friday flashback. plans.

maybe this should be titled the post of randomness. i love when friday ends on the last day of the month. i feel like i can come in on monday and it's like a clean slate. the last couple weeks have been pretty busy, but filled with lots of fun, laughter, and food (always!)  mary's birthday cocktail party, a party at CoC, lunch with polly and roy, thanksgiving dinner, the annual GAME, and brunch.  since i'm taking a few days off at the beginning of next week, my "monday" will not be on "thursday" and a short week-yea!.  of course, i have a list of the things i want to get done, and i'm really hoping i'm successful.  some things i'm thinking about-
~i'm about 10 rows from binding off my deephaven cowl and then i'm down to just one project on the needles, a pair of socks. that's not to say i don't have many ideas about what i want to knit next, and i'm planning to visit cast on cottage on sunday for final purchases.  i'm loving having no lingering projects as the year comes to a close. i will probably cast on a sweater in december, but that's still considered a "fresh" project.  also, my boss has some travel days coming up so you know . . .
~i'm excited about daily december, i've done my own in the past, but this year i've signed up for studio calico's class, and a few others that were free just so i'd have more ideas/prompts for this project
~i'm taking a very different approach to Christmas this year for a variety of reasons which i won't share here, but if you're REALLY interested let's open a bottle of wine and chat!
~i'll be the official keeper of the advent calendars next year, it's usually andrew's job, but since he'll be at school the first part of december so it'll fall to me.  there are a lot of things that i've come to depend upon andrew for, so it's going to take some getting used to not having him home.
~i'm enjoying using my very old i-phone as a my music box at my desk, loaded up the Christmas music and have had it playing all morning.
~i've officially reached me mental and financial limit on giving money to collision shops and mechanics. really can we go just a couple months without this nonsense-?!
~am thrilled that i've gotten 90% of my shopping done thanks to amazon.  just a few things and stocking stuffers left to get.
~looking forward to baking cookies for my gift baskets this weekend.
~ i'm also looking forward to wrapping up stuff at work for 2012, organizing electronic files, our Christmas lunch (the only day i get to be really in charge and order people around), final executive board meeting, final reports etc. i love working with a neat and tidy desk.
~i'm anxious to get my Christmas cards in the mail, the international ones went yesterday along with college student care packages.  i'm dropping the rest off tomorrow, cause i want them post marked Dec. 1. i'm sending a ton of cards this year cause i didn't send but a few last year, and i have a lot of cards that i wanted to use up rather than throw out.  one of my goals for next year is to use up my yarn, paper, and fabric.  not in a wasteful way, but i really need to put these things to use.
wow that's a lot stuff! hope to do a couple 2012 wrap up posts next month, so we'll see if that happens. what sorta randomness is going on with you?

this'll be helpful

i got these in the mail last week, so i'm excited to have some new ideas for supper.  i'm doing pretty good with my 2 new recipes a month for my 45 for 45 list, but these are really going to come in handy, especially the fast food and wine cookbook.  i've only had a chance to thumb it, but it looks promising.  shrimp with watercress and cannellini beans, garlicky shrimp tacos, seafood stew with anchovy aioli, chicken and sun dried tomato meatballs. mmm now this is just making me hungry.

numbers.

I almost got 130 miles, actually I'm pretty sure I either walked or rode the extra 2/10 of a mile somewhere in between these rides, so lets go with the 130.  This is the most I've ridden in a 7 day time span,  but it was really only possible because I had 2 week days to get in the extra miles.  This certainly makes up for this week (18-25th) where I only had a chance to ride 7.1 miles, which is still better than 0!

something i really like

garden and gun magazine, it's a bi-monthly magazine that my boss got me hooked on. he'd pass along issues for me to "sample". when steve and i visited to new orleans earlier this year, our food tour took us to  tujaques (the second oldest restaurant, antoine's being the first).  it supposed to be where the cocktail was born-the sazerac, anyway, the bartender that made our drinks was featured in this magazine, and his picture captured him perfectly.  i knew then and there i had to subscribe. my boss likes to say that this magazine is "all about the south we're not invited to, but allowed to observe".  seriously, though the articles features little known artisans and craftspeople throughout the south, and the spirit of what it means to be southern.  previous issues have featured steve martin and his band, morgan freeman, ted turner etc.  there are always recipes and a "good dog story" which will make you laugh, cry or both.  the articles are incredibly well written (something that seems to be disappearing these days).  there is always a musician/group featured, and they tend to be those that are very non-run of the mill that embrace the folk-y mountain music, jazz, and are the kind of people that are driven to keep the good parts of the south alive (not the confederate rebel flag waving south either). i attended a lunch/talk close to my office a few weeks ago that was hosted at RAO Design studio to celebrate a collaboration between the designer and siematic kitchens (oh to win the lottery and be invited to this south!). of course, i went cause i knew the food alone would be amazing.  we had a lovely "boxed lunch" served in a galvanized tray with brown butcher paper (i so wanted to take this thing home), we had pickled okra, roasted potato wedges, 3 lovely triangles of assorted sandwiches (3/4 of a whole sandwich) a slaw that was amazing-something chipotle-ish, and a sugar cookie for dessert.  just the right size portions so that you were full, but not FULL.  i got a chance to chat with a a few people from the magazine, and they were blown away by the turnout and how much "everyday" people said they LOVED this magazine.  everyone said the same thing-that they thought the writing and the content was so different from other magazines, and you really wanted to read it cover to cover, even about the fly-rod maker in blue ridge that charges $2,000 minimum for hand crafted cane rods.  i always make notes from the magazine of places to visit and restaurants to try-what are you really liking these days. reality is that it's a VERY slow day at work and i managed to read the latest issue in it's entirety and i still have time to spare before i go home!!!!!

being thankful.

today's ten on tuesday was  a list of 10 things. i'm diverting from that route, and will just give thanks in general for the many blessings in my life.  i am very thankful to God for sustaining me and allowing my faith to become deeper.  it has not been an easy year, but He's put people in my life who never hesitate to tell me what i mean to them and that they love me. small words that have a huge impact.

2 things to share.

although i don't write letters as often as i should i think i found inspiration at this shop. having a scout mob coupon didn't hurt either.  i'll definitely be going back.

also this app, i had this on my i-phone4s, and now that i'm able to use steve's old iphone, i've added back this app. our IT guy at work got me hooked on this. if you are somewhere and you hear a song you want to remember, or just to see the title/artist, etc. it'll tell you! you can see the lyrics as they are being sung, and it stores them.  i've heard many in stores or the car, and i usually have to fumble for a pen and paper so i can search for it on i-tunes, well no more.  2 things i'm in love with right now and wanted to share.

morning regime.

-metro cream to counter the effects of using retin-a at night
-sunblock with spf 100+ and helioplex- mandated by my recent semi annual visit to the dermatologist who was NOT please with the continued sun damage that is showing on my nose.
-cetaphil moisturizer for the neck (gotta stop those signs of aging)
-amlactin-alpha-hydroxy lotion recommended by the derm. to help with dry skin on the legs (don't apply right after shaving-ouch, ouch, the burn).
-volumnizing shampoo- really who am i kidding, my hair is straight, flat and body-less-i'm really trying to embrace this idea.

right now i'm.

~reading blogs
~knitting
~on my 3rd cup of coffee
contemplating what time to leave for my bike ride (hoping for 7:45 departure and 30 miles)
~enjoying a day off-still up at my normal time, so that means EVERYONE (including sophie) are still sleeping
~looking forward to Brenda and Kathy coming over after lunch for some sewing
~using Steve's computer cause my laptop needs to be sent in for a repair to the mouse key
~wondering if I should get Hannah Fetig's newest book-SO cute!
~trying to get used to windows 8 (on Steve's computer)
~need to upload more photos to flickr-wonder if I have time before I leave?
~i'm trying NOT to give into the urge to dust the basement RIGHT now, but hopefully can squeeze it in later
~am very thankful to all of our veterans, and those who continue to serve our country

happy Monday y'all!

getting ready for christmas

this arrived in yesterday's mail from studio calico for the december 25 (i think), normally i'd just use what i had and wing it, but i couldn't resist signing up for this class that aside from the free kit above, would also include prompts and suggestions for documenting the holiday season.  i always need a little help since i spend so much of this time at work, and it's dark when i get home.  i'm really looking forward to reflecting on the holidays this year.

cables-destashing = happiness.

i feel like i've been a bit all over the place with my knitting. i have 2 socks that need the toe grafted, i'm half way through the foot of my current (and only) project.  i just got buttons for 4 projects that have been finished for a while, still need 1 more set. sweaters and a cowl that are perfect for the weather we're having, but have yet to wear anything cause of the lack of buttons (which really isn't much of an excuse, right?!).  i'll also point out that i have yet to sew on said buttons. i've been coveting cables and motifs (gnarled oak cardigan comes to mind), but i didn't want to start a sweater yet, or get into a real involved project.  i have stash yarn that needed to be used up, but i wanted cables-gosh darn it.  sooo, due to my inability to sleep on tuesday night/wednesday morning, i logged onto ravelry and got to searching.  i came up with this, this and this.  i think these 3 are going to knit up pretty quickly, i'm already 1/3 of the way through the headband. one of the cowls may become a gift as part of my 45/45 plan, not sure yet.  needless to say at this point i'm thrilled that i will have 5 skeins of yarn out of my stash, something warm for my head and neck, and my burning desire to do cables quenched! have been thinking about my 2013 knitting goals, and since i've been doing some de-stashing-donating-using the yarn i have, i'm headed in the right direction. for the rest of 2012, my goal is no WIPS, with the exception of this sweater which i hope to buy yarn for in december and work on over the holidays.

10 things on my mind right now.

1. the election-i voted early and am VERY glad i did.
2. how to keep warm while i'm cycling this winter, am looking at this and this.
3. am wanting to go to new york/new jersy to help those who have lost so much-having been thinking what their thanksgiving day is going to be like.
4. looking forward to yummy stuff for thanksgiving and other get togethers (while also keeping #3 in perspective).
5. am finding it hard to believe that i only have ONE project on the needles. have given up on the lacy cardi, and i'm donating all my leftover cotton. i had 3 items that i was going to frog, but i'm not even going to bother with that.
6. feeling overwhelmed by thinking about what projects i do want to start, simple single skein projects until after christmas? am going to get yarn at cast on cottage for this on dec. 2, and i need buttons for my graham cardigan. i plan to get some mad-tosh for the chandail, love that yarn!
7. i really need to de-clutter and purge-but wonder when's the best time to do this and what really needs to go?
8. will this be the year the falcons go all the way to the super bowl?
9. 2013 in general-what changes i'd like to make.
10. lunch-my tummy's growling!