Monday, February 23, 2009

I love thrifting!


haul
Originally uploaded by thechickswithsticks.

I totally scored Friday night when I went to Value Village.
Here, I have never found a store with amazing deals like my sister can get at Goodwill--but this was exciting for me. (this is a flickr picture--click on it to go to flickr to see my notes)

I like reading blogs. I read a-lot of blogs (I have 255 feed in my bloglines). Some of those update every day, some every few months). I read a few in the morning, a few at naptime and a few at night. Some are rss feeds for etsy stores--so I click over to look at the pretty yarns/rovings/whatever.

I have loved reading the blogs of crafty mamas over the years. (that's 5 different links) (and another knitter/sewer/thrifter) Knitters/spinners/dyers/sewers/artists/photographers--they all have their unique touch and I love seeing what they can do.

Inspired by Soulemama--I want to take those vintage sheets and make pajama pants. I want to learn sewing techniques but dont' have $$$ to buy fabric (and my huge garbage bag of scrap fabrics and quilt tops that I got from freecycle accidentally got thrifted to our local shop--ugh).

Hubby thinks the prints are weird--and they sort of are--but I like them.

I foudn many more that I wanted--but had to restrain myself.

Now I just need to get my sewing machine back in proper order (bottom tension is messed up and I can't seem to figure out how to fix it--I've changed the tensions settings over and over)..and then I can get crafty.



Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Valentines Love

So hubby and I went out Friday night for our typical date (which I love, not complaining at all)--
Dinner at Montanas, Movie ("Taken" with Liam Neeson--really good), Coffee at Starbucks (Espresso Truffle--never tried it before--YUM), and home.

We also went to a potluck with Church people at a friends' home--it was fun and the food was great.

I decided to have an impromptu sale in my Etsy shop--posted it on Plurk and made some awesome sales.
LOVE to all of you who bought things!

We had a nice weekend of some sitting around, some putting things together (new bed!), cooking (I made dinner for our small group this week--lasagnas, salads, cakes and all the fixings), and hanging out with friends--Great weekend.

Monday is the new Holiday: Family Day, in Canada. (Not all of Canada, I just realized as I posted that link)
Hubby took the day off and we just hung out. He read a book, I read magazines, we drank coffee--the kids played happily.

I went to our local LYS in the afternoon as I was invited by a friend to attend the 4-H club class, where they were learning to crochet Amigurumi sheep.
It was fun!
I have crocheted once before--made a hat for Janna.....but ended up helping the "lefties" figure things out.

I sat last night with my pattern and hook and finished the sheep. (I have to put him together today). I made several false starts (I can't yet "see" my crochet stitches to know where I am in the pattern) but made it through the pattern while watching 24 and Heroes.

I have a confession.
I have not knit in a week. I don't' know what is wrong with me. Last week while hubby was working in the evenings, I would put a movie on and try to work on my FLS. I kept making mistakes (don't watch action movies, or movies with subtitles while doing a lace stitch pattern)--and having to rip back the same 6 rows.
After that, I think I just didn't feel like it
(I'm on Day 7 of the headache that wont' go away, and the mysterious cold symptoms that don't get worse or better--the muscle/bone aches, sore throat, sneezing, sinus headache--thing)

So, I feel better today--Little man has "the barfs" (as my nephew likes to say)--so I think it will be a quiet day (Princess is at school)

Sweater mojo--here I come
(Really, it's silly to finish a sweater when it's too warm to wear it--so I need to get it done NOW)

:)

Saturday, February 07, 2009

Things that make me happy

So the January blahs have turned into the February blues for me...
I can't wait for the sun to start shining.


I tend to get cranky and complain-y around this time of season--but instead of complaining, I"ve been refocusing myself to think of the positives and things that make me happy.

I am very blessed. Our family is healthy. Hubby's job allows me to stay home with the kids and has allowed us to remain in this community.

We have been blessed that Princess B (and A when he starts) can attend this school.
We have a car that works (well, it's in need of a big job--but (YEAH!) covered under warranty.) and live a town small enough that we can walk where we need to.

I have a hobbies I love (knitting, spinning, soap making and dyeing) that give me a little spending money to do more of the those hobbies.

I have won free yarn, stitch markers, knitting books, CD's, DVD's, a diamond cross pendant and my new favorite contest win:

A digital/video Mp3 player!


and I have been doing my homework Mrs Cylka--see:


BSG Season one--Ep 1
(I have them all on the computer but could not figure out what program I needed to burn them--this way I just attach my player--drag and drop it over and wait for it to convert the file format for me).
I love this thing and am very thankful.

I am thankful for the things that I have.

We live pretty inexpensively--I'm glad that we have always done so, because when the economy is the way that it is and we don't have money to spend--I can shop in my own yarn stash, watch movies borrowed from a friend, get furniture and clothing from Freecycle, find crazy bargains (A $2 t-shirt and $2 skirt from GT boutique) and do things at home that make me happy.

I'm also trying to find more ways to live simpler-make my own bread, use up food before I shop (I'm going to try to only shop for essentials like milk/juice/etc and try to use up all my freezer/cupboard food before I shop again..)