broke back mountiain weekend

So it is that time. My hubby has packed his bags and headed up north for a fishing trip with the buddies. I always tease him about this because...he doesn't own a fishing pole. I always tease him and call it broke back mountain weekend. In all honest truth his buddy who owns the cabin has more then enough fishing poles so he borrows. But it gives me good material to pick on my hubby. So me and the girlie's are sitting on the couch at this very moment watching a movie (little monsters) and eating popcorn. :) good times. Soon they will go to bed and I think I will maybe hop in the tub for one is my lovely long soaks and watch some Veronica Mars on netflix. :)

But I had to show you guys what I have been up to...

These are Calvin's newest pair of as he calls them " crazy socks". He loves hand knit socks. The pattern is Hermione's everyday socks. It was easy and seems to fit the foot nice and snug.

I of coarse had to do my preferred method of short row heels and toes. I had monkey butt try them on. They have the same size feet. So it works out really great when I make Calvin socks. :)

I actually just cast on for my own pair :) I always tease my hubby about abandoning me with the monsters for days when he goes to the cabin and it did used to be very hard. Fire monster is such a daddies girl that it used to be rough and it still does suck sometimes like when we had severe weather and tornado warnings every night last time he went. In all honesty though it is sorta nice and I look forward to having some bonding time and getting me time when the girls are asleep and what not. Sometimes a sister even comes and stay the night But I do miss my honey when I go to bed.

Well people I am off to take full advantage of my time sans the man of the house. I will keep you up dated on all the girlie business I am up to this weekend. Hasta luego.

fo some what cowl...again..

So I buckled down and I finished re knitting my some what cowl in my new bust size. I did the neck line different then before. I also made the sleeves a size smaller then I did the bust this time and they fit much better. :)

So here it is preblocking and if you are curious here it the prebreast reduction ripping and reknitting version..

Note the neck line changes and sleeves (not the mention the difference in the chest)

Here is the back of the back after reknitting it. Well I am off to cook something I am starvin marvin. :) Have a good day guys.

What a great night

This Saturday I had the honor of attending the wedding of one of my hubbies co-workers. It is Mike Ricci who I had never met but had heard a ton about. It was luck that we got a sitter last minute and got to head up into a area of Minneapolis by the university referred to as dinky town. It was at the Loring pasta bar. The ceremony was beautiful and full of their personality and easy going...

Here is Andrea the bride looking beautiful...
Here is every one all lined up. The boys all wore converse shoes with their tuxes. :) Then you walked next door to the varsity theater for the reception..





This was the marquee.

This is very cute it says "Once there was a girl named Andrea who met a boy named Mike they spent some time together and had a good thing going now they are getting married."

This was inside the theater. (don't mind the ghost child standing in the front lol) but there where all the vases are is where the pasta buffet was set up. There were a few round tables set up in the main area of the floor then all around the outsides were lounge style chairs and end tables for drinks and what not. The music was fun and interesting just like the couple. (no chicken dance for these folks). and the whole evening was filled with a fun easy spirit. Every one danced and had fun and enjoyed the beautiful atmosphere and occasion we were there to celebrate. I did finally get to meet Mr. Mike Ricci and he was a blast. I was a bit nervous when he dipped me on the dance floor though since I was in my cute new strapless dress..

Even my sour puss old man of a hubby enjoyed him self and made it out onto the dance floor. :)

It was a great time the most fun I have had at a wedding in for ever. The wedding had soo much love and personality that it was hard not to be swept up in the great mood of the night this great couple created. I am glad every thing went wonderful for them and they got such a fun magical day. :) Congrats Mike and Andrea.

fo rainbow socks

So I am still fighting off that cold I got although the pink eye was just me being a hypochondriac. The kids didn't pass that on to me. I have been busy though. My sister bought more of these. Here is what they look like now...

They are from a old hotel in fairbolt..

I am going to take this and make it isn't this..

I will have a matching set of 4 by the end of the weekend. :) Other then that I made my fire monster a pair of socks from the left over pagewood farms sock yarn. The pattern is herringbone ribbing from interweave knits adapted to her tiny feet.

They are soft and fit well.

They pattern is a bit of a pain in the butt but they are cute. Well I have some chairs to work on sanding down while watching my new addiction Veronica Mars. :) Have a good weekend guys.

fo gyffindor socks.

So I am sick as a dog with a cold flu bug and quarantined to the couch. Both not just one of my girls but both have pink eye. I am soo congested I am probably going to choke and my own mucus and please don't start any rumors like all the celebrities it won't be a over dose and it won't be from anorexia that helps me keep my model like figure. It will just be chalked up as another casualty of the flu. but I did manage to bust these things out before I was hit by the full force flu...

Fire monster decided she needs some new gryffindor socks. So I came up with a a quick cable pattern..

They are cute and fit her well and stay up well. She hasen't taken them off since I finished them. She is too excited with her one puffy pink eye. Anyway I have a couch to die on while I watch the riches.

monkey butts 7th bday

As promised here is the finished product of the curl formers. :)

Doesn't monkey butt look so cute. They were very easy and they turned out perfect in the morning. I will be doing it allot I have a feeling. Well here is the scoop on the party...

First they split into teams and decorated boxes as spaceships.

Then we went down the hill and they had to race them as teams. This part was hilarious.

Megan and firemosnter were spectators

silly girls

Lane and Calvin were on the winning team. Lane picked him up and ran lol

the girls were 3 to a box for a long time and just tripped over each other and rolled around lol. It was a riot.

Here is monkey butt just hanging out looking curly
Then they played Woody's round up. They took turns being woody and everyone else would hide and woody would have to round them up.

Here is mckenzee as woody...

Calvin's turn to be woody..lol..

Calvin and Megan being silly

Cole being woody..

Calvin hiding...

monkey butt being woody...

Megan corrupting her cousin lol

Then they played hot mr potato head..

Here they are eating cupcakes and Calvin being silly what a character. He is soo silly. This morning we had a lazy day and I finished these for monkey butt.

They are made out of maizy and they are soo soft and cozy. She has been telling me that things are too "itchy" so these are great for little mrs itchy.

The pattern is black rose from knitty. It is sorta hard to tell on her little feet but the pattern goes up either side. On adult size it is extra pretty. Well I am off to finish muffins for my sweet hubby's birthday tomorrow and finish the movie sound of music with the girls. My girls have a unnatural obsession with older musicals. Night everybody

preping for birthday party

So it has been a busy day around here. I have been in full swing prep mode for the first friend birthday party. A BIG deal. Until this point my daughter has only had family birthday parties. But her being in 1st grade I figured it is time to let her spread her wing. So I have been trying to get my ducks in a row. We are having a toy story 3 birthday party. I got party favors today and I bought monkeys butts presents got decorations and stuff to make her cupcakes then came home to make these...

Aren't they cute??? The clawwwww..... lol I love them. They have cream cheese frosting and mentos eyes and the ears and antennae are apple licorice. I made about 25. I also had to do this...

Those things all over monkey butts head are curl formers. They are curlers. They are put on with a giant crochet hook looking thing and they are what monkey butt really wanted for her bday. So we had to put them in so she could have curly hair for her party tomorrow of coarse. Right now she is dead asleep on them so they must not be too uncomfortable. They are on there really sturdy thanks to some rubber at the opening, so I am really not worried about her losing them either. I will post some after pics of coarse. I am exhausted and going to knit and watch some tv while I wait for the hubby to get home from some m.m.a. fight thing. (don't' ask just know he owes me big and will be cleaning house for the party tomorrow) night every body

This was a moment where my life changed forever. From this moment on I was never the same. Shelby Ann had filled a hole in me that I never knew was there. She makes my heart swell soo big some times I think it will burst. She is not perfect but this is what I see ... what I know is the little girl who hugged me tight and wiped my tears away when my grandma I loved soo much died, like if she could take all the pain she could even thought she was just one year old, the little girl who was alone with me for her first two years when I was a single parent, the flower girl at my wedding who kept calling to me "I'm not afraid mama" and got her own ring and vows from my husband whos heart she stole the very same day this picture was taken, the girl who sat through endless days of bedrest helping me fetch things and putting on socks and never complaining,She never matches...ever and getting dress has always and will always be a fight. she can tone me out like no bodys business but when I need to talk she listens. she is the not so little girl who will always be wise beyond her years who filled my heart, the hole I didn't know I had and my life with so much love. I am thankful every day that she is mine. I love you Shelby Andd (monkey butt) happy birthday

remember remember the 15th of september.

Today is my monkey butts bday. She was born at 2:45 in the afternoon after 45 minutes of hard labor (pushing) and was the light of my life ever since. She is a loving wonderful girl that I am soo lucky to have in my world. Her party is Saturday and it will be both her first "friend" bday party and first sleep over because one girlfriend is allowed to sleep over. So we will see how that goes but I told her all her presents will have to wait until then but I surprised her with this...

A cute tiny cupcake sized barbie girl cake. :) and ..

cupcakes to go with it with cream cheese frosting and...

some hand knit socks..

they have ribbing for a snug fit at the arch and the yarn is left over from this...

She calls him ice cream since he is the color of Neapolitan ice cream. She got a pillow pet from her grandma and grandpa and a wii game from her dad and we took her swimming and played games all night :) She had a nice little day.

By the way I did the drawing I put all four comments in that I received in September since I didn't say what day you have to comment and it came up with #1 which was ecbuster. Congrats you have your self a stitch marker necklace. I am exhausted from knitting on the sly until 1 am two nights in a row and am hitting the hay tonight overflowing with love and cupcakes life could be worse. ;) have a good one guys

mmmm pumpkin.

So far it has been a great Monday. I got the monkey butt on the bus, came home cleaned my house , and then I went off to the gym for zumba. Today was my first full strength zumba complete with jumping for over a month!!! It felt GREAT!! I didn't mind jumping at all it was soo different then before when I had 2.5 more pounds around my neck. I also got a great gift from my teacher Autumn who brought me a much needed can of pumpkin (can't find it anywhere). So I finally got to make my pumpkin cinnamon chip cookies

I made these last year after finding them on the blog a Friend to knit with. I have to share them with all the lovely people who read my blog (that is right all two of you lol)

Yummm yumm just look at them. well here is the pumpkin cinnamon chip cookie recipe.

ingredients: 1 can pumpkin, 1c butter (softened), 1c sugar, 1/2 t salt, 1t vanilla, 1 egg, 2c flour, 1t baking soda, 1 t baking powder, 1 c cinnamon chips.

Preheat oven to 350 mix the pumpkin butter sugar together. Then add salt vanilla egg , next add flour baking powder, and baking soda. after all blended add chips. Drop by table spoon on cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes. (I used those rubber mats on my cookies sheets they are awesome fyi)

There you have it. It makes around 4 dozen cookies. they are cakey and delish.

Other then that life is good I am going to hop in the shower as soon as the last batch of cookies beep. Then work at knitting this...

My somewhat cowl is coming along nicely. I am almost done with the body then will just have to add the neck line and sleeves. :) I hope every ones Monday is going as great as mine and don't forget the last few days before the drawing for the stitch marker necklace. So post a comment and get entered :)

So as I told you the other day was the first football game of the season. A holiday to my hubby. I had to cook up something yummy and warm. I made chili. In my house I like to mix up the chili. This time I used ground beef, diced tomatoes, corn, black beans, and olives. Yum it was sooo good.

Then for the real treat I made home made bread to go with it. It turned out great and it wasn't as hard as I thought. I am no longer intimidated by yeast. I found a great tutorial here. I had some toast with it next morning yum and I made another loaf yesterday. I am thinking that this may be the way to go for my family.

It was delicious. I love home made bread. but if I am going to start doing this instead of store bought I am going to have to find a way to not eat half a loaf a day lol. :) As for yesterday, the hubbies schedule changed and now Friday is the day he works both jobs so it is me and the fire monster all day. We filled our day but doing chores and lots of them and then baked bread and a trip to the library..


Our library doesn't have super knitting books. I am always disappointed I did find a few this time. My sisters library in rosemount has great pattern books I don't know who purchases for them but please transfer to the shakopee library...thanks. but I am super excited for knit two. that should be great. I was disappointed in one skein wonders. Not to mention I can't bring my self to knit some of the patterns because they come from the self proclaimed "earth mother" I used to work with. Who last thing I heard worked at a gas station. It just makes me want to throw up in my mouth a little bit when I think about her and the way she used to talk to me and my gf angela. Anyway bitterness aside I did get back to work on my knitting in the afternoon evening. I worked on this...


re-knitting my some what cowl. (notice the stitch markers)But for some reason I am just not flying through it like I should be I am just not in the mood so I gave in and knit this instead..

Another runners companion. I have a pink one some where and i love it . It is great and I get tons of use from it. (notice how I used shelbys ipod because I wanted to trick you into thinking I have the cute new nano not my tiny 2g from 5 years ago lol) While I knit that I snuggled this..

We are watching harry potter and the goblet of fire (her choice) look how serious she is lol. She always rubs her ear when she gets tired. She is too funny. We paused it in the middle for dinner and a bath then tossed her in her favorite footie princess and the frog pjs and snuggled to finish. Well hubby is home for the morning so I think I will relax maybe do a load of laundry and read my book...maybe I will read my book in the tub...with a cocktail...j/k lol I will read but If I got in the tub with a cocktail this early I would never get out lol Have a great day guys.