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Archive for October, 2007

Fabric Addiction

October 12th, 2007

pound puppies

Hello, my name is Heather and I have a fabric addiction. There, I said it.

But honestly, I really cannot resist. Today I took a little break and went to visit my local quilting shop. I was happily browsing the lovely florals, paisleys, autumn prints, and Christmas prints when the fun-loving fabric duo you see above looked at me, begging and whimpering with sad eyes like a puppies at the pound. Like the old softie that I really am, I brought these puppies home with me. I already have enough to deal with by having two cats, not to mention the jealousy issues that may arise from bringing these puppies into my home. The litter produced by these doggies will probably make its way into my shop sometime in the near future. But until then, I will enjoy them when the cats are not looking.

*I think one of the reasons these fabrics appealed to me is due to a bit of 80s nostalgia. You see, I had this one particular favorite sweater vest. It had an argyle print and little schnauzers wearing sweaters on it. These two prints kind of remind me of that vest. I thought I was justified in owning said vest because at the time we had a miniature schnauzer as a pet.

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Tis the Season?

October 11th, 2007

Randi reminded me today that there are 75 days until Christmas! After the extended summer temperatures (90+ degrees and humid!) we have had for the past month, it really does not feel like the Christmas season is approaching. We have only had real fall weather since yesterday, and I want to enjoy that for a bit before jumping into the flurry of holiday activities. I have to confess, though, that I have already begun my shopping. I find it is easier to buy a gift or two a week than to purchase everything all at once, and easier on the budget. I am already annoyed by the decorations that made their appearance over Labor Day weekend in some stores, as well as the visa commercial I saw last night that encouraged unlimited spending for gifts. I am rather tired of the ever earlier displays and all of the commercialism associated with the holiday. I think that Christmas decor and promotion should definitely wait until after Halloween, preferably until the middle of November. Thanksgiving week would be nice. At the college I attended there was even a rule in the dorms that Christmas music not be played until after Thanksgiving, as it had a tendency to make the freshmen homesick!

As for the shopping and spending mania, I prefer a simpler approach. We never go into debt for Christmas. If it is not in the bank, we do not spend it. Some years this has required us to spend less on gift than we may like, but we know we need to keep our priorities in order. With a little creativity, I can still get someone a nice or useful gift without spending a lot of money. I guess I learned this from my family when I was young. While we received nice gifts as a child, it was never about how much money my parents spent. Since there were six children in the family, sometimes money was really tight. Sometimes we were encouraged to make a list of thinks we wanted, but we never got everything on the list, usually just a couple of items. There were always the necessary things like clothes and underwear, as well as a couple of toys, and usually a larger whole-family gift. Picking out and giving gifts is one of my favorite parts of Christmas. In the past, I have tried handmade gifts, but they are not universally appreciated. This year I am looking for creative and economical alternatives to the commercialism that is so pervasive. I plan to shop quite a bit the internet, as it can save time and money and also helps me not to be drawn in to the hype in the stores. Etsy will probably be a good place to start…

…And speaking of Etsy, I have a couple more bags available in the shop.

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I have a button!

October 5th, 2007

Check it out ———————————————->

My awesome, wonderful, super-smart husband made it for me.

Okay, so it is the little things in life that thrill me.

My husband is not so sure if he is thrilled. He says it looks like a memorial. But he was so kind and patient as I kept giving directions. He was kind and patient as he implemented said changes. He was even kind and patient while putting up with my temperamental template. When I offered to look for a new template that would be more conducive to implementing other changes I wanted, he saw the work stacking up and said that my current template was fine - really. Lol. I love my husband.

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On My Needles

October 4th, 2007

I have not reported any knitting related progress in quite a while, so I am quite overdue! Currently I have two projects on the needles: a beaded Icarus and some modified monkey socks.

I tried the icarus before, but was not happy with the yarn/pattern combination. This time I really like how it is turning out. The pattern is repetitive and easily memorized, so the knitting is rather boring. I cannot wait to get to the edge pattern so that the knitting is a little more interesting. Then come the beads! I will post pics when it is finished.

I modified my monkey sock (say that three times fast) with a picot edge and eliminated the purl stitches. I cannot say it enough: I love this pattern!

I also have a couple of new bags in the shop!

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Stop and Smell the Roses

October 1st, 2007

One Chicago suburb wants you to stop and smell the roses…or stop in the name of love. Whatever the reason, they just want you to stop and have installed an interesting set of stop signs in order to get your attention.

Read more of the story and see more signs here.

Picture taken from www.foxnews.com

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