a banana to work daily and I put it in my desk on Thursday morning and had forgotten about it until I needed a stamp...I was amused and felt it needed a picture!

Banana in my desk

My weekend was spent trying to wrap up unfinished projects, especially ones pertaining to the people that are supposed to receive them in Santa Rosa!  So I pulled out Alysha's purse, got the velvet lining cut and sat myself down with an episode of Broadchurch and got to pinning!  This was on Saturday which was complicated as it was Doctor Who day....new episode and we do not have BBCAmerica with are cable for some unknown reason BUT my Sister does so I reserved her bedroom for a couple of hours of Doctor Who viewing.  I unfortunately got my times wrong and Katlyn and I rushed about our Saturday to get to my Sister's by 4 and found that it didn't start until 7....grrrrr!  fine, I took that time to go to the market for the salad fixings I needed for Sunday and then watched Netflix with my Nephew until 7.  I did have my Mom's red and white scarf to work on so at least I made progress on something.

trying to get it done!

Sunday being Easter meant I had less time then I normally do on my weekends since we would being spending the afternoon at my Sister's so again I put on an episode of Broadchurch (great show and all caught up!) and worked on sewing the purse.  Then did some chopping for the salad.

chopping the lettuce

Got a picture from Alysha of Brooke being Brooke :)

I got a message on Facebook from Toni that since her birthday was Monday I should make her a Bush Baby...sure I don't have a million other things going!  haha, I grabbed the yarn I needed and worked on that on Easter.

The start of a Bush baby

We have fun in my family and my Sister enjoyed giving me a lovely sharpie tattoo proclaiming my Easter Whore title....really no reason other then to giggle!  Did you know that olive oil takes sharpie right off?  Seriously!

Really?

Just hanging out with friends and family on Easter while eating all kinds of goodies on a lovely day!

Instagramming on the couch

Now we are caught up with the weekend...I settled in last night to work on projects while watching Series 4 of Merlin.  Bush Baby needs eyeballs and I don't have any at the mo....time for a JoAnn's run, but I'm kind of busy trying to get things done to go North.  Maybe I'll take Brooke with me when we are up there.  

Bush Baby head in progress

Worked on my Mom's scarf as well.  Looks different then the first post for it because I frogged it a started over in a new stitch and I like it better.  No curling and it's a looser feel without holes.

1 sc, 1 ch (can't remember the name of stitch)

So Merlin and yarn, always a good combo.  Well that is until they kill off a character that I like! Seriously, BBC shows are really good at that...wonder if I should be concerned about Broadchurch!

yarn, Merlin and Diet Coke!

That wraps up my news for the day so far.  Leaving after work tomorrow for the 400 mile roadtrip so I'm sure there will be news after that! Katlyn's driving so I get some crochet time which is always wonderful.  Maybe I can pop into Castaway while I'm in town and pick up some more Navy yarn for Katlyn's Sherlock scarf too!  Another busy weekend ahead and a Granddaughter to smooch!  YAY!

Listening to:  Dirty White Boy by Foreigner