An Apple a Day

I once read a knitting pattern that said, "buy your yarn on Friday and have this great pair of fingerless mittens my Monday!" That is just a mean thing to say to someone starting their first cable pattern!!
Being a novice knitter, I know that I am usually only able to knit for 15 minutes before I make a mistake, put a marker in it and take it to the knitting store the next day to get help fixing it. At that rate it takes me about 3 months to finish anything! Ok that may be a slight exaggeration.
Luckily this apple hat was a completely new experience for me. This basic and cute hat actually could be made in a day (or 3).
I want to share a couple of small personal accomplishments I've had with this project.
1. I completed the hat in 4 days (3 days of knitting, which totaled about 3 weeks in real time since I didn't have much time to knit around the holidays. This was also not 3 full days of knitting, just 3 "sittings" so to speak) It is a very quick pattern and easy to do. This is a pattern you actually could complete on a weekend!
2. I overcame my fear of having a couple small mistakes. On the first baby hat I made, I obsessed over it being perfect. It turned out great, but took me 5 times longer to make. This time, I just rolled with it. If something looked off, I kept knitting. If I had extra stitches, I figured it out, and when the pattern told me to "sew" the leaves on the top, I decided to knit them on instead, since I can NOT sew! Yes there are a couple of visible mistakes, that if you were really looking you could tell, but overall it looked great. I am proud that I was able to give this hat to my friends, even though it wasn't perfect. Let's just say it looked "homemade!" The fact that I could overcome being perfect, and embrace my mistakes was huge! Of course when my friends thanked me for the hat, I couldn't take the compliment too well. "Don't look too close," I laughed. 3. I improved. Yep, you got it! Improv and knitting aren't two words that are even found in the same sentence. Most lifelong knitters would balk at not following a pattern, or keeping a mistake in their project, but that's because they know how to fix it! When I was downsizing the crown, I realized my number of stitches was off (because I was overconfident and started watching a movie while I was knitting and counting in my head- bad idea). Instead of getting mad, ripping the whole row out, and spending yet another lunch break at Yarn, I simply improved. Guess what... it worked! Ok, you could tell a little bit, but I still ended up with a cute baby hat!
Anyway here is the hat.... my 3rd hat ever made. It cost about $25 with two types of yard and the new needles I had to buy. Good news, I can make at least one more without spending a dime. Better news, another friend is having a boy in May!
PS. Thanks to Yarn for all of the help and inspriation. They have given me great advice, a shoulder to cry on, new ideas, and delicious tea. Without Yarn, I probably wouldn't ever knit again!

Spellbound

I am somewhat of a spelling and grammar snob. I wasn't an English major, nor did I love literature, I just think that their is a right way too communicate and it bother's me when people make alot of mistakes :) (See, it's annoying!)

Anyway here is a great comic on words that definitely need to be spelled correctly.

I think they should add the word "tomorrow," so my jackass boss will stop writing "tomarrow" in emails to our prospective clients. It's not a difficult word... tom, or, row. I shouldn't even get started on the emails my boss writes to clients. It's like showing up to a black tie dinner in sweatpants!

Also related to spelling, are two great movies that I highly recommend (btw, that is a difficult word to spell!). Spellbound is a documentary about kids who compete in spelling bees and Akeelah and the Bee is a fictional story of a girl who competes in spelling bees.

PS. Now that I have posted this, all of you 3 readers have my permission to make fun of me if I use improper grammar or misspell something!

Coffee- the good, bad and ugly

Here are some of the myths and truths about drinking coffee. Below is a chart based on how many cups are consumed per day, seriously who is drinking 6 CUPS per day?!

• Diabetes: Many studies find that coffee—decaf or regular—lowers the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, but caffeine raises blood sugar in people who already have it.
• Cancer: Earlier studies implicating coffee in causing cancer have been disproven; may instead lower the risk of colon, mouth, throat and other cancers.
• Heart disease: Long-term coffee drinking does not appear to raise the risk and may provide some protection.
• Hypertension: Caffeine raises blood pressure, so sufferers should be wary.
• Cholesterol: Some coffee—especially decaf—raises LDL, the bad kind of cholesterol.
• Alzheimer's: Moderate coffee drinking appears to be protective.
• Osteoporosis: Caffeine lowers bone density, but adding milk can balance out the risk.
• Pregnancy: Caffeine intake may increase the risk of miscarriage and low birth-weight babies.
• Sleep: Effects are highly variable, but avoiding coffee after 3 p.m. can avert insomnia.
• Mood: Moderate caffeine boosts energy and cuts depression, but excess amounts can cause anxiety.

Source: WSJ research

On a more fun note, here is The Oatmeal's take on coffee.

Tea-licious!

This. Is. Cool.

Making a good cup of loose leaf tea just got easier with the IngenuiTEA from adagio teas. Open the top and drop in your loose leaf tea. Pour in your hot water and let steep. When you're ready to drink, simply place the IngenuiTEA on top of your cup and a valve at the bottom will release the hot liquid through a mesh filter. Watch it in action here. Dishwasher and microwave safe to make your life even easier.

http://www.adagio.com/teaware/ingenuiTEA_teapot.html

I would use this with Wynstone's Cafe Latte tea. It's delicious!

Stitch n' Bitch

This is what T says I do when I knit. I stitch, or drop a stitch rather, and then I bitch! The swear words come FLYING out as I figure out how to make things right again.

You see, I am a very novice knitter, I never really learned how, I just watched a friend do it and started doing it. Bored with the idea of a simple scarf I dove right into a baby hat project with tiny little needles and thing gauge yarn. It was kind of a nightmare to make but I thought the hat turned out really cute! I only had to stop into our local knitting store about 5 times for advice to get the hat finished!!

What I realized about knitting is that once I have spent $30 on some organic, free-range alpaca yarn :), an unqunatifiable amount on needles, markers, and stoppers, plus 60 precious hours of my time, this silly hat is worth like $500! Also there is a 100% chance that if I made the item for myself, I won't ever wear it.

So why knit???
I don't know if its the snowy weather, or the fact that my friends just had a baby or if I am simply channeling my 70 year old self, but these patterns have me itching to start stitching!

Hat for new baby N:

http://acechick.typepad.com/knitchicks_patterns/2006/01/strawberry_bean.html

http://www.p2designs.com/pdfs/ptn-froggyHat.pdf

http://www.spudandchloe.com/blog/2009/10/apple-hat-free-pattern/


Fingerless glove for me:

http://knitting.about.com/od/mittenpatterns/p/fingerless.htm

http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/mikado-gloves.html

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum!

I got my Christmas tree last weekend and I think this is going to be the start to an annual tradition...

For $8 you can go to a local hardware store and get a permit to cut down your tree on forest service land. So I bundled up, bought my permit, and hopped in the truck with my friends (T was out of town dealing with a rental house we are trying to sell). My friends even made me my own mug of hot chocolate and Rumpleminz (aka peppermint schnapps). We listened to Christmas music on the 20 minute drive west of town. Once we got there we all dispersed, even Carlos, the 20 lb Chiuaua (he's a little chorizo!). After about 45 minutes of hiking and examining trees, I found mine! It was already cut down, actually laying on the side of a forest service road. Once we propped the tree up, we determined that the top half of the tree would make a great "little" tree for our 950 sq ft house. So we trimmed it up and set it aside. I was feeling pretty good about saving a dieing tree rather than cutting a cute fresh little baby tree :)

Now to find J and T's tree. We hiked for another 30 minutes or so, and saw some amazingly large mountain lion tracks in the dried mud. The claws left deep indentations in the dirt... pretty cool and scary at the same time. Luckily there were 3 of us and one was armed with an axe, so at least we have some recourse if one of us were to get nabbed. We kept looking but all the trees seemed to be too big, or they were Ponderosas, which you can't chop down. So we headed back in the direction of the truck, grabbing my little bushy tree along the way.

We got to the truck and were looking near the truck, waiting for our other friends M and K to arrive when I found the Perfect Christmas Tree, about 9' tall, nice and narrow, even branches. It was really perfect, not for our small house but for T and J. So T, J and I all took turns chopping with the axe until it came down. They were so excited!

Meanwhile M and K found their tree and were sawing away. We loaded up our 3 trees, celebrated with a chilly PBR and headed home!

It was a really fun experience that I think I will continue for years to come. It was inexpensive (although once we bought the skirt, and stand it wasn't that cheap anymore! but you only need to buy that stuff once!) Also, it's a great way to get bundled up and enjoy the chilly outdoors in December. I also think it makes you appreciate your tree more. You had to select it out of all the other trees and chop it down yourself. I will definitely do this next year. You could even do it with little kids, not that we are planning on that any time soon, but it would be a great family adventure!

How to Live to be 100

This article has no earth shattering evidence in it, which is what I like about it. The secret to health and wellness is actually no secret. We already know how to do it, because the real way to stay young and healthy is not in a fad diet, gimicky workout or face cream. It is basic and simple, it's common sense... Take care of yourself! Exercise, eat in moderation and balance and enjoy your life!

http://www.shape.com/print/page/id/776

It's decided

Earliest Halloween costume decision ever...

Next year I will be Lady Gaga. (Wow I am seriously sounding like her crazy biggest fan or something.) It's not because I love her or want to be like her, or think I look at all like her. I just think given her popularity it would be an easily recognizable costume and tons of fun. She wears the craziest stuff.

My costume will include:

• Big obnoxious glasses


• Platinum bob wig, chopped at some crazy angle


• Leotard


• Tights


• Disco Stick

Yeah!!

Hopefully I remember this blog post as I start thinking of Halloween costumes ideas next fall.

Giving Thanks

I've believe that expressing gratitude is one of the best ways to improve how you feel about your life, or at least that is what I have heard. Every once in a while, when I see extreme poverty or someone with a serious disability or life struggle it becomes very clear just how fortunate I am. My goal is to feel this fortunate every day, without the prompt of seeing someone who has it way worse.

I can quickly come up with a list of things I am thankful for, you know, the obvious things. Health, family, my dog, my husband. While I am deeply thankful for those things, I want to try and express genuine thanks for these and other things in my life rather than blurting out a standard list out of habit. This goes beyond just knowing that I am lucky to have these things, but to imagine if I didn't....I could lose all of my family in a tragic accident, lose my own health, weigh 300 lbs, or need to be on welfare. Thinking of life in those terms makes me feel sheepish when I complain about a idiotic driver, trip to the post office or my love handles.


Here is what I am thankful for:

• The flexibility of my job and the pay. I think it is important for me to put this first right now, because it is easy to take things for granted, especially in today's job market.
• The friends I've made over the last two years. T and I have a handful of really great couples that we just LOVE hanging out with! We have gone out of our way to make new friends in this small town over the past couple years.
• The amazing mountain biking right outside our front door, and the progress I have made in my first year on my mountain bike.
• The consciousness that emanates from nearly everyone who lives here; to be healthy, get outdoors and most of all, enjoy life!
• That my parents are fun to be around. While all families have their quirks, I am very thankful that an evening with them is not worse than pulling teeth. I have come to realize this is not the case with many people and their parents.
• The time I had on this earth with my brother. A beautiful soul who I can thank for teaching me many valuable lessons. Just thinking of his laugh makes my heart expand.
• Our beautiful September wedding in Telluride. It was nicer than I ever dreamed of! And our wedding photography is top notch. I am so thankful we had great documentation of our day.
• My pretty face and body, which I am always reluctant to be thankful for, but I need to give myself a little more credit. I get frustrated about 5 pesky lbs, I am thankful it's not 50, and quite frankly it's completely in my control, so if I really needed to lose 5 lbs, I could.
• The opportunities I have had to travel. Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Luxembourg, Prague, Budapest, Sweden, Mexico, Canada, Hawaii, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Costa Rica... this list isn't even complete and I know this is only be the beginning of it :)
• My hilarious Boston Terrier Izzy. With so much personality, her cute smooshed face, and an insane amount of intelligence, I swear she was made for us!
• My physical abilities. While I'm no Olympic athlete and my vision is crappy, even with contacts, I am able to practice yoga, snowboard, ride my bike, watch movies, smell fresh flowers and talk to friends. Spending 23 years watching someone get cheated from having physical abilities made me realize what a gift they are.
• My college education, and the fact that I am still paying for it, which I truly believe has given me more character.
• The amount of responsibility, whether it's familial or financial, that has humbled me and taught be to be self sufficient.
• The amount of self awareness and personal growth I have experienced in the last year. This connection with myself will only continue to grow because of what I know now.
• My beautiful tattoo. That I am very excited to be adding onto in a couple of weeks!!

That's all for now, but I hope there are many more of these lists to come.

I Heart the Gaga

Not going to lie, pretty excited for Lady G's new album, Fame Monster.
This hard working lady is putting out yet another album in the midst of her busy year.
Here is her new single that I am already liking called Bad Romance:
http://cache.umusic.com/web_assets/ladygaga/site/badromance/default2.html

My workouts just got better!
Thanks Lady G!