The First Scarf

Yay Me! I have completed my first scarf. It was a super simple garter knit scarf that I finished in less than 24 hours. I'm sure someone with experience could have whipped it out in a couple of hours and hopefully, one day that will be me.

I'm giving this one to Kelly. It's not a very good pic(more reason why I need a DSLR camera) but it's a deep cranberry color. I am going to continue making these scarves. It's good practice.

Busy

Today after work, I didn't get a chance to relax until well after 9. I did watch a tutorial on purl knitting and will try my hand at it tomorrow. Hubby has been in Orlando all week and will be back tomorrow. I should be able to get an hour to myself. Fingers crossed.

Uh Oh! Knit and learn.

Well, my scarf has turned into a poorly knit square. I don't know what happened but I messed up somewhere and couldn't figure a way back. Oh well, at least I could do a knit stitch. I think that I am going to try to learn the purl stitch. Not tonight, I am way too tired and my concentration would be way off. So, here's my square and I am still proud of myself. I am determined that somebody will be getting a hand knit scarf for Christmas this year.

I'm a Knitter! I think.

I have been knitting for about a week and I have made great progress. I never did find classes that worked for me, although a yarn store in Alexandria may have some in October. Anyway, thanks to YouTube, I found a few videos that were easy to follow and made me confident enough to go out and buy some knitting supplies. I did some online research and most agreed not to spend a lot on yarn, needles, etc. So, I went to Walmart and bought size 8 bamboo needles and a purple ball of cotton yarn. Well....about the only thing I learned to do was cast on. I wanted to buy wool but the Walmart I went to didn't have any in stock. Big Mistake! The cotton was HARD to work with. It had no elasticity and got really fuzzy.

I never really made it past this point. I could cast on but doing a knit stitch was proving impossible. I was kinda frustrated but really felt like I just needed better yarn and bigger needles. So, this past Saturday, we went to Michael's and I got new yarn and size 10 needles.

This is Day One.....simple knit stitch.

This is Day Two.......I've got a few rows going. I think this could be a scarf for my niece. :-)

Here is the stuff that I got from Michael's. I think it was around $20. I got size 10 needles and found them easier to work with. I found a super easy instructional video on YouTube(she was actually teaching teenagers) and with the new supplies....I think I am on my way! Peace, Love, Knit!

Knitting

I want to learn to knit. I have been looking online for classes but haven't been able to find one that works with my schedule so far.

Southern Living Pecan-Peach Cobbler

I am the first to admit that I am a better baker than I am a cook. Maybe because baking is something I do just for the fun of it. It's not like making dinner, which I have to do, because the family has to eat. So...I saw this recipe and it was so easy that I just had to try it. It was so good and I will definitely be making this again. Here's the link

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1989998

Now, I did make a couple of changes. I only used 2 c of sugar and bought frozen sliced peaches(I used two bags). Other than that, I followed the recipe.

The Karate Kid

A couple of weeks after the movie came out, we took Donovan to see it. Weeks before the release he watched every single trailer that was on youtube and we even bought the Justin Bieber song from the movie. Well, last week we were in Wal-Mart and I found this tshirt. There was no question that I was going to buy it. Do you see that face? He loves it!

Goodbye Kindergarten

On the way to the bus stop this morning.




Today is Donovan's last day of Kindergarten. He's grown so much this school year, physically (he's tall for his age), developmentally, academically and socially. I can still remember worrying, fretting, making lists, buying supplies, dreading and anticipating the first day of school for Donovan. I may have worried a bit more than others because my child wanted no part of going. He was so painfully shy and didn't adapt well to change or new people, that I didn't think it would be good at all. He didn't want to leave the familiarity of preschool, which he also had a hard time adjusting to. It was six months before he'd talk to his preschool teachers and even then I don't think it was a lot. Sure enough, once school started, within the first month we were having a parent teacher conference. Donovan was not interacting with the teacher at all and only a little bit with his classmates. We told her that the only thing we could do is encourage him to open up but really he'd just have to get to a point where he was comfortable. I also was not above bribing him, which actually worked. If he'd talk to his teacher and friends at school.....I'd buy him any DVD that he wanted. Surprisingly, it worked! He didn't turn into Mr. Social but he did start to open up and talk at school. He has friends that he plays with, he's learning and he's happy. What more could a parent ask for? If my child is happy, then I am happy too.

GNATS!

I don't like bugs. I am really amazed that I made it through a childhood spent primarily outdoors (weather permitting) considering my dislike of critters. For about 3 weeks we have had swarms of gnats on base. I think it is affecting us more because we live right by the river. Coworkers that live off base haven't noticed a problem. They cover the buildings and trees. Needless to say, the birds are very happy. It's like an all-you-can-eat buffet for them. Here's a pic of the gnats above the back door. It's not a very good pic because I took it from inside the house. There was NO WAY I was going out there!

Donovan's Closet

I called in sick to work today. I was feeling a little dizzy and had a migraine, but I decided not to just lay around(even though I wanted to). I thought it would be a good idea to clean out Donovan's closet. Lately, with the warm weather, it's been challenging trying to find stuff for him to wear in there. He had sizes going all the way back to a 4 and he's in a 6 now. So.....I went through and got all of the clothes that were size 4/5 and in decent shape to donate to the thrift store.

This is the pile of stuff that I took out of the drawers and closet. Some of this stuff was barely worn. I kid you not that hubby and Donovan have more clothes than anyone in the house. Well, I guess it's just hubby now since Donovan's wardrobe has been reduced by half. Probably more than half.

Here is Donovan's closet after. I didn't think about taking a before picture until after I'd gotten started. This lets me see what he has and what he's going to need for the next couple of seasons. He's getting to the point where he's expressing opinions about what he wears so....we'll see how shopping for him goes.

The Neverending Train Journey To and From NC

My niece, Taylor, was having her baby blessing NC on June 13th. I thought it would be fun if Donovan and I rode the train (Amtrak). The tickets were super cheap, $162 roundtrip for both us and it was a 7 hour 45 min ride. Going by car is about 6 hours so I figured it was a win-win. Everything started off great. We were on the Carolinian. The train was on time and there was a slight issue with us getting a seat together (thanks to the nice Marine who gave up his seat). I'd done some online research and had food, a portable dvd player, some travel games and jackets. We were all set. Well....apparently, if it is over 90 degrees, the train has to slow down for safety reasons. We spent a good two hours going about 25 mph. So that delayed us. Then, outside of Raleigh, we sat on the tracks unmoving for an hour. No one made an announcement as to why we were delayed, nor did they apologize for the delay until after they finally got us moving. From what I was able to overhear, they were waiting for another conductor to take over the shift. So...with the heat issues still in play, our just under 8 hour train ride, turned into 12 HOURS. Donovan finally gave up and fell asleep once it got dark and slept until I woke him up right before we arrived in Kannapolis. When Rob picked us up at the station it was midnight.

Our train ride back to DC was better but it was delayed too. Only 2 hours though, so that was a bit more bearable than the train ride to NC. We had some delays due to heat and rain. The major delay was when a diabetic passenger had a siezure and EMS had to be called. They did keep us informed of what was going on with that delay and the passenger was removed to the hospital. Donovan was SO OVER riding the train and said that he wanted off the train asap. He was whiny and cranky and I was very glad that he slept for a few hours. So, all in all, the trip back was much better than the trip to NC. Someone asked me if I'd ever take the train again. I would but I think I would limit them to short trips under 3 hours like to New York City. Anywhere else, I'll go by plane or car.

Taylor

I LOVE MY NIECE!

This past weekend the entire family went to NC for Taylor's Blessing. It was so great to finally meet her. She is absolutely adorable and Donovan is crazy about her. We're already planning to go back and visit soon.

Lazy Blogger

It's been a long while since a post. No reason other than laziness. Kelly came up for two days last week. It was great because we hadn't seen each other in over a year. It makes me happy that Donovan spent his first few years with my family because when he sees them, he's not shy and he's happy to see them. We also went to the circus. It was cool. Expensive, but cool. My stepson's basketball team won the championship in their age group. It's two in a row now, so it looks like we have a streak. And those are the highlights of the last month. Hopefully, April will be more eventful. Oh and my KitchenAid Mixer....it is still in the box. I bought a cart for it but once I opened the box I realized that some of the screws were missing. It totally sucked, so we took it back to the store. My hope is to get one tomorrow.

I "heart" Giada

I love food. I love eating it, preparing it, reading about it and watching tv about it. I watch a lot of food network and Giada de Laurentiis is one of my favorite chefs/personalities. I like her because she dresses really cute and she makes food that I would actually eat. That is important to me. If it doesn't appeal to me, then I don't watch your show. So anyway, I was in Target and saw that she has a line of cookware, bakeware, utensils, etc. She also has some food items. A few pasta sauces, some dried pasta and a couple of vinaigrettes. Since my family is picky about food, I got the basic tomato and basil pasta sauce. It was yummy. I tasted it once I opened it and thought that it would make a good pizza sauce.

Now I want her set of cookware. It's a simple 10 piece stainless steel set. I like the shape of it. Putting it on my wish list.

Happy Birthday to Me!

I have to admit, this birthday was pretty awesome. Only downside was that it came in the midst of 3 rainy days. Hubby got me the usual. I just don't get why he buys me magazines, although he did up his game and get me a subscription to one. I used the gift card and some other monies I received to purchase my long coveted KitichenAid Mixer. YAY! I have been wanting one of those things for the last 8 years. It is still in the box because we have a tiny galley kitchen and no available counter space for it. I am going to have to buy a cart for it to go on. I can't wait til this weekend. I am going to make either pizza dough or cupcakes in it. Hubby also got me a birthday cake. When I first saw it, I have to admit that I didn't think it would be good. I am happy to say that it was Delish!

It was a white layer cake with a simple vanilla filling. It was so good.

Birthday plans

My birthday is on Sunday. It's usually just a normal day with the addition of presents and a cake. This year I was thinking about doing something. Maybe dressing up and going out to dinner. I have a few days to think about it so.....I'll think about it.

Sick Day

Donovan and I are both at home sick today. I can't help feeling that Donovan conned me a little. He's been a bundle of energy since I gave the ok for staying home. I hate calling in to work, but I can't breathe out of my nose.

Upkeep

I didn't make any resolutions this year because honestly...I am too lazy. I don't do well with goals and end dates. I like to kinda meander through life. That being said....I did realize that I needed to start some kind of "upkeep". By that I mean, making an effort with my appearance. I used to be that girl that wore makeup and was always out looking for a cute outfit. Well....those days were long gone and I know the exact day that they left. The day I gave birth. That little boy came out of me and I put myself second. 5 years later, I am happy to say that I am going to focus on me. I've been taking care of my hair and skin. I even bought some Clinique powder yesterday. I'll never be that hip chick I was 8 years ago but I can be more than a frumpy mom.

More than chocolate

This is Donovan. He is 5 years old and the coolest guy I know. Also...the most exasperating guy I know (even more than hubby).

Oh, and did I mention how cute he is? He is and I love him more than chocolate.....even the good stuff.

Please ignore the very ugly love seat in the background. It is a holdover from hubby's bachelor days. He, of course, doesn't see anything wrong with it.

Freezer Friday

We ordered a deep freezer the week before the first Feb blizzard struck. The delivery got cancelled due to the snow. The delivery was rescheduled for the following weekend, but that is when the second blizzard hit and the city was shut down for a week. So.....another cancellation. Well, the freezer was finally delivered on Friday. Yay! I am hoping that this will help us save money in the long run. I usually have to go to the store a couple of times a week to buy stuff because our fridge freezer is so small. It was nice to actually go to Sam's and take advantage of the frozen food bulk buys.

Smells Good

I was having one of those days (weeks) where I needed some kind of retail therapy. As soon as I walked into the store, I saw this on a display table. It is Halle Berry's newest perfume, Halle by Halle Berry-Pure Orchid. It smells good. Unlike her first perfume, which I did not like, this one is more floral. It's not heavy and could be worn every day. And since I paid less than $15 for it (0.5 oz), I think I did good! Much better than turning to food for a pick me up.

OH NO! MORE SNOW!!!!

Well.....as though 3 blizzards within the same number of months wasn't enough. They are forecasting more snow for this week. An "accumulating" snow. So...we will see what's going to happen. Here is a picture from the last snow storm.

The snow was so deep that it came up to the bottom of this bench.

My House Smells Yummy

About a week I received my warmer and scents from Scentsy. This is the Lotus warmer and I picked it because it matches my living room furniture. Right now, I have the Green Tea Smoothie wax in there. It. Smells. Good.

You put the wax scents in the warmer and the light bulb inside melts the wax. It is safer than candles and you can leave it plugged in for hours.

Ambi Update

I had high hopes for the Ambi but.....it doesn't seem to be working. So...I don't know, maybe I will go back to what I did in high school. I just used Noxzema and followed with an astringent. I will give it a few days before I make a decision. Kelly said I should try Proactiv. We'll see.

Mice....ugh!!!

Ok, we've had mice on and off since the summer. We put out the traps and glue sticks and that seemed to do the trick. For the past few weeks though, we have not been able to catch the mouse(mice) that we knew were in here. It was like they would go EVERYWHERE except where the traps were. Well....about 5:30 this morning, I heard hubby get up and go in my stepson's room. They were discussing something and I couldn't hear everything, but I heard the word mouse. About 15 min later, my hubby came back into our room and said that the mouse had been in there. So....of course, I can't sleep at that point. I just hate the thought of a critter roaming around my space. It gives me the heebie jeebies. Anyway, my stepson sends us a msg that says the mouse just ran out of his room. At this point we start watching the bottom of our bedroom door which has a space of about an inch at the bottom. Sure enough.....we see the little critter run into our room. It runs behind the clothes basket so we start poking the basket and it runs into the bathroom. Well...my hubby decides to trap it in the bathroom. We close the door and shove a towel under the bottom of the door so that it can't get out. Hubby at this point says that he's going back to sleep and he will deal with it later. So....since I know where the mouse is and know that it can't get out...I go to sleep too. Later that morning.....hubby caught it in a box and took it outside. Whew! I am relieved.....for now, because I know that for the one we caught....there's probably a bunch more. Ugh!!

Our blog name

The front of this Valentine's card says "Once upon a time, there were 2 sisters...". And in an act of weird cosmic magic, Kelly and I bought each other this card for Valentine's day. I got mine in the mail the day before she got hers and laughed out loud when I saw it. It was perfect because inside it says that no matter what, the sisters remained close and lived happily ever after. That sums us up in a nutshell. No matter what, we've always been there for each other and we always will.

One of those days.

I am tired. It has been a very long week. I don't know if it's being held hostage by two blizzards and having our routines disrupted or what.....but I am feeling weighed down. I know that this is probably just a phase that will pass. I just want to be past it NOW. All week Donovan has not wanted to go to school and I was the "worst mommy ever" for making him go. And there was the whole "not wanting to take a bath" issue. Despite the fact that his dad and I take turns giving the baths, he was only mad at ME! Being a parent is truly a thankless job. I may have to take a few hours and steal away by myself or even better, try to convince hubby to take Donovan to a movie. That way, I won't even have to leave the house. I can just lay around and do......nothing. I like nothing. I need more of it in my life.

Kimberley

My Sister is Awesome!

Look at what my awesome sister Kelly sent me as an early birthday present!!

A Coach crossbody purse.

Wait...this too...a pink Coach lanyard. Thanks Kelly, I love you!

Valentine Getaway 2010

For Valentine's Day my boyfriend and I decided on a quick getaway. We decided on Gatlinburg, TN because neither of us had ever been there. It is a beautiful city and we were lucky enough to see a little bit of snow there. From Dollywood to the Ripley's attractions to the amusement parks there is plenty to do there. The highlight of our trip was definitely our helicopter tour of Gatlinburg. We chose to use Scenic Helicopter Tours and we were very pleased with the experience! Can't wait to go back!

Kelly

Back to normal?

Snow is still piled up on the sides of the road and covering the ground, but today was the first day back to school and work for us since Feb. 5. Our snow-imposed vacation is FINALLY over! There is still a lot of snow on the ground and no one thought to clear the sidewalk to the school bus stop. We had to wait across the street until the bus pulled up to the bus stop and then walk in the street to get on the bus. A little inconvenient but still nice to get back into our normal every day routine.

Acne at my age? Really.

I have noticed in the last year that I have acne. I don't mean just a pimple popping up randomly every now and again. I constantly am having small clusters of pimples all over my face. It reminds me of when I first started getting acne YEARS ago when I was in my teens. So...I have decided to discipline myself and start a skincare regimen. These are the products that I will be using.

I decided to go with Ambi for a couple of reasons. One, it will also help to improve the tone of my skin. Two, it was cheaper than Aveeno (although not by much). I have very sensitive skin so I only use the exfoliating wash 2-3 times a week. Everything else...once a day. I am also using an acne treatment from Neutrogena.

So....it's only been about a week since I started. I will let you know how it goes.

Kimberley

Dark Chocolate....mmmmmm

For Valentine's Day this year, hubby got me the usual. A gift card, a magazine, an electric griddle and some Godiva chocolate. This year, however, he finally got it right. You see, for years now I have been a dark chocolate lover. A convert from the milky stuff (which I still am fond of) to the rich, yummyliciousness (I know, not a real word) that is dark chocolate. We have been married almost 3 years and I have known hubby for 9 years and up until this year.....I always got a box of mostly milk chocolate Godiva. He always got points for getting the good stuff but never 100% because it wasn't my favorite. This year....he got all the way up to 95% for finally listening to me and getting what I liked. He didn't earn full points because he is still buying me magazines as gifts. Why? Only he knows. I have asked him to stop but I think he gets a kick out of it because it annoys me. Go figure.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wishing everyone a very Happy Valentine's Day!