tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36134777472158456322024-03-19T13:34:33.509+01:00WIPMy reflections on love and life in France.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.comBlogger322125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-58365514478814664442014-11-19T20:53:00.001+01:002014-11-19T20:53:03.557+01:00Pants!I know I have griped at length about my large bust and never being able to wear dresses, needing to dull horizontal bust darts on my knit sweaters, tryign to learn how to do full bust adjustments etc...<br />
I dont complain as much about my bottoms because i often wear skirts which fit me more easily than pants. But I do have fitting issues down there too! :/<br />
In fact, i can only get pants when I go back to USA. I've given up looking in France, it's just hopeless!<br />
If i can manage to fit my thighs and butt into something (which is hard enough to do inFrance, and which i dont understand because there are some large women here who have pants ... where do they get htem?! I've never dared ask a random full figured woman "where do you find pants big enough to fit your thighs?". I might upset them lol!<br />
<br />
WAIT!Speaking of upsetting people! Would you believe a co-worker asked me last week if i was pregnant!!!!??? I just lost weight ! Like 10 pounds!!! And she asked if i was prego! Gee thanks!<br />
<br />
Ok rant over, back to the pants thing. I was saying ...If i can manage to fit my thighs and butt into something, I have about 4 inches worth of baggy crap going on at waist and the waist band pulls down horribly in the back.<br />
<br />
Well, I had a few pairs of jeans from USA. And two of them ruptured along the chub-rub lines! Just totally blew out! Geez! And at same time :/<br />
So I'm reduced to one pair of pants. And baby it's cold out!!!<br />
<br />
So I decided i needed some cute sewn pants. However, I am not going to sabotage myself with multiple muslins and fit adjustments, resulting in frustration, and no garments...<br />
I chose a cute, wide<a href="https://www.colettepatterns.com/sewing/juniper" target="_blank"> legged pair of pants</a> that claims to be beginner. Sounds good right?!<br />
<br />
<img alt="" height="435" src="https://static.colettepatterns.com/assets/shop/1024/cp1024-juniper-cover-med-5679e8a5ea9a22bab9c9d8693d346cc9.png" width="290" /> <br />
<br />
Well, so far, it is holding true to its claim! It is pretty darn easy!<br />
As with all the Colette patterns, the instructions, which come in a clever booklet format with a back flap for pattern storage, are well written and fully illustrated.<br />
<br />
Last week I cut out the pattern pieces and did a good amount of assembly up to the fly front. And screeeach!!! I skidded to a halt as i just didnt get it.<br />
<br />
The booklet is sprinkled with design ideas and helpful tips. One such helpful tip was to go to the coletterie blog and check out the<a href="http://www.coletterie.com/tutorials-tips-tricks/tutorial-sewing-a-fly-front" target="_blank"> fly front photo tutorial</a>.<br />
Today I finally got up the courage and a few minutes of anough menatl focus to do that.<br />
<br />
And LOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/15805088406" title="Look what I've done ! :D. #soproudofmyself ! #sewaddict #sewing #flyfront by Rebecca Mayné, on Flickr"><img alt="Look what I've done ! :D. #soproudofmyself ! #sewaddict #sewing #flyfront" height="500" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7543/15805088406_806c4babfd.jpg" width="500" /></a> <br />
<br />
I did it!!!!!!!!!<br />
And it looks decent :D<br />
So proud of myself and sooo giddy over<a href="http://www.coletterie.com/" target="_blank"> Coletterie</a>!<br />
<br />
I would like to close out with something Caitlin said inher tutorial blog post that really hit home and made me tackle this zip with a very zen and accepting attitude<br />
"As always, when you’re tackling something new, go slowly and don’t be afraid to use your seam ripper to pull out mistakes"<br />
<br />
What are you up to? Trying anything new these days? Try to remember Caitlin's words of wisdom! Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-51944353669433676502014-05-31T14:32:00.000+02:002014-05-31T14:33:16.362+02:00SqueeBehold!<br />
<br />
I've been wanting these <a href="http://shop.misslfire.co.uk/shoes/category/spring-summer-2014-miss-l-fire" target="_blank">Miss L Fire</a> shoes since the spring summer collection came out. <a href="http://www.whatkatiedid.com/en_eu/" target="_blank">What Katie Did </a>had a sale so i said wth and got them :D<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14288760306/" title="S0112063 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0112063" height="180" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2910/14288760306_aa8e099058_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
I LOVE them :D<br />
They make me happy :D<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14310042212/" title="S0122065 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0122065" height="180" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5192/14310042212_9ae8bed21f_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
And while waiting for them i got myself a couple of somethings to match them - did pretty good too considering I only had a computer screen memory to go by.<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14288744076/" title="S0152068 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0152068" height="180" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3731/14288744076_cbb1d07cd6_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14125241459/" title="S0142067 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0142067" height="240" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5312/14125241459_18e358ddc6_m.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
I've started making the bombshell dress out of the hawainy flowered one.<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCDP7-ZW9LhiIlTj9tA_EsBd5toNp0cLQvzBaO8iVWqypvRaBKoHHg46GsnJUmKg5Zdzn6ArXcRLp8OxkQB7vc7WV64k5eJ_YjLyUyLLPVZKgt7029LSEvH33YrwGJKO-LpHss4AVTVj4/s1600/bombshell+dress+2.jpg" height="677" id="il_fi" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="453" /><br />
But I'm not having much luck as the <a href="http://www.craftsy.com/lecture/Making-The-Skirt/318#" target="_blank">craftsy course</a> is really not up to standards. There is a pdf pattern but there arent even any instructions with it!!! wtf? and the camera angles do NOT let you see wth Gertie is doing so you can try to figure it out that way. And she even glances over much of the construction saying you can put these together on your own. uh, really? with no pattern instructions?<br />
i managed the skirt up to the gather and here i'm stuck!<br />
I sewed the gathering lines along the wrong edge.<br />
And now i think i know which edge but can't figure out what to do with the drapey part when assembling the front and back!<br />
Very frustrated. As for the bodice, I'm going to do a more simple and everyday wear plain bodice.<br />
<br />
I took advantage of the WKD sale to pick this up too :")<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14288750236/" title="S0132066 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0132066" height="240" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2924/14288750236_9d4aa7264c_m.jpg" width="180" /></a> <br />
Been waning one forever but they're pretty pricey so ive held off but again with the sale...<br />
I love how it feels on - really pulls my waist in and helps with posture but ...boobage prob as usual :/<br />
ive kind of messed with the bonings trying to mold it to my bust's shape. It's a little better but not great. Thing is I need it to pull in right on the sides but it has no support there :/ I hesitated getting an underbust one and wish i had but i so so so want to be able to wear pretty strapless or thinly strapped summer dresses... sigh...Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-61791146522144461052014-05-26T12:55:00.000+02:002014-05-26T12:55:13.358+02:00Mad May MatterhornI did it! I finished something! And it's part of a kal! And it's even done before the kal is over! GO ME!!!!!<br />
Finally lol!<br />
Here's my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/matterhorn-mitts-hat-and-scarf" target="_blank">Matterhorn hat</a> designed by <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/designers/anne-hanson" target="_blank">Ann Hanson (knitspot)</a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14271186932/" title="S0052036 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0052036" height="180" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5588/14271186932_02cea9f6b9_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
Knit out of <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/madelinetosh-tosh-vintage" target="_blank">madeline tosh vintage</a> in the thunderstorm colorway.<br />
I have already knit the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/rebeccawip/matterhorn-mitts-hat-and-scarf-2" target="_blank">hat and mitt set</a> for the monthly adventures Christmas swap a couple of years ago.<br />
Now i'm knitting a matching set for myself because i, like most knitters, have many handknits but they never match lol. Now come winter i'll be ready with a cute black hat/scarf/mitt set :D<br />
I'll start on the scarf and mitts later in the year when i get some stuff off my plate.<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14086624399/" title="S0022033 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0022033" height="180" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2918/14086624399_0a2e55e04e_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
btw, wierd. when i look at this pic i see why so many people say my eyes are blue even though they're not.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-25494056255381600622014-05-22T18:29:00.001+02:002014-05-22T18:34:06.099+02:00spinit swapit knitit swapitI mentioned yesterday that I'm working on a project out of my friend femke's handspun.<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14235914192/" title="S0262030 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0262030" height="180" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2922/14235914192_c7e7c789d7_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
And also that i spun something to send her to knit up for me.<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/13994959581/" title="S0425058 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0425058" height="180" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2921/13994959581_5a8316d314_m.jpg" width="240" /></a> <br />
It was actually a project that had been on me wheel for 2 or 3 years!<br />
It was hogging up two of my bobbins leaving me with only one extra that i had started another project on but was stuck to go further because i needed a second bobbin for that project too :/<br />
I was very glad for the spinalong portion of this swap. It was just the kick in the butt i needed to get my wheel cleared off and to finish off that ooooold ufo that was weighing down my spinning mojo.<br />
The yarn is spun up from pretty little oh so fluffy batts swirled into cupcake form by Joan McGuire from<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/cupcakefiberco?ref=l2-shopheader-name" target="_blank"> The Cupcake Fiber Company</a> on etsy. I ordered<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name"> Superwash Panda Fiber Sock Batts (</span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name">Superwash Merino 60 %, Rayon from Bamboo 30% and Nylon 10% blend) in the colorway Waterfall.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name">The packaging is so cute (this is her pic from her etsy store)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name"><img alt="Superwash Panda Fiber Sock Batts - Waterfall" src="https://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/6168123/il_570xN.223038523.jpg" width="570" /> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name">As she mentions on the page, these 6 little one ounce cakes are "</span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name">ideal for spinning 3 ply sock yarns. Simply
spin each ounce before plying 3 together. You will end up with 2 skeins
of soft durable yarn of equal weight."</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name">Of course i had to try this!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name">I ended up with 6 bobbins that i weighed and estimated the length of thanks to my swift. It has a counter to tick off the number of revolutions, and yardage next to different pegs on crossarms so after finishing off a cake, you just multiply the number of revolutions by yardage according to pegs and you get an approximate yardage for your cake.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name">Each ply was different so i noted in the box under each skein's nest its characteristics and tried to harmonize the plies to make the two resulting skeins of yarn as close to one another as possible.</span></span></span><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14063958881/" title="S0814088 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0814088" height="180" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7371/14063958881_6d25bf4892_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name">Here are my notes for the skeins :</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name">skein 1 ply 1 this was a 270 yds for 29 g mildly overspun cake </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name"> ply 2 this was 221 yards for 29 g and while i first thought it was fairly even and well-spun, it turned out to be a crazy mess with many loosely spun (um, unspun even lol) spots mixed in with spots so tightly spun they corkscrewed and broke!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name"> ply 3 178 yards for 30 g - uneven spin with lots of kinks and many breaks</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name">total 244 yards for 86 g </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14018145163/" title="S0175017 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0175017" height="240" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5452/14018145163_3c5627087e_m.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name">skein 2 </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name">ply 1 262 yards for 30 g - quite overspun but evenly so throughout</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name"> ply 2 279 yards for 29 g. medium spin with a few overspun spots and some very underspun parts that just flew apart during the plying</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name"> ply 3 224 yards for 31 g. tight spin, loose spin, thick spin thin spin. dr seuss material. lots of breaks. very poorly spun.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name">total 302 yards for 93 g </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name">grand total 546 yards for 179 g. about sport weight i believe. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name">As you can imagine, the plying was a little tedious what with all the breakages and flyaways and having to overlap the strands back in. but </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name">all counterspun up together, well, it really didnt look quite that bad! I did add in a new cake as each strand ran out and pull from both inside and outside of final cake to maximize ply usage. You can see in photo up top how little yarn i wasted in the end :D!</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name">And once i got my bobbins cleared i was able to go ahead and finish off that other mini-skein i had been working on :D</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name">i love it!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14063985342/" title="S0724074 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0724074" height="240" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2939/14063985342_19034a2bbf_m.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name">I was using a beautiful sample i got in a phat phiber box to practice fractal spinning on. This is something i had been envisioning and then actually heard about the technique on ...a podcast or two... and found that it was an actual technique with anactual name and actual steps to it lol. So i did what they spoke of and love how it came out :D </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14044092666/" title="S0834091 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0834091" height="180" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7059/14044092666_eff801931b_m.jpg" width="240" /></a> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span itemprop="name"> </span></span></span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-90192352301098605192014-05-21T20:54:00.001+02:002014-05-21T20:54:54.005+02:00WIP WednesdayI am feeling a little overwhelmed with my stash and ufo pile again.<br />
Thanks to a little picture treasure hunt going on at eat sleep knit, my fave online yarn store (see sidebar for link), i had to get a picture of myself with my whole stash in my eat sleep knit shirt.<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14258029493/" title="S0561112 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0561112" height="180" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2928/14258029493_9606af99c2_m.jpg" width="240" /></a> <br />
This motivated me to organize it a little better. I had gotten lazy with new additions. Also ravelry didnt have the "stored in " info on the stash page the last time i organized so going through it all i was able to be a little more specific.<br />
I'm still in the process but much happier as things fit better and look better and i have a big shopping bag full of stuff to give away again.<br />
AND i took advantage of this organizing time to reevaluate all the ufo's i had hanging around.<br />
I have decided to give a few more up - yarn and all.<br />
<br />
After all of this here's what i have left for my WIPs (works in progress). NB : i have been informed i'm an alongaholic. I think this is a very accurate accusation :") and accounts for the high number of WIPs :P<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14051490830/" title="S0102011 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0102011" height="180" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5578/14051490830_8248d64cbe_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
This is my matterhorn hat, knit out of madeline tosh vintage for the madmay kal.<br />
I am nearly done and really want to finish this up +++<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14051460648/" title="S0122013 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0122013" height="180" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2900/14051460648_19bf42864f_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
This is my 3 in 1. i looooove this sweater! i ordered mad tosh sock just for this with baltic, which i find to be one of the most beautiful MT colors, as the main color. Thing is the colors didnt play well together :( so i had to rip out a good bit and start over with some greenish malabrgo silky merino i had in stash. MUCH better. but i kind of got annoyed with it because i could have been near finished if i hadnt had to rip out so much and too i look at how much i have left and i go... aaaaghhhh!!! this is a fall sweater anyhow so once i get a few wips and projects i have buzzing around in my head out of the way, i'll get back to this.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14051476259/" title="S0142017 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0142017" height="180" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2899/14051476259_f2020b5c87_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
I got my wheel back out!!!! Thanks to MA spinning and knitting swap :D<br />
This is some massam that julia sulkycat gifted me a while back. i like how it's spinning though i had a little trouble at first with drafting - first because of loooong fiber length but mostly because of a slight felting prob from the dying process.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14051476259/" title="S0142017 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0142017" height="180" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2899/14051476259_f2020b5c87_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
whoa!!! this is one heck of a challenge for me lol. takes a lot of concentration so it hasnt been getting much attention lately. my brain is a little busy with kidd-o probs and getting my ped nurse school applications going and doing my career counseling and and and sigh.... i hope to finish this by Christmas for Rémi.<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14051552157/" title="S0172020 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0172020" height="240" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2898/14051552157_c0b8669212_m.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14234846861/" title="S0192022 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0192022" height="240" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5196/14234846861_3ce2cc5514_m.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
SCREAM!!!!!!!! this is the bane of my existance, the reason i havent touched my machine in months, the cause of all my sewing angst...It's the same dress as my red starry dress. since red starry fit me this should too right?! wrong :(. The mods i made on red starry didnt work on this one. thing is red starry isnt perfect. i had to have a friend help me with the bust. even after fiwxing it i noticed it still didnt fit just right. the bust darts are a little off and bust still a little tight but with a little bag underneath. the cotton quilting fabric has some give and drape though so it's ok. the fabric in this dress is ... wierd? it's, well, i dont know what it is. i had assumed it was cotton. or a dotton blend. but it feels kind of stiff and almost waxy. and the bust darts being in the wrong place is blatant on this one!!! i have to take the timeto figure out how to redraft the whole darn bust again :'(!!!! so i just stare at the machine and feel nervous and queazy lol. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14235884512/" title="S0202023 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0202023" height="180" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5594/14235884512_da0365d530_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
this is a sweater i bought and love other than the fact that it didnt fit quite right in the bust. i had to purchase a larger size because of the bust but as is often the case this makes shoulders and neck not fit right. usually not a big deal but in this top's case, since the neck and bust is so unique, that did make a huge difference.<br />
I think i've managed a decent fix on it. So far it's just basted. All i need to do now is go in and sew the seams correctly.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14215008056/" title="S0222026 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0222026" height="180" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5593/14215008056_d8412ce3de_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
This is my newest WIP and a huge flick off to the butterfly dress lol. I made the skirt of the red starry and butterfly dresses and for the top i decided to draft my own like the red top i had been fixing. i messed up on the top but like how it tirned out anyways. i have basted to see fit and style of top. now i need to go in and sew it up correctly. i did the whole thing in one afternoon!!! cutting and basting and all! pretty proud of myself. but now i have no idea how to go about the finishing.<br />
it's a knit. and whereas i LOVE how it's so forgiving!!!!!!!! i mean, no fit probs with this baby! i don't have any inkling how to do the neck and sleeve hems!<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14051581007/" title="S0232027 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0232027" height="180" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2909/14051581007_dc500c264d_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
plain old self striping afterthought heel socks just to have something mindless to knit when i cant think farther than "knitknitknitknitknit"<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14258348423/" title="S0242028 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0242028" height="180" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2903/14258348423_1c543ea2ac_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
a pair of socks i test knit and need to finish and send info back to designer (thank you elliebean for opportunity to test knit for you)<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14235914192/" title="S0262030 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0262030" height="180" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2922/14235914192_c7e7c789d7_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
the spinalongknitalong swap i'm doing. this is yarn my friend femke spun and i'm knitting it up to give back to her. this is to be finished by end of may. YIKES!<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/14051533848/" title="S0272031 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0272031" height="180" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2918/14051533848_b01b29a5d2_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
this is a very very old ufo. i love it sooo much and will one day finish it. one of the few old wips i have kept.<br />
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PHEW!!!! do you have that many wips dragging you down hanging around? How do you deal with your UFO's? Do they stress you out or not bother you at all.<br />
<br />Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-89206858312132785172014-03-25T15:15:00.002+01:002014-03-25T15:21:27.836+01:00Ten on Tuesday : books books booksThis week's <a href="http://caroleknits.net/" target="_blank">Ten on Tuesday topic</a> is The Ten Last Books You Have Read.<br />
<img height="415" id="il_fi" src="http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130827041424/harrypotter/images/1/16/Hogwarts_Library.png" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="739" /> <br />
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<span class="author notFaded" data-width=""><span class="contribution"><span class="a-color-secondary"></span></span></span><span class="author notFaded" data-width=""><span class="contribution"><span class="a-color-secondary"></span>
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1. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/God-Will-Make-Way-What/dp/1591454298/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395751683&sr=8-1&keywords=of+will+make+a+way" target="_blank">God will make a way</a> by
<span class="author notFaded" data-width="">
<a class="a-link-normal" href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?ie=UTF8&field-author=Dr.+Henry+Cloud&search-alias=books&text=Dr.+Henry+Cloud&sort=relevancerank">Dr. Henry Cloud</a> <span class="contribution"><span class="a-color-secondary"> and </span>
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</span>
<span class="author notFaded" data-width="">
<a class="a-link-normal" href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_2?ie=UTF8&field-author=Dr.+John+Townsend&search-alias=books&text=Dr.+John+Townsend&sort=relevancerank">Dr. John Townsend</a> </span><br />
<span class="author notFaded" data-width="">This is the only book I'm actually reading with my eyes while holding a paper book in my hands. I'm reading this with a group of ladies for our bible study group. It's...ok. Not much to say about it. Would never read it on my own. Seems a little too new age spiritual for my tastes. And the authors seem to live on some kind of spiritual cloud outside of the real world all the while trying to convince you that you can be as holy as them in the midst of craziness whereas they seem totally sheltered and disconnected from life's true tribulations and trials.I'd say pass on this.</span><br />
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<span class="author notFaded" data-width="">The rest of the books in this list have been listened to on my ipod or on my smart phone with the audible app. I have an audible Gold membership where i get 1 credit a month for 14.95$. You can get a free trial membership if you've never signed up before. I really enjoy my audio books as they let me "read" and knit at the same time. Or wakl the dogs and "read" or clean house and "read" or commute and "read" - you get the picture! And too you can have a ton of books without junking up your home ;)</span><br />
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2.<a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Dragonfly-in-Amber-Audiobook/B002V1CN0G" target="_blank"> Dragonfly in Amber</a> by <a href="http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_pd_Fictio_c2_1_auth?searchAuthor=Diana+Gabaldon&ie=UTF8&pf_rd_r=190DXMS3MHMMY05HWED6&pf_rd_m=A2ZO8JX97D5MN9&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=detail-page&pf_rd_p=1407849922&pf_rd_s=center-2" target="_blank">Diana Gabaldon</a><br />
This is book 2 of the outlander series. Not enjoying this one as much as Outlander though as i get further into the book I find myself getting caught up in the story again. In fact I think as long as Jamie's in the picture, all's well ;). I dont see how you could listen to part 1 and not want to listen to the next in the series but i wish i had stopped while i was ahead ;)<br />
Whereas i loved listening to <a href="http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_pd_Fictio_c2_1_narr?searchNarrator=Davina+Porter&ie=UTF8&pf_rd_r=0Z702GJBZSM3HH6JTQQX&pf_rd_m=A2ZO8JX97D5MN9&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=detail-page&pf_rd_p=1407849922&pf_rd_s=center-2" target="_blank">Diana Porter</a>'s character portrayals in Outlander, though i cannot attest to the authenticity of her scottish vs english accents, I will say that her attempts at an american accent annoys the bejeesus out of me. She really hits some words like momma, roger but the rest sounds artificial, stilted, and contrived. Thing is if she said momma and roger in the same manner as the rest of her "american" accent it wouldnt bother me so bad but those two words sticking out like a sore thumb in the rest of Brianna's dialogue annoys me to no end.<br />
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3. <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Romance/Outlander-Audiobook/B002V1CJ8W/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srImg?qid=1395750773&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Outlander</a> also by Diana Gabaldon<br />
Book one in the series. I have heard about this for years. A lovely ravelry friend suggested it many years back but i dont know..."scottish porn" didnt really catch my interest. But my friends in the group started talking about it again and i was looking for a book to spend my next credit on and voilà! Only when i went to purchase it it said it was in my library lol. Apparently I ordered it back in 2012 and promptly forgot.<br />
Wow! I loved this! I was so engrossed in this beautiful though improbable love story set against a historical background that i didnt even notice the erota until a large part of the story line unfolded and the plot started dragging and then i was all "geez! this is nothing but sex scenes" lol. Defnitiely a good listen though. I think this is much better in audiobook form as you get the accents and lilts and can really submerse yourself in the context.<br />
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4. <a href="http://www.audible.com/series/ref=a_pd_Kids_F_c2__1_sa?asin=B0073X2974&ie=UTF8&pf_rd_r=0TEEEYN3TZHNKBBJE67X&pf_rd_m=A2ZO8JX97D5MN9&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=detail-page&pf_rd_p=1407849922&pf_rd_s=center-2" target="_blank">The Septimus Heap series </a>by <a href="http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_series_c2_1_1_saAuth?searchAuthor=Angie+Sage" target="_blank">Angie Sage</a><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">"Who is Septimus Heap? A lost child? An ordinary Hero? A powerful wizard? The Magyk begins here.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The
first book in this enthralling new series by Angie Sage leads readers
on a fantastic journey filled with quirky characters and magykal charms,
potions, and spells. Magyk is an original story of lost and rediscovered identities, rich with humor and heart."</span></i><br />
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Loved loved loved this! So much fun. It's teen fiction. It's Harry Potteresque. Needs great suspension of belief. It's a little predictable. It's not "great litterature" . But it's captivating, a lively listen, imaginative and just plain FUN.<br />
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5. <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Teens/Chains-Audiobook/B002V5CRZS" target="_blank">Chains</a> by<a href="http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_pd_Teens__c2_1_auth?searchAuthor=Laurie+Halse+Anderson&ie=UTF8&pf_rd_r=19WB65MG51Y5DRSHF6TP&pf_rd_m=A2ZO8JX97D5MN9&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=detail-page&pf_rd_p=1407849922&pf_rd_s=center-2" target="_blank"> Laurie Halse Anderson</a><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Freedom. In 1776 New England, that word is on everyone's lips. But for
13-year-old Isabel the word holds a different meaning, especially after
the only mistress she has ever known dies, and instead of receiving the
freedom promised, she and her sister are sold to the Locktons, a wealthy
New York family. In a matter of hours Isabel has to leave Rhode Island
for the hustle and bustle of colonial New York City - a community
divided and caught up in the American colonies struggle for
independence.
</span></i><br />
WOW! This is a great book! Characters are so touching, story-line gripping, historical context heart-wrenching! The only down side is the ending. NO! It cant end!!! Not yet! MUST LISTEN or read!<br />
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6.<a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Teens/Forge-Audiobook/B0046VJJI8/ref=a_search_c4_1_6_srTtl?qid=1395751333&sr=1-6" target="_blank"> Forge</a> by<a href="http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_pd_Teens__c2_1_auth?searchAuthor=Laurie+Halse+Anderson&ie=UTF8&pf_rd_r=19WB65MG51Y5DRSHF6TP&pf_rd_m=A2ZO8JX97D5MN9&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=detail-page&pf_rd_p=1407849922&pf_rd_s=center-2" target="_blank"> Laurie Halse Anderson</a><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The young soldiers at Valley Forge are suffering from hunger, cold, and
the threat of the British army. Their newly forged bonds of friendship
might be enough to help them survive. But the chains of Curzon’s past
threaten to shackle him again. Surrounded by the fires of ignorance,
mistrust, and greed, Curzon can’t risk sharing his deadly secrets with
anyone. Does he have the mettle to hold on to his freedom? To claim his
rightful place as an American?
</span></i><br />
Well, Ive never downloaded a book so fast before! After the rather abrupt and unsatisfying ending of Chains I had to listen to this sequel! Right away! Stop while you're ahead. It's disappointing. Too contrived. The characters lose their appeal and depth and realism as they're forced into a sequel for sequel's sake. They behave "out of character". I had wanted to love it though. I loved the fact that this sequel was told from a different character's point of view and pardonned the incongruities with the reasoning that now things were told from a male perspective but no, the main characters seem off, out of sync.<br />
Quit while you're ahead and make up your own ending for Isabelle and Curzon.<br />
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While looking through other titles of LH Anderson i'm quite perplexed. She definitely has an ecclectic writing style. Feel like Chains was the novel of her life and nothing else will be up to par. Would love to hear opinions of any of you who have listened to or read some of her other works.<br />
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7. <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Daughters-for-a-Time-Audiobook/B007USF2AS" target="_blank">Daughters for a Time</a> by <a href="http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_pd_Fictio_c2_1_auth?searchAuthor=Jennifer+Handford&ie=UTF8&pf_rd_r=04BABECPB5BQZFT8HWF7&pf_rd_m=A2ZO8JX97D5MN9&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=detail-page&pf_rd_p=1407849922&pf_rd_s=center-2" target="_blank">Jennifer Handford</a><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Feelings of abandonment filled Helen at a too-young age when her mother
died and her father walked out. Left in the care of her sister, Claire,
she moved on, but never truly healed. Now thirty-five, married, and
starting her own family, she must confront her inability to bear
children by accepting the idea of adopting. But just when Helen
experiences holding her new baby for the first time, she is blindsided
with the worst possible news: Claire has cancer. Helen’s wounds are
again torn open as she balances the delight of parenthood with the grief
of her ailing sister.A poignant and probing exploration of life and
loss, Daughters for a Time is a tale of unconditional love, the
destructive and healing powers of family, and the search for solid
ground between pain and joy.</span></i>
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Stop reading this post and GO BUY THIS BOOK! Shivers shivers shivers. Tears abound. And laughter. And hope and dispair. Beautifully written. A story full of life, full of love, a beautiful tribute to sisterhood.<br />
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8. <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Winter-Turns-to-Spring-Audiobook/B002V5BDGW" target="_blank">Winter Turns to Spring</a> by <a href="http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_pd_Fictio_c2_1_auth?searchAuthor=Catherine+Palmer&ie=UTF8&pf_rd_r=1ZA97C5TQGN062S4X9D9&pf_rd_m=A2ZO8JX97D5MN9&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=detail-page&pf_rd_p=1407849922&pf_rd_s=center-2" target="_blank">Catherine Palmer and Gary Chapman</a><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">This audio will focus on Brad and Ashley Hanes, young newlyweds who are
facing their first season of winter. Opposite work schedules, differing
views on finances and when to start a family, and Brads selfish and
immature habits are forcing the young couple apart, causing them to
question why they ever got married in the first place. It will take a
whole lot of help - mostly from their nosy but well-meaning neighbors -
for Ashley and Brad to pull their marriage out of the winter blues and
into a hopeful spring.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Eh, why not lol. It's sappy, goody-two-shoes, drippy, but heart-warming and love-inspiring. I am listening to this seasons of love series</span></span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">one season at atime. i listened to fall in fall of 2013, this one in decemberish, and will soon listen to It happens every spring. Ive read Gary Chapman's wisdom -filled 5 love languages and these fictional books illustrate in everyday situations the concepts from the book, so it's good to see the principles put into actionand how they work with each other. Enjoyable for a week's worth of walks.</span></span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i>
9.<a href="http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_search_tseft?advsearchKeywords=game+of+thrones&filterby=field-keywords&x=0&y=0" target="_blank"> Game of Thrones series</a> by <a href="http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_1_srAuth?searchAuthor=George+R.+R.+Martin&qid=1395751214&sr=1-1" target="_blank">George R.R. Martin</a><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">In a time long forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons off
balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a
lifetime, trouble is brewing. As the cold returns, sinister forces are
massing beyond the protective wall of the kingdom of Winterfell. To the
south, the king's powers are failing, with his most trusted advisor
mysteriously dead and enemies emerging from the throne's shadow. At the
center of the conflict, the Starks of Winterfell hold the key: a
reluctant Lord Eddard is summoned to serve as the king's new Hand, an
appointment that threatens to sunder both family and kingdom. In this
land of extremes, plots and counterplots, soldiers and sorcerers, each
side fights to win the deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones. </span></i><br />
I'm sure you've all read or at least heard of this series or maybe watched the HBO series. LOVE IT!<br />
Can be a little hard to follow as there are sooo many characters, plots, sub-plots, intrigues... Might need to listen to the whole series and then relisten as i am doing ;)<br />
And can i just say it's both refreshing and enfuriating that an author has no qualms about killing off your favorite characters and letting good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. <br />
I also like that none of his characters are all good or all bad (well excpet Ned Stark who is a perfect example of a Christ-like figure)<br />
My faves are Ned Stazrk, Jon Snow, Arya Stark and Tyrion Lannister. How about you?<br />
Are you as impatient as me for the final installment?<br />
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10. <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Self-Development/Desperate-Marriages-Audiobook/B005B1XG22" target="_blank">Desparate Marriages</a> by <a href="http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_2_srAuth?searchAuthor=Gary+Chapman&qid=1395751149&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Gary Chapman</a><br />
This is a non-fictional work where Dr Gary Chapman expounds upon his 5 love languages principals as they apply to seemingly doomed marriages. Excellent. Dr Chapman really understands people and has a God-given gift and mission to help couples work through their problems and seek perfect love. <br />
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Any books on my list tempting to you? Have you read any ofthem already? What did you think about them if so? Do you prefer listening to or reading your books? Reading a traditional paperback or hardback or reading on a kindle type device? <br />
Check out <a href="http://caroleknits.net/2014/03/25/ten-on-tuesday-230/" target="_blank">Carole's list</a> and at the bottom of her post link your own and check out other bloggers' lists to find some future good reads (or ones to avoid).Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-33613275680732116222014-03-13T20:04:00.002+01:002014-03-13T20:04:35.426+01:00Thankful ThursdayI'm thankful for my family. I'm thankful for changes and growth. I'm thankful to feel God's presence. I'm thankful for the opportunity to begin healing from my eating disorder through my lenten practice and prayer. I'm thankful for the spring weather and glorious sunshine. I'm thankful my son has been going on walks with me. I'm thankful also that he is getting some help from a school guidance counsellor. <br />
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I feel absolutely full of gratitude these days. This is quite new for me! and i'm very glad of it and hope to be able to continue seeing all of the blessings, noticing them, acknowledging them and thanking God for them.<br />
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What are you thankful for today?Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-89527098281202927062014-03-12T22:38:00.000+01:002014-03-12T22:38:15.681+01:00WIP Wednesdayone stalled out as i'm worried about the colors together<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/13104395104/" title="S0098309 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0098309" height="180" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3699/13104395104_858a9eac16_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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and one just starting out and making me feel like i am an awesome sauce knitting hero<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/13104119225/" title="S0088308 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0088308" height="180" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7432/13104119225_66a1649579_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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what's on your needles, under your sewing needle, on your hook, etc... ?Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-51703786147290147282014-03-11T21:26:00.001+01:002014-03-11T21:26:48.166+01:00Ten on Tuesday<strong>I havent blogged in so long, other than that quick link i posted yesterday. And it's been even longer since i participated in <a href="http://caroleknits.net/" target="_blank">Carole Knits</a>' <a href="http://caroleknits.net/tot/" target="_blank">Ten on Tuesday</a>. Things have been pretty darn hectic around here since last novemberish. Going sososo much better now thank God but super duper busy now. All that's another story. </strong><br />
<strong>For today Carol has proposed listing <a href="http://caroleknits.net/2014/03/11/ten-on-tuesday-229/" target="_blank">10 Things You Can Do Yourself But You Get Your Husband To Do Instead.</a></strong><br />
<strong>HA!!! I drive my poor husband absolutely crazy asking him to do things that he knows with a little effort i <i>can</i> do if i really wanted. Thing is with no effort other than a few seconds he can do them! It's really nice that my son is now nearing 6 feet and is big and strong and especially, for now at least, so proud of his new height and strength that he's more than happy to head my every beck and call to demonstrate his manliness ;). i might just take a little advantage of that while i can hehehehe.</strong><br />
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>kill a spider <span style="font-size: small;">aaaaagh! just aaaaagh!!!!!!!</span></strong></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>open jars <span style="font-size: small;">i can never manage to open stupid jars! whether by brute strength or by using a knife to let air in, i just cant get stupid things open.</span></strong></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>get things off high shelves <span style="font-size: small;">why does my dh think it normal that i go out of my way to find a chair i can stand on, bring it in, step up on it risking to break my neck, and put the chair back up when he could just reach up and pull it down?</span></strong></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>take out the trash <span style="font-size: small;">though to be honest i do it most often </span></strong></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>bring in the heavy groceries <span style="font-size: small;">you know those big huge resuable grocery bags? they get pretty darn heavy!</span></strong></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>cut the grass <span style="font-size: small;">does anyone really like to do that?</span></strong></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><strong> wash the car <span style="font-size: small;">or this?!</span></strong></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>hang up pictures <span style="font-size: small;">i just cant bring myself to making a hole in the wall. and too, i cant use a hammer</span></strong></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>operate the stupid tv <span style="font-size: small;">oh.my.gosh! since when do you have to have a degree from MIT to figure out how to use remote controls for the tv and the dvd and the cable ting - which goes to what anyhow?!</span></strong></span></li>
<li><strong><span style="font-size: large;">fix computer problems <span style="font-size: small;">um, yeh, same thing as above lol</span></span></strong></li>
</ol>
<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Check out the other bloggers on Carole's ten on tuesday. </span> </span></strong>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-57644314331828736442014-03-10T09:19:00.001+01:002014-03-10T09:19:05.312+01:00Oh my!!!!It has been a little over two months! 8^O<br />
i keep meaning to post but never do. so much to say and at the same time so little that i just give up. also been super busy.<br />
Just a quickie today to share a link and say hi to all of you :D<br />
<a href="http://www.joycemeyer.org/articles/ea.aspx?article=God_is_mad_at_me_and_other_myths_part_1&utm_source=30%2F30+Challenge&utm_campaign=f54574a0ac-3030challenge&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_eff7ebdab9-f54574a0ac-19704925" target="_blank">myth buster : God is mad at me</a><br />
have a great weekRebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-87069448978089541792014-01-02T17:45:00.000+01:002014-01-02T17:45:22.832+01:00HAPPY NEW YEARMy poor unloved blog!<br />
I cannot keep up! With anything!<br />
Oh well...<br />
I have a ton of backlogged stuff and couldnt decide a cut-off point so i finally decided to talk about the here and now. I wrote a HUGE LONG POST! With tons of pics and links. And my computer ate it :(<br />
I think the blogging muses are against me lol.<br />
So, I will cut to the chase and just tell you HAPPY NEW YEAR and leave you with a pic of our beautiful Christmas tree that Alex ended up decorating pretty much all by herself (ohhhhh that was one horrible day :/ ...). that day will go down in our family history as one of theworst BUT Alex did a great job decorating - even though we had same ornaments we always do, she just made it look so much better. <br />
I took our tree down yesterday but did manage to snap a pic first lol.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/11674231223/" title="IMG_20131231_081324 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="IMG_20131231_081324" height="240" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2874/11674231223_b91f95bc3a_m.jpg" width="180" /></a>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-83967115368270448612013-09-13T13:19:00.002+02:002013-09-13T13:19:29.232+02:00FO FridaySo along with my WIP Wednesdays where i'm trying to get some things off my plate, it's only normal that i eventually have FO's (finished objects) right?<br />
I have a gazillion babies coming up .<br />
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I finished 3 sweaters so far.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6aAusr1R13RNF6qON2W9tQtUbfNtIKWUlxjGLDxP7nBP096F3u8l-XUpksBw3SjanOJk9JWlUShIsH7v0T3XeBzmj1Zl7HcLcNMJrGGnUurlvkWA8OdoGKSCjLWEqWYaJdXbNCk4smsU/s1600/S0091299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6aAusr1R13RNF6qON2W9tQtUbfNtIKWUlxjGLDxP7nBP096F3u8l-XUpksBw3SjanOJk9JWlUShIsH7v0T3XeBzmj1Zl7HcLcNMJrGGnUurlvkWA8OdoGKSCjLWEqWYaJdXbNCk4smsU/s400/S0091299.JPG" width="300" /></a>The <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/rebeccawip/manda-ruth" target="_blank">first of the sweaters </a>i finished was actually intended to be for
annabelle's baby (see below) but i
thought the purple one was better for her. It's the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/manda-ruth" target="_blank">manda ruth </a>pattern by <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/designers/jane-richmond" target="_blank">Jane Richmond.</a> It's a super cute pattern but it was a PITA!!!!! i will not knit another one even though it is adorable. seed stitch seed stitch seed stitch! and when you think you're about done...nope! got the hood and it's about as much knitting as the whole sweater it seems lol.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
i tried to go unisex and
neutral on this one but i'm not really sure if this one could pass as a
boy's sweater or not. i know i would dress a baby boy in it, but i know many moms are more traditional. what do you think?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
This <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/rebeccawip/small-things-sweater" target="_blank">cute little purple one</a> is already winging its way to a little girlie here in France. Her momma, annabelle, is a very sweet woman i met in my tricothé group. She's one of those just absolutely sweet, good people. I like her a lot and am happy she was blessed with a little baby girl. With all the babies, i'm not sure which to give to which but this little sweater is so sweet and precious i just felt i thad to go to her.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0QsyjAGMf_UXh-PaU_sbSC91eEl7P4MJsW9ZhMZOKIKkx1VGVDayid6WXZXxZjs9HselwObz9mECh2GXsl4BK9C1SzPywcb3Jhpza3UX8OXg3ktoRpjz-fUXP-wb0nZPnUncRD_L8h4/s1600/S0180100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0QsyjAGMf_UXh-PaU_sbSC91eEl7P4MJsW9ZhMZOKIKkx1VGVDayid6WXZXxZjs9HselwObz9mECh2GXsl4BK9C1SzPywcb3Jhpza3UX8OXg3ktoRpjz-fUXP-wb0nZPnUncRD_L8h4/s400/S0180100.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
I hope maman papa et bébé all like it :). The pattern was the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/rebeccawip/small-things-sweater" target="_blank">Small things sweater</a> by <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/rebeccawip/small-things-sweater" target="_blank">Carina Spencer</a>. She designed the super cute <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lucy-hat-2" target="_blank">Lucy</a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank"> hat</a> i <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/rebeccawip/lucy-hat" target="_blank">knit</a> last winter. I wanted to make another (reverse the colors out to use up the skeins) but i cannot find my pattern anywhere! And look at this cute <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sugar-maple-3" target="_blank">sweater</a> she designed. Anyhow, the baby sweater pattern (as well as the lucy hat) was easy and fast to knit up and the pattern was well written.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Now i love this <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/rebeccawip/owlet" target="_blank">gold one</a> too! it's the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/owlet-2" target="_blank">owlet </a>by <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/designers/kate-davies" target="_blank">kate davies</a>. I have been wanting to knit the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/paper-dolls" target="_blank">paper dolls </a>sweater by her forever! i have the yarn and pattern ready and waiting but...too many things to knit, too little time. And i've also wanted to knit the original adult version of the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/owls-2" target="_blank">owl sweater</a> for a while but know that yoked sweaters and cables on top of that will make me look like a linebacker. Which, if i'm honest, is why paper dolls isnt cast on yet either. i bought the pattern after coming back to it time and again, knowing that i wouldnt look best in a yoke but unable to resist lol.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6b5QmqPdpezi_bfRWylGk3QIxoPlQc-LQvM1d3rsb36DOi-nu2edAIPYmJBrSacyt4HXRmgiy8v8ompALYb1eWtvYpnixdWhKtte3Qj1chEe5V_8Lp3V9_yzDNgmDXoGMIc7zWVPIvyI/s1600/S0101301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6b5QmqPdpezi_bfRWylGk3QIxoPlQc-LQvM1d3rsb36DOi-nu2edAIPYmJBrSacyt4HXRmgiy8v8ompALYb1eWtvYpnixdWhKtte3Qj1chEe5V_8Lp3V9_yzDNgmDXoGMIc7zWVPIvyI/s320/S0101301.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
OK back to the baby sweater!<br />
The owlet was quick and easy and the best part (the little owls) is knit at the end so you build up to the fun :D But the pattern is not error free (if you follow directions as is the back neck shaping takes place on the shoulder) and the overall directions are a little scanty but if you have a little experience knitting sweaters, you can figure it out. One commenter on the pattern page said she contacted the designer about the error but the designer never got back in touch nor corrected it.<br />
<br />
I'm going to make another owlet in tosh sport lapis, left over from my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/rebeccawip/bijou" target="_blank">bijou </a>sweater.<br />
I just feel like all my sweaters end up looking too girlish for societal standards. again, i'd be fine with it, but i'm not sure other moms would be. i thought the gold one could be for a boy but i'm afraid to gift it to a boy's mom without checking first and then that kind of spoils the surprise. at least with a bright blue i can definitely gift it to a boy!<br />
<br />
A final note on all of these sweaters. My sizing is totally aleatoire. no idea what size they ended up :").<br />
<br />
Did you dress (or would you dress) your children in only traditional colors (i should say end 20th century traditional, you know blue for boys, pink for girls) and styles? <br />
<br />
<br />Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-51338798369758811192013-09-12T17:29:00.001+02:002013-09-12T17:29:34.048+02:00My house smells incredible :DI LOVE FALL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />
LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />
I really really really love fall! lol<br />
makes me want to shout with joy :D<br />
One of the many many many things i love about fall is SOUP :D SOUP :D SOUP :D<br />
Ok, i'm shouting and repeating myself ad nauseum but i'm just so darn excited :D<br />
Last week I made a huge batch of my homemade veggie stock and used one part right away, froze three parts and saved one part in fridge for another soup.<br />
So my first soup of the season was tomato, zuccini, and eggplant and fresh corn. I was trying to use up the very last of my zuc and eggplant from the garden. I used a recipe from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778801969/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">300 sensational soups.</a><br />
It was ok. Not thebest i'd ever made. the texture was a little wierd and as the kids loved to point out everytime i served myself a bowl, it looked like vomit... thanks :/<br />
So I was super hyped to turn back to my fave soup ressource for soup recipes, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-England-Soup-Factory-Cookbook/dp/1401603009/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378998680&sr=8-1&keywords=new+england+soup+factory+cookbook" target="_blank">the new england soup factory cookbook</a>. every soup ive tried form this book is amazing!<br />
And today's was no disappointment.<br />
I made the Tomato, Buttternut, Herb soup beacuse my mystery plant turned out to be ... butternut squash ;D. i had apparantly saved seeds form a squash last year because i like them so much and given them to Christophe for this year. Neither of us remembered what those little seeds were but he planted them anyway. They quickly took over the back part of our garden and we figured it was pumpkin. So mid-summer, we laughed when we found those little guys just laying there ripening in the sun :).<br />
For this recipe, you start out sautéeing celery carrots onion garlic and butternut squash in butter. <br />
<h3>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/9729475957/" title="S0041340 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0041340" height="180" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2873/9729475957_d674905808_m.jpg" width="240" /></a> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Does that look delicious or what?!</span></h3>
When i do my vegan thing, i can usually make these soups work by just a few minor changes. Today, i didnt bother subbing the butter out for oil because i think the nutty, rich flavor of the butter was really a given.<br />
<br />
For the butternut squash, i really hate trying to cut that thing! It's a major PITA and you loose a ton of the squash. So last night i threw the whole squash in the oven for about 45 minutes and then let it cool enough to throw it in fridge overnight. This morning the skin just peeled right off , waisting barely anything!<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/9729499771/" title="S0011336 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0011336" height="180" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3753/9729499771_136097a524_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
And the knife just slides right through. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/9729493767/" title="S0021337 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0021337" height="180" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5514/9729493767_7887d5db56_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
The seeds are also super easy to scoop out, unlike when it's raw. the chickens were so happy ;D<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/9732712660/" title="S0031338 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0031338" height="180" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5541/9732712660_ddcfccd6bb_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
You're supposed to use canned tomatoes but no way! i have a ton of tomatoes in the garden still! So i threw them in boiling water to peel their skins off and then just tossed them in whole in the soup, added my veggie broth and some white wine and salt, pepper and basil and voilà...let it simmer :D!<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/9729527447/" title="S0071343 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0071343" height="180" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3742/9729527447_439bec71b1_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
When it's done cooking, i puréed the soup in the blender. Is that not a gorgeous fall color?!<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/9732741168/" title="S0091345 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0091345" height="180" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7442/9732741168_2f75723993_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
I tasted and it was good but just needed something! some kind of depth and i was trying to figure out what when i looked at the recipe again and doh! vinegar! so i added that and - perfection :D<br />
It also called for cilantro but i didnt want that flavor profile today.<br />
<br />
Well, come on over, soups on :D<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/9732730768/" title="S0111349 de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="S0111349" height="180" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5495/9732730768_e543e8dae0_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
btw those cherry tomatos there? they are so flipin' good! taste like candy :D i eat as many while picking them as i manage to put in the bowl lol<br />
<br />
Happy AUTUMN :D !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-38883446502451579792013-09-07T17:49:00.001+02:002013-09-11T11:39:34.956+02:00WIP Wednesday<br />
In last post i said i was going to figure out what to do with 10 hibernating projects that are taking up physical space as well as weighing on me and hindering my moving forward with new projects and also <br />
finish 10 wips over the month of september. This is a little ambitious, but we'll see what we can manage.<br />
I will try to post my progres on WIP (work in progress) Wednesdays over the month. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">Things to move out of hibernation</span><br />
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/rebeccawip/color-affection" target="_blank"><strike>Color affection shawl</strike></a><span style="color: magenta;"><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/rebeccawip/color-affection" target="_blank"> </a>I was totally not happy with the color i originally chose for color 3. So i switched after 2 rows...without ripping back :"). I was equally unhappy with secong color 3 choice as well as unhappy with not ripping back. Neither color provided enough of a contrast from color 2's variagated shades. That said, i was afraid of using a more vibrant color for fear of it turning garish. I went to knit night in neffies and my knitting friends helped me pick out one of the 7 or so skeins i brought. That night i ripped back and started over - i love it. it is a very vibrant pink and does definitely provide contrast! but i dont think it looks like clown barf either. i'm hoping to finish this fairly soon and gift it to a friend for a nursing shawl as she is unexpectedly pregnant with her 4th child. i had taken before and after pics but my computer and flickr conspired against me and ate 78 of my pictures i was trying to download!!! bad flickr!</span></li>
<li><strike>figure out what to do about <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/rebeccawip/donuts-hoodie" target="_blank">remi’s sweater </a></strike><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/rebeccawip/donuts-hoodie" target="_blank"><span style="color: magenta;"></span></a><span style="color: magenta;">This has been sitting around since feb because when i tried it on him it was way too small . i was frustrated with the sizing and also with my faulty intarsia in the round. so i pulled it out to figure out gauge and see what size to make it. i figured it all out, measured Remi and saw that by all calculations the thing should fit so i call remi in to try it on again and he says he doesnt really like the color...what?! i chose these colors because he wanted a naruto sweater! well, even though this decision was taken only 8 months ago, Rémi says he's too big for that now. after all he's in high school now. nevermind that he still plays with legos and action figures and watches
cartoons and reads comics etc… ;)</span></li>
<li>wall hanging </li>
<li><strike>cross stitch piece </strike><span style="color: magenta;">We had a swap table at our knitting group last wednesday and i made off like a bandit!!!!!!!!! really!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so proud of myself! i passed this <a href="http://www.nordicneedle.com/prod/LL03.html" target="_blank">beautiful 70% done piece</a> on to Rochelle who I hope will love it enough to finish it instead of letting it sit there for...wait for it......... <b>16 years untouched</b>!!!!! Damn flicker ate this one too!!! only recorded picture of it i had :(</span><span style="color: magenta;"> She also got<a href="http://www.123stitch.com/item/Lavender-and-Lace-Angel-of-Autumn-Cross-Stitch-Pattern/7885" target="_blank"> this unused chart </a>and all the yarn that goes with it in a nice box, all wrapped on to cards.</span><strike><br /></strike></li>
<li><strike>orange sweater</strike><span style="color: magenta;">I also put <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/rebeccawip/labyrinth" target="_blank">this up</a> on the table. a 40-ish % done sweater and all the rest of the yarn that went with it as well as the pattern. Free to the taker to rip and reskein or continue, as she sees fit. It's just not my style.</span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/rebeccawip/ma-block-of-the-month-kal-blankie--2" target="_blank"><strike>block of month blanket for mom </strike></a><span style="color: magenta;">This wil never get done! i pulled it out several times over the last few years to try again but i cannot stand to look at it anymore and i know i will never finish it. I asked mom (who did not know i was making ti for her) if it was ok for me to give up on it and if she thought she might would finish it. i think it hurt her feelings</span> <span style="color: magenta;">but
i honestly wont finish it and it's better someone else love it and use
it (or rip ir and repurpose the yarn). anyhow, it went quick and i hope
the new owner will make something beautiful with it.</span> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/rebeccawip/ma-bom-blankie--3" target="_blank"><strike>block of month blanket for us </strike></a><span style="color: magenta;">This also wil never get done! same story as mom's blankie. started them at same time .was over ambitious. had i only done 1 at a time i might have finished it :/ this one went even quicker lol as the yarn is quite nice though i really didnt like the color upon reception. it's a nicer softer wool and there's A LOT of it!</span><span style="color: magenta;"></span> <img id="yui_3_7_3_3_1378890148818_468" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2890/9695138030_d375161701.jpg" /></li>
<li><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">coat</span></span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/rebeccawip/vellamo" target="_blank"><strike>wave socks</strike></a><span style="color: magenta;"> these are cute socks and are some of the only examples of color work ive done that are decentish. but the heel flap was horrid. with gaping holes going diagonally up the whole heel. wth? i pulled the sock out and ripped down to before the heel flap. again, flickr, be damned! lost the before and after pics :/</span></li>
<li><strike>elephant quilt </strike><span style="color: magenta;">set up a quilting bee to finsih this guy up and gift to dianne for her future grand-baby :D . so more on that later :D </span></li>
</ol>
LOOK AT ALL THOSE CROSSED OF ITEMS :D ! GO ME !!!!!!!!!! Only 2 items left on this list and it's not even the mid-way point of the month :D<br />
You remember i said i made off liek a bandit at the swap table? <br />
I gave away cross stitching, two boxes worth of yarn in half-blanket, half skeined yarn state and a bag of yarn/half knitted sweater. i also gave away my once beloved but now despised knitpicks interchangeables (Dianne who has borrowed tips and cables before and really liked them got a hold of those kind of "under the table" like before i set them on the swap table ;). i think that's about it. I felt great getting all that mental bog-down off of my hands :D !!!!!!!!!<br />
and i came home with THIS to make ababy sweater :D<strike></strike><br />
<br /><img id="yui_3_7_3_3_1378890100045_468" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7447/9723958450_d850240f63_m.jpg" /><br />
<ol>
</ol>
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span></span></span><span style="color: red;">Things to try to finish up</span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7434/9723931644_c152ed38d1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<ol><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">
</span>
<li><strike>top 2 - hem, zipper, finishing</strike><span style="background-color: white;"><span><span style="color: magenta;">Ok. finished. not the best. one sleeve hole is too tight to wear comfortably. and the blousiness of this fabric is wierd so my boobs look huge and billowy and all of a sudden, schlurp, tiny waist. wierd. but..it's done.</span></span></span><br /><img id="yui_3_7_3_3_1378892232402_469" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7338/9720735327_da2ff18d58.jpg" /></li>
<li>top 3 - hem zipper finishing and collar facing</li>
<li>pull out my lavandar sweater and at least get it back on track.</li>
<li>my bijou sweater</li>
<li><strike>fingerless mitts</strike><span style="color: magenta;">So you're probably siting there thinking..uh, those are not mitts. how observant of you ;). i changed my mind and decided to make <a href="http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-knit-an-afterthought-heel.html" target="_blank">after thought heel </a>slouchy socks as i have been wanting to try oout the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Wvvc1AfgpU" target="_blank">after thought heel</a> for a while and as alex requested another pair of warm hand-knit socks to wear around the house. they're kind of ugly but that's ok. they're just for warmth and a <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7434/9723931644_c152ed38d1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" id="yui_3_7_3_3_1378891522847_469" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7434/9723931644_c152ed38d1.jpg" /></a>special "hug" every time she wears them ;) I had a little trouble getting them to fit. i knit heel first, before i closed off toe so i would know just how long to make foot. kind of cheating i know but i'm glad i did as even so i had to rip toes several times. i'm pretty happy with how they turned out though and will def knit more ATH socks. i love to just knitknitknitknit and with these, you can do just that! Cast on, rib a little, then just drag it around wherever mindlessly knitting a tube :D</span></li>
<li>blue dress</li>
<li><strike>christophe's bike camera strap </strike><span style="color: magenta;"> no biggie. a velcro elasticized strap . he's happy. yaddayadda.</span><strike><br /></strike></li>
<strike>
</strike>
<li><strike>fix alex' pants</strike><span style="color: magenta;"> these pants were not the best. the ribbon kept coming out and if she tied it in a bow, it became a knot. :: so she never wore them. </span><span style="color: magenta;"><img id="yui_3_7_3_3_1378892129657_469" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3712/9720716929_da70c29238_m.jpg" /> i took out ribbon, folded down casing again to make a new, lower waist-casing (she wanted them to sit lower on her waist) and inserted elastic, adding the ribbon to the front for decorative purposes only. </span><span style="color: magenta;"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3694/9723954048_7f38dc04d6.jpg" /> awesome fix :D i think they're sooooo cute. she doesnt seem to like them that much ... why? :(</span><strike><br /></strike></li>
<li>fix alex' sweater</li>
<li>finish striped baby sweater</li>
</ol>
<br />
So in conclusion..not too bad so far eh? what are you guys working on? do you have the need every once in a while to overhaul everything like this? <br />
<ol>
</ol>
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-70485344841820128822013-09-05T09:37:00.003+02:002013-09-05T09:37:56.343+02:00In the Dog-houseOh, Happy! You are a BAAAAAAD dog!<br />
We have been crating Happy when we leave because she cannot handle too much stimuli; She is very happy to go into her crate and seems much more relaxed in general even on days when she's not crated (though this could also be because she's not a puppy anymore).<br />
We chose to crate her, after many suggestions to my husband and refusals on his behalf because , well, just because he refuses anything that sounds wierd without giving it any thought and because he found it easier to yell at Happy and threaten to kill her than to actually take actions to change her behavior or at least control it. <br />
It's a great thing too that Happy likes her crate, i think she realized she needed it,because DH also is too hardheaded to listen to anything about training for the crate, and just unceremoniously put her in there for a whole work day without any getting used to it. ho-hum.<br />
Anyhow, after a few months of crating, my husband is starting to like Happy again as she is no longer destroying expensive things like bike helmets, new shoes, various bike parts , or tearing to shreds any little piece of anything she could find laying around anywhere!<br />
So last Friday we were invited to dinner at a neighbors, right down the street. We decided it was for such a short period of time that instead of leaving dogs in the hot garage (Easy free to rome and Happy in her crate which is a large wire wild bore trap my husband recycled into a crate because he might just be too cheap to let me purchase a cute, comfy, appropriate dog crate), we decided to shut them off in the kitchen.<br />
However somebody didnt close the second door as we left so they actually had access to the whole house.<br />
Well, we come in to Happy standing in the hallway barking her head off at us, ears straight up, fur shackled, teeth bared. We laughed thinking what a silly dog! She ran off still barking.<br />
We laughed some more and Rémi took them out to pee. <br />
We then go to our bedrooms and...AAAAGGGHHHH!!!!<br />
chewed up teared up ripped to shreds kleenex everywhere on our bed (she's not allowed on our bed!) and my knitting bag on the floor with everything drug out of it (in all fairness there was a bar of 100% dark chocolate in the bottom, which she promptly devored, which if you dont know is very bad for dogs). We gasped and griped and kind of haha'd a tiny bit while picking it up and then i notice...pee on the floor next to the bed...lovely; Alex runs to mop it up while Christophe has his back turned so he wouldnt get any more upset at Happy but...<br />
BELLOW!!!!!!!!!!! coming from living room where Christophe had wandered to see if she'd done any other damage.<br />
Happy had knocked over my purse and emptied its contents, destroying my headphones of course while she's at it, to get out a package of chewing gum that she went onto our beautiful beige couch to chew AND SHE POOPED ON OUR COUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />
Happy pooped on our couch for crying out loud!<br />
What got in to her?!<br />
I told Alex to run outside and tell Rémi to not come back in with the dogs til Christophe calmed down and then cleaned up.<br />
Everything is now back in order, other than the fact that i unzipped the cushion cover of the cushion she pooped on and washed it, only to realize when putting it back on the couch that our beige couch isnt quite so beige after all...maybe kind of ivory :/<br />
Bad dog!<br />
Hope you are all well and no misbehaving is going on for you ;DRebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-4631427320375998442013-08-27T16:44:00.001+02:002013-08-27T16:44:47.326+02:00Ten on TuesdayI often participate in Carole's ten on tuesday but i believe she is still on vacation so for the past two tuesdays there has been no proposed topic.<br />
So i'm making up my own :D<br />
September is always a special month for me.<br />
First of all it's the first month of fall. I loooove fall! i love it ! crispness, smells, air, feeling, all of it. Everyone talks about spring cleaning but for me i go into fall nesting mode, making my humble abode clean, cozy, comfy, clutterless <3 p="">And here in france, september = la rentrée : life picks up again after 2 totally dead, unfruitful frustrating months of everyone being on vacation but me! :/ La rentrée, you get into a rythm again, things start getting done, you can sign up for sports for yourself and kids, you go get your wellness doctor visits and medical authorization forms, you get new duds and 'dos<br />
I've been a good girl this year and already have the doctor visits done :D yeah me!!!<br />
and we have a pretty good idea of what sports/activities the kids are doing<br />
and i just made our hair appointments for friday :D. Feeling quite accomplished ;D<br />
That said, there are still a lot of things i want to get done in september so here's my little non-exhaustive list<br />
<span style="color: red;">Ten things i want to accomplish in September</span><br />
1. Finish my sPa reading (summer psalm adventure) . i'm a tiny bit behind and havent read much this past week and feel the difference in how down i'm feeling. i've been working a lot of hours and eating a lot of food and feeling too self-loathing to do anything but feel funky during non-working hours. and this is not doing me much good.</3><br />
2. Get kids off to a great start for this school year : helping them find a schedule for school, sports, fun, hoework, and chores they can adhere to and that will help them do well in school this year and that will let us back off a little as they become more responsible = HUGE challenge. last year wasnt that great and was a constant source of stress for me and negativity all around as they did NO-thing! and then got upset and gripey and whiney and even teary and temper tantrummy like a couple of toddlers when i tried to get them going on things :/. <br />
3. Get help for myself. i have been looking up things on internet after talking to my bff about my eating habits. i have an eating disorder. i minimize it and say i like to eat, i'm a piglet, i have trouble controlling my pulsions, i binge-eat. but after some research, in early 2013 the exact eating pattern si have have been classified as compulsive overeating. this is different than binge eating in that there is truly an addictive component to it. My bff suggested some online help and even helped me find someone to talk to. i'm in touch with the person and trying to get appts set up but i need to find someone here.<br />
4. Figure out nursing licence stuff. I am planning on me and the kids spending next summer in USA. We need it. and christophe said ok. though he often says things nad retracts them at the last minute. i'm going to do all the planning and just do it. he'll have to deal with it. I once got my equivalency but the stupid thing was only good for one year! wth? so i need to conact tn licensing board and see what i need to do to be able to work as a nurse in tn next year.<br />
5. Figure out what to do with 10 of my hibernating projects.<br />
6. Finish 10 WIPs<br />
7. Practice my horn (i will try to post about that before the end of the week)<br />
8. Do the ETL plan seriously.<br />
9. Start an activity regimen : walking, swimming, yoga, check out gym to go with Rémi, zumba with Alex til my pass runs out then decide if i want to keep at it, jogging if my foot stops acting up again<br />
10. Work through the love languages book seriously.<br />
<br />
What a list! Wish me luck lol<br />
Do you guys have anything planned for september? is september a big month for you or a month like any other? Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-62815795432751024432013-08-26T14:29:00.000+02:002013-08-26T14:29:29.133+02:00Put a paper bag on his head!One of my favorite jokes of all times, very inappropriately shared by my boss at a fast food joint when i was merely 14.5. he was kind of a perv and always made me feel uncomfortable but this joke is still a fave. it's not PG rated so beware.<br />
<br />
So there was this man who had no land, no money, no job, nothing...and he comes across an ad in a paper : "5000 acres of farm land, beautiful house in middle of plot, plus team of farmhands already employed for sale in exchange for my daughter's hand in marriage."<br />
<br />
The young man thought "score!!!! she cant be that bad! and if nothing else, i'll just throw a bag on her head in bed."<br />
<br />
So he called up the man who placed the ad, things were settled, and he was soon married, and comfortably installed in his new home. His wife, Thelma, was tall, thin, blond, blue-eyed... but... her blue eyes were bug-eyes, she was slow-witted, buck toothed, crooked nosed,and just generally homely. <br />
<br />
One day he was on the roof hammering and he hit his thumb and yelled out "F*%@!"<br />
<br />
Thelma came poking and santering past saying (and youhave to say this with a slow, mentaly challenged accent for full impact) "get tha bag, get tha bag, get tha bag..."<br />
<br />
So, Tini, i like your idea better, put the bag on his head instead ;)Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-62940792676483163002013-08-22T14:23:00.000+02:002013-08-22T21:20:46.969+02:00A couple of sewing ... successes ? well, close enough!I mean they can go on my body and not look totally wierd so i guess that's close enough to a success right?<br />
So! wow! welcome back :D<br />
i've been super busy and truth betold super down this summer and havent wanted to post. but i realized after reading Roisin's reply to a comment i made on her <a href="http://But it can't be from Dolly Clackett. She gave me an Easter egg!" target="_blank">blog</a> (see, that's one of the <span style="color: red;">many</span> <span style="color: magenta;">awesome</span> things about her blog, she always replies to comments which makes you feel welcomed and all warm and fuzzy) Anyhow she asked how my macaron dress was coming along since i lamented about it enough over on my comments :") and i was like duh! i never did post a pic of the finished dress!!! The pics for this dress were taken back on june 1st for crying out loud!<br />
And on top of that i've even finished another dress since! woot!<br />
<br />
well, without more rambling, here we go<br />
<br />
The revealing of the long-awaited macaron dress<br />
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3779/8911871173_e3fce87249.jpg" /><br />
The pattern is Macaron by Colette. This is a dress with a pretty short tulip skirt on a fitted bodice. I have read others talk about how colette patterns are drafted with pear shaped people in mind and that this dress specifically is a good one for that silhouette. Which is counter intuitive - i mean why add volume to an already voluminous part of your body right? but it works somehow. for me, as a top heavy hourglass , i think it helps balance out my figure.<br />
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3743/8911858939_73c75ab392.jpg" /><br />
It is an excellent pattern. I like the booklet format with a little pocket in the back for the pattern pieces. I also like the way the instructions are written : easy to follow, clear, direct, everyday language with any sewing terms a new sewist might not be familiar with spelled out for you. I like also that at the end of the booklet, she gives you suggestions for how you can personalize the dress. i like that it's a "personal" pattern, you feel likethe designer is with you as you make it, instead of the very impersonal, unclear, no personality directions of the big 4 patterns.<br />
<img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5469/8911863401_0f897a14a5.jpg" /><br />
The dress itself is extremely easy to put together even for my new sewist self! i dont know if it's the pattern itself that is easy or just the the way it's written up makes it easy. i think it's the instructions because honestly, this dress has magic hidden pockets :D hidden right in the crease of the tulip skirt's box pleats :D. I have never done pleats, only done pockets once and they looked horrible, and never successfully finished an FBA (full bust adjustment). Now, here's where we get to the prob. I say this is a super easy pattern and yet if you've read my blog over the past year, you'll know that i've been ripping my hair out over this stupid dress!<br />
It's NOT the pattern's fault! It's my big boobs' fault :/ . And also the fact that i'm a newbie bent on getting this sizing thing right and fumbling around trying to do so. I made 7 or 8 muslins in all :/ and nearly gave up :/. but at no time was it becausethere was something wrong with the design or directions of this dress. <br />
<br />
The only thing i would change about this dress (other than the stupid FBA) if i made it again (which i dont think i will but only because i'm still not super happy about the FBA mods i did and am not confident i can get it better any time in the near future) would be to lengthen it. i didnt notice it was a short skirt on all the wearers. my lower legs are nice and shapely. My thighs, even justright above the knee, are not! they're lumpy and bumpy. so something hitting right at my knees or right below them is better for me. thank goodness i didnt "shorten here" on this one lol!<br />
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7286/8911846663_4b3df234d4.jpg" /><br />
<br />
I did a swayback adjustment. i think the back and the skirt turned out well. all problems are really relegated to the front.<br />
<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8128/8911867023_4c6f7bc270_c.jpg" /><br />
my dh doesnt like this dress on me but he tolerates it because he knows how proud i am about it lol. he doesnt think the exagerated tulip shape does some kind of optical illusion that actually makes your hips and thighs area look smaller. he thinks it just makes them look big. so if i do make this again, i will probably just put a whole different skirt onto the bodice. but then we get back to the bodice prob :/<br />
ive really got to perfect my fba technique!!!<br />
<br />
Next up is my butterick 4443<br />
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3713/9157673997_f85c282557.jpg" /><br />
This was going to be my fourth of july dress : a fitted bodice with princess seams and a slightly flared skirted dress with hand-stitched details and beautiful seam finishings à la Gertie, out of star spangled fabric :D!!!<br />
<img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2868/9224028972_1d3d7886d4.jpg" /><br />
I was so darn happy with this creation and so excited to wear it and PROUD of myself because i managed to trace, finagle the FBA with palmer and pletsch (thank you again tini!), cut out, and assemble thisdress in like a week or something crazy like that! i mean! i know some of you can do it in a day but not me lol! this was amazing for me! i was all like - and i'll make a blue on eand a green one and a pink one and and and . i saw myself with a wardrobe full of handmade dresses, something ive been fantasizing about all the while knowing it's not possible for me lol. i actually had a glimmer ofhope that i really could have a handmade wardrobe lol. Pride comes before the fall right?<br />
<br />
Now, let me say that my awesome seam finishing got shabby as i rushed to finish up for the 4th (i actually wanted to wear it on the 3rd as i was working in the office part of my job that day and can wear normal clothes in the office instead of my nursing uniform). the side seams are beautiful turned under and sewn seams. then the rest are...pinked lol! <br />
So i finish this guy up other than the hem and throw it on all proud and ... blerk! the bust is wonky. too tight across and puckery but also too long, some wierd thing going on in the center panel of the bust, like pooching out or something.<br />
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3670/9224019114_ec2256850f.jpg" /><br />
i wanted to cry! i mean i needed to take off the whole bodice! but i had painstakingly inserted a hand-picked zip! it looked awesome!!!!<br />
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7456/9224026242_ab10d0d40c_z.jpg" /> and taking off the bodice meant i would have to undo my zip! and risk messing up my awesome side seams :(<br />
only solution, the one i usually choose with my knits that are getting on my nerves, i threw it in the closet and said, see you later... sniff sniff!<br />
I talked about the dress to christophe's aunt and surrogate mother when they came over for dinner one day. they had me bring it out and said, well, just take the bodice off and add a waist band! that cheered me up somewhat. at least it's salvageable like that.<br />
then my dear friend Marie Pascale came over. she helped me fix my colette macaron dress already. and she had me pull this one out and put it on and said - that's not that bad! we can fix that!<br />
So while she was there to chat and distract me from the 1. heartbreaking and 2. annoying task of destroying my hard work. i unpicked the front center panel - YEP! that's right! only the front center panel! that was all i had to unpick! all side seams and the back zipper were totally untouched! :D<br />
after i got it unpicked, she had me put it on inside out and then she repinned the center panel. here you can see how much length we needed to take out of that front center panel.<br />
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2891/9454025653_a7d4783aaa.jpg" /><br />
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7442/9454104733_a041bd3d5c.jpg" /><br />
She then pinned up the hem for me and as soon as she left i got to work!!! and here's the result!<br />
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3744/9456895452_876c5f6446_c.jpg" /><br />
it's not perfect. i somehow got the center panel a little skewed. it's ok, looks like i'm in moouvement ;). but taking out that length not only got rid of the wierd bubble at the boobs but also somehow managed to give the bust a little more horizontal ease so it's not too tight anymore. <br />
<br />
i am so happy with this imperfect dress it's ridiculous! lol i mean, imagine if it had turnedout perfect! i would live in it 24/7! ;) My daughter (photobombing in these pics btw) already informed me, in front of friends of course, otherwise it wouldnt be any fun, that i had worn the dres every day since i made it :/ <br />
<img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5539/9456912524_48a9072a83.jpg" />thanks alex... dont bother saying that one of those days itwas only for the 30 minutes it takes to drive to work and change into my uniform and 30 minutes back home. and the next steaming hot day only for the 2 hours we went out in public ;P. speaking of, these pics were taken after my 12 hour ER shift on the day i only wore the dress there and back which explains why i look like a hot tired mess - i WAS a hot tired mess ;P.<br />
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3741/9456899780_769813c9ef.jpg" /><br />
anyhow, i fi can manage to fix the pattern pieces for the front bodice, i want to make another two or three of these dresses 2 or 3 in different fabrics so i can get a little sewing confidence under my belt! i think they are flattering for my fluffy hourglass figure. and they are easy breezy to wear. can be dressed up with heels and jewelry or look nice and casual with less dressy shoes. and can be worn in to the fall with a little cardie ofer them...which means i need to knit a few cropped ribbed cardies to go with them ;D.<br />
The pattern is very easy and very quick - it is after all a "sew easy" pattern. after some of the more challenging things ive tried to make (tired = key word here) going to a "sew easy" really was "easy" :D.<br />
the only other mod i made was again the swayback adjustment, taking out 1.5 inches in the lower back.<br />
oh one more thing. i think the waistband sits a tiny bit high on me. i didnt shorten the bodice other than the wedge shortening of the swayback, and i'm veryshortwaisted so this seems wierd that i should need to lengthen the waisline but i feel it just hits at an unnatural place and kind of feels like "ride-up" and bothers me and makes me feel a little self-conscious. <br />
i kind of have trouble wrapping me head around the swayback thing and how it effects over-all length. i know my clothes always puddle in the back but is this wedge shape what makes the waistline now too high?<br />
any knowledgable sewists who can help with that question?<br />
thanks for listening to me blab, being patient with this irregular blogger, and all your helpful sewing advice :D<br />
and again tini for the awesome book :D<br />
hugus to all :DRebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-3446068293753282942013-07-16T11:16:00.001+02:002013-07-16T11:16:15.057+02:00Clever trick for managing multiple yarns An <a href="http://tnknitter.blogspot.fr/" target="_blank">online friend</a>, Lianna, posted a quick blog entry linking to another blog entry that i thought was pure genious. And I feel I had to in turn share <a href="http://jesseknits.blogspot.fr/2013/07/sorting-out-yarns-via-renew-reuse.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/CYFpjE+(Jesse+Knits)" target="_blank">this most clever way</a> to keep yarn balls from tangling and rolling and doing all those crazy things while you're trying to knit the darn things!<br />
Cheap, quick, temporary and recyclable.<br />
Will definitely try this when using up odds and ends but also when alternating out hand-dyed skeins for larger projects where you want to avoid obvious hank changes.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-69489041285032934252013-07-09T09:50:00.000+02:002013-07-09T14:00:46.271+02:00Ten on Tuesday : down time<a href="http://caroleknits.net/" target="_blank">Carole</a> chose for today's 10 on tuesday is 10 Favorite Things To Do When You're Alone<br />
Well how appropriate as my kids arent with me these days <br />
they're visiting family in USA.<br />
They are ahving a GREAT TIME!<br />
i am soooo happy for them, soooooooo proud of them (they flew by themselves and amde a connection in amsterdam all by themselves and they havent been fighting and alex is using her english and they're doing their summer workbooks!) and sooooooo thankful to my family for allowing them to stay with them and entertaining them <3 p="">So while my dh is here (and he drives me nuts, he CANNOT sit still!!!) i do have a little more down time. and i am truly enjoying it doing the following things without (or at least with less) guilt<br />
I had all kinds of nice pics to add in but my flickr pics wont work :/ is it just me?<br />
<ol>
<li>knitting</li>
<li>spinning</li>
<li>lollying around on ravelry, chatting and pattern stalking and stuff</li>
<li>vegging out doing absolutely nothing</li>
<li>listening to my ipod to my heart's content</li>
<li>walking the doggies</li>
<li>making long to-do lists (that include both fun things and everyday cleaning things and detailed cleaning things since kids bathroom and bedrooms are free) and getting that awesome feeling to check check check things off :D. i started implementing this at work (in the office part of my job) yesterday and it is working super well for me :D</li>
<li>sticking my feet in the pool to cool off. i do not do this ever when kids are here because remi gets the whole darn pool going like it were a wave pool or something! he's crazy in that pool!</li>
<li>taking naps</li>
<li>fondling my yarn stash and perusing the colors and textures of it</li>
</ol>
aaaaaahhhhh! relaxation!<br />
<br />
<br /><br /><br /></3>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-84526846648858232232013-06-18T13:23:00.001+02:002013-06-18T13:23:48.487+02:00Scraping my knuckles<img src="http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4630611441026986&pid=1.7&w=76&h=135&c=7&rs=1" style="height: 135px;" />across the floor as i slink sulkily back one more time to the proverbial drawing board to more literally draw a name for the ... drumroll<a href="http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4692940022875078&pid=1.7&w=126&h=144&c=7&rs=1" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4692940022875078&pid=1.7&w=126&h=144&c=7&rs=1" style="height: 144px;" /></a><span style="color: magenta; font-size: xx-small;">...(yeh, i know, it's exciting the </span><a href="http://rebecca-wip.blogspot.fr/2013/05/sew-mama-sew-giveaway-winner.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: magenta; font-size: xx-small;">first time</span></a><span style="color: magenta; font-size: xx-small;"> (</span><a href="http://rebecca-wip.blogspot.fr/2013/05/lynn-oh-lynn-where-are-you.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: magenta; font-size: xx-small;">twice</span></a><span style="color: magenta; font-size: xx-small;">), maybe even the </span><a href="http://rebecca-wip.blogspot.fr/2013/05/new-winner-for-sew-mama-sew-giveaway.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: magenta; font-size: xx-small;">second</span></a><span style="color: magenta; font-size: xx-small;"> (</span><a href="http://rebecca-wip.blogspot.fr/2013/06/last-call-for-everything-is-coming-up.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: magenta; font-size: xx-small;">twice</span></a><span style="color: magenta; font-size: xx-small;">)...but...oh well)</span> winner of the sewmamasew giveaway contest. <br />
here we go :<br />
<span id="true-random-integer-generator-title">True Random Number Generator</span><span id="true-random-integer-generator-min-span"><label for="true-random-integer-generator-min">Min:</label><input id="true-random-integer-generator-min" maxlength="9" name="true-random-integer-generator-min" type="text" value="1" /></span><span id="true-random-integer-generator-max-span"><label for="true-random-integer-generator-max">Max:</label><input id="true-random-integer-generator-max" maxlength="9" name="true-random-integer-generator-max" type="text" value="100" /></span><span id="true-random-integer-generator-max-button-span"><input id="true-random-integer-generator-button" name="true-random-integer-generator-button" type="button" value="Generate" /></span><label for="true-random-integer-generator-result">Result:</label><span id="true-random-integer-generator-result">47</span><br />
<span>So, comment number 47 = Georgia who posted <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/16098769340141865316" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #d52a33;">Georgia</span></a>said...</span><br />
<dd class="comment-body" id="Blog1_cmt-8062198730458312948">I'm a stay-at-home mom who loves to sew bags. My blog is MoreLikeHome.net!<br />peachstateme (at) hotmail (dot) com</dd><br />
what!? omg! did you see that?! she left CONTACT INFORMATION<br />
roudn of applause for georgia as i get up off the floor after my faint !<br />
YEAH!!!!<br />
:D<br />
<img src="http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4691488322028943&pid=1.7&w=152&h=149&c=7&rs=1" style="height: 149px;" /><img src="http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4839501466372875&pid=1.7&w=185&h=140&c=7&rs=1" style="height: 140px;" /><img src="http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4668252554134634&pid=1.7&w=207&h=141&c=7&rs=1" style="height: 141px;" /><br />
toottoottoottoot whippee!!!!!!!! yee-haw!!!! wootwootwoot<br />
WE HAVE A WINNER !!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />
YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />
congratulations Georgia! I hope you enjoy the patterns and chocolate :D<br />
Now, i have a very rough week coming up workwise so i wont be able to get these out more than likely until next wednesday (june 26) but keep your eyes peeled beginning to mid july :D<br />
YEAH!!!!!!!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-76402712050512528342013-06-18T12:14:00.003+02:002013-06-18T13:02:12.920+02:00Ten on Tuesday - goofin' aroundAhhh! Sun! Finally! Well, i say that as i look out the window at gray skies and drizzles. Oh well, the COLD has finally left and even if today is dreary, the temps are decent and i know tomorrow will be nice. So,<a href="http://caroleknits.net/" target="_blank"> Carol</a> asks us today to talk about our <a href="http://caroleknits.net/2013/06/18/ten-on-tuesday-201/" target="_blank"><span style="color: cyan;">Ten Favorite Backyard Games</span></a><br />
<span style="color: black;">FUN :D</span><br />
I used to LOVE playing outside games and with the number of siblings i had, it was always easy to do so :D And school playground time was awesome too - our teachers often led us in game.<br />
A little harder to bequeath this tradition on to my kids :/ as there are only 4 of us and they prefer being inside <img src="http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.5063763133202689&pid=1.7&w=210&h=143&c=7&rs=1" style="height: 143px;" /> and the neighborhood kids kind of looked at me wierd when you try to explain. As far as school games are concerned, people will sue if a kid gets a scrape nowadays so i guess it's too much of a liability.<br />
Oh well, that didnt stop me and remi and alex and christophe and even the dogs from having a ball (literally and figuratively ;) ) two nights ago.<br />
Anyway, enough blablabla, here's my list:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Red rover. MY FAVORITE GAME EVER! i used to rock that game :D I was TINY as a kid. Shortest in class always, skinny as a rail. Noone ever worried about me "comin'over" but i pack a little more power in my punch than you'd think and i was good at psychin' out the other team (letting them think i was going right and then going left at the last minute ;) ) and i always kept death grips on the poor teammates hands next to me roflol! i'm smilinig just thinking about how awesome it was to play red rover :D. this really was only played at school. i mean youhave to have a LOT of people for thsi to be fun. <img src="http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.5063488264406141&pid=1.7&w=202&h=148&c=7&rs=1" style="height: 148px;" /></li>
<li>Duck duck goose. another school game. i sucked big time on this one but it was fun anyhow :D the kids and dh and i played this a few times but the circle is so small it's kind of sillyand i laugh like a hyenna the whole time so have to be the chaser the whole game ;P</li>
<li>redlightgreenlight. again, not the queen of RLGL but still fun :D. we played thisoften when the kids were little. i tried my hardest to get them to use red light green light but un.deux.trois soleil won out. which is silly because no matter how fast or slow you say it, youalways have the "sol" warnign you that the person is about to swirl aroun with the "eil" syllable and can stop in your tracks more easily than with RLGL.</li>
<li>Simon says. well, i didnt really like this game but i did play it a lot. must have been one of the siblings faves? my kids dont seem to like it much either.</li>
<li>Hide and go seek :D need i say more!? We played that with our kids some. </li>
<li>Geronimo. Guess this isnt technically a backyard "game" but we had so much fun rolling down the hill yeling geronimo. No grassy hills to roll down here. <img src="http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4616785947132056&pid=1.7&w=225&h=123&c=7&rs=1" style="height: 123px;" /></li>
<li>Catching lightning bugs - again not really a game but what summer is complete without it. except here in south of france there are no "lucioles" so ive never gotten to let my kids experience that. i think i did try once in usa in the summer but i dont remember if i did or not. if i did try to get them to do so, they must not have been very enchanted by it or i would have remembered lol</li>
<li>kickball . oh yeah! my siblings never wanted to play that though. </li>
<li>Follow the leader. another one i didnt particularly love but that one of my sisters must have (think it was allison) because i remember plating it. i hated being leader because i can never think of what to do. tried this with kids and ... couldnt think of what to do lol.</li>
<li>my new fave = soccer (or football as its called here). we played that on sunday evening. DH and I neither one wanted to run much so we were the goalies. Remi was on my team and Alex on DH's to even up the odds. Rémi and i won :D. i dont know how because i'm about the worst goalie ever. Alex had us lol as she couldnt get the hang of not using her hands and esp as she is so darn agressive! her chest was heathing with agression and the desire to kick our butts lol! And to top the fun off my dog easy is a darn good player! she has no favorites. she helps get the ball toward whichever goal it'sheading towards. she loves to go out of bounds though if we dont get to the ball beforehand. She will nose it out and then look so darn proud as she turns and struts back, head high and whole hind quarters wagging. High-larious!<img src="http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4669347756966984&pid=1.7&w=227&h=155&c=7&rs=1" style="height: 155px;" /></li>
<li>have to add in DH's and Rémi's favorite - wrestling. i love watching how this is evolving. Rémi isnt quite so easy to get down now. i had to stop playing with him about 2 years ago because he would hurt me. but now we can play every once in a while again as hehas figured out how to be gentle yet still win. i think in about 3 years dh might just find he's got someone to wreckon with. I remember about 17 years ago after harvest, three of Christophe's ffriends tried to throw him in the grapes - three big men couldnt put him in there! i was amazed! Remi has good genes ;) but he's also up against his genator - who will win .... ;)</li>
<li>oh and one more - tug of war! we played that sudnay too, with me and remi and dh and alex again. And for the first time ever, with mine and remi's combined forces, we managed to BRING THEM DOWN :D YES!!! roflol<img src="http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4851780785341659&pid=1.7&w=202&h=141&c=7&rs=1" style="height: 141px;" /></li>
</ol>
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-75119514503689423162013-06-11T07:57:00.002+02:002013-06-11T08:35:44.787+02:00Ten on Tuesdayoooh yikes! someone is trying to tell me something. i have been in a horrible state since last week. soooo upset with my kids and my life in general, which to be honest is not bad but in my self-pitying viscious cycle state of mind had me contemplating running away from home. so trying to find "10 Times You Felt Grateful Last Week", is a pretty important exercise for me right now. not sure i can make it.<br />
if i count today (i'm writing this post on monday evening) monday 10 as well then maybe i can because i remember 6 times today along shooting up a quick arrow praise/prayer.<br />
<ol>
<li>my sweet doggies came and hugged on me several times on monday, real sweet head laying on the shoulder kinds of hugs/cuddles. they made me so happy , made me feel so grateful to have them in my life.<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/9014081136/" title="Sans titre de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="Sans titre" height="375" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5460/9014081136_5780b639fb.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/9012898407/" title="Sans titre de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="Sans titre" height="428" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5331/9012898407_5a4833a2a6.jpg" width="470" /></a>-here they're bein' too razy to get a pic lol</li>
<li>the sun - thank God the sun came out today. i went for a swim yesterday at an indoor pool and i could see the other swimmers coming in through the glass barrier and the sky was gray behind them and they were dressed in coats and i just thought, good Lord, it looks like november instead of june! and then this morning, the weather lifted and sweet glorious sun streamed down on me as i put the chairs out to clean the floors. Pure bliss. Pure gratitude.<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/9013014919/" title="Sans titre de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="Sans titre" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7317/9013014919_b7e161c19b.jpg" width="500" /></a>the sky looks gray in this pic but trust me, it's not lol</li>
<li>I cleaned the house today, a good clean like it's been needing. I kept comig into the living room/ dining room and just going "ahhhh!" all day! "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!" i really need a clean place to feel good inside. I felt so grateful as i looked around.<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/9014195896/" title="Sans titre de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="Sans titre" height="375" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5443/9014195896_19a6d1d182.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/9013009699/" title="Sans titre de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="Sans titre" height="375" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5464/9013009699_ac2d7a8a94.jpg" width="500" /></a> btw on the back of the couch, that's a beautiful bed spread my grandmother crocheted - i only put it out about a week ago. i didnt want to mess it up as it's so special, but really, just sitting in the cabinets, is that any tribute to my grandmother's lovingly created handywork? i got this from my mom but i wish i knew who my grandmother had originally intended it for - do you know mom?</li>
<li>My Dh vacuumed for me as he came in right when i was getting ready to do that. that way i was able to follow him with the mop. i was very grateful to have the help; it saved me about 30 minutes :D</li>
<li>My sister and i got to skype. i miss my sister soooo much and i was so glad to get to talk to her. we got to chat about what she's sewing on, about her exercising, about my kids coming to visit her, about our kids career dreams/ just stuff...</li>
<li>ok, going back to saturday june 1, which makes that over a week, but it was something that i really really really felt grateful about so i'm going to include. my bff kendra married a wonderful man and i am so flippin' happy for them!!!!!! </li>
<li>I got to "attend" Kendra's wedding through skype and that really meant a lot to me. </li>
<li>i got to go swimming with kids yesterday . they played in the kiddie area while i swam laps - havent done that in forever! it felt so good to have the water stream past me as i glided through. I went and got my son so he could "race" me. I say "race" because i'm like a snail and he is liek a dolphin. he was happy to comply/show off ;).</li>
<li> i found a can of dr pepper at the store in the english foods sectionand i'm sitting back enjoying it while knitting on a project that i'm enjoying which is quite lovely in itself because i've been in the knitting duldrums lately<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22510672@N03/9014005508/" title="Sans titre de rebeccawip, sur Flickr"><img alt="Sans titre" height="500" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2893/9014005508_275d194667.jpg" width="375" /></a> </li>
<li>this may seem like a cop out, but seriously, considering the week i had and how many tears ive shed and angry words to family and to myself and to God, i am so grateful to be able to have found 10 things to be grateful for and grateful to <a href="http://caroleknits.net/" target="_blank">carole</a> for suggesting this idea!</li>
</ol>
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-40448033061774954382013-06-10T21:36:00.000+02:002013-06-10T21:36:25.241+02:00Last call for "EVERYTHING IS COMING UP ROSES"You guys, i cant even gice something away lol.<br />
Honestly, i had a lot of participation in my Sew mama sew giveaway but i know most who participated dont follow the blog and have forgotten about signing up for this one among the bazillion out there.<br />
does anyone know everything is coming up roses?<br />
She was winner number two as winner number one never got in touch and i cant find either of their contact info.<br />
Well, this is last call.<br />
You have til next sunday and then i guess i'll go back and random number generate another?<br />
oh Rosie, please get in touch :(Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613477747215845632.post-8981253795366032232013-05-29T11:15:00.001+02:002013-05-29T11:21:23.122+02:00There's a snag in my nag<a href="http://www.girlfriendsingod.com/2013/theres-a-snag-in-my-nag/" target="_blank">Yesterday's Girlfriends in God devotional</a><br />
really struck a cord. I've been dealing with anger issues and overly defensive issues, and controlling issues for far too long, viscious cycling my life away. hurting my family and myself and feeling guilty about it; waking up daily determined to let nothing negative pass my lips and yelling within the first five minutes my kids come around ayddayaddayadda'ing and lazing and skeeving hoework and chores and bickering and name-calling with one another... UGH! and then throw in the dh and let me tell you my firm resolutions of zennitude fly out the window in a split second as i find my big mouth opening up and splurting out venom !<br />
Definitely need to remember this one. and pray constantly about it.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010386613557001028noreply@blogger.com0