My Creating Update

I like Debi's idea of posting a creating update so I am following in her footsteps. I have been busy this week.

I joined the stamping club at my LSS and this month we needed to make sympathy cards. The scan is a little wonky but here is what I made (x6)

We also had a challenge to make a monochromatic card. This is what I ended up with.

At the same LSS I joined the scrapbooking club and part of the club is making an all about me book. We've been given the assignment of two layouts so far. The first is My Home Town. I made something similar for a Circle Journal I did. The flap lifts to house a CD. The song is Patti Page's Old Cape Cod. The idea for the left side came from a calendar kit page at my LSS.


The second layout is My Family. I used a picture from Brittainy's wedding day.


On the knitting front I made a Nantasket Basket that I felted. Here are the before and after felting pictures. (That's a five pound coffee can inside!)




















The last project are a pair of clogs I made for myself about 2 weeks ago. They are so WARM to wear. I've worn them several times already.


That's my update for now.

Take care,
Dawn

Finally it's spring!!!

I thought it would never get here. We woke up to 60º weather this morning! I was so inspired I sent Rich to fill the gas tank so we can cook on the grill this weekend. (Burgers tonight and sirloin steak strips tomorrow!).

I also got some barrels to plant flowers in. Rich drilled holes in the bottom and is going to get some gravel this weekend. I picked up some Miracle Grow garden soil (I love that stuff!). Now I just need to decided what I want to put in them!

We ate our lunch out on the deck today and it felt wonderful! I even bought my first ice coffee of the season.

Ahhhh, life is good!

take care,
Dawn

A rose

My friend Cheryl came by on my birthday and brought me a lovely bouquet of flowers. This rose was in the bouquet.

Cheryl and I don't see each other often but she is still a dear, dear friend to me. We've both had some rough patches in our lives and have been there for each other.

She was the bride's maid at my wedding (I was the matron of honor at her wedding). She was even there for Timmy's birth.

It's nice to know that she is there, even when we don't see each other. I know she's just a phone call away!

take care,

Dawn

My Update

It must be Murphy's Law. I have been waiting for this vacation for what seems like forever. I felt gypped out of my February vacation. Each school day since February vacation ended I have been counting the days. Just my luck I ended up not feeling well again. I went to the doctors on Monday and found out (as I suspected) that I have sciatica! I have had a hard time sitting because it hurts so much!

I celebrated my birthday this week...the big 46! It's too close to 50 for my comfort! Rich, Timmy and I went to Clancy's for dinner and it was very good! I wish that I had had room for dessert! Last night Brittainy took me to Outback Steak House for my birthday. The steak was so tasty! I've been thinking about it all day!

One of my plans for the week was to work on a power point presentation for Parent Night (a week from tonight). I still have a long way to go! I'd better get busy on that huh?

I finished reading Water for Elephants this week and really enjoyed that book, so much so that I have offered it to many friends to read :) (Britt, you are first on the list!). I also started reader Debbi Macomber's The Shop on Blossom Street. I am enjoying that as well.

I'll come back later with my creating update :)

take care,
Dawn

From start to finish

It feels like all I have done this weekend is errands of one kind or another. Timmy has been waiting for weeks it seems to decorate eggs. Today was the day. We made a few extra for family to take home tomorrow :). I bought a new kind of egg dying kit and all you needed was water. I think the color turned out great. Then we bought some bottles of "paint" and Timmy got out the q-tips and decorated. All of these lovely eggs are completely his creation. We just hope the bunny likes them!

Here's the finished project!

take care,

Dawn

My yarn stash

I ordered some yarn this week (can't resist a sale!) and it all arrived on Thursday. I've also got four more hanks from a friend who ordered some for me. I have a lot of knitting ahead of me I guess.

Last night I started another pair of clogs and finished them tonight. Tomorrow morning I will felt them. I am waiting for my yarn swift and winder before I start a project with this yarn.

Oh and Debi, that first picture of the yarn swift is what you put a hank of yarn on so you can wind in into a ball (actually it isn't quite a ball shape). It kind of takes the place of begging someone you love to hold the yarn between their two hands for an extended period of time! Rich will be thankful. I thought about asking him, but decided I could just wait until it is delivered this week!

Take care,
Dawn

My new present to myself

Remember that post about self control.....it's back LOL~! Actually I have been waiting for what seems like weeks for the yarn swift (pic on the left) to come in. I also ordered the ball winder. I ordered them from KnitPicks and it seems there are only a few left already! When I called Friday they weren't ready to order. It's a good thing they are now on their way because WEBS is having a HUGE yarn sale and I just bought tons to make Christmas presents. All my friends who read this act surprised LOL!

Speaking of KnitPicks I have my Options knitting needles and hope to use them this week to start my next project. Several of the girls in the knitting club have them now.

Last night I finished one of my green socks and now I can use the needles to start the second of the white lace socks. I can't wait to wear those!

So much yarn....so little time :)

take care,
Dawn

I found this on Debi's blog. Here are my answers.

1. A is for age: 45 (for two more weeks anyway)

2. B is for beer of choice: I don't drink beer. ICK!

3. C is for career right now: kindergarten teacher

4. D is for your dog's name: I haven't had a dog since I was a teenager and his name was Bear

5. E is for essential item you use everyday: my computer

6. F is for favorite TV show at the moment: too many to pick just one! I love HOUSE, CRIMINAL MINDS CROSSING JORDAN CSI

7. G is for favorite game: card games

8. H is for Home town: Dennis, MA

9. I is for instruments you play: guitar

10. J is for favorite juice: orange juice

11. K is for whose butt you'd like to kick: no one at the moment

12. L is for last place you ate: some crackers right here at the computer

13. M is for marriage: married for 12½ years

14. N is for your full name: Dawn Marie K(don't want to post on the Internet)

15. O is for overnight hospital stays: 2 (having babies), 2 (tonsils out..one emergency surgery), 1 (to have eye removed when I was 22 months old) and 2 very long stays with Timmy when he was sick.

16. P is for people you were with today: Rich and Timmy (oh, and the lady at the donut shop when I got my coffee)

17. Q is for quote: Not a person who collects them. I like the ones that make you smile though. My grandmother used to say, "be good, if you can't be good be careful, if you can't be careful name it after me" LOL! Needless to say I have no little "Freida's" in my life :)

18. R is for Biggest Regret: gaining weight after I worked so hard to loose it!

19. S is for status: Hmmm don't know what status you mean. Tired works for me right now!

20. T is for time you woke up today: 8:00 (I love the weekends)

21. U is for underwear you have on now: let's just say it is comfy and boring!

22. V is for vegetable you love: carrots

23. W is for worst habit: poor eating habits

24. X is for x-rays you've had: teeth, lungs, back,

25. Y is for yummy food you ate today: chips and layered cheese and salsa dip (see # 23!)

26. Z is for the zodiac sign: Aries

If you play, let me know.

take care,
Dawn

Knitting with the girls

My friend Ingrid and I took a sock knitting class this past winter and I've gotten hooked on knitting socks. We decided to ask the "girls" from the class if they would be interested in a Stitch and Bitch club. We get together every week at Ingrid's house. (She very graciously has offered her home to us. Good thing it's not here I can only sit 4 in my living room!) We've invited a few "new" friends as well. We bring the projects that we are working on, projects we have finished to share and talk about what we would like to try next. Oh, and there's food and lots of talking and laughing. It's funny how the time just flies when we get there.

Most of us have tackled felted clogs. I think they are so fun and easy to knit. I plan on making more. Right now I have two different socks in the works, a scarf and another pair of clogs.

One of the next projects I want to try is the Nantasket Basket.

I look forward to meeting every week. I sure hope the girls don't mind that I posted their picture ;).

take care,

Dawn

Self Control

Take a good look at the picture in my profile! That's the face of someone with NO SELF CONTROL!!!! Tonight I had my stamp club meeting so I headed out with my friend Ingrid. We stopped at Borders and took advantage of the 25% off educator's sale. I bought two knitting books: Stitch and Bitch and Knitting Rules. I also picked up Happy Feet for Timmy. (Ok, I might like it too : )

Then we made a trip to A.C. Moore and I bought some construction paper for Timmy's class, an AMM purple tote and the matching mini tote.

I also picked up quite a few embellishments. To finish the night off we went to our LSS to our stamp club and I bought TONS of stuff there. I have enough supplies to furnish a third world country I think!

I have NO WILL POWER. Good thing tomorrow's knitting club meeting isn't near any stores. I might just have to find another job!!!

take care,
Dawn

Monday Ramblings

I mentioned last time that I had jury duty last Monday. I also spent Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday home from school. When I went back on Friday several of the kids asked me how court was. (They knew I had jury duty). I told them that it was very boring. I sat at a chair in a small room from 8:00-3:15...longer than a school day. Then, one of the little girls raised her hand and asked "Did you get the job though?". They always make me smile :)



Last night I made a roasted chicken for dinner and it reminded me of a time years ago when I went to a friend's house for dinner. Her mother told me that they were making 1-2-3 chicken. I inquired about the name and the mother told me that her daughter (my friend) was a very picky eater (as was/am I). 1-2-3 chicken is the first three slices off the roast. You know the kind that doesn't have the brown/red coloring from being so close to the bone. I am still a fan of 1-2-3 chicken and always manage to get those pieces for myself LOL!



Today I went to the dentist to get my 9th(??) crown. Next week I go to get another one started. I have yet another after that! I am going to have such an expensive mouth! I keep telling my dentist that I want a plaque on the chair with my name engraved in it.

Take care,
Dawn

My knitting spree

I have been just totally taken over by knitting lately. I remember my mother teaching me to knit when I was about 5 years old. The hardest part for her was that she was left handed and teaching me to knit right handed. Over the years I have tackled many projects but this time around I am just loving it! I think I like the clean up factor. I can pretty much put it away at the drop of a hat and have no mess to clean up LOL!

I made my granddaughter a vest and hat about two months ago but recently knitted the flower for the hat and added the buttons to the vest.

I also made a pair of felted clogs. I made a bumper on them (an optional feature that I hate!) The bumper just doesn't lay properly. I made a second pair this weekend and didn't put the bumper on them. I told Brittainy she could have them.

After making two pair of socks I decided I would venture into trying something more complicated. I bought a pattern for a lace sock. Here it is so far as well as a close up of the cuff. I am knitting them on size 0 needle. Talk about small!!!

I was hoping when I had jury duty this week I'd be able to bring so knitting with me so I started an easy simple sock so I wouldn't have to worry about trying to follow the pattern. Unfortunately I couldn't bring it in.

These are the projects that have been keeping me busy. :) Right now I am going to go knit some more :) :)

take care,

Dawn

Oh boy, I have fallen behind again!

I have such good intentions of writing on my blog and somehow I can not always find the time or the energy!

Let me see if I can do a quick recap for those that are interested in reading about my boring life LOL!

I spent a good part of one of the weeks working on report cards. They went home on the 16th. While "filling" in the marks isn't so hard, writing the comments takes a lot of time! I am the kind of person who does a "working" draft first and then transfers it all to the official report card.

On Monday I had jury duty! I am one of those people who does not like jury duty. If I were ever on trial I would want someone who was happy to be there to be on my jury, not someone like me. I ended up sitting in the jury room from 8 to 3:15 (with a lunch break of course). We never got called. It was truly one of the most boring days of my life!! Thank goodness they can't call me again for 3 years!

Tuesday morning Timmy woke up sick and ended up staying home from school all week. He's still not back to his old self yet. The fever is gone, but he has an awful cough and has not much of a voice! I stayed home from school with him on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I convinced my mother to change her plans so she could watch him on Friday. I figured I had to make an appearance at school :). The poor boy spent two days on the couch (not like him) resting. His teacher told me several children in his class had been out sick this week.

Today is my day to watch Mackenzie. She just gets cuter by the minute! While she's napping I thought I would try to catch up. Brittainy brought her over the other day to play outside and I snapped a few pictures of her. She is really growing up quickly.

take care,

Dawn

This song gives me goosebumps!

I have been a fan of Chris Daughtry since AI last season. This song just gives me goosebumps when I hear it. He's amazing!!



take care,
Dawn

Eight and a half!

Another half year has reached us! Timmy turned 8 ½ today. We had our traditional celebration. We took Timmy out to eat at our favorite restaurant. It's a lovely place right on the river. I remember when Timmy was little he imagined there were sharks in the water LOL!
Of course Timmy had his favorite meal...burger and fries.

Rich and I each get him a little gift to celebrate the day. This year we each bought him a transformer. Why is it that boy's toys always have the oddest names. I can never pronounce the name of his toys. Timmy of course can rattle them off without even given it a second thought.

It's hard to believe he's halfway to nine. I miss my little baby!!

Speaking of hard to believe, in three and a half years I will also be the mother of a thirty year old! How did that happen, when I am still in my thirties myself LOL!


take care,
Dawn

What's on your list?

I found this on Debi's blog and thought it looked fun.

Look at the list of books below. *Type "READ" beside the ones you've read. *Type "WANT TO" beside the ones you'd like to read. *Leave blank the ones that you aren't interested in. *Type "AGAIN AND AGAIN" beside the ones you could read again and again.

1.The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)--WANT TO

2.Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)

3.To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)--Read

4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)

5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)

6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)

7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)

8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)

9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)

10.A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)

11.Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)--WANT TO

12.Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)

13.Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)--WANT TO

14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)

15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)

16.Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Rowling)--READ

17. Fall on Your Knees(Ann-Marie MacDonald)

18. The Stand (Stephen King)--Read

19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)--WANT TO

20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)

21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)

22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)

23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) AGAIN AND AGAIN

24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)

25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)

26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)

27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)

28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)

29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)

30. Tuesdays with Morrie(Mitch Albom)--READ

31. Dune (Frank Herbert)--READ

32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)--READ

33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)

34. 1984 (Orwell)

35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)

36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)

37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)

38. I Know This Much is True(Wally Lamb)

39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)

40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)

41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)

42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)

43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)

44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)--READ

45. Bible --READ but not all

46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)

47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)

48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)

49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)--READ

50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)

51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)

52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)

53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)

54. Great Expectations (Dickens)--READ

55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)--READ

56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)

57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)--READ

58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)

59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)

60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)--READ

61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)

62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)

63. War and Peace (Tolsoy)

64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)

65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)

66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)

67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)--READ

68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)69. Les Miserables (Hugo)

70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)

72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)

73. Shogun (James Clavell)

74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)

75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)

76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)

77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)--READ

78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)

79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)

80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)--READ

81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)

82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)--READ

83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)

84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)

85. Emma (Jane Austen)

86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)--READ

87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)

88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)

89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)

90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)

91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)

92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)

93. The Good Earth(Pearl S. Buck)

94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)--READ

95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)

96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)

97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)

98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)

99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)

100.Ulysses (James Joyce)

I'd love to see your list!!!

take care,
Dawn

A little pick me up with the girls.

Last week after food stopped becoming the enemy, I took my niece Telia, Brittainy and Mackenzie out to lunch. It was really good to see Telia again as I don't see her too often. Mackenzie was just as cute as can be! I had picked up a Dora the Explorer doll during a clearance sale after Christmas. I brought it with us just in case she got fussy at the restaurant. I think it is so cute that instead of saying "Dora" Mackenzie makes the "D-D-D-D-D" sound at the beginning of the theme song.

We all enjoyed our lunch. The food was good and it was my first real ...didn't make me sick....meal in almost a week.

How can you not love that face???

take care,

Dawn

What I salvaged from my week

Even though the start of the week was not a good one, having spent four days in bed sick, I did manage to get quite a bit done with the time I had left. I got my scrap/computer room cleaned and organized. PHEW! What a lot of work that was!

I completed two circle journals for my OT friends at 2P's. I also made 7 cards for the swap of my stamping club.

We also had a challenge to decorate a round tin lid. I used a lid from a can of potato sticks :)

This is what I came up with.

I finished my first pair of socks about 10 days ago and started a second pair. Here's the completed socks. This is a picture after I had worn and washed them.

This is the pair I'm working on now.

Tonight I had two crockpots going with meals for the week.

If only I had another few days off I could get so much more done! :)

take care,
Dawn

Booga! Booga!

Somehow that title reminds me of Animal House and the toga party LOL!


I meant to post this last week but never got around to it. I have been in a knitting mood lately and my friend Ingrid shared this Booga Bag pattern with me. I think everyone and their sister has been knitting these.

Here is my bag before felting.

and after felting....

I'm not sure what I'll use it for. I think I'd like to make a couple of others for friends :)

take care,
Dawn

What a wasted vacation!!!

My week long vacation from school started last weekend. Saturday I took a little nap, woke up with a fever and spent four days in bed. I was so sick!! I am sure it had something to do with being in a classroom where children were throwing up all week long! I think I had a child throw up every day last week in the room! I sort of wish the school would give me those four days back. I had such big plans for what I wanted to get done and I lost all that time. It wasn't until yesterday that I started feeling like my old self again.

I wanted to make a dent on the toy disaster in the basement. It looks like that will be waiting until April vacation!

I have spent HOURS today cleaning and organizing my scrapbook room. I hope to be done with it tomorrow.

I was able to finish the book the OT'ers at 2P's are reading. I am just waiting for everyone to be finished to start our discussion. We read The Time Traveler's Wife. I really enjoyed it!

Well back to cleaning. Just checking in for those that read here :)

take care,

Dawn