Blogoversary, A Giveaway, and the Winter Blahs

I figured I'd start with the upbeat part of the post!  Today is my one year blog anniversary.  I still can't believe that I hit the post button way back then, but I am very glad that I did.  What a pleasure it's been to meet so many creative people, share stories, and above all, have many laughs!  

To celebrate, I am having a little giveaway.  Just to let you know, if you want to jump start your project list, post about creating something a couple of weeks in advance of actually knowing what you are going to make.  I know I'm not alone in trying this little technique to get the creative juices flowing...nothing like feeling a bit desperate to get you hooking!  Well, rug hooking, that is...but you know what I mean.

So, I did invent a very simple little stool pad.  And I think it's fitting that I'm having a stool giveaway just after a recent colonoscopy...don't you?  (I'm sorry, I couldn't resist)

My camera doesn't do the colors justice.  The star is a butter mustard surrounded by olde crow.  I have some barn red and more mustard around the edge.  Everything looks blue in this picture.  The stool is kind of a khaki.  It's pretty small, good for a table or shelf, or the floor.

It's easy to enter, just leave a little comment on this post and you're in!

Post on your sidebar, and you're in for two.  Just tell me you're doing that in this comment!

I'll draw on January 31.

I recently found a couple of antique rug hooks out on my antiquing adventures.  It's these little purchases that are keeping me from the big anchor pieces, like a farmhouse table, or a prim cupboard for the dining room.  If I could just get off the penny prim junk food! LOL

But seriously, how could you resist these!  Look at the waxy thread around the one on the right.

I've been spinning up a storm.  I had another yarn sale in the Etsy shop, so I needed to start getting some new stuff ready to list.  The roving I found is just wonderful...springy colors of pinks and blues.  I also spun up some chunky wool in a violet and lime green...sounds weird, but it works.

Other than that, I'm feeling the winter doldrums big time.  I don't know if it's the fact that it is so cold, or that I need to stop eating my weight in cookies, or the recent test (which was fine, btw), or having a stressful career that is now entering into the indoor recess phase, or still being pissed off about my jewelry.  All I know is I'm cranky.  And quiet.  I'm visiting your blogs, really I am!  But, I just find I can't form sentences to actually leave comments.  January doldrums, for sure!

You can't be too cranky, though, when you have a cute corgi!

He's my sweet old guy!

WIPs and a New Obsession

Today at work, a colleague asked if we'd been in school for a week.  It's only been four days...doesn't really bode well, I'd say!!  Now, we're starting a betting pool on when the first snow day will be! ~grin~

I've had a busy  and successful week!  I've made two nice sales in my Etsy shop and also sold two skeins of yarn at work as well!  Yippee!  At first, when I opened the shop, I knew that there were lots of yarn makers out there.  But, I kept hanging in there and finally, I'm seeing some results.  It feels so good to make a little pin money on something you love to do. 

I have a new plan to finish some old projects...like these socks.

I only have the toe to go!  I love this yarn.  Boy, this picture makes it look like I made these for a person with bound feet...they do fit, really!

I have been wearing my handknit socks a lot up here!  First off, my heater is not really working in the car, so having wool on the feet is a good thing.  Then, recess is better with warm toes as well!

I have a few skeins of sock yarn in the stash and plan to knit up more pairs.  I love to knit socks.  

I also have a new obsession!  I really didn't need a new hobby...goodness knows I can barely keep up with the rug hooking, spinning, knitting, and penny rug stuff that I currently do!  But, I am now addicted to counted cross stitch.  I've found and printed all the freebie patterns I could find.  (Thanks to all of you generous and talented folk out there!)  Plus, I bought a pattern from Country Rustic Primitives for the Christmas Bowl Filler Ornies.  I fell in love with the photos on her blog and had to have them...had to make them!  Here's my unfinished attempts.

I hope to show you the finishes when I get them done this weekend.  I just love the quiet of this craft.  It's very relaxing.  I love rug hooking...but cutting wool and deciding on color can be daunting sometimes.  Knitting...well, there's the pattern...you have to pay attention!  With this, I can just stitch.

A bit like spinning!   Which, I might add, I need to get back to!!

I get to go for my lovely "I'm 50 years old" colonoscopy on Tuesday, so I have Monday and Tuesday off.  I'll be spending the weekend thinking up a little something for the giveaway...(no, I haven't forgotten!).

Have a super weekend, my friends!

Chats

Thank God for Patrice at Everyday Ruralty!  If she didn't have these chats, I would probably only post once a week! 

Yesterday, we took the old jalopy truck...our plow truck...to Boston to deliver some furniture to my two boys.  I wanted to remember to take some pictures of them, but of course I forgot.  First, Tom and I loaded in a chair and ottoman, a dorm fridge, 2 guitars, a cd rack, a lamp, and a large oriental rug from our old house.  We added the Christmas gifts and off we went...holding our breath for the 1.5 hour trip from Rochester, NH. 

When we finally got to Sam's in Somerville, I was so stressed out that I exchanged the Rt. # with the house #.  Well, I cell phone the boys to tell them we are there....no boys.  Tom is getting antsy....no boys...we are in the middle of the street with a truck full of furniture...no boys...a woman comes out of the house and asks if we need help.  Really?  Well, by now we are snarling at each other and wondering where the boys are....

They are down the street...I was at 86...Sam lives at 28. 

Finally, we get that leg unloaded, then off we go, jamming two large men/boys into the back seat of the truck and travel from Somerville through Cambridge to Boston to Ben's appt.  During the trip, I'm reliving my years just after graduating from college....Worlds Colliding...Worlds Colliding!  By now, I'm making small talk, while Tom is stressing that we'll run out of gas, or the truck will collapse.  We pull up to Ben's building and there is no parking.  They suggest we pull up on the medium strip.  Well, the old truck really can't do that, so we circle the block four times in full snarl, while the boys heft stuff up to the appt.

Finally, we're done and we need to get the kids back to Sam's before Sam has to go to work.  Success!
Five hours later, we're home, exhausted, and ready for a nap!

I got some great earrings from Sam.

Aren't they beautiful?  I do feel like I have to carry them around with me all the time however! ~grin~

Now, on to the questions!

1. What's your favorite kind of tree? I love a magnolia.  We got one from my son and all of his friends for our wedding, but we had to leave it at the old house.  My dream is to get one for this house as a replacement.
2. How did you celebrate the New Year? We always have a quiet time on New Years.  We are early to bed, early to rise folks.  I did see some cool fireworks from somewhere in the neighborhood, though.
3. Do you have any family traditions for the New Year? My family is a little tradition challenged.  I sometimes feel badly about that, but my kids seem ok by it.  Actually, they seem pretty happy with their lives right about now.
4. I'm so glad I____________ in 2011. Found the dream house.  With all the changes, it's been challenging, but I do love this house!
5. Did you have a nickname as a child? Ok, people...here goes it...I don't share this easily...but my nickname as a child was Corky.  Only my mother calls me this now....ONLY!

Work tomorrow...so, so sad.  I really want to have more time for my crafts and home...but, there's February break just around the corner!