Erika Hates Running...

What. A. Month.

2012-02-07T14:32:00.001-08:00

January included a car accident (no one was seriously injured just a sprained wrist for me), a resulting totalled car, car shopping, a full "to do" list at work, temperatures way above normal making it feel more like spring than the dead of winter, and the Super Bowl in my back yard.

All I can say is thank heavens it's February!!!

Today was a "rebuilding day" if you will, I was super productive at work, enjoyed my first yoga session in MONTHS!, and the plan for tonight is to put up the chicken broth I've had cooking all night and day, and some good old fashioned knitting!!

In the coming days I hope to share a few projects I've been working on and hope to learn what all of you have been up to!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T17:06:00.000-08:00

Get ready for a whole lot of posting in the coming days, weeks, months, etc...

The Never Ending Baby Sweater....

2011-12-05T18:01:00.000-08:00

So the story goes;

Dear friend tells me she's pregnant - YAH!

I tell dear friend I MUST make her baby a sweater - YAH!

Dear friend tells me she is having a boy and we decide I will knit a blue thick yummy sweater - YAH!

Dear friend tells me they are moving back to Wisconsin - BOO for me YAH for them!

I get sweater almost entirely finished in the appropriate size about a week after baby is born - YAH!

I run out of yarn and it is discontinued and it is a baby sweater so searching all over for yarn isn't really a viable option - BOO :( HOO :(

I restart sweater and am *this close* to finishing it- YAH!

Here is the latest sweater in yummy, squishy, organic cotton sweater! - YAH!

I promise to share more when it's finally done!

You Know It's the Holidays When...

2011-12-01T20:10:00.000-08:00

after work tonight I;

- made yummy chicken and noodles for dinner

- clean and froze 5lbs of blackberries that I got on KILLER sale

- did a trial run of homemade spicy hot chocolate

(to be favors and gifts in the weeks to come)

- did a trial run of moisturizing lemon sugar scrub

(to be favors and gifts in the weeks to come)

- made chocolate chip cookies to properly test said spicy hot chocolate

- started day one of the first round of bourbon balls for the year

- ran two loads of laundry

- ran two loads of dishes

- cleaned the kitchen

- finished decorating the inside of the house

- sent my husband out of a list of things for a party we are hosting this weekend

- took a picture of my cat being cute under the tree (that turned out to be not so good)

AND....

I still have like 50 million things to do on the to do list. This is why people started adding rum to eggnog!

Pictures, recipes, and relaxing knitting projects to share coming soon...

Ahh... Fall!!!

2011-11-14T18:16:00.000-08:00

This is most seriously my favorite time of the year! The cooler temperatures, grey skies, and sweet November rain!!

In the coming days and weeks I hope to get into the groove of posting again and sharing some of the fun stuff I've been up to. However, first, I need to get back into the general groove! It seems that the entire month of October and into the first of November have been nonstop. Thankfully, it has all been wonderful stuff!!

One the many things keeping me hopping this fall was the American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting. Each year public health professionals from around the world come together for a week to share the latest advances in public health practice. This year, the APHA and the Skoll Global Threats Fund released the first of its kind public health surveillance project contributed to by the general public for use by both public health and the community. The project is called FluNearYou and I encourage you to click on the link to the right and learn more about the project and join! If you join through this link you will be helping me to "compete" with other public health professionals for bragging rights (and cash!). So click around, let me know of questions you might have, and join the fun!

Here are a few pictures of my fall so far....enjoy!

A Few House Pictures ...

2011-09-22T20:30:00.000-07:00

... can be found on Shane and my blog at Shane&Erika

Enjoy!

Yep, Still Working on the House...

2011-09-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

... and working and working and working... but it looks a lot more like us and I have started actually cooking again! Which means I will get back into the swing of blogging very soon! Thank you for bearing with me.

What have you been up to?!

Don't Mind Me... I'm Just Painting...

2011-08-22T17:11:00.000-07:00

... and cleaning, and unpacking, and generally trying to make our house truly "ours". While I don't have any before and after pictures (yet), I can assure you I have been busy making the house a little cleaner, more modern, and yet still cozy.

Sadly, my plants have suffered during the move and I am pretty much just trying to keep them alive and producing.

We do have recyclying here which is wonderful! We just pop all of our recylables in the bin and every other week they are taken with what trash we have left. I am hoping between recyling and our compost bin we won't have much in the way of trash.

So, that's us. I promise to have before and after pictures, homesteading adventures, and much more to share very soon!

I Promise...

2011-07-25T18:41:00.000-07:00

I'm still here!

We are in the process of buying a house here in Indy. We close on Thursday and we are so excited to be in our own home again with space to relax, create, enjoy each other, and simply live. I will share more about the house once we get settled but for now, it's a 2,225 sqft, 4 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom, ranch on half an acre in a subdivision.

The lot is nicely shaded but there is a corner that will make for a beautiful garden next summer and house our potted garden for the rest of this summer well. We are also considering adding blueberries and/or apple trees this fall. I am hoping to grow our family by a few angora bunnies in the spring for spinning and knitting fuzz and if I can determine if anyone else has them.... maybe a chicken or two???

In recent weeks I have been busy packing but have squeezed in making my own laundry detergent, my own honey almond butter, and knitting on an overdue baby sweater. So once, things settle down (or I need a break from the moving, painting, and organizing process) I'll have loads to share!

Until then, happy living!

It's been FAR, FAR, FAR too long...

2011-06-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

... since I have knit... and I NEED to knit... so I am off to knit but I have so much to share! Tomorrow...

Strawberry Jam ~ Post II ~ The Good Stuff

2011-06-22T18:02:00.000-07:00

Before I share the good stuff I want to apologize for the delay. It has been a wild few weeks including a new job for me! I will stay with the state health department, in the same division, but in a new and exciting and kinda scary (in a fun way) role! Yippee!!!!

Okay, as promised, my first strawberry jam making experience!

I tend to consider us "urban homesteaders in training". As I have mentioned before this has developed over time as I want to live a more environmentally respectful and purposeful life and my dear husband Shane, is preparing for the zombie apocalypse so, it works well for both of us! As a result, I have a growing interest in canning and preserving the food we grow or buy locally when in season. At present, I am a.) petrified of ruining perfectly good food and b.) killing us with a mutant form of botulism. So, when the Whole Living Magazine came with a super easy recipe for strawberry jam after I had just talked to a friend about freezing canning, AND I had strawberries that would go bad before Shane could eat them while I was on my work trip it seemed like the perfect chance to try a few new things.

The recipe is as follows;

- 1lb of hulled strawberries mashed

- 1/2 cup of sugar (or another substitute like honey or agave nectar)

The process is as follows;

- combine ingredients.

- heat on medium for about 15-20 minutes until bubbly.

- skim foam and discard (or compost!)

- ladle into jars, label and store.

* The jam can be refrigerated for up to a week and frozen for up to a year.

That's it!!!!!

I actually doubled the recipe and my "jam" came out a tad more like thick and chunky strawberry syrup which is still lovely and has been enjoyed on ice cream and scones! I also froze mine so that we could enjoy it when I got home from my trip. After my little experiment I learned that strawberry is a low pectin fruit and I probably didn't mash them up well enough to bring out enough of the natural pectin in the berries so it wasn't as "jammy". So this weekend I plan to try another batch of jam and add pectin thanks to a little internet research.

I have also been freezing (and using) my bountiful herb crop which I will share in another post very soon!

Strawberry Jam ~ Post I ~ Leaving on a Jetplane

2011-06-03T07:44:00.001-07:00

I am flying to Atlanta for a conference for work in about three and a half hours so why not start strawberry jam, right?! RIGHT!

Thanks to groupon, I started subscribing to Whole Living Magazine and this month they have an article about CSAs and eating local that included recipes for summer season eating. One of the recipes was for a very simple strawberry jam that can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen. I have strawberries that will likely go bad before I get back on Monday evening. So, there you have it, jam!

I promise to post pictures, the recipe, and how yummy it was as soon as I get home. Until then, have a peaceful weekend!

Meatless Monday ~ Cheese, Crackers, & Fruit

2011-05-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

I promise I will get better about taking pictures! For someone that loves photography I seem to be terrible about taking and sharing pictures lately! So, pictures to come, promise!

Tonight's Meatless Monday meal came about because this past weekend was our wedding anniversary and we had gone away for the weekend and came back after yummy food and being super lazy to not really feeling like a heavy meal and not really feeling like cooking. So we had a simple meal of strawberries, grapes, blackberries, kashi sesame honey crackers, and medium cheddar cheese. Super yummy, super simple, and very pretty if I do say so myself!

Upon arriving home I went out and watered our patio garden and found that it is doing really well! All the plants are growing and growing! The basil is still a little smaller than what I remember it being last year so I think I might switch it's location to up on the rail instead of across the riser benches. Here's a wee picture of the final second phase of our patio garden this year. This year's garden includes; sage, rosemary, thyme, basil, green peppers, jalapenos, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Hopefully, we'll start seeing the beginning of veggies very soon!

Green Things in the Garden - Phase I

2011-05-08T18:22:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

In between calling our mothers and relaxing a little on this lazy Sunday, I moved some of the seedlings and plants into their new home on the patio garden, well, until I ran out of soil!

Today I was able to plant the sage, rosemary, thyme, tomatoes, cucumbers, and sweet peppers. Later this week once I get more soil, I will add jalapenos, basil, and catnip. I also need to rearrange some things to make sure everything gets plenty of sun and works on growing strong.

Along the same lines, the compost is coming along. It has been super wet here and I had been adding fairly moist scraps so I have been adding dry brown layers more frequently. It looks like things are coming along and it is a "good" smell and not a bad smell and while there some fruit flies and a few ants I think things are coming along well. Hopefully, this means I'll have a little good compost to add towards the end of the growing season to finish things off nicely and support the herbs when they move in for the winter.

While I am not a huge summer fan, I do love seeing the little green sprouts getting bigger and bigger and producing yummy things!

Goings On...

2011-05-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

To say it has been busy here is an understatement... yet, not all busy is fussy or bad busy. In fact, I have been working on consciously trying to do some busy things that are fulfilling, fun, and bring peace in their busy-ness.

In mid April, I had girlfriends in town and got my braces off! We have been enjoying Meatless Mondays with yummy recipes from friends, new finds from old cookbooks (like Cuban Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans)... although, it's been blissfully rainy so not so much walking but we have taken some more time to just sit and talk which is lovely! This past weekend my mom taught me to properly use my drop spindle so I have been making yarn! Seriously, MAKING yarn?!!!! We also got plants and some planting supplies so today, one of my state holidays off, I will be getting our little patio garden planted although, I think the seedlings might need a few more days inside so they will continue to grow in their little window sill until this weekend.

So, all this is to say that a.) I need to take more pictures to share and b.) busy doesn't always have to be a bad word. What have you been busy with as spring arrives?

Happy Earth Day!

2011-04-22T07:14:00.000-07:00

Let Earth Day Be Every Day!

I am off of work today for Good Friday so while I would like to stay home all day and not drive, it is one of the few opportunities that I to run errands and make appointments that usually can't be made on weekends. So I clustered them together to avoid back and forth trips out to save emissions and gas. Today is also compost turning day and chicken stock making day so, we are reusing as much of our food waste as possible. Finally, I am trying an eco friendly salon for the first time today for my cut and color. Oh, and you can't forget the free tea I'll be grabbing at Starbcucks by bringing my own reusable mug with me!

While these are little things, they add up over time to do big things for our planet and ourselves.

What are you doing for the Earth today?

Chocolate Covered Craisins

2011-04-10T17:35:00.000-07:00

So today we were doing our weekly grocery store run and I'm grabbing a few staples in the produce section; the usual carrots, cucumbers, peppers, etc and dreaming of this summer when our little garden will start to produce some of these things for us and I stopped dead in my tracks. There on a display in the center of the section, where these...

So I grabbed a bag and after just a very small handful after dinner, I. Am. Hooked.!!!! With that said, I still have to be very mindful of the portion size because they are after all.. chocolate covered! Yum! Thankfully (or maybe not), they are limited edition.

Meatless Monday ~ Veggie Stuffed Shells

2011-04-04T15:39:00.000-07:00

This is our second official Meatless Monday. In an effort to ease a certain beloved meat eater (Shane), into this new way of eating, I have been focusing on pasta dishes initially. Last week we had baked pasta. I essentially used leftover pasta of various shapes and sizes, pasta sauce, and goat and mozzarella cheese. It was pretty good and something that we usually have with ground beef mixed in so it was an easy "transitional" meal, if you will. This week we are having veggie and cheese stuffed shells and then next week we'll start actually having a little more fun.

This week's recipe comes from kraft.com . I find that they have good recipes for me to "jump off" from, from time to time. In this case, I actually got it from a friend and was pretty happy with the whole thing. You can access the recipe from here .

The Verdict?

It was okay. Okay enough that I will make it again with some modifications. I think I'll use part skim ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese and not use the red peppers because while they are yummy the texture was a little off. I think I'll also use Italian seasoning including some fresh herbs instead of the salad dressing packet. So really, I'll just do it my own way... he he...

I apologize for the terrible picture but we were so very hungry tonight and there wasn't a lot of time for artistry. As you can see I served it with crusty sourdough and olive oil with herbs (YUM!).

Little Green Things

2011-04-02T14:49:00.001-07:00

I will post a little something more substantial very soon but I wanted to share a few pictures of our seeds sprouting from this week. Aren't they cute?!

Healthy Environment, Healthy Us

2011-03-27T14:55:00.000-07:00

Since this started out as a healthy living blog and because I feel pretty strongly that environmental health and human health are strongly intertwined, I thought I would focus this post (and hopefully many more to come), on efforts we are undertaking in the way of health that I hope is also making our planet a wee bit healthier too...

Tomorrow, we will start participating in the Meatless Monday movement and then after dinner evening walks.

The idea behind Meatless Monday, is that by choosing to not eat meat just one day a week, we are improving our health and decreasing our carbon footprint. It also gives me a chance to whip out a few of my favorite vegetarian and vegan recipes and learn some new ones! I also plan to share what we are eating for Meatless Monday and potentially a few recipes too! Long term, my hope is that we will eat less meat overall, but with respect for my hard core carnivore husband, we are starting small and I am thrilled with that.. for now :)

Typically, I workout alone. I find that I can focus better on my efforts if I go it alone. However, Shane and I like to swim and take the occasional walk together so we decided in order to benefit us both physically and help us become a little more connected to the nature around us we would try and do a nightly, post dinner, walk. So it allows me to get in a tad more cardio along with my usual routine and give us a chance to spend a little more quality time together in a very healthy way.

So look for Meatless Monday posts and I promise, more pictures! Are you starting anything new this week?

Patience

2011-03-20T07:52:00.000-07:00

I am not what you would call a patient person... I hate to wait. Not in a rude or naggy (well, most of the time) kind of way, but in an expectant, excited way. This might also come from the fact that I tend to be a planner. I like to know what the next step is so that I can plan accordingly.

The last few months Shane and I have been trying to decide if we should buy or build our next home. We are 99% sure we are going to find land and build an eco-friendly home "out in the country" or as "out in the country" as possible given the fact that we are planning to stay near Indianapolis. So, we have also decided to continue in our apartment for a little longer to save money, learn more about green building and design, etc... So, as a result, I am trying to a.) do the best that I can to learn self sufficient and environmentally friendly homekeeping with the limitations found in apartment living, and b.) try and remain patient! Eek!

So over the past few weeks as spring is springing up I have;

- planned this years patio/container garden and started seeds for; cucumber, sweet peppers,tomato, hot peppers, basil, catnip, cilantro, sage, and nasturshum. I am also planning to buy tomato, rosemary, and thyme plants in the coming weeks.

Last year's basil after a summer rainstorm.

- started a compost bin using these directions from ehow.com ,

Yummy?!

- attempted twice now to start sourdough starter. I think that my problem here was using too small of a mason jar. I cleaned up a larger jar and will restart it today. And of course, try and remain patient while I try and not fail at a "no fail recipe" that has worked for centuries!

It was so pretty and smelled so good before I failed it.

All of these endeavours have me, for the time being, waiting, watching, tending, and ultimately, trying to learn patience, while I wait for the seeds to grow, the compost to compost, and the sourdough to hopefully, finally, work and bring yummy bread!

Okay... time for some patience in the form of yoga!

Sustainability, Urban Homesteading, Being Crunchy...

2011-03-11T19:26:00.000-08:00

... whatever you want to call it, we are working towards being kinder to the earth and kinder to ourselves in the process. My husband tends to be somewhat of an armchair survivalist and I feel very strongly that we are caretakers of our planet so all that we do works and makes sense for us.

While we have long term plans to hopefully live off-grid with the assistance of active and passive solar and potentially wind power (along with a few other associated goals), we are currently living in an suburban apartment that puts some limits on our efforts.

Currently we;

- have a small patio vegetable and herb garden in the summer. This year we are planning to try and keep the herbs going indoors year round and can and freeze and leftovers from our garden,
- are learning to cook more from scratch and preserve/store extras,
- are learning to make cleaning supplies,
- using cloth bags for shopping and recycling or reusing any plastic bags that we might get,
- moving towards a more flexitarian diet (easy for me, harder for the husband),
- opting into our energy company's green initiative at 100%,
- paying all of our bills online and/or with paperless bill pay.

Surely, I am missing other things too but these are a few of the more conscious efforts we have undertaken. In addition, we are always looking at what else we can do, given our limitations, to be more aware of impact on the planet.

This weekend's projects include shopping for seeds and starting those that have longer harvest times and starting our very first compost bin!

What efforts, small or large, do you engage in to keep yourself and our earth healthy?

Happy Birthday & A Handknit Dice Bag

2011-03-09T14:15:00.000-08:00

Today is my dear husband Shane's birthday. We are celebrating with his favorite pizza, beer (well, I'm going to enjoy some cider), and brownies!

About once a month or so we go to Bloomington and game with friends (well, I knit and try and game), and I decided we needed a nicer and more handy way to transport dice. After searching for a basic pattern on ravelry, I decided just to wing it! I knit it in scrap fisherman's wool and it only took me about an hour or so. The following is the super, duper, easy pattern that can be easily modified for lager or smaller drawstring bags for whatever you might find them handy for.

Erika's Dice Bag Formula (knit)
- Scrap Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool or other worsted weight yarn
- US Size 8 straight needles
- Tapestry Needle

1.) Cast on 20 stitches using your favorite cast on method.
2.) Work in knit stitch to your desired bag height (I knit 12 inches).
3.) Cast off and weave in ends.
4.) Fold the work so that the right side faces in and sew up both long ends.
5.) Weave scrap yarn about 2 rows down from the top opening on each side.
6.) Enjoy!

In upcoming posts I plan to share my garden plans and love of Greek yogurt!

Feeling Accomplished!

2011-03-06T17:25:00.000-08:00

I feel pretty good about my weekend. There were a few "offline" things I wanted to accomplish this weekend too and all but one of those I was able to cross off my list!

Here's a little review of what I had wanted to accomplish at the start of this first sweet weekend of March!

- Clean apartment (check!)

- Catch up on laundry (check!)

- Re-organize my coupons (check!)

- Make progress on my fellowship application (notsomuch)

- Plan this year's container/porch garden (check!)

- Make progress on the Shadowbox (knitting project) (check!)

- Do a little sewing (notsomuch)

I plan to share some of the accomplishments (well the fun ones!) with you very soon! So what did you do this weekend?!

High Hopes

2011-03-04T19:18:00.000-08:00

Admittedly, fall is my favorite season of them all but there is such a beautiful kind of hope that comes with spring! While we occasionally get a few (or sometimes LOTS more) snow flakes in March, in Indiana, it's arrival signals spring and all it's possibilities.

The last several weekends we have been busy with all kinds of fun stuff; celebrating my father in law's retirement, a beautiful date day to Marengo, and a road trip with girlfriends. So this weekend we have decided to stay at home and regroup some. I am looking at this as an opportunity to accomplish (or at least make a dent) in the following;

- Clean apartment

- Catch up on laundry

- Re-organize my coupons

- Make progress on my fellowship application

- Plan this year's container/porch garden

- Make progress on the Shadowbox (knitting project)

- Do a little sewing

... and of course some good old fashion relaxation. So we shall see how much I actually get done. What are you planning for this first weekend of March?!

Rockin' the Michael Jackson Experience

2011-03-01T17:48:00.000-08:00

Contrary to the title of this blog, I do like to workout, move my body, and maybe, just maybe... feel the burn. While I am not a runner and thanks to genetically inferior feet, never will be, I love biking, hiking, I LOVE swimming, and I have always had fun dancing.

I started ballet at the age of three and kept up with it adding tap and jazz, for 10 years before committing full time to swimming. In high school I was in the show choir and on the dance team and have always enjoyed the fun and art that is dance.

So fast forward to Christmas vacation this year when I got the Michael Jackson Experience for wii. When I was little I knew all of Mr. Jackson's moves and would even make up my own dances to his songs so I thought, this will be cake! Yeah, right! It kicked my butt and it has been kicking my butt in a very good, fun, and often sweaty way whenever I play ever since. So, as a result, it has become part of my regular workout routine. It's great because I can do as many or as few songs as I want, I then combine it with strength training, yoga, or some other cardio or if I'm short on time just stop after a few.
Yes, I look silly. Yes, I have been known to kick my husband and cat out of the room while I do it. Yes, I have a great time and get my heart rate every time, and ya know what, it NEVER feels like a boring workout!

I've heard lots of friends say that they use wii games, other than wii fit, as their primary workout or as part of a workout routine. What about you? Do you use video games as your workout? Which ones are your favorites?

Simply E Photography

2011-02-15T19:24:00.000-08:00

From the time I was about 4 or 5 years old and my dad first handed me his old 35mm Nikon with its heavy lens and woven neck strap I have loved playing with cameras and experimenting with photography. In particular, I enjoy playing with composition and creating abstract images from the world around me.

While I have never received any formal training, I have been honored with lots of requests to take pictures for friends and family for everything from maternity pictures, to new babies, to senior pictures, weddings, and everything in between! I have had a lot of fun doing it and over the past year my little hobby has turned into a little photography business, Simply E Photography .

So pop on over to the blog at simplyephotography.blogspot.com or visit us on Facebook and give me your feedback. If you are interested in booking me there is contact information on both of those pages.

The Very Best Valentine!

2011-02-14T17:53:00.000-08:00

Shane and I don't really celebrate Valentine's Day in a big way but I am a hopeless fool for Valentine's Day so I am wishing all of you a wonderful Valentine's Day and giving my Valentine an extra hug and a kiss!

Look at these two cute kids... so totally in love!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Namste

2011-02-09T16:23:00.000-08:00

Image courtesy of Life Is Good

Brrr!

2011-02-08T18:38:00.000-08:00

I love cold winter nights spent clicking needles and chatting with my wonderful knitting group just as much as the next gal but "high" temperatures in the teens is TOO cold!!

Brr!!!

Yep... I know the difference...

2011-02-04T16:26:00.000-08:00

between Wednesday and Thursday...

Let's keep my little "oops" between friends and chalk it up to another consequence of inches of ice falling from the sky and keeping me stuck (mostly) inside for two days :)

Wordless Wednesday ~ Warm & Cozy Bunny Yarn

2011-02-03T18:57:00.000-08:00

Any ideas of what I can make with one skein of this?

More Images From Icepocolypse

2011-02-02T06:14:00.000-08:00

Thankfully, we did not lose power at all during the second round of the storm and reports so far from family and friends indicate that everyone is safe and mostly warm. So, I thought I would share a few more pictures from the storm.

Macabean riding out the storm all snuggled up in bed.

Shane's truck glazed in ice.

Tree branches laden with ice. So beautiful!

The treeline as the second wave began to come through.

Icepocolypse, Snowzilla, Snowmagedon...

2011-02-01T11:16:00.000-08:00

... whatever you call it, the weather here in the midwest, specifically Indianapolis, is icy!!

Thankfully, we are warm, safe, and snug and so are our loved ones. So we are able to enjoy the beauty that comes from a world blanketed in ice.

Nati = Frogged

2011-01-30T08:11:00.000-08:00

The story of my Nati sweater goes like this...

I wanted a simple, warm, and cute sweater for the cold Indiana winter and a pattern that I could potentially make for gifts. The Nati sweater seemed like the perfect pattern (and it might still be) because it met all of the above criteria and was knit on big needles and is a simple pattern so it would be something to do in between other projects. So way back in September of 2009 I cast on and made big progress and then got distracted by other projects both knitting and otherwise. This winter I picked it back up and got within about 9 inches of finishing and ran out of yarn! Fast forward to last weekend. I miraculously found more yarn in the correct dye lot and finished it up...

and it didn't fit!!!

Image courtesy of ravelry.com

Since it seems that I am a comedy of errors lately, I have learned to try and figure out where I went wrong and how to fix it. I determined that the sweater was too big because a.) I have lost weight and b.) I made a miscalculation when I was modifying the pattern a size up.

With that learned, I am frogging my Nati and putting it back in my knitting cue for next fall to be attempted again.

So why the post about it? Well the answer is simple, I am a perfectionist and I need to learn that it's okay to make mistakes... The world didn't end, no one was hurt, the world didn't stop spinning, and I am still here to knit another day.

So lesson learned... mostly... I hope...

As promised.. A Recipe

2011-01-27T17:09:00.000-08:00

We are still staying warm and snug here!

There is nothing yummier on a cold, cold day than hot soup! Soup is generally pretty healthy when homemade, filling, makes great leftovers, and really warms you up on a cold day. At our house we pretty much live on soup in the winter months. Most of my favorites are loosely based on recipes I've either been given or stumbled upon and include vegetable, black bean, and great northern beans.

I'm going to share my version of Great Northern Bean Soup.

Ingredients

- 1 1lb bag of dry great northern beans

- 1 small to medium white onion diced

- 1 - 2 cups (depending on taste) diced low sodium ham

- 1 twist of a grinder of sea salt

- Pepper to taste

- 1 splash of Worcesteshire Sauce (because my dad claims that it makes everything better)

How To

- Quick soak the dry beans using the following method;

- In a large soup pot boil beans for 3 minutes.

- Cover the beans and set them aside in the water they were boiled in for two hours.

- Drain the beans and rinse them with lukewarm water.

- Add the beans and remaining contents to a 5- 6 quart crockpot.

- Add enough fresh water to just cover the beans.

- Cook on low for 8- 10 hours

- Serve with warm cornbread.

We'll actually be enjoying this great soup this coming weekend while we enjoy all the fluffy white stuff we are forecasted to get. Ahh... good stuff!

Warm Things

2011-01-14T16:28:00.000-08:00

I sincerely meant to post a few more times this week however, we ended up having an unexpectedly busy week. However, we were helping friends so it was a good kind of busy.

Having a rather busy week also means that I didn't get as much knitting done this week as I had hoped. So my soft, warm, and snuggly shadow box is still in progress. However, it looks like I'll have a good deal of knitting time over the next few days so hopefully, it will grow and I will be living in it soon :)

I'm still sorting through my favorite warm, comfort type recipes so I hope to be posting more of those in the coming days. For now, I'll leave you with a pretty picture of the snow outside of our apartment!

January Knitting

2011-01-10T16:11:00.000-08:00

There is something so sweet and so wonderful about cold winter nights. I get to come home from work, do a little yoga, catch up with my students, make dinner (or let the crockpot do it!), and knit the night away. Ahhh!

Since the Christmas knitting is finished up I have been working on the Shadow Box [ ] cowl/poncho pattern found on ravelry in addition to bulking up my supply of dishrags for myself and for gifts that come up. I have also been planning out baby knitting for several babies due over the summer and early fall.

So, in the next couple of days I'll try and share a few favorite crockpot recipes and knitting patterns to share the warmth.

So what fun things do you like to do on cold winter nights?!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T08:07:00.000-08:00

I started the day off with a 2 mile run/walk (I walked of course!) in the beautiful and unseasonably warm day in Indiana January morning followed by a nice little yoga practice and now for some relaxing with my husband and kitty.

I wish you all a healthy, happy, and prosperous new year!

It's Cowl Weather!

2010-12-13T14:51:00.000-08:00

Today, at a whopping 2 degrees outside my window, I declared today, a Cowl Day!

In addition to my Smartwool socks, cords, and sweater, I rocked the cowl that you see in the picture to your right. It was super duper warm and kept me cozy at my desk all day. In addition, I got lots of compliments and requests for one from my non-knitter friends. This inspired me to reassess my knitting "to do" list. I have a few Christmas gifts to finish up in the coming weeks but once those super secret projects are finished up I'll get to working on another cowl or two.

Against my cold natured nature, I registered for a 2, 4, or 6 mile run/walk on New Years Day morning. The idea is that you can get your training/exercise in early with a fun group of folks in beautiful downtown Indianapolis. The other cool thing about the event is that you can choose which mileage you get in. I have done it before and had a wonderful time but brr!!!! Due to this "brr factor" my walking buddy and I are only doing 2 miles but it will be a fun 2 miles!!!

So how are you doing on your Christmas and New Years preparations?

Wordless Wednesday ~ World AIDS Day

2010-12-01T19:46:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T08:38:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you enjoy a warm, safe, and peaceful holiday with those that you love!

Wordless Wednesday ~ One Week Post Denver Edition

2010-11-17T19:50:00.001-08:00

I Love Pumpkins!

2010-10-24T15:42:00.000-07:00

So one of my favorite things about fall is the return of the pumpkin! I have always loved pumpkins as evidence by a really adorable picture of me from when I was about 2 or 3 hugging a giant pumpkin with a big smile on my face. While I can't seem to locate the picture, I assure it has made the rounds.

I don't tend to like to carve them however, I do enjoy pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, etc... which makes this time of year absolutely wonderful!

Yesterday, Shane and I visited Tuttles Orchards, a you pick it farm, about half an hour from our apartment. We picked apples, our pumpkins, and got some local honey and apple cider from the farm store. It was a perfect day with my adorable husband and my favorite little orange friends!

... and a few extra little beautiful things we saw along the way...

My Favorite Time of the Year!

2010-10-17T18:09:00.000-07:00

There are no words to describe how much I love fall! I love pumpkin in all its forms, sweats and snuggly woolies, the way Macabean curls up with us in the morning to stay warm, the leaves changing colors, and trips to the orchard and pumpkin patch! Really, I could keep going on and on and on!

Sadly, the temperatures here in Indiana have been in the 70s and 80s instead of the 50s and 60s but the weatherman promises that "real" fall weather is coming and we have just been enjoying all of our fall favorites anyway!

I will have some more pictures in the coming days however, I have been knitting when I am able between the day to day stuff and I recently got a sewing machine and learned how to use it. Up until now I have always hand sewn. The machine makes things so much faster! So again, more to come..

Yoga, Yarn, and Fall is Finally Coming....

2010-09-07T16:58:00.000-07:00

So my words for this fall are; calm, breathe, and enjoy! I love fall so much and every year I get more and more excited for cozy sweaters, apple cider slushies, and that crispy smell in the air!

So, we start with yoga! I have always enjoyed the stretch, strength, and breathing involved with yoga and since moving to Indy 4 years ago, I really haven't found a yoga home. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and go the DVD route. Thus far, I have been enjoying a lot of Rodney Yee videos from Gaiam. They are the closest thing I have found to being in an actual study class in DVD form. Ahh.. yoga!

On to yarn... As promised, below are pictures of the slightly modified Marian cowls that I have been clicking out in no time flat. I also included a little picture of the grey alpaca shawl I have been working on nearly all summer. I think it is almost ready to bind off thanks to finishing several rows on our overnight to French Lick Springs Resort this past weekend....

Which brings me to fall (again)! We welcomed fall this Labor Day weekend by visiting French Lick Springs Resort. It is a beautiful historical resort that was brought back to life by a revitalization project in 2006. I highly recommend it for completely relaxation!

So there you have it.... a good start to my fall of calm, breathing, and enjoying!!

I, I, I'm Still Alive.....

2010-08-27T19:40:00.001-07:00

I really, really am!

It has been fantastically busy here the past few weeks with the normal work, teaching/school, and day to day stuff as well as some fun stuff like celebrating the birthday's of some of my dear friends little ones, and enjoying a trip to the state fair.

I really need to take some pictures of the original Marian cowl that I finished and the new one that I am making for a dear friend of my sister in laws that gifted me some wonderful yarn. Both are knit using a slight modification of the original pattern and are absolutely beautiful! So pictures to come, I promise!

Our weather has been wonderful with a touch of fall in the air and I am so sad that tomorrow it's going back up to the 90s!

PS... can you tell I adore Pearl Jam?!

Finished ~ Marian Cowl

2010-08-10T18:12:00.000-07:00

I had a fantastic knitting group tonight with my amazing knitting group and in the process I finished my Marian Cowl. I haven't had a chance to take pictures yet but rest assured, they are coming....

Finished ~ Sweater Quest

2010-07-31T08:54:00.001-07:00

First and foremost, what do you think of the new look? Thanks to Blogger my little pixel stash is looking a little fresher. I love dandelions so this fun for the dog days of summer but as a fall filly I can't wait to switch it to something a little more warm and cozy for the crisp days ahead... ahh Autumn how I miss you!

So on to the book! I actually ran across "Sweater Quest" by Adrienne Martini on one of my many plane trips to and from Baltimore in the Southwest Airlines magazine. I was so intrigued I looked all over the book stores in the airport when I landed to see if I could start reading it immediately but alas, I had to wait until I got home to hit my local bookstore.

So over the last few months, much like many knitting projects and other crafty endeavours, I put it down and picked it up and today I finished it! I won't go into a whole official type book report or review however, I do encourage you to read it, even if you are not a knitter or even particularly crafty because, it's truly about the journey. The take home message for me as a fairly new knitter and not a terribly adventurous one at that I learned two things, 1.) just do it! and 2.) the process of knitting is unique to each person and that rocks! So again, without going into all the reasons I love the book read it :)

I hope to have some fun garden and project pictures soon... stay tuned.

Soo... & Lists!

2010-07-13T18:06:00.000-07:00

No pumpkin :( It was a dud but I have lots of blossoms so hopefully soon one will turn into a beautiful pumpkin. Oh, how I love pumpkins!!!

However, I am working this week on list making. I am a serious lover of lists! So I will share with you a list of lists that I will be making to help me get organized and accomplish goals I have set for myself now that the class I was teaching is over and my nights are my own while I wait to see if I am hired as a regular instructor. So without further ado...my list of lists :)
- General to do list (of course!)
- Handmade Holiday list - I am going to try and either make or buy local all the gifts I will be giving this year.
- Clothing Basics List - I am trying to work on editing and updating my wardrobe and as such want to ensure that I have good quality pieces in my closet so I look as pulled together as I want to look!
- To sell - I am working on trying to sell some things... my old cameras, some handbags, etc. and I want to get together a price list and get them posted on craigslist, et all.

Yep, that's about it... in addition, I am going to work on getting our apartment a little more organized because it is driving my neurotic self nuts!

So are you also a lover of lists?!

We might just have a pumpkin!

2010-07-05T17:17:00.000-07:00

When I went to water the garden today I noticed that I have a super, teeny, tiny little pale orange pumpkin growing on the long vine of the pumpkin plant!!! I yelled and screamed for Shane like it was going to run away from me or something. I have several other blossoms growing on the vine and want to wait to trim them all off until the little one gets a slightly larger. Oh how I want to grow a pumpkin!!!! Pictures to come.

One of My Favorite Things!

2010-06-15T17:17:00.000-07:00

I love storms... LOVE them!!! So I am not super sad that we have had so many amazing pop up thunderstorms here in Indiana lately. Don't get me wrong, I like the beauty and peace of the storms but I do not want people hurt or their property to be damaged. So with that... some pretty pictures!

World Cup 2010

2010-06-13T12:38:00.001-07:00

I promise to post something a little more substantial very soon however, I just had to share how totally stoked I am that it's World Cup time once again! As an American without cable, I have my viewing schedule for ABC bookmarked and my husband warned. I have also recently become addicted to the US soccer blog, The Yanks Are Coming . So while yesterdays game between the US and England had me praying for, and getting, a tie, I feel like I'll be holding my breathe for the next 3+ weeks to see who comes out the winner of this celebration of the beautiful game!

Until then... Go USA... and England!!!!! (what can I say, I'm a fan conflicted).

Ahh.... swimming!!!

2010-06-01T16:53:00.000-07:00

I was a distance swimmer in high school and while I wasn't great, I was pretty darn good. Maybe, it's because there aren't a whole lot of distance swimmers in high school? Anyway, I love to swim and I love to just get in the water and zone out. Plus, it's a fantastic workout!

In an effort to save money we only swim in the summer at our apartment complex's little recreation pool. There are no lap lanes (or laps for that matter) and there are almost always a bunch of kids there but we enjoy our time in the pool nonetheless. I take my kickboard and goggles and just swim. I have a feeling we may eventually break down and get a Y or other pool type membership but for the time being, the apartment pool is where it's at.

Today was our first visit to the pool. It felt fantastic to just get in the water and go! We were only there for about 20 minutes because a birthday party was going on and the pool was starting to fill up but it was great! Ahh... here's to another summer at the pool!

Signs of Summer...

2010-05-31T08:34:00.001-07:00

In general, I'm not a huge fan of summer. I have fair skin that I like to keep that way so I am constantly covering up and slathering on loads of sunscreen. I also really don't like being hot, sticky, smelly, or again, sunburned. However, I do enjoy summer rain and thunderstorms, fresh green growing things, and picnics and cookouts with those that I love.

So as summer approaches I thought I might share how summer is peeping through in my little corner of the world....

My little container garden growing on our tiny porch.

The beautiful basil growing and soaking up a little rainwater.
Mmmm... berries!!!!
A little picnic at the winery with my amazing husband.
..... let summer begin...

Tomatoes!

2010-05-28T15:27:00.001-07:00

I promise to put some pictures and proper update up very soon however, I just had to share that my tomato plant has 9 almost 10 little green tomatoes growing!!! While the rainy, humid weather has rotted my strawberries, it has made the tomato plants very happy and for that I am a happy little novice gardener!

Repotting & A Bunny

2010-05-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

So today was the day. I repotted the seedlings. So now the cilantro, basil, rosemary, thyme, sage, catnip, nasthursum, and pumpkin are all in planters on the porch joining the tomato and strawberries. They look like they are doing okay so far soaking up the sun and organic potting soil. I on the other hand am freaking out that I have killed them... Like I said, as long as I am able to cultivate and keep the herbs I will be a very happy camper! So we shall see...

I am also working on knitting a bunny!

So hopefully, I'll have pictures and a report on the health of the little green dudes soon.

Good (Spring) Things

2010-05-09T16:29:00.000-07:00

There are so many good things to share, where to start?!

We'll start with the garden! My little garden is growing! Outside the strawberries have a few berries starting to grow so I have added some parchment paper under them to help prevent rotting and support their growth. Also outside, the tomatoes are budding but there is no fruit as of yet. Inside, the sage, rosemary, thyme, cilantro, basil, nasturtium, catnip, and pumpkins are all growing nicely with the help of the new little garden gnome that I knit. I am by no means confident in my skills as a gardener however, the plants keep growing so I must be doing something right, right?! This coming weekend I hope to start repotting the little ones and taking them outside.
As noted, I finished knitting my little garden gnome! I knit him using Lion Brand organic cotton making him soft and earth friendly! I plan to make more as gifts and try the bunny also from the Plain and Simple Living blog.
This past Friday, Shane and I went to the Pearl Jam concert for our date night and wow, was it amazing! I can't truly put it into words but rest assured, it was that good! I also fell in love with the opening band, Band of Horses.
Finally, I can't not post the preciousness that is my cat, Macabean. We pester him all the time with snuggles, kitty kisses, and all kinds of love that, as a cat, he really doesn't appreciate :)

Good Things Are Coming...

2010-05-02T18:36:00.000-07:00

I promise I have some beautiful pictures of our growing garden and my newly knit gnome! However, my camera is in Indiana and I am in Washington DC for work. So pictures will be coming soon. Have a great week!

My Garden Needs a Gnome!

2010-04-21T14:20:00.000-07:00

I returned home today after travelling for work and found that the;
- strawberry plant had 5 buds/flowers.
- tomato plant had 4-5 buds/flowers.
- cilantro had sprouted about 2 inches.
- basil is growing too
- pumpkin I thought was a dud has started to grow a bit!!

I also got seeds and an organic starter set for; sage, rosemary, thyme, catnip, nastursum, and pumpkin (thinking the last pumpkin seeds weren't going to work out) and got them all started.

I really hope that at the very least the herbs survive, do well, and keep me from buying fresh herbs, which gets super duper expensive as much as we use them. This is my first time gardening since I was little with my mom and I feel like the entire process is a HUGE gamble. So to help my little garden grow (or mostly because I want a good excuse to make one), I have decided to knit a gnome!

The pattern can be found here . While you are there for the pattern, enjoy the rest of the blog! The family is such an inspiritaion to those seeking to live a more simple and earth friendly life.

I will work on getting some pictures with my next post.

A Little Bit of Zen...

2010-04-19T15:30:00.000-07:00

I just had to share a few little tidbits of zen I have come across and experienced lately.
- My basil seeds are sprouting nicely. My cilantro is trying to emerge from the peat. The strawberries have flowers with itty bitty baby berries. The tomato plants have buds. I so need to take pictures of this fresh green goodness!

- My super snuggly kitty has been even more super snuggly as of late.

- Finding "just the right shade" of nail polish to match your desires on an otherwise hohum day. *In this case it was Under My Trenchcoat by OPI for Sephora*

Beautiful things!

Fiber Goodies and Green Things

2010-04-12T18:46:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my mom and I enjoyed a day together at the Greencastle Fiber Event. There were just over one hundred vendors sharing their yarn, roving, fibers, tools and notions, and of course a few alpacas and bunnies too! I got a super cute 1930s patterned apron, four balls of yarns of alpaca, wool, and angora, and a few other little goodies. I also got a very basic drop spindle kit including the spindle and roving. I really hope I can figure it out since it looks like a cooler alternative to knitting in the middle of the summer.

This weekend I also decided to try cultivating a small container garden on our porch. We live in a bottom floor apartment with a small porch that faces the east. After some research and a million questions to people in the know, I decided to plant a tomato and a strawberry plant and then started seeds for basil, cilantro, and pumpkin. Once the herbs start to grow up some I plan to plant them in a box with rosemary and perhaps get a second box and add sage, thyme, and catnip for Macabean.

So, we shall see... updates to come!

Knitting Group

2010-04-11T10:55:00.000-07:00

In January, I sent out a little facebook message and email to a few of my friends that live here on the southside of Indianapolis that also happen to knit, and asked if everyone might enjoy a little monthly knitting group. I got a great response and we have been meeting on a monthly basis to knit together and enjoy each others company since February. I absolutely love each of the group members, the knitting, and the togetherness. It's been truly wonderful! So here is a wee bit of a snapshot of our time together. I just had to share!

Yummy, yummy!

2010-04-05T13:59:00.000-07:00

I am sooo glad that I picked up these little cups of heaven for my lunch this week!!! I really like the taste and texture of Greek yogurt over traditional yogurt and it just happens to be super good for you so it's really a win, win situation.

So when I was grabbing things for my lunch this week I saw and decided to pick up the (fairly new) chocolate Oikos yogurt. It's a dream!!!! To me it tastes almost like dark chocolate pudding and as such, I am now totally obsessed!

Just in case you were wondering, I paired my super yummy new friend with;

- a few kalamata olives

- cucumber slices

- grape tomatoes

- kashi TLC sesame crackers

- hummus

- banana

- 2 colby jack slices

It was a perfect little spring lunch and came out to about 480 calories. Yum!

What did you have for lunch today?

Tools

2010-04-02T08:45:00.000-07:00

The weather is amazing here in Indiana! It's been between 75-85 degrees most days and the sun (not my favorite thing actually) has been shining nonstop. Thankfully, my body seems to really respond to this change in weather and wants lighter foods and gets the itch to move. I've also been looking at new spring and summer clothes and I have several friends who have had great success at losing weight as of late. All of which is very inspiring to me to get my act together!!

Now if you know me at all, you know I hate numbers but I love games. Weight loss is really just a number game in a lot of ways so I decided today was the day to see my numbers. While I won't bore you with the actual numbers right now I will share what I took. First I used a web tool to determine my

- Basal Metabolic Rate

- Total Calorie Need to maintain weight based on The Harris Benedict Equation.

Both of these tools are free and can be found at BMICalculator.com .

I then took measurements in inches of my;

- Arms

- Bust

- Waist (around belly button)

- Natural Waist

- Hips

- Thigh

- Calf

So now I have a baseline of what I currently weight and what my measurements are and I also know how many calories my body needs to maintain and lose weight. I have also whipped my food & exercise journal back out to use starting Monday. Since it is a holiday weekend and we have friends here for part of it I am going to just use my best judgement and work on making healthier choices until Monday to "ease myself in" if you will. It's good to me to have a baseline, goals, and a plan. Yah!

Things I Loved in March

2010-04-01T14:55:00.001-07:00

I got this great idea from a few blogs I frequent so I thought I would make my own "Things I Loved..". So here we go.

#1 - Duke Basketball
While I am a native Hoosier and a lifelong basketball fan it might surprise you that I love Duke Basketball!! I have loved Duke as long as I have loved basketball!! Coach K is in my humble opinion the greatest basketball coach of all time! So I have done my part to welcome the Blue Devils to my fair city! Go Blue Devils!!!!

#2 - Jamie Oliver Food Revolution
Being a nerdy public health official it excites me to see someone, anyone, but especially a cute Brit, is working to wake up America to our poor food choices and distance we have created from our food. So, I love the show and I love the cookbook! Last weekend I made the super yummy "perfect roast chicken" and roast vegetables (that have become my new favorite veggies!) and plan to try out the "Ground Beef Wellington" and several of the salads. It's well worth price and is even currently 20% off at Barnes and Noble!

#3 - Welch's 100% Concord Grape Juice
I have no idea why I have been craving and enjoying this yummy stuff but it takes me back to being a kid and is loaded with antioxidants so I haven't been fighting it but instead embracing it in small servings.

Cleaning Up!

2010-03-26T15:31:00.000-07:00

I hope to throw up some sock progress pictures just as soon as I cast on and actually make some progress on the yoga socks because I FINALLY got my 9inch circular needles!! Woo Hoo!!!!

I also spruced up the blog a bit for spring although, I may play with it some more? I've also added links from a few of my favorite bloggers in a proper blog roll.

I had the day off from work today and worked on cleaning, organizing, and other things that make me happy. I really am a neat freak so clean = wonderful!

Finally, I have to report that I am super proud of myself for getting up at 6:00am and hitting the gym while on my work trip to Baltimore this past week. I honestly think once we do move into a house and put together our equipment in a proper gym I will do this daily. It was so nice to roll out of bed, workout in a half sleepy haze and then relax after the work of the day was done. In the apartment I feel like if I workout I'll wake up Shane who gets up later than I do and he is definatly not a morning person that I could coax to workout with me before the sun comes up. We'll see...

Okay, no more rambling for today I need to get those new needles clicking!

Still Waiting...

2010-03-21T11:48:00.001-07:00

I know, I know, it's only been a few days but I am dying to get my new needles so I can knock out those yoga socks!

What things are you looking forward to this week? I know there must be one or two of you out there..... :)

Success!!!!

2010-03-16T15:56:00.000-07:00

So for any hardcore knitters out there I'm warning you, this could get messy...

I just learned in my knitting group how to use double pointed needles. I hate them. My mom taught me to use circular needles a few months ago. I don't hate them but I don't love them either. My niece requested a pair of heel-less, toe-less yoga socks. I am happy to oblige her. So I started them on both 11 inch (cable) circular needles and double points. Neither of them worked with ease and outcome that I wanted. Sooo... I did some research and discovered 9 inch circular needles and a pattern with which to knit traditional socks with them too!! yah! So for those of you like me that hate double points, don't have the skills yet to learn the magic loop method or just plain want a "relaxing" sock process... it can be done!!! (or so I think... I won't get my needles for a week or so). So more to come soon on the sock front...

Oh, and for those still reading... I ordered 9 inch hiyahiya stainless steel circular needles in US size 4. Hiyahiya is one of the few manufacturers, according to my research, that make circulars this short.

I Promise I'm Here!

2010-03-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

I really am here and I really am making progress on my goals!

I have been occupied with the certification process to become an online instructor with the University of Phoenix. I will be teaching a first year health and wellness class and I am looking forward to this experience supporting not only my goal of teaching on a part-time basis but it also keeps me accountable for my healthy eating and exercise habits. However, during these past few weeks it has kept me uber busy!

In the meantime, I haven't done a lot of knitting although since the weather has gotten nicer here in Indy, I have enjoyed walks outside!

I am also starting my first adventures in sock knitting.. more on that soon...

... and I'm done!

2010-02-22T20:11:00.000-08:00

As of Sunday afternoon I finally finished the diagonal baby blanket (pictures to come), a baby hat, and started on booties that I then had to frog because they were too small for even my cat!! I blame the too small booties on the USA vs. Canada hockey game. I was enjoying the game so much I totally wasn't paying attention to my knitting but what a game?!! So hopefully, the package with all the little tiny knit goodies will make it to my dear friend by the weekend... or so I hope!

I am making good progress on my food journal and feel like it is really helping me note patterns in my food and exercise choices. My gratitude journal has been a little slower start but it is finally coming along. I think for me, even having a little bit of reflection time is important in realizing how much I truly have to be thankful for, particularly, the people in my life.

More soon (and with pictures).

Gratitude

2010-02-18T15:06:00.001-08:00

First, I promise, that while I feel spiritual health is very important, I will do my best not to turn this blog (or this post) into a larger religious discussion because I feel and respect that spirtuality and faith are very personal to each individual.

Based on my own personal beliefs and traditions, I am observing Lent this year not by giving something else but instead by starting something. This year, I have decided to start a graditude journal. I recieved a few very nice Moleskine journals for Christmas this year. One of them is used for my food/excercise journal and the other will be used to reflect on those things for which I am thankful and may take for granted otherwise.

I wish you all peace in your own journey.

Progress

2010-02-16T14:42:00.001-08:00

I was going to post about my newly acquired shawl pins (yep, call me an old lady if you will but you'll see, these are not your grandma's shawl pins!) however, since I've been spending so much time trying to finish the diagonal baby blanket, I thought I would show off some progress and share the pattern.

Since frogging a whole chunk of it and re-knitting a good few inches, the blanket is now coming along very nicely and I'm hoping to finish it tomorrow, if not tonight. Then,for the same recipient, I am planning to make booties and a hat too accompany the blanket. All for a baby that is due THIS WEEK!! One of these days I'll get ahead on my knitting projects, right?

~ All apologies for the not too exciting picture.

The pattern itself is based on the "Grandma's Favorite Dishrag" pattern that I posted about a month or so back and can be found FREE on the Lion Brand Yarn website . Essentially, it's a larger version of the dishrag pattern that I have chosen to knit with Lion Brand "Jiffy" yarn in white and US size 13 needles.

In other news I have officially restarted my food and exercise journal and am determined to keep up with it!

Frogging...

2010-02-15T14:55:00.000-08:00

Sometimes in knitting, and in life, one needs to undo what they have done and restart. Yesterday after knitting along at a good clip for 45 minutes I realized that I was missing a stitch on the edge of the diagonal baby blanket (yep, still working on the silly,er beautiful, thing)and therefore, it needed to be frogged. So I ripped out 3-4 inches of knitting and reworked it... ugh!

This is about the way I am feeling about my health goals right now. I don't want to undo what I have done (a loss of about .5- 1 inches) however, I feel like I need to reboot and rethink my process and choices for my physical health. I journaled for a few days and then stopped, I need to retstart this so I can understand themes in my food and workout choices.

So there we have it... sometimes you need to rip out, start from where you are, and be kind to yourself in the process.

Okay..so this post is more of a reminder to me but maybe someone else will find it helpful?

T-15 Minutes...

2010-02-12T16:13:00.000-08:00

I have always, always, always loved the Olympics. Summer games, winter games, and keeping up on several of the sports in the years in between. I was fortunate enough to attend the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta and the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City which only strengthened my affection for the games. I love that we as a global community come together to celebrate hard work, determination, and each other. There is also the little known Cultural Olympiad celebrating the arts that takes place at each games.

All this celebration and yet I would remiss if I didn't mention that far too often there is and has been tragedy associated with The Games and sadly, this Games will start with the loss of a young luge sliders, Nodar Kumaritashvili, from Georgia.

Despite the devastating loss, the opening ceremony will begin in 15 little minutes and the world will wrap it's arms around this athlete and his family because it's the spirit of the games...

A Cold Winters Day....

2010-02-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

I know I am woefully behind not only with this little blog but with my little projects too! However, with the assistance to two snow storms I've been spending a good amount of time "in" and catching up. So once I get a few pictures snapped I'll update again.

In the meantime... pretty snow from outside our apartment...

Getting Back Into the Swing of Things...

2010-01-25T15:21:00.000-08:00

First of all, as a lifetime Hoosier, a 4 year resident of Indianapolis, and Colts fan, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Colts AFC Championship win and upcoming trip to the Super Bowl!It was a fantastic game and watching my favorite player of all time, Mr. Dallas Clark, make a game changing touchdown was just priceless! Go Horse!

So last week I was basically a zombie thanks to stomach bug that had me missing a day of work, missing workouts, missing knitting, missing just about everything! It seems 5 of us got sick following the baby shower (remember those sweet little baby booties?) but prior to that we all had a fantastic time and my friend enjoyed the booties so it was a success despite getting so silly sick!

So this week I am working on getting things ticked off my to do list at work, the usual stuff, and the fun stuff finished here at home. Until then, here is silly picture I took of myself staying warm with the easy lace knit scarf I finished in Lion Brand Naturals Organic Cotton in Walnut. It's super soft, light enough to be multi-seasonal and warm enough for cool winter days here in Indiana.

Little Things

2010-01-15T14:48:00.000-08:00

So this is the deal... I love to knit but I hate, I mean HATE tiny needles! It should be noted that US size 8 is generally as small as I will go and even then I complain and through a fit and curse my way through projects. That is the first part of the story...

The second is that I started a blanket last Saturday for a baby shower this Saturday and then came to the conclusion on Wednesday that it was simply not going to be done in time and I should instead just make something else. The something else was baby booties from the book "Knockout Knits" given to me by a friend who thought I might enjoy it (there is more but I'll save it for another post). The book promised they knit up quickly and the base of the pattern looked easy enough so I bought (yep, bought because I don't OWN tiny needles) US size 3 needles that are bamboo (another thing I am not fond of but they were the length I needed) and some super soft baby yarn and went to work.

The lessons I learned;
If you drop a stitch on size 3s the only way to pick it up is with a darning needle.It was like a hurricane of bendy bamboo in my hands since I am such a tight knitter and therefor took longer than the prescribed time.I would never have the patience to knit another much larger than booties with needles so small. However, in the end it was worth it because they are so tiny and so sweet I am in love and can't wait to make more. See....

Prayers for the People of Haiti...

2010-01-13T16:43:00.000-08:00

When I was a little girl my dad used to go to Haiti on buissness trips and photographer that he is brought back beautiful pictures of the people and the country and even though I have never set foot on the island, I feel like I have been there many times through his photographs so now... I see the horrific pictures of those same beautiful people and there are no words to describe the mix of emotions.

I'm not sure if I have any readers at all but if I do, I encourage you to please donate, even a dollar or two to the relief effort. The following is a link to the American Red Cross Donation page;
American Red Cross Donations

I'm just sayin....

2010-01-13T16:36:00.000-08:00

Yah!

2010-01-12T15:27:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those "meh" days and then I came home and did some wii fitplus and weights and I feel like a rock star!!!

That's all.. just a little reminder that moving ones body really does make one feel better :D

Assessment

2010-01-10T09:46:00.000-08:00

This little blog was originally my health and fitness blog and has since morphed into a more whole health blog with a heavy dose of those things that make me happy and feel at peace... like knitting and hopefully soon more photography, books I'm reading, music I'm loving, etc...

All that said, it's important for me to also include physical health too! This week I've been keeping a food/weight diary and trying to examine trends in my eating, exercise, etc... what I've found is that while I tend to make healthy choices in general, I tend to eat larger and/or more portions than necessary. So this is something I am going to try and pay attention to and be aware of as I move through this week. I am also going to make a more concerted effort to try and get some sort of exercise in every day. So here's to slow and lasting changes!

Staying Warm...

2010-01-07T18:22:00.000-08:00

While I really, really love overcast, wintery, snowy, goodness, the sub-arctic tempetures make me super cold and more inclined to curl up and watch TV under a warm blanket. Most of the time this also involves knitting and sometimes it involves doing the opposite and jumping on the wii fit board to warm up with a little hula hooping.... so in other words, I haven't gotten as much knitting done as I intended this week or as much reading or as much working out... I guess I'm starting the year off on a deficit already? :)

However, I did manage to finish my funky dishrags and make major progress on my lace scarf, which I plan to finish this weekend and will share more about next time. So really, it's all good. Here are a few uninspired pictures of my latest projects....

Completed funky disrags! (Sugar n'Cream yarn in various colors)

The Easy Lace Scarf (Lion Brand Naturals Organic Cotton in Walnut)

Funky Dishrags...

2010-01-02T21:02:00.000-08:00

So I've been playing knitting catch up since the week of Christmas when we travelled west to visit my sister and her family in IL and then Shane's family in NE. One of the projects I have been catching up on is a bunch of "Grandma's Favorite" Dishrags. They were originally intended to be a housewarming gift for my sister way back in August.... needless to say, I'm really behind... They are still going to my sister, just a little late. So, they are basic little dishrags except that I am doing them in funky, mismatched cotton sugar n'cream yarn. I am in the midst of my third in hot pink, orange, yellow, and a little pastel purple... it's fun to see where one skene ran out and another begins... kinda of like the new year, right?

So the pattern is uber easy and one of the oldest patterns around;

Goodies Needed
1 ball of cotton yarn...or remnenats of a few...
US size 9 needles

Pattern
Cast on 4 sts.
Row 1: Knit one row.
Row 2: K2, YO, knit to the end of the row.
Repeat row 2 until there are 40 sts
Next row: K1, K2tog, YO, K2tog, knit to the end of the row.
Continue decreasing until 4 sts left. Cast off.

See... it's really neat!

And I'm back...

2010-01-02T20:55:00.000-08:00

This officially marks the third incarnation of this blog. It started as a place to record my weight loss and mini marathon training, then it became an overall health type blog, and now it's just a fun little place to share my randomness. Enjoy!