2-29-2016 Happy Leap Year Day!

Oooo...what to do with an 'extra' day????

2-28-2016 Fun Nails

Love the fun things my dear daughter does with her nails!

2-27-2016 Testosterone

I need some testosterone in my life...

Miss seeing my grandsons!

Hope to make it back to Chicago some day soon!

Oma and Opa love you!

2-26-2016 Yarn Bombing

Last night,

while knitting at my LYS,

I learned that later next month

there are plans to do some

Yarn Bombing

at our local yarn shop's (Knit & Knot) new location!

So, I decided to join in the fun and participate

by making some 12" granny squares

for the front porch posts!

It will be a great way to do some 'stash-busting'

and use up some of my odds and ends/leftovers

from other projects

(which will make room for NEW yarn in my closet!).

My plan is to make one or two squares per day

for the next month.

2-25-2016 Irish Meadows Alpaca Farm

Some of my knitting friends organized a day trip

to the Irish Meadows Alpaca Farm today

and I was invited to come along!

And yes, I did end up buying some yarn

harvested from these amazing creatures!

2-24-2015 Holden's Evening Prayer

Love, love, love

using Holden's Evening Prayer

each Wednesday evening during Lent!

2-23-2016 Patterns

Now that I have started playing around with Zentangles,

(my latest:)

I am seeing patterns to inspire me

everywhere!

Upholstery...

Wallpapers...

2-22-2016 All You Need...

2-21-2016 Thinking of All My Friends and Family...

2-20-2016 What Does the Fox Say?

In our friend's backyard.

Thanks for texting us the fox pix, S-I-L.

2-19-2016 Spring-like Temps

Grandsons outside enjoying

the spring-like temps...

2-18-2016 Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday

to my high school sweetheart,

 my dear husband

of 42 years!

You are my heart!

At his request,

we went out for lunch to celebrate his birthday

at Boozie's Grill downtown

(our first time to eat there)

for a burger...

 and then we went to the Chocolate Manor

for a piece of chocolate for dessert. Mmmm...

2-17-2016 Front Porch Smile

Looks like daddy has 2 little helpers

when it comes to shoveling snow!

2-16-2016 Heels Turned

Today I got the heels turned

on my MKAL socks.

I wish the cable panel was centered directly 

down the front of the sock

instead of being twisted to the side by a few stitches.

(I think if I make a next pair

the cables will go down the center.)

However, I haven't tried these on yet

and they may be cute as is...

so will have to wait and see!

That's the thing with MKAL (Mystery Knit-a-Longs)...

you don't know what it will be like

until you finish it!

2-15-2016 Lots of Dots

2-14-2016 Happy Valentines Day

Remember this style of valentine card back in the day?

I'd tear the cellophane to open the box of valentine cards

with their small white envelopes

and then carefully read each card

and decide which one I would give to which classmate.

Ah, good memories!

2-13-2016 Embroidered Socks KAL Progress

Finished the knitting part of Clue #4...

(still need to extend the embroidery)...

ready to start Clue #5...the heel.

Wish me luck!!!

2-12-2016 Cookie Monster Sugar Cookies

 GDs mixed,

stirred,

refrigerated,

rolled out,

cut heart shapes,

baked

and decorated

Valentine hearts for mommy today.

We used the recipe in our Sesame Street Activity Book

which is the recipe mommy used when she was growing up:

Cookie Monster's Sugar Cookies

Cream: 3/4 c. butter or margarine and 1 c. sugar

Stir in: 2 beaten eggs and 1 tsp. vanilla

Stir in: 2+1/2 c. flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt

Refrigerate overnight.

Roll out on floured surface, cut shapes.

Bake at 400*F  for 6-8 minutes.

Decorate as desired.

2-11-2016 Step Stool

DH made this step stool

for changing lights and smoke detector batteries

and other odd jobs.

Love it!

 And here's a toy in the making...

2-10-2016 Marbled Nails

Saw this pix my DD posted today...

love the marbled nail polish effect!

Might have to learn how to do this!

2-9-2016 Finished Yellow Hat

It fits my 2-year-old GD perfectly!

I used the 1898 Seamen's Hat pattern

with baby yarn (#3/sport/D.K.) and size 6 needles.

2-8-2016 Happy Chinese New Year!

Year of the Fire Monkey!

My New Mah Jongg Card!

2-7-2016 QCSO

DH & I attended the Quad Cities Symphony Orchestra performance

last night and may I just say, OMG!!! The SuperBowl halftime show's

got nothin' on these folks!!! This was amazing!!!

Neither of us had heard the first one by Edward Grieg before...

may need to find a recording of it to play at home.

It was LOVELY!

The Samuel Barber piece was bizarre, and thus...'interesting.'

And Beethoven's 7th Symphony

got a standing ovation!

2-6-2016 It Fits!

Now baby sister wants one too,

so I've started a yellow one for her...

2-5-2016 Finished...

Hope this earflap hat

 fits one of the GDs!

If not,

I'll donate it.