NeedleSpell

For my new subscribers! A reminder:

2011-10-05T15:33:00.002-04:00

Needle Spell Creations is closing! I will be posting crochet items on my personal website. :) You can still purchase items for now. Enter the coupon "CLOSOUT" to get 40% off your order! :D I'm just letting things expire at this point. ;)

I've been posting over at my writing blog, Imprimatur. Hope to see you all there! :D

It's official!

2011-07-22T10:29:00.003-04:00

I've made the movements towards closing my shop. Everything must go! Enter the coupon "CLOSOUT" to get 40% off your order! :D I will be selling everything from my own site: www.atthequillsmercy.com along with my writing. :) In addition, all of myhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif blogging will take place at Impimatur on LiveJournal.

This is all an attempt to get everything in my life as organized as possible. Besides, I haven't sold anything from my shop in months but I have sold my stories. It's easy to see where my path is leading.

I would like to thank all the people who have supported me thus far and I hope you will continue to do so. :)

After a great deal of thought...

2011-07-11T08:56:00.003-04:00

I've decided I'll be closing my Etsy shop. I have a bunch of legal stuff to take care of before I close the actual space on Etsy but my eventual goal is to streamline everything on my site: At The Quills Mercy. I'll be moving my blogging to Live Journal so I can do everything from on spot.

With Mom in and out of the hospital with no sign of getting better, I'm feeling scattered internally already. I believe I will be able to make the money necessary to support my family in this difficult time if everything is in one place. So, be on the look out for a shop link on my personal site. :)

I will continue to support the handmade community by selling my goods on my own site and shopping at Etsy. There's no way I would leave my favorite shops behind. ;)

I hope you all will still continue to read my blog in it's new site. :)

Blessings to all of you!

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T09:24:00.003-04:00

It's not quite the same without Ma home. :/ She's getting treated for the shingles reemerging and on an oxygen machine to help with her breathing. She's in isolation and will not be able to leave till the shingles are all healed.

She sounds better when I talk to her on the phone so I hope she'll be coming home soon. :)

Keeping my fingers crossed...

I am also having a sale in my shop! Just enter JULY4TH2011 for a 25% discount on your order from Needle Spell Creations! Coupon valid through July 4th. :)Have a safe and happy holiday!

Hiatus-ish

2011-07-02T10:34:00.004-04:00

Ma went back into the hospital last night. If things keep going like this, I can't guarantee my updates will be on time. :/ I will try but I'll be honest, I haven't really been in the blogging state of mind.

My mother is stable now waiting for a bunch of tests to determine if she can come home. I'll still be crocheting and trying to add as much to my shop as I can (looks like it'll be paying medical bills) but I'm not sure about the blog.

I'll update when I can.

WIP Wednesday! :D

2011-06-29T09:30:00.006-04:00

Now the white lilies have bloomed! :D I've added it to the rest of my collection of pictures and posted them in my Zazzle shop for sale. :)

And now I'm making some washcloths out of this fabulous cotton yarn. I love the color combination. It's very meditative which is something I need right now. :)

That's all I really have for today! :D

Stages

2011-06-27T12:57:00.003-04:00

I realized something today that almost disturbed me: I've become accustomed to the idea of my Ma dying.

I feel like it shouldn't ya know? Like I should be on the verge of tears or screaming every time I think about it. But there's just a sense of calm about the idea.

I love my mother and it will break my heart to lose her but The Wheel turns. It always has and always will.

Sometimes it rolls over your foot, but it always turns.

Not that Ma is planning on keeling over anytime soon but I now face the inevitable with the calm assurance the Gods will not give me more than I can handle and that she raised me to be as strong as she is. :) I am settling well into the Head Honcho of the Family role here. In fact, I'm actually enjoying it! I've always enjoyed cooking, I tolerate cleaning, and I've got a good head for money management. There are little things like when exactly the garbage goes out that I need to learn but that's not so bad.

And learning to drive. No, I don't have my license yet. I'm working on it. :p I've worked my way up to the place where the mere thought of sitting behind the wheel of a car nearly caused a panic attack. I'd say that's growth, right? XD

I'm also balancing my writing with my crocheting pretty well. Especially since I've been able to list two items (here and here) last week and I'm nearly completed with another in the works. I'm sure this is nothing amazing for people who list every day but it's a wonder for me. :) I'm really hoping for more sales so I can chip away at the mortgage without relying so much on Ma. I think she worries I may not make enough to support the family on my own. She worries too much. I think I'll be just fine. ^_^

Ah! And I've been fully enjoying my new camera. Not only does it take good pictures of my items for my shop, I've added the photos of the lilies to my shop on Zazzle. They look so good, I want some for myself! >D

I think things are going to be OK in our house. I'm slowly learning not to worry so much. :)

WIP! With words this time. :)

2011-06-22T11:04:00.004-04:00

I'm still working on this washcloth. Yesterday was a very busy Midsummer and also Penny's 4th birthday. :)

I also received what I believe to be a good sign today. In addition to Ma being up and around for a little while, I was fretting in the bathroom (one of the few places you can get a moment of quiet with kids as any parent can tell you... And not even for certain XD) About how I was going to get all the bills paid and take care of Ma and just generally making myself sick with worry about the future when a little yellow bird started tapping at the window. I ignored it at first, feeling sort of put out at being interrupted in the middle of my freak out but it kept up till I paid attention. It chirped and looked at me till I cracked a smile. If I didn't know better, it nodded in satisfaction before turning and flying away.

Yeah, it's silly. But I really feel I got the message. I need to stop worrying and take time to smile. I get so stressed out, making myself miserable and everyone around me miserable which is just insane! So, I'm in charge. So what? Ma ran the house my whole life so there's no reason I can't do as amazing as she did. :)

So I keep going. I keep working, keep crocheting, keep writing, and keeping hugging and kissing my Ma and my Penny, and my husband every day. I need to make sure I write my friends and keep in contact with my family. It's all gone so fast, better enjoy it all while it's here.

And on that note, I hope everyone has a wonderful day! :D

Yeesh...

2011-06-20T21:49:00.003-04:00

Today was not easy. I went with Mom to the pulmonologist and he decreed her eligible for the oxygen machine... That we already had delivered. 9_9 And because Mom had the doctor's appointment, she didn't take her shingles meds in the morning, leaving her in pain. I dunno which would have been worse: nausea and dizziness from the meds (I would have driven the car) or the pain? But hey, she made the call, for better or worse.

We have a follow-up with him in two weeks.

But getting home was a nightmare. I could see tears in her eyes from the pain. It was just unreal... By the time I got her home, medicated, and laying down, I was in tears myself. It took the rest of the day for me to just calm down and try and get some work done.

On the plus side, I got a positive response to my query! I'm making the changes the editor asked for and will resubmit the short story to her by Friday.

Tomorrow is not only my daughter's birthday, but also the Summer Solstice. :) I'm not sure if I'll be able to do anything fancy but I did leave out an apple as an offering today. Better to strike while the iron is hot, right?

I'll be busy baking cake with a 4 year old but I will try to update tomorrow with some actual crochet news.

More Flowers!

2011-06-20T10:14:00.003-04:00

Now the yellow lilies are blooming! :D

Today I'm just going to the doctor with Ma so I'm not sure if I'll be getting any crochet done. We'll have to see. ;)

Wordless WIP Wednesday

2011-06-15T09:26:00.001-04:00

sigh

2011-06-14T16:58:00.002-04:00

No good news from the doctors. :( Sadly, it's just a matter of "when" not "if" but I always knew that. Her cancer is terminal, inoperable, and comes with a whole host of complications.

Ma could live the next two years or be gone by the end of summer. There's just no way to tell. In the meantime, me and my husband are taking on the tasks she uses to do, like driving the kid around and laundry and such.

It just blows my mind that this is the second time I will watch a parent succumb to lung cancer. And neither my Mother nor my Grandmother smoked a day in their lives.

Happy Tuesday!

2011-06-14T09:31:00.005-04:00

I usually try to update on Mondays but man, this Monday was a bust. Ma was feeling so bad, I was just beside myself all day. I barely ate and what I did eat felt like lead weights in my stomach. Her shingles is clearing up but that doesn't mean a thing if you can't breathe. She's on her way to the doctor today but she's in good spirits so I'm feeling better. I had to call in from work to watch the kid while she get's checked up but I'm using that time wisely!

These were listed today! :D The shop is finally looking like a real shop now. I've still got a long way to go with the cotton yarn but one shoe box is down. Only two more to go. @_@

And spring is going strong in our garden! The vegetables may have been a bust but the flowers? Well, see for yourself.

Just fantastic!! I can't believe that fabulous red. There are more budding in other colors but WOW!

I guess that's all I've got for today. Best get to the chores! :D Hope everyone has a great day!

WIP Wednesday! :D

2011-06-08T07:54:00.003-04:00

Still using up this cotton yarn! Here's one in a set of this yarn. I only have one more skein of this kind.

Here is the yellow and the varied yarn together which will go in a set with the orange one below. :)

Still flying through the stashbusting, everyone. Have a wonderful day! :D

Sunshine Yellow!

2011-06-07T09:21:00.002-04:00

I haven't posted these for sale yet because this will be part of a multi colored, summer themed set I mentioned in a previous post. :)

Luckily for me, Ma is doing better however things will still be tight for awhile. the good news is, I seem to be getting more attention to my shop and to my book as well! :D Every little bit helps, even if it's only one sale. :)

And my wrist? Doing just fine! :D I'm shocked, let me tell you. I thought all the extra needlework would put me back in writs braces but other than a sore shoulder, I'm fine. And the shoulder is from weeding books at the library! So, as long as I'm functioning, I'll keep working. ;)

I've been a busy bee...

2011-06-06T09:06:00.004-04:00

I spent all weekend working and here is the finished result! :D

I have more but I haven't sewn in the ends yet. But these will be listed today! :D

It seems very worthwhile to spend my Sundays crocheting now since the library will be closed every Sunday for the summer. Not only was I able to get these done, I have a yellow and orange wash cloth set nearly complete as well!! :D And my wrist is holding up admirably. If I can keep up this pace, I'm sure to have a full shop and have stashbusted all my cotton yarn by the end of the summer!

In other news, my little one has expressed interest in crochet! I was at a loss as to what to get for her 4th birthday that would be meaningful and last more than 5 seconds before it broke and not cost a fortune. I can't seen anything more amazing than to sit with my little girl and crochet just like my Granny did for me. Of course, I was 7 but, I'll give it a good shot. :) I think she'll have a great time learning. She's a real smart kid. ^_^

I will update when things as they get finished or there's enough progress to photograph. Have a wonderful Monday, everyone! :D

WIP Wednesday! :D

2011-06-01T08:12:00.008-04:00

Gods help me, I found more of that green color... >_<

But I think that's really the last of it. :p It's a row shorter than the others meaning I will actually have to go buy another skein to finish it off for sale. :p

Now I'm working with this blue. I am enjoying it however, I'm getting a little tired of washcloths. @_@ I would like to work on some altar cloths next as soon as all the cotton yarn is gone. :p

As for everyday things, Ma is doing much better and I'm sleeping and eating again since she's doing so well. :)

And just a reminder of the Charity section of my shop. 50% of all proceeds go to the American Red Cross for disaster relief.

Back to work!

2011-05-31T09:30:00.003-04:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend. I didn't even TOUCH a computer yesterday. I spent the entire day spending time with Penny. We walked around the mall and she got to play with some other kids at the park. :) The poor girl is so lonely and doesn't get to spend much time with other kids.

Ma is doing better every day, which of course is a tremendous relief. Shingles is no fun but I make sure she takes her meds on time and she's easing back into her daily activities. Now, I can slowly ease back into mine. I've been writing steadily again and working on getting more stuff in my shop. I have something to list tomorrow and I hope this summer is a profitable one. ^_^

FINALLY!!! :D

2011-05-27T11:21:00.003-04:00

Mom is coming home today. Since I worked late last night I didn't get to talk to her but my husband did and he said she sounded better than she had in MONTHS. I'm sure she's excited to come home. ^_^ By 3pm today, I'll have my mommy back home with me.

Yup, I'm 30 years old and I want my mama. I am not ashamed to say it.

Now I can get back to blogging about crochet again. I'll be doing a lot of that over the weekend since it's Memorial Day! :D

Have a happy holiday everyone!! :D

YAY!!

2011-05-25T09:04:00.003-04:00

Ma will be coming home today! :D There are a ton of things to get ready so no WIP Wednesday today! Here's a picture of my kid in a butterfly cut out. XD

It's all about Ma

2011-05-23T19:52:00.003-04:00

Yes, I still have plenty of things to do but Ma has been at the forefront of my thoughts. I have been pestering the hospital (and 'pestering' is the nicest word I can come up with) to get to talk to her since her cell phone isn't charged all the time and I'm sure they'll scold her for having it. :p

When I talked to her today, she was feeling much better and in good spirits. :) Most of the pox/shingles bumps are drying out and I can even hear more strength in her voice. She is positively bored out of her mind and can't wait to come home. :)

Other than that, I was pretty domestic on my day off. I couldn't go anywhere due to the passing random thunderstorms but there was plenty of laundry and cleaning to do. :p I'm sure there's a knack I don't quite have with the laundry like Ma does but I'm muddling my way through it.

Just hearing how well she's doing makes her absence bearable because I know it's temporary. I won't feel totally at ease till she's home and scolding me for leaving a cup in the sink. Then I'll know for sure everything is ok. XD

Friday Update

2011-05-20T15:21:00.002-04:00

Ma is doing much better and should be home in a couple of days. They're probably going to make absolutely sure she's cured before she's able to come home. :)

So I'm getting back on track taking pictures, crocheting, and writing. :D I'm http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifcurrently awaiting the review process for getting my book on Kindle and trying not to bite my nails off awaiting a magazine review.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! :D

Yes, I am a day late

2011-05-19T10:19:00.004-04:00

Wednesday was very stressful. Ma went to the emergency room for the horrible pain in her leg. It was so bad that she was having trouble walking, sleeping, the works. For those new to the blog, Ma is currently going through chemotherapy from lung cancer so her immune system is in the toilet.

Not surprisingly, I wasn't up for much blogging so I skipped it. However, Ma is doing fine. Turns out the pain is from a bout of shingles. They are treading her and she should be home an a couple days.

My relief cannot be properly expressed via computer. I knew that chemo would have it's ups and downs but every time Ma goes in to the hospital, I worry if she'll come out again. The mere thought is enough to send me in to a straight panic.

Since I'm off today, I'll be going to take her some stuff in the hospital. I also updated the shop with a set of the wash cloths I finished. I was also able to sell another book! I am glad that someone liked my work enough to take a chance on it. ^_^

I am going to try and keep everything as updated as possible and keep calm and strong for my family. Now, I'm off to do some cleaning so Ma doesn't come home to a giant pile of laundry and a filthy house. ;)

Ahh, Monday...

2011-05-16T12:52:00.003-04:00

I am feeling the May crunch, let me tell ya. =_= I knew this month would be a doozy with little time for anything but cleaning the house, moving furniture, and doing OT. But I am really starting to head into burn out territory.

Add to it Ma isn't doing so hot, and you've got a Lenni on the edge.

Ok, not "on the edge" per se. When stressed, I knuckle down and plan. I freak out later. XD

Ma was given another 2 good years from the doctor but she still feels miserable. Chemo is of course turning her immune system upside down so she's having to deal with other infections and sicknesses which go with that. Ma's a trooper but it's still hard. I know she misses working and feels sorta helpless when I take all this overtime and try and sell everything that isn't nailed down to make some extra cash. This is NOT the way Ma wanted to retire but life does things like that.

So I'm still plugging away. I'm writing as much as I can and trying to sell some books. I'm working hard on the next book and trying my best to be a good mama to my insane almost-four-year-old. XD

I gotta be honest, though: It's soooo strange being a grown up. 0.0 I have to sit back and remind myself I'm not 25 anymore. XD

Now, back to work! :D

WIP Wednesday! :D

2011-05-11T09:12:00.004-04:00

I'm all done with the green yarn and the yellow variated (unless there's another skein
lurking somewhere...) and as you can see, I've moved on to the white spotted yarns. I have some plain red and white around as well but it's thinner so I may use it for something else. :)

In other news, I was also included in some really nice treasuries! :D

Abby's Favorite Crochet Dishcloths
Hot Stuff

And time is running out for the bath salts!! The listings are expiring and I will not be renewing then!!

YAY! :D

2011-05-02T17:46:00.004-04:00

The house is done! We're officially starting the move upstairs. :)

This is what it looked like before and here's the after! :D

It really is like a whole new house. Since we don't have a closet system installed in the master bedroom just yet we haven't moved in there but the office is coming first. The main computer and desk are going up and some of the big girl furniture the kiddo will be using from now on.

Now, back to crocheting and writing so I can pay off the mortgage! XD

Hello Monday!

2011-04-25T16:26:00.004-04:00

Here's what I've finished and will be posting soon. :)

Here's a set of the green I finished recently. :)

Next up is yellow to get finished! :D Having my ankle laid up really contributed to having so much done including getting my book on Amazon. But feeling so productive has kept me working at a really good pace even though my ankle is back to normal size. XD But I'm happy to be walking and moving around so I can get nice and fit for summer. :)

In other news, the house is also almost done!! All we're waiting on now are the various inspectors to make sure the addition won't fall on us or we won't be electrocuted and all sorts of good things like that but we should be able to move in this week! Excitement doesn't quite cover it. I really look forward to having a real office and sewing room. Hubby will be happy too. ;)

WIP Wedesday! Yet More Washcloths

2011-04-20T09:48:00.003-04:00

Finally! A color switch! :D

I know I seem to really be on a washcloth kick lately and it's true. XD I am still working my way through the cotton yarn and I'm done with green so now it's yellow. :)

And that's another one in the yellow in progress. And in case you've forgotten:

The infamous popple yarn scarf! It's coming along quite nicely. It's slow going since I'm working my way through that cotton yarn but I'm still having fun with it.
:)

The house is also coming along. We should be able to move upstairs by next week! :D I'll have a real separate sewing room where all my yarn can go. I think I'm just as excited for that as I am for a closet where I can actually see my clothes. XD

TGIF? Kinda...

2011-04-15T16:17:00.003-04:00

Today I had off from work so I could spend it cleaning, crocheting, and going to the eye doctor. It's been a long time since my last check up and I had a deep scratch on my glasses that I wanted to get repaired. Turns out that you just can't get a simple scratch repaired! You have to buy a new set of lenses. Buhbai $462.

Needless to say, I'll be crocheting for the rest of the weekend.

WIP Wednesday!

2011-04-13T10:29:00.006-04:00

I'm still working with that green cotton yarn. :)

I love how the wash cloths are turning out but now I'm going to switch gears so I can sell these in a set with a couple of other colors. I have some fabulous yellows that would work so well with this! :D

And the popple yarn is coming along nicely, as well. :D Working with this yarn is certainly an adventure but I love how the product is coming out.

Not only am I getting a good amount of needlework done, the painters are working on the house this week! They are the last step till we can move upstairs. :) I am beyond excited. I can't wait to have a big bedroom, a separate place for my yarn, and a nice closet where I can keep all my clothes! :D

Oh, and any takers on the bet "Will Lenni's husband keep his clothes off the floor?" ;)

She's baaaaaack

2011-04-11T20:20:00.001-04:00

Yes, indeed I am! I took an impromptu vacation from the blog since I didn't have much to say other than complaining about the house not being done yet but today, the painters put the primer on the walls upstairs! Next is the color and W000!! We're done! :D

I honestly cannot be happier. ^_^

And I have been doing needlework along with working on my book and another shop for stuff for my book. I have been a busy little bee and hope to be back on schedule with this blog now. :)

WIP Wednesday!

2011-03-23T10:14:00.006-04:00

I haven't posted a picture of this for awhile. It's a knitted scarf for Penny with a diagonal pattern on it. I do it little by little on the side since it's pretty thick. She's not big enough for it yet. :)

The popple scarf is also coming along. The more I work on it, the easier it is to work with. I am absolutely going to have to get more of this yarn and have it a regular fixture in my shop! :D

And here's the progress on the wash cloth. :) Have I mentioned how much I love working in this green? Because I really do. XD

That's all I have for today. The bathroom guys are here today so I can feel all of this FINALLY winding down! XD To cut costs, we're painting the upstairs walls ourselves. That should result in some interesting pictures. XD

Ye gods!!

2011-03-18T18:50:00.003-04:00

What a beautiful day!! :D I was antsy at work all day. I was so excited to walk home from the train. 1.2 miles of absolute bliss! I am so glad for this taste of spring! :D

Even the little seeds I planted are sprouting and ready to be moved to the pots. That will get taken care of tomorrow. :) If it never got hotter than it did today I'd be one happy hooker! :D

As for tonight, I'm taking it easy and working on my book. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! :D

WIP Wednesday!

2011-03-16T13:33:00.005-04:00

Another Wednesday sneaks up on me! *hides*

The washcloth is coming along well. Little by little, I add stitches whenever I can. :)

Those are the ear-flaps for the kitty hat. I haven't done the kitty ears yet but those are on my list to do. :)

And here's how that popple scarf is coming. :)

It's been a little crazy. The assistant director got a director job at another library so now we're a man down (so to speak). It's amazing how much one person can make a difference, ya know?

And please don't forget that I've added a new section to my shop. 50% of all sales from this section go directly to the Red Cross and the rest of the money pays Etsy fees. :)

New Shop Section

2011-03-14T10:21:00.004-04:00

I've moved some items too my Charity section. Right now, 50% of all items sold will go to the Red Cross to aid in relief for Japan. The rest just covers the listing fees and Etsy percentage.

ARGH!

2011-03-11T17:36:00.003-05:00

I am so ready for this house to be done. I swear, my days off are worse than going to work.

Penny did nothing but scream and talk back all day and the construction guys were banging all day and this makes the Lenni stressed out and annoyed. >_< I had to spend the afternoon cleaning up after the dust in the living room. Every time I turn, I find more.

When this is done, I may take a day off to give everything a once over. I'll send the monster to the sitter, kick everyone out of the house, and clean the hell outta this place.

WIP Wednesday!

2011-03-09T10:05:00.004-05:00

I'm working with this CRAZY popple yarn for a scarf! It's driving me a little nuts so it's so low going.

Here's a green washcloth I'm working on. I'm glad to be done with pink. I was getting tired of it. :p

To give you all an example of the stash busting scope I'm dealing with here:

And there's another shoebox full!! See, yarn sales are the death of me. XD But if it puts it in perspective, there used to be MORE! I worked my way through one whole shoebox and now there's just the bag and a box left. Then I can finally start on the acrylic stash.

Er... There's a reason why there's no pictures of that. XD

GAAHH!!

2011-03-07T18:24:00.003-05:00

It's the waiting that kills me. Really.

I submitted that story for the anthology entry today. I am freaking out waiting to hear back.

As a result, I'm afraid I just don't have much to say. 0.0

Happy Friday!! :D

2011-03-04T09:32:00.003-05:00

I'm extremely busy this Friday! I may have caught a lucky break in my writing which I'm a little leery to talk about lest I jinx it. XD But I need a completed manuscript by Monday and I still have one scene left to write and the whole thing needs to be edited. @_@ Everything is on the back burner while that gets done, even sleep. This has been one groggy Friday morning. =_=

One thing I can talk about now with the writing is one of my stories is up on the Web Fiction Guide to be voted upon. It would be great if you guys would read and vote on my story or heck, even leave a review. But only if you like it. ;)

Alright! Back to work for me. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! :D

WIP Wedesday!

2011-03-02T09:04:00.005-05:00

There are the finished washcloths! :D I'm particularly fond of the striped one. I think the different widths give it charm. :)

This scarf is going to take some time to make and I know this. I only work a few rows before my hands start to cramp from the tiny needles. :p

Now that my anthology entry is almost complete, I can have more time to devote to needlework. :) It just needs to be edited and typed up at this point since I've been devoting nearly all my free time to it. I really hope I get accepted! :D

Monday...

2011-02-28T13:58:00.002-05:00

I'm taking a very Garfieldian approach to Monday today. >_< I woke up on time but my kid decides that 20 year old perfume she dug up from goddess knows where was a toy. She stinks, her room stinks, and every flat surface in her closet stinks. >_< This means instead of some much needed needlework and writing time, I'll have to run home and start cleaning. Lucky me, it gets to fester in that room all day because it was raining and I couldn't open the windows.

Can I hide under my bed now?

Between working 6 day weeks, working out, and writing, I'm about at the end of my rope. Something's gotta give, here. I even spend my days off working on stuff for the house. Yeah, I am tired ALL the time.

Thankfully, the hole in the wall has been temporarily closed up. They need to really fix it but that's going to have to wait for the entire first floor bathroom to get done. It's all such a pain and I really can't wait for it all to be done.

But aside for all my complaining, I hope to have some nice pictures up of whatever needlework I manage to scrounge up. :p Have a nice day, everyone!!

WIP Wednesday!

2011-02-23T09:30:00.003-05:00

Here's the washcloth and the scarf. It really is difficult working with that fuzzy yarn. I like working with it as practice for even crazier yarns! :D

I was able to secure another custom order (when it rains...) of a scarf in some crazy, popple lookin yarn that will be an adventure to work with. ;)

I really wish the house would hurry up and be done. =_= I've been keeping up ok with the cleaning but Ma has two flat tires from nails left in the driveway. All these hidden costs; tire repair, extra dusters and floor cleaner, aspirin... Good thing I got these orders and all the OT. o_O I feel terrible about the tired so I'm gonna try and save up the money to help Ma pay for it.

Time to get cracking! I have to keep working. @_@

ARRGGHH!!!

2011-02-22T09:52:00.004-05:00

There's a hole in my kid's room!! A HOLE!!

*sigh* The plumbers are in the house doing their thing and part of that included putting a hole in the wall. Since she can't sleep in there now, she's sleeping with us. Normally sweet but since I don't trust her in our bedroom alone, I had to keep her with me while I worked out and packed up things to get ready for the morning. She didn't get to sleep till after 10.

I am so ready for all of this to be over. :p I'm tired of having to mop and dust daily just to not feel disgusted to walk in my own living room. 9_9

I keep all my yarn in the bedroom away from all the mess so don't worry about that getting dirty. :)

Tomorrow, I'll be posting progress pictures. Hopefully, I can start posting on time again. 9_9

Back in Business!

2011-02-16T13:30:00.004-05:00

I can't believe I was sick for so long. I'm not usually one to readily admit I'm sick in the first place but this was a doozy! I'm not done with my course of antibiotics so I've been playing it safe and staying away from the yarn so I don't have any WIP's to show you. :/ On the other hand, the house is a WIP so here's what it looks like now! :D

A big change from how it looked before, huh!? :D I'm so excited. I can't wait for it all to be done and to move into my big new bedroom and have a separate office for my crafts. ^___^ Just another couple weeks and goodbye clutter!! :D

UGH!!

2011-02-11T12:55:00.003-05:00

Whatever has been going around at work has come around and hit me again so I'm away from the yarn. This time, I bit the bullet and went to the doctor so I can get completely well. :)

I'm staying far away from the yarn until my course of antibiotics is complete. Fabric is so good at holding germs so I'm not taking any chances. :p

WIP Wedesday! More Washcloths

2011-02-09T08:39:00.004-05:00

Here are some more washcloths I'm stash busting with. These are going up as a set when they're done and as you can see, it's pretty close to being finished. ^_^ The striped one is made from whatever is left from the skein when the solid ones are complete. I kinda like how it looks. I think it's funky. XD I also LOVE how the pictures from the new camera are coming out. All my friends pitched in and got me a Canon Rebel T2i for my birthday. The thing is an absolute dream! I LOVE this camera!!! XD

Till Friday everyone! I'll take some pics of the house in progress, too. ;)

Ah, Monday

2011-02-07T18:06:00.003-05:00

I'm glad to be back at work since I was beginning to go stir crazy being home all day all the time.

I haven't been doing much needle work because I'm working on an entry for an anthology and getting my book up on Amazon. I'm really excited and hopeful that these succeed. :)

Another big thing is getting the kiddo ready for school. It really just seems like yesterday she was a blip on a sonogram but here we are getting ready for pre-k. Just wow.

My mission to not buy anything this week is so far a success but of course, there's 50 things on sale that I need. 9_9 I'm being as frugal as I can here but it's hard. :p

I'll be back on Wednesday with what I've been working on so far! :D

Hello all!

2011-02-06T14:00:00.003-05:00

Happy Sunday and back to work for me! :D I took off for a few days from work to celebrate my 30th birthday (which was on Feb. 2nd) but now all the fun is over and it's time to get back to work.

I've been considering for sometime eliminating the bath salts from my shop because I've never sold a single bag. :/ So I renewed one last bag today and as they expire from here on out, I'm not going to renew them anymore. They will be up in case anybody would like some for Valentine's but after that, they'll be disappearing, leaving more room for crochet items.

As for Valentine gift giving this year, I thought I might try my hand at homemade chocolate or truffles or something like that. Nobody has any money these days so me and the hubby are skipping expensive gift giving this year (all the better to save for his birthday cause HE'S turning 30 in April). I only have a million cookbooks at home. I'm sure I'll find something. ;)

My challenge for this week will be to not buy anything but the essentials. Not a single thing. I'd love to see if I can avoid the coffee shop or online shopping for a whole week to save money. :)

Have a great day everyone! See you all here tomorrow for your regularly scheduled post.

A Miracle!!

2011-02-01T09:07:00.001-05:00

I woke up this morning and I could breathe through my nose!! WOOHOO!! So I am back to work today and I will list something today no matter what!

Sick

2011-01-28T18:16:00.004-05:00

I'm sure everyone is reading a lot of these posts these days, as it is the season for it; but I'm sick. So I have quarantined myself from the yarn and I'm working hard on getting better asap. ^_^

Apologies

2011-01-26T09:16:00.003-05:00

Last week was rough on me with the death of my cousin and my Ma's impending surgery, but things are better, my mother is completely recovered, so it's back to business. ^_^ No rest for the wicked, after all.

Here are the three completed washcloths. I'm starting on the striped one with the scrap yarn as soon as I'm done with the computer.

I've also renewed some items and set aside some time to work on more crochet when I get writer's block. XD For some reason, needlework really helps me with that. My shop will be bursting at the seams very soon! :D

In other news, the house has not changed. Since it won't stop snowing for any substantial length of time, the very nice men can't do their work. So, there's a pile of wood in the driveway under a tarp and no shingles on the house. T_T So, guess where all our heat is going!? *sigh* Ahh, renovations. Such fun!

Well, time to get back to work. Have a nice day everyone!

I know! I know!

2011-01-25T14:03:00.003-05:00

I missed Monday's update! I was in the hospital all day with Ma. She is absolutely fine. They just had to remove the old port and put in a new one. FYI: The port is how they put the chemo in you without having to pump poison directly into your veins, which causes them to collapse. The surgery went just fine and I was able to drive her home without any trouble. :)

I will update tomorrow with pictures of my works in progress and what's been completed.

Everyone have a lovely day and stay warm! :D

TGIF!!!

2011-01-21T11:22:00.003-05:00

Man am I ever glad this week is over. =_=

Monsterling visited her school for the first time yesterday and loved it so much, she didn't wanna leave. Which is wonderful since I'm sure she won't wanna go in the morning. XD Then I promptly fought with my mother about whether or not she should go half day which is free) or full day (which is an additional $4,150). We settled on half day for now with the option of a full day if the kiddo is ready.

Then we get the call that my cousin died. :(

He'd been sick for awhile and in pain so it's good he's not suffering anymore. But hearing that was the icing on a rather large shit cake. Last night, I just sat in front of the TV and watched Firefly. No writing, no crocheting, no nothing. I think I really needed that down time to get my head right so I can be at work today. I have Drawing Club with the kids tonight and I plan to sew in all the ends on the wash cloths I've finished once I get home. But I can tell that this is going to be a period of my life where it's a great deal of work to stay positive.

But I'll keep going. I always do.

WIP Wedesday! :D

2011-01-19T09:34:00.005-05:00

Here are the washcloths I've been working on.

This is going to be a set including a white one or a pink and white striped one made with the scrap from these. I haven't quite decided yet. But I am having a TON of fun tearing though this stash busting! :D Here's another pink one about halfway through:

I've made my way through two of the skeins of cotton yarn so far. :) At this point, the Valentine's colors are purely by accident. I was wise to put them on top back in December so I could stash bust them first! :D These will be up in the shop by the end of the week! :D

Have a lovely day everyone! :D

Happy Monday!

2011-01-17T09:34:00.003-05:00

And Happy Martin Luther King Jr. day! :D

When I left for work this morning, the men were already there working on the house! You can tell just from the sound of it that they wanna work in a timely fashion. But I am very grateful to be at work today. The sound of them working is exactly what you'd expect from a pair of men ripping the top of a house apart. @_@ I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for all of this to run smoothly from now on. :)

I am still crocheting steadily and as soon as I get home from work, I'll take pictures of what I'm working on now. ^_^ I'm having way too much fun with this now. XD

I have also discovered that the rash I get from weeding the books is a straight up allergy to the dust. I picked up some over the counter medication and I'm hoping I don't get anymore rashes. 0.0 They are not fun. I am relieved that it wasn't my body spray or something causing it. I have a TON of body spray I'm trying to use up and finding out I'm allergic to it with 30 or so little bottles to go would be a disaster!

That's all I've got for today, my friends! Have a wonderful day! :D

Happy Wednesday!!

2011-01-12T09:10:00.002-05:00

Nothing really to report today. It snowed again but not nearly as bad as last time. The library has a delayed opening which doesn't changed my schedule at all. XD

I have no pics this Wednesday. I've been so stressed out that I've developed a terrible rash so I've been coming home from work, working out, and then just trying to de-stress. Last night was super effective so I should be back on track soon.

Now my family is demanding muffins so I must be off! Have a wonderful day, every one!! Stay warm!

TGIF!!

2011-01-07T10:37:00.003-05:00

Happy Friday to me!! I woke up to a sale today! :D One down, 49 to go!

Sales always make me feel as if all my work really has value, that I'm not just spinning my wheels. Here's to a successful year! :D

WIP Wedesday!

2011-01-05T09:14:00.002-05:00

This is a custom hat I'm working on. All it needs are the ear flaps and kitty ears and it's all done! :D

I've also decided to remove the Twitter feed from my blog. I tend to talk more about my writing site than Etsy so I took it off. ^_^ I do however, have an extensive list of Etsyians on my Twitter so feel free to follow!! :D

Now, I'm off to make today great! :D I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Happy 2011!!

2011-01-03T19:14:00.003-05:00

I'm already excited for the new year!! Not much to say seeing as how the year has only just started. But I can already feel in the air how wonderful things will be this year.

And if they're not? I'll MAKE 'em wonderful. >}

I'm working on a custom hat now (pics on Wednesday). It's nearly done. It just needs ear-flaps and ears. ;) I am enjoying working on it but I can tell I need more practice with hats. :p

I'm off to make sure my other site has something to update with as well! Till later! :D

WIP Wedesday! :D

2010-12-29T08:59:00.002-05:00

That scarf order is all done! :D

Ten scarves in all different colors lengths and widths. ^_^ I'm pretty proud of them even though they took forever and they will be picked up as soon as we're all dug out of all the snow.

So I jump right into the next thing! I went through all my yarn to get some idea of just how much stash busting I had to do and the situation is pretty dire. Especially when you consider how much of the yarn is fancy fur yarn that I purchased thinking "Oh, wow! Lookit that!!" but no specific project in mind. XD That is Patton's Glittallic in Pink Sparkle. :) I don't expect this to be done for quite some time so I'll be working on some more Valentine's stuff for the shop on the side. ;)

Have a great Wednesday every one!

SNOWDAY!!! XD

2010-12-27T11:24:00.003-05:00

WOOHOO!! So much snow the library was closed today. I am crocheting and writing today and I'll save the pics of that for Wednesday. ;) I've been going at a pretty good clip here! Closing out 2010 with a bang and my arm is doing fine! ;)

Now, I'm off to prepare hot cocoa for the shovelers and the snowball fighters. ;)

Till later! :D

Shop goals for 2011

2010-12-24T11:12:00.002-05:00

Ok, here's what I'll be shooting for in the coming year:

1: 50 sales in the shop
2: Be less of a lurker around all the blogs and forums I subscribe to

That's pretty much it, really. I don't want to get all crazy with my goals because I can, and have, made lists of goals so long and detailed a year wouldn't be long enough to reach them. 0.0

After work today, I'll be headed out to work stock up on red and pink yarn for Valentine's day. Am I crazy to think about that stuff already? Probably. But it never hurts to be prepared. ;)

Holiday Greetings!

2010-12-24T09:17:00.003-05:00

Happy Yule, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to EVERYONE!! <3!!

The holidays have been stressful (as they are for most I'm sure) and it's tough to get in the spirit but I hope it's not too much of a downer to say I'm excited for the holidays to be here, but even more excited for them to be over.

So everyone try to relax, remember to breathe, and think of how awesome 2011 will be! :D

Happy Wednesday!!

2010-12-22T09:19:00.005-05:00

I hope everyone had a blessed Yule! I for one look forward to longer days and all the blessings the return of the sun brings! :D

The Yule cookies have been put away from the shop till next year but the coupon HOLIDAZE2010, for 15% off all orders will run through December 31st.

Due to the flurry of baking getting done in this house, there's no crocheting to show you this week. :( But I am working hard to get as much stocked for spring as I can! :D I'll be putting the shop on vacation mode for a month to I can gear up for Valentines and Beltane.

Now, it's time for me to get a move on and take a HUGE bite out of this day! :D

Hello!

2010-12-20T09:42:00.005-05:00

I'm back! :D I'm sure you all missed me terribly. ;)

That was a week I really needed. I spent some pure, unadulterated girl time with a friend of mine. No writing, no reading, no nada but good food, silly movies, and sleeping late. XD

But now it's back to work! :D Sorta. ;) I'm off from the library today so I can get all my gifts ready to ship and/or hand out. I still have to make some brownies to include in the bags so by the end of the day, everything should be prepped. ^_^

Right now the house smells of the pork shoulder I marinated overnight and will be cooking all day. Yes, I am the laziest vegetarian on the planet. XD I don't eat meat very often but when I do, it's hormone free and cooked at home or it's at a really fancy place to make it special.

Today's plan is to crochet, write, bake brownies, and clean the HECK outta this house. Somehow the place managed to go to complete shit while I was gone. >_< How does that even happen!!? I just hope they appreciate me around here. ;)

A little break just for me

2010-12-10T12:55:00.001-05:00

I'll be running away from it all next week for 5 days just for some "girl time" with a friend. It's been awhile since I had a break all to myself so no posts next week. ;)

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend and a great week! :D

WIP Wedesday!

2010-12-08T09:54:00.003-05:00

Another scarf for that huge order! This one is small for a kid and also heralds the end of that blue yarn! My stash busting is proceeding very well! :D

My cookies have been featured in the lovely Yule treasury! :D A HUGE thank you and blessings to BrightestBlessing for selecting my item.

Not much other than that is going on right now. I'm still offering that sale coupon HOLIDAZE2010, for 15% off all orders will run through December 31st. I'm migrating my book over to Cratespace so it will be available on Amazon very soon! I'm hoping for more sales in that area as well. :)

Have a wonderful creative day everyone!

The new addition to our household.

2010-12-06T09:51:00.006-05:00

Penny has named her "Dorothy" and declared her "her kitty."

"She thinks I'm a chair!!" Penny declares! XD

Today is a relaxing day of crochet and baking. I've got the bread machine going and two boxes of organic chocolate chip cookie mix that have been taking up space in the kitchen. Since it is WAY too cold to take my planned trip to the store (me and Penny usually take a walk to the store since I don't drive) I'll just back up whatever I have in the house.

And of course brownie mix was on sale 10 for $10 so I can always whip up a pan of those to warm up the house! :D There was even a dusting of snow today! I don't think I'm really mentally prepared for that just yet.

I also gave the pizza another go last night, adding some chopped broccoli to it this time. It was really good and again, not a scrap left over. XD

I would also like to draw your attention to the new button on my blog for the American Cancer Society Walk. I have been done the extreme honor of having a friend walk for my Ma. :) Please support by clicking the button and doing whatever you can. :)

And my final note! Yule cookies will be available through December 21st. That will be the last day I'm taking orders for them. My coupon, HOLIDAZE2010, for 15% off all orders will run through December 31st. After that, I will be putting the shop on vacation to build up more stock. ^_^

I hope everyone has a great day! :D

My goodness

2010-12-03T19:40:00.003-05:00

Not much to say this Friday. When I work these long stints (Sunday to Sunday) I get sorta brain dead by the end of it. =_=

Just chilling tonight and watching a movie with the kiddo. :)

WIP Wednesday!

2010-12-01T09:41:00.006-05:00

Here's a knit headband that I'm working on. It's a nice, simple design. I simply cast on 10 stitches and knit every row till it's the desired length and stitch the ends together. I've sold one of these and one is listed. :)

Construction on the house has been delayed because the county says that the design put the house too close to the garage and they denied our permits. :( Of course this is AFTER the top of the house has already been gutted. >_< But the contractor has made sure the architect resubmitted the new plans (building straight up instead of up and back) and he will not leave the office till the permits are approved and the top of the house is scheduled to come off on Monday or Tuesday. Ahh, the joys of major house construction.

That's all I've got for today! :D See you all Friday! Oh, and Happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish friends (and my hubby)!!

New item and COOKIES!!! :D

2010-11-29T09:14:00.006-05:00

A set of wash cloths I finished a couple days ago. ^_^

And also, I did a trial run of the Yule Golden Sun cookies! :D I'll be listing those today as well! :D They are made from flour, sour cream, lemon and orange extract, eggs, and sugar and are available in standard round OR sun shaped. If you'd like icing just let me know. ;) They taste fabulous either way.

I also made my first coupon code for my shop. Just use the code HOLIDAZE2010 to receive 15% off any order in my shop! :D Happy Cyber Monday everyone!!

It's been busy here

2010-11-22T18:44:00.007-05:00

Here's the completed scarf! :D

I ended up deciding not to do the shell edging. It wasn't looking right so I went for a plain one.

Now, on to the completely nonsensical things I try from time to time. This one was making my own pizza! :D

I made the dough in my bread machine as there was no way to really knead anything with tendinitis. It came out absolutely perfect and while the dough was working, I could chop ingredients.

Just sauce, fresh tomatoes, chopped onions, and cheese. ^_^

Here is is right before going in the oven. ^_^

And fresh out of it.

I really enjoyed making it! Now that I know the recipe works, I don't have to order out anymore!! :D

I also have some wash cloths to finish so I better get on that! Gotta keep busy! Ma's CT scan isn't till the end of the week so I'm trying not to freak out. As a result? I bake.

There were also muffins. XD I decided to try putting chocolate chips in the pumpkin mix. ;)

Diet? What diet?

I love my Ma

2010-11-19T11:38:00.004-05:00

But she's a hard woman, never admitting anything till the last second.

The chemo is taking a lot out of her so I'm making the mental adjustments necessary so I can make her life easier. This means that I'll be more of an old fuddyduddy than ever. XD As it stands, I don't go out much because after work, I can't see any reason why I should leave my kid with my sick mother to go out gallivanting around. Now, I wish to really make a success of this shop so she can save more of the Social Security money to waste on things she loves. ^_^

It's time for me to grow up and be a big girl and really be in charge of the family. It's a strange feeling! Scary but I'll do it anyway. If I can give birth, I can do anything! XD

WIP Wedesday!

2010-11-17T18:13:00.003-05:00

Here's the gift scarf I've been working on. I hope to finish it off tomorrow and add a shell border around it. It's made from one of those pound of yarn deals that Caron offers. It's half double crochet which I think is my fastest stitch! :D

Other than that, we're still waiting for some major headway to move on the house. So, I have time to fill my shop and see if I can't make enough to make an extra mortgage payment or two. ;)

I'm all discombobulated from having my nights switched around this week. @_@ Time to make dinner and relax. :)

Oh! Lookit!! :D

2010-11-16T09:46:00.003-05:00

I've been so excited to get this! :D

This is a lovely necklace from Agasunset Studio on Etsy. Isn't just adorable! :D I have the perfect dress to wear with it. I just need to drop a couple more pounds to fit in it. XD

I also bought some AMAZING soap from Mea Culpa's Body and Bath Creations. The smell is just heavenly and no yucky residue on my skin after I use it. :) No photo because I totally ripped it open right away to use it. XD

I'm trying not to buy every single thing I see on Etsy that's awesome (I have three pages of hearted items) but when I do, I'll make sure to post about them. :) Till later! :D

Short and quick!

2010-11-15T15:17:00.003-05:00

First off a quick welcome to the followers of my blog! :D It may be silly of me to be so happy about that but I am. :)

In shop news, I have decided I will absolutely be offering Yule cookies in the shop this year. The house construction hasn't produced a mess like I thought it would so it's safe to bake. I also give these cookies as gifts to family and friends and I get the most amazing compliments. I am eager to share them!

I have to crochet a gift scarf before I get to work on that big order again. I should be done with it before the end of the weeks since Advil was on sale and I have a couple days off. After that, it'll be washcloths and potholders ahoy! :D I'm having a lot of fun with this now. It doesn't seem like work!

I'll be getting some pictures up here and on Facebook on Wednesday night. My schedule at the library is all turned around this week. @_@ Makes me a little dizzy but it's manageable. XD I'll be getting around to everyone's blogs as quick as I can!

Till later! :D

WIP Wedesday! :D

2010-11-10T08:41:00.005-05:00

It's done! :D I love how it turned out. And my lovely customer adores the colors. I'm going to have to take a break till the weekend but I have plenty of yarn to get through and 31 more scarves to go! :D

The guys did start the demo job on the house today but it doesn't look any different from the outside. Here's the before picture:

Try and imagine a full second floor and an attic instead of what's there. XD

I better get on with listing today. Hope everyone has a great day! :D

Uhoh...

2010-11-09T16:25:00.005-05:00

Is it bad that I'm a little scared to go home knowing some of the house with be gone when I get there? o_O I know the house needed to be bigger for my growing family but I did a lot of growing up in that house. I've lost and gained friends, I met my now husband on the front porch, my Granny died in one of it's rooms, and that's not even the half of it. It's heartbreaking and exhilarating at the same time to change the house so much.

I think the most annoying thing will be on days where I work late or I'm off and I'm actually home with the construction going on. Aside for the noise (which I can deal with) I worry about my precocious little Penny wanting to bolt up the stairs at every interesting crash and bang. I could take her out and about on a day off but when I'm just not going into work till 12?

Life is going to be very interesting over the next few months. :)

As a matter of course

2010-11-08T10:31:00.003-05:00

The construction got delayed till tomorrow. 9_9 I know this is the way of such things but UGH!! I want it over already! >o

I am excited to have a bigger bedroom and a separate room for all my crafts but geez, lets DO it already! XD

In needlework news, my arm is feeling amazingly better. I did sneak in a few knit stitches here and there (pictures forthcoming) and yet I'm not achy at all! This is a very good sign for that epic scarf order. ;)

I also have several little things ready to go for the shop to keep is stocked while I work on that big order. I hope to have a lot of sales this season! >D I'm fired up! This is going to be a great holiday season, I know it.

Goodbye, little house.

2010-11-05T11:59:00.005-04:00

It's official! Construction will begin on our house on Monday. I am very nervous about the whole thing. We applied for the loan in May, got the money in June and applied for the permits and it's all just getting started now. @_@ Expect a ton of posts about how stressed out I am. :p

Yesterday I left my cards in every legal place I could in order to get a nibble or two for my shop. I've decided that any extra money I make from Etsy will go directly to the mortgage payments. Just like with my previous loan, every little bit helps, even if it's just a couple dollars. But I won't harp on that too much if I can help it. ;)

Instead of NaNoWriMo, I've been doing a little experiment of my own and so far, it's been coming along great. I find I'm much less stressed than I was last year (not to mention Ma is doing better on her chemo so I don't have that to distract me) and what I'm writing is of a much better quality. Not to knock the concept but NaNo is just not for me. I'd rather do the short story thing instead. :) I like to think of the short stories as a way for me to keep the site fresh and promote my longer material.

Since we have no top on our house, we probably will not be doing the holidays. Our current plan is to eat out for Thanksgiving, even though I don't mind cooking, and Yule is too far in the future to even comprehend right now. But it makes sense to eat out rather than order food, which is what Ma prefers to do. It will cost less, everyone will get what they want, no leftovers, and no dishes to clean! :D

I have also ended my great internal debate on whether or not to buy a PS3. The whole point of even considering it was because Penny broke my Jamie (PS2) and I could no longer use my Yourself!Fitness game. If the PS3 could play it, that would be a great way to upgrade and still be able to use my old games. However, further research has lead to the discovery that they don't make the model that's backwards compatible anymore. If I want it, I would have to pay $500. NUTS TO THAT!! I replaced my PS2 for $100 and if I win the lotto or something, I can get the PS3 later. It's not going anywhere. And it's STILL cheaper than any gym membership. That game helped me lose 30 pounds before, I see no reason why it couldn't help me do so again. And besides, the treadmill gets kinda boring after awhile.

Hmm... I think that makes you all caught up on what's been going on here. So what's up with you?

WIP Wedesday!

2010-11-03T09:32:00.004-04:00

Here's the promised pictures! :D

As you can see, I've made some excellent progress on that scarf for the big order. :) I adore this yarn. I'll have to get more of it when I'm finished stash busting.

A couple of mini wash cloths I've finished.

And a larger red wash cloth. :)

I'm really flying along here! :D I hope to start making some drink cozies and tiny purses as soon as I can so I can have a nice full shop for the holiday season. I even ordered some new tags and new business cards (I changed the design) so I can start leaving them in every legal place possible. I'm still on the fence about the cookies for Yule because construction will be starting on our house within the next two weeks. I keep my yarn in a back room all packed away when not in use but the kitchen is right in the line of fire. We have to see how fast the construction goes before I make a decision.

Woo!!

2010-11-01T21:42:00.004-04:00

I got a ton of work done today! Expect this Wednesday's post to be full of pictures of things that I've been working on. I have been careful and I'm giving my hand plenty of rest tomorrow (as much rest as I can get while I'm at work) but I want to make sure I'm ready for the holiday season. :)

I was also rooting though my project bag, taking out the Halloween colors to replace them with Thanksgiving and Yule ones, and found a bunch of mini washcloths I'd already finished! I'll be posting them in the shop asap!

Now to rest up and be ready to vote after work tomorrow!

MMM!!

2010-10-29T18:23:00.007-04:00

I love being surprised by my local Trader Joe's. Their vegetables have made it much more affordable for me to eat (almost) vegetarian on a consistent basis. I just LOVE their seasonal items. I wait all year for the Peppermint Green Tea and this year, I bought their Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Mix. These are just lovely and quick to make. I keep asking myself why I shop anywhere else?!

Today, I spent with the kiddo. I took off hoping for a long Samhain weekend but ended up needing Sunday for overtime. :p Since they offered free scary pancakes for kids today at IHOP, I took her and my Ma out for a late breakfast. The pumpkin pancakes were good there, too. XD This is why I love fall. I love fall food. XD

I'm also working on that custom order and pictures will be posted on Monday. Everybody have a safe and happy Samhain! Blessings to all!

It's almost time!

2010-10-27T14:43:00.004-04:00

Time is running out to get these awesome cookies! They will only be available through October 29th. After that, you'll have to wait till next year. ;)

So, it has been a crazy month. @_@ All my overtime at the library has amounted to not much of my other loves getting much attention. I look at my crocheting and think "Gee I'd like to go to that." right before passing out. Heck, I haven't even been able to finish a book lately! Now that's saying something.

Things will be calming down soon so I'll have more time to spent with my sketchbooks, hooks, needles, and pens. :) The good thing is all the money I've made will go to what I've spent on supplies. XD

Have a great night everyone!

Happy Monday!! >D

2010-10-25T09:23:00.002-04:00

Monday's never feel quite right after I've worked on a weekend. Everybody's going "Ugh, Monday." as they punch into work, and I just accept the whole thing since I've worked Saturday AND Sunday (YAY, overtime!!! :D).

This week, I'm starting my 8 Minutes in the Morning plan which I've already screwed up. It looks like it's gonna be "8 Minutes Wherever I Can Scrounge Them Up" instead. I'll also be getting back on track with my treadmill this week. My diet is straightened up after my weekend in AC so that won't be a problem. But I will never do any sort of pill based cleansing program again. Ever.

Allow me to explain. I've done food based cleansings before. When I went on the macrobiotic diet, there's a cleanse you can do by eating nothing but brown rice and steamed veggies for a week. By the end of that, I felt lighter and healthier. The pill sorts of cleansing however is two for two in making me violently ill. The first time made me so backed up I was out of work for days. THIS one had the opposite effect and gave me such cramps I could barely stand up. NEVER again. I'm just gonna have to take my time and lose weight the hard way (like last time). I really should know better by now. 9_9

Time is running out to order the Samhain cookies!! :D They will only be available till the 29th. All bath salts still come with a cotton washcloth though. :)

Today is a nice long day at the library for me so I better get agoin'! XD Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday!! :D

WIP Wednesday! Sorta...

2010-10-20T17:05:00.008-04:00

Yeah, I didn't do a lick of crochet over the weekend. XD I did, however, have a WONDERFUL time with the hubby in Atlantic City. Sunday was our three year anniversary. :)

Here is me in the ballroom at the Trump Marina

Here's the wonderful man I've been with for eleven years. XD

After about 4 of these chocolate martinis, I was quite useless for any sort of work. But man were they good!

And here we are together at the beach taking a walk at sunset. Cliche as hell, but it worked for us. ^_^

I lost a grand total of five dollars at the casino. I'm not much of a gambler and this is the first time I've ever had so much alcohol before 5pm. 0.0 It was amazing, I had a great time but I am very ready to eat properly and work again. :) I completely ravaged my diet and sleep schedule. But the shop is open and it's back to the grind for me!

And you know what? I kinda missed it. ^_^

Vacation mode! :D

2010-10-15T09:17:00.005-04:00

Yeah, it must seem that I'm on vacation more often than not but this is just for the weekend. You see, this Sunday is me and my husbands 3 year anniversary. We've been married for 3 years but together for 11 years so we're taking the chance to flee to Atlantic City for the weekend. Rather than risk an order sitting for several days, I'm putting the shop on vacation mode. I'll be back up ob Monday when I get home. ^_^

Have a great weekend everyone!! <3

WIP Wedesday! :D

2010-10-13T10:51:00.007-04:00

This is a pink camouflage scarf for that custom order.

A cotton washcloth I'm working on.

As you can see, I'm working mostly in crochet these days seeing as I'm a member of Etsy Hookers. :) Knit items will show up as soon as I'm up to 5 pages of stuff. ;)

Also? My writing site has been completely redesigned. If you like good fiction (well, I think it's good) please check it out. :)

Finished cookies!! :D

2010-10-05T10:28:00.003-04:00

Here's what they look like rolled up and dusted with powdered sugar before they go into the oven:

Yes, I used my daughter's bowl to shake around the dough balls in the sugar. She didn't mind as long as she got to taste test a cookie or two. XD Now, here they are fresh out of the oven and on the rack to be cooled:

I'll be listing these tonight as soon as I package them all pretty like. ^_^ Each order will be for two dozen of these little babies for 15$. Each cookie varies in size but they're abut 1-2 inches in diameter. They are made from baking chocolate, sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. :) These are limited a time additions to my shop and will only be available through October 29 as the dough has to sit for at least 4 hours to rise and I want to make sure you all receive them before the 31st. Each order will be shipped out the day after the order is received to assure freshness.

Now back to crochet! XD

In Progress!

2010-10-03T19:11:00.006-04:00

And now for something different:

I am aware that this doesn't look very appetizing at the moment but this is the dough for the Samhain cookies. :) It has to rise overnight (or for at least 4 hours). Tomorrow after work, I'll bake them and post the results for you to see! :D

Ahh, Wednesday

2010-09-22T17:22:00.003-04:00

Wednesdays are my usual late nights where I work at the library from 1-9pm, leaving the mornings to get various errands done or simply gird my loins for the long night. This week was a trip to the pediatrician to have the doc take a look at my coughing, runny nosed kid. We get to the office and don't have to wait long, which is good because me and Penny have a similar attention span only a different taste in toys, and all the doctor has to do is LOOK at her and she starts screaming her head off. 0.0

My monkeygirl was warned ahead of time that there would be no shots this visit, that since she was sick, we were going to the doctor to make her better. She understood and was glad she was going. But once he was in front of her, we had to hold her down just so he could check her throat. You'd think we were torturing her the way she screamed!

On the upside? No strep throat.

The doctor sent me home with instructions to get her Dimatapp which said expressly on the label not to give to any kid under 6. I decided not to take the chance, given the HUGE Tylenol recall, and opted for a medicine for kids 2 and up. After the Tylenol thing, I just don't trust over the counter medications for my kid. Me? I'm old. I can take the punishment. There's still hope for my monkeygirl, so I'm not taking the chance.

In crochet news, I'm hard at work in a washcloth set to go in the shop while I also work on that custom order. Quick news, right? Well, now that fall is here, I'll have even less time for crochet with all the overtime I was able to get. After October, the OT will dry up a little since all the days got taken. In the long run, that's not such a bad thing, even though I could use the money. I'd much rather have some of the extra time to devote to my writing and my shop so maybe I won't have to take so much overtime in the future. ;)I want to have a little more fun, too. In fact, this weekend I'm going to Pagan Pride Day (come hell or high water). Perhaps I'll even bring some business cards for the shop! :D

I think that's all I've got for the day. Till later!

Merry Mabon to all!! And shop announcement

2010-09-21T11:53:00.004-04:00

To all my fellow Pagans out there, it's harvest time! :D So, to kick off the harvest season, I will be offering holiday cookies in my shop for Samhain, Yule, and Beltane. I'm only picking these three so my head doesn't explode with all the baking. Since Samhain is coming up first, I'll be posting listings for a pound of cookies specially baked for this holiday. ^_^

And I am still offering a free cotton washcloth with every purchase of bath salts from my shop. I hope everyone has a blessed day.

One for the shop, one for the custom order!

2010-09-16T10:04:00.005-04:00

The orange and black striped one has already been listed and the orange one has been prepped for that huge 35 scarf custom order which is one step closer to being completed. I'll be starting another one this weekend and a couple of washcloths if I can find the time. ^_^ Here's hoping it sells! *fingers crossed*

Personal or no?

2010-09-15T11:09:00.002-04:00

I read a sizable amount of blogs, whatever I can fit in on a given day. And there are some points where I'm reading and I literally feel like I'm spying on the person. Yes, they've put it out there to be read on a public forum but still, I feel like I'm prying.

I know I've spoken about my mother's cancer, my insane child, my religion or politics may have crept in here or there but not in a huge way. All in all, I try to keep it all strictly business but that seems unfair. Everybody else has opened a window into their lives while I still keep all my shades drawn. Not that I'll be providing details on gyno appointments or anything but I could get a bit more open here. :)

So what would you all like to know? ;)

WOW!!

2010-09-09T16:32:00.002-04:00

I've been featured in a treasury! This is the first time for me so yeah, I'm gushing a little. XD

How I spent my Labor Day

2010-09-07T12:06:00.003-04:00

The house needed a once over really badly. Now that the floors are clean, knick knacks are dusted, and all my paid bills and bank statements that have been floating around are nice and filed away, the house looks bigger and smells wonderful. ^_^ Not that it stank before, but running amuck with scented swiffers and floor cleaner does wonders. XD

I also have been slowly relisting some expired items (I refuse to give up on them) as I work on that HUGE scarf order. I also managed to walk into a Michael's and walk out with nothing more than what I went in for! Shocking! :D I think that's the secret to saving money, grabbing what I came in for and running the hell out!

Now that fall has started, I should have more energy for needlework. I know fall means loads of OT but since I'm low on the food chain and we get OT by seniority, I don't have very much this year. More time to stock and hopefully sell as much as I can so I can save for my car, pay the mortgage, and take a little trip this winter.

I'm actually glad summer is over but I had a lot of fun. I was able to get rid of some really poisonous people in my life, saw their true faces, and came to value my family and my real friends all the more. :) This has been a wonderful couple of months but I am very ready for fall.

Don't forget!!

2010-09-02T09:11:00.003-04:00

Needle Spell Creations is still offering a free cotton wash cloth with every purchase of bathsalts. This giveaway is also on GiveawayScout.com which features special offers from shops and blogs! :D

Completed! :D

2010-08-30T19:13:00.003-04:00

A scarf for Halloween! Made with Red Heart Super Saver in black and orange (obviously). This will be up in the shop soon! :D

Next up are the washcloths! That'll be saved for this weekend. ;)

Works in progress

2010-08-15T19:43:00.006-04:00

I got a big custom order for scarves for an entire family as well as a bunch for donation so here's what I've got so far. With some Halloween items in the mix as well. :)

This is a completed crochet scarf as part of the order. It's Red Heart acrylic yarn. :)

And this is the start of a Halloween scarf in black and orange Red Heart Super Saver acrylic yarn. It's gonna be thick stripped.

I'm also working on some gifts for people but there are no pictures of those yet. But things are moving at a good clip here. Looks like sticking to weekends to save my hands works well for me.

Till later! :D

Open!

2010-08-05T15:15:00.004-04:00

My shop is reopen after noticing the problem with my arm was in fact NOT my wrist, but my shoulder. Since I don't use my shoulder to crochet, I see no reason to leave NSC closed. ^_^

No sooner do I announce my shop is now open do I get an order for scarves for a family. ^_^ I'll be getting busy on those tonight and posting pictures as they are completed. ^_~

Don't forget, every sale of bath salts comes with a free cotton washcloth! :D