Little Turtle Mama

May's Sock Club

2008-06-03T21:21:00.003-04:00

Now that all of May's Sock Club goodies have arrived safely to their new homes, I can finally post about them! This was our first month with the new Sock Club, and I have to admit that I had way too much fun putting it all together - picking out the goodies, developing a new (exclusive) colorway, and finally getting the new (exclusive) sock pattern out in the world at large (where eyes other than my own or the tech editors can oogle it) It's all such a labor of love, and so nice to get lovely comments back about the packages. Marion, a lovely customer-friend from near my hometown in NY, wrote me this week:

Gorgeous yarn, the colors are sensational. The pattern book is terrific, the stitch markers are beautiful and the journaling book sends the whole kit over the top for one fabulous sock knitting club. It is all so nice and I am so happy that I joined the club. You really outdid yourself! Thanks for recommending the May kit. I would be upset to have missed out on this sensational kit.

Wow! I don't know that I deserve all that flattery, but it sure is nice for the ego ;) She also sent along a yummy yarn-in-action shot of some of my 3 ply farm yarn that was a custom-dye. Check out this yarn goodness:

Don't they look all squishy and comfy? I'm wishing I had made some of that yarn for myself and squirrelled it away - I'd totally be pulling it out right now and casting on. (That is, after I finish June's sock sample, of course!)

But, wait! You're just dying to see May's sock, aren't you? There was a bit of a theme this month - the yarn at the top of this post was May's yarn - yummy, squishy sportweight superwash merino in "Japanese Garden." It's a harmonious blend of navy, grass green, lilac, lavender and winter white. Worked up in socks, it is lovely. Worked up in May's sock club pattern "Everyday Zen" it is super, duper fantastic!

It's a short row heel and toe sock, with the ribbing extending down the toe and heel for a truly excellent fit. The sort rows incorporate the ribbing, so that the transitions are pretty and flowing. Multiple sizes from infant to (big, big) man's make it one that's get used over and over. But, It's exclusive to the club until Jan '09 - so if you aren't in the Sock Club you'll have to wait. Of course...if you do join the club, you can back-buy the pattern if you really have to have it. Just one more reason to join now...June's club is an excellent luxury yarn, in a Jane Austen inspired pattern and more handmade club goodies! Last month's extra bonus was a handmade, perfect-bound journal. This month's....well, you'll have to wait and see!

We're having a sale!

2008-03-04T07:06:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the post and run, but wanted to let you know that we're having a Two Day Sale at the shop! 25% off all patterns through Wed night, so go shop and stock up now: http://www.littleturtleknits.com.

And I've jsut stocked some fantastic new colorways at the Little Turtle Knits' Hyena Cart, they'll be going live Tuesday at Noon! There's also a gorgeous baby kimono and one of our sweet Trelford Turtles, so be sure to check it out!

Meal Plan Monday

2008-02-02T15:39:00.000-05:00

Monday: Roasted Chicken, Garlic Smashed Potatoes and Braised Brussell Sprouts
Tuesday: Chicken Pot Pie (made with leftover chicken from Monday's roasted bird)
Wednesday: Dinner at church (woo-hoo, I don't have to cook!)
Thursday: Leek Soup and Broccoli Quiche
Friday: Fajitas
Saturday: Pioneer Woman's Marlborough Man Sandwiches, baked sweet potato fries and garlic broccoli
Sunday: Meatballs with Nana's Gravy (AKA: tomato sauce, for all you non-Italians)

Recipes for all of these will follow at some point, I promise!

Silly Saturday; Severus Snape

2008-02-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

(what's funny about Snape, you ask?) Watch this:

We're huge Harry Potter fans in this house, so it'll be weeks before we tire of this video. I love it!!

What do you get...

2008-01-31T10:30:00.000-05:00

when you mix this:

(a rambunctious, goofy 4 year old)

with this:

(a prayer rock, made at our church's Wed evening kid's program)

Any guesses?

You get this:

In other words, you get a trip to the Emergency Department (where they, unfortunately, know you by name because you are there with said 4 year old quite often) at 9 pm, with a gushing finger. (let's not ignore the irony of the fact that the kid was injured by a Prayer Rock. Resulting in lots of prayers that his hand wasn't broken. Apparently, the rock works, maybe a little too well, in encouraging prayer. I don't quite think that's what the Children's Director has planned when she did this activity with the kids, though.)

You get x-rays (not broken, but badly bruised and sprained) You get DermaBond (not stitches, thankfully, since the boy was seriously traumatized by the last bout with stitches, in his tongue) (No, I'm not kidding) You get almost three hours of kitting time while waiting in the ED for the doc to come in to do said finger gluing. You get a wrapped finger with admonishments to keep it dry (yeah, okay, that's gonna happen)

You also get a milkshake at the drive-through at 11:30 pm, because even though the boy is exhausted, you promised him a milkshake and he won't be dissuaded. You get the same boy drinking the milkshake for breakfast because he was too tired and cranky to finish it when you got home last night. You get a really, rally tired mama today, because all that adrenaline rushing around leaves quite a nasty hangover when it dissipates.

The silver lining to my tale of woe? You also get:
A finished sock!

{Work} in Progress Wednesday

2008-01-30T12:50:00.000-05:00

Is there anything worse that a sight like that for a mama who is desperate to get some work done? sigh Poor Rusty. He's cutting some eye teeth, and so the bulk of the work I'm getting done today is snuggling with my little man, trying to distract him from the pain and his tears. With the other three boys, teething didn't seem to be such an ordeal. But with Rusty, determined to make his mark and distinguish himself from the brothers who came before him - teething is an epic event. the bigger guys, I'd just nurse them and they'd be happy. But not Rusty - he's the stinker who self-weaned at just a year old (probably just punishment for the mama who staunchly advocates for child-lead weaning. I just never thought that meant I'd have to be okay with weaning at a year old!!!) So, I feel like I'm a new mama again, working hard to learn new tricks for soothing a toddler who isn't a nursling. This is hard work, let me tell you!

I've had two saving graces today, that have pulled me through the struggle to soothe my little man. The current sock in progress, a new design that will be one of the sock patterns for my LTK Sock Club, has progressed from a paltry 1" cuff this morning to the beauty (with heel and gusset decreased completed!) you see before you. Alongside it, is my new favorite tea, a gift from one of my Sunday School students. Republic of Tea's Orange Cranberry. Yum! Nothing like a ~~little~~ lot of caffeine to help you cope!

And, after a quick nap on mama's lap (and a healthy helping of chocolate yogurt pops) we've moved to this sight:

Tutorial Tuesday: Home Management Binder

2008-01-29T08:49:00.000-05:00

When I originally devised the Tutorial Tuesday idea, I planned on it being for knitting tutorials. So, naturally, my very first Tutorial is going to be on something completely unrelated to knitting. Well, not really unrelated, since getting organized frees up time to (you guessed it!) KNIT!

I get asked often, as the mama of four boys, how I manage to keep my house in order and my sanity intact, which still keeping up with my business. It's no easy feat, and for ~~a few~~ many years, I was completely unsuccessful. As my kids grew (and multiplied) I got further and further buried under housework and laundry. (Oh, the laundry!) So, after trying all the various programs out there (Flylady - the emails killed me), reading all the books, and listening to whatever advice people wanted to give me, I realized that I needed to just buckle down and Do It.

I needed to get organized. I needed to get my house in order. And I needed something that would help me keep it that way. Enter, the Home Management Binder. Otherwise known as The Brain. The Brain has revolutionalized my life. I'm actually organized. My house is actually clean. My laundry is actually washed and put away(most of the time.) Most importantly, my sanity is intact, and I don't waste entire Saturdays trying to clean the house from top to bottom. (I know I'm not the only one who has done that, fess up!)

You, too, can have these things. You can get the organization. You can get the clean. You can get the peace. You can get the sanity. You just need to get a Home Management Binder. Here's my set up, which I hope inspires each of you to get your own and find the home groove.

Supplies Needed:

3" Binder (I got one with clear inserts on the front, back and binder so I could spiff it up)

Clear page protectors (at least 30 to start)

Page Dividers

Dry Erase Marker

Printer/Paper

three hole punched zipper pencil case

pens, pencils

Optional: Pretty Scrapping paper to jazz up the binder and the page dividers (I found that the nicer my binder is, the more I want to use it, because it's fun to look at)

Here's the front of my binder:

And now let's dive right in:

On the left are notecards so that when I need to send a thank you note, they're readily available. Behind the cards are things that need to be filed in the binder that I haven't gotten to yet. (It's always a work in progress, that's the key! You're never "finished" with the binder, but it's always morphing with your family's needs) The note across the right says: Don't let what you don't have spoil what you do have On the right is the pencil case, which holds the dry erase marker to using on the clear page protectors, a pencil, a few pens, sticky notes, and stamps. Let's flip the pencil case, and take a look at the first page divider: Vital Info. (notice the pretty scrap paper - if it's pretty, you're more likely to use it!)

Vital Info's first page is Emergency Information. It's a central place that everyone in my family knows they can find important info, like:

our address
directions to our house
the fire dept phone number
police dept phone number
poison control
emergency contact numbers (grandma, neighbor, pediatrician, dentist, mom cell)
where the first aid kit is located
where our family "meeting spot" is if we need to evacuate the house
where medicine is located

While most of us think that this is information we "know" it's nice to have it in one spot, because in an emergency you just might forget it! The next page in this section is my Emergency Supply Checklist. It's a great list complied by the folks at Real Simple. Last is the Crib Sheet for anyone who spends time with our boys. It's a handy list of rules, kids habits and quirks. Great for the evenings when Grandma babysits and I've forgotten to tell her that Rusty won't be able to go to sleep without his music and duck.

The next section is the Calendar.

I keep our family's master calendar with Outlook. Each person is assigned a color, and every activity gets input to the calendar. At the beginning of the month, I print out the next two months' calendars, and they go into the binder. Behind the family calendar is the lunch calendar that the boys' school sends home. They're allowed to buy lunch once or twice a month, so they highlight the day that they want on the calendar and then in the binder it goes.

The next section is probably the most critical, and definitely the most used, in my binder. It's Homekeeping, and this is where the Brain Files come into play.

I've got a sheet of Daily Chores, then an assigned room for each day of the week (except Sunday, which is officially Mama's Day Off) Each day is broken into chores that need to be done each week, then rotating monthly chores, and finally, seasonal chores. You cross off each job with the dry erase marker as you go, and then wipe it all off at the end of the day. Super easy! Please download the Brain Files and use them! I promise, if you don't do any but follow the brain files, after just two weeks your house will be in much better shape.

After the brain files cleaning pages, I've got a bunch of other pages related to keeping house. There's a Stain Removal Guide, an excerpt from Martha Stewart's HomeKeeping book that I clipped from a back issue of Living, and a fun little page called the Elements of Clean, from Real Simple. It's a basic list of cleaning chores, done a la Period Table of the Elements.

The next section is Contacts.
This is where I've got a page of phone resources, the "note to teacher" pad from my boys school (to make absence and late notes easier, it's pretty cool. You just check off the reason, add in the date, and sign the note), a page protector will all of my frequently used take-away places, and then finally a page protector will my address book and the member book for our church.

Next is the Holiday section.
For the most part, this section isn't super active until late September.

Year-round, there is a gift list that I'll add to as I find good gifts for the people on my list. At the end of September, this section will get a schedule of things that need to be done for holiday prep, and then closer to Thanksgiving it gets a calendar with events we do and a plan for getting the holiday prep finished. This section also has a Birthday Worksheet that lists our family and friends' birthdate and gift ideas.

Next is Health & Wellness.

This is where my workout log is, a clipped weightlifting workout from Self (that I am trying to get motivated to do!) and other interesting articles I come across that I want to read or save. There's also a sheet in here for each person in my family, listing allergies, medications, illnesses, doctor visits, etc.

Next is Crafts.

This is where I file craft ideas to do with the kids, clipped from magazines, written down from friends, or printed from the net. When the kids are crazy, I send them to the binder to pick out a craft for us to do. It usually buys me 10 minutes of non-crazy, but hey, I'll take anything!

After Crafts is Parenting. This is where I clip and file all those article that I want to keep referring back to (like Argue with Me
) and a fabulous little one from Women's Day on the things your kids should know before they move out of your house (gems like knowing how to pump gas, change a tire, sew on a button, read nutrition labels and do laundry)

Last in my binder is the Home Dec file. This is where I put all those gorgeous magazine spreads that inspire me in my decorating - it's a virtual dream file for how I want my home to look and feel as I work on my home.At the very end, there's extra page dividers and extra clear page protectors.

Now that you've seen the binder, and hopefully gotten some inspiration for making your own and embracing the Brain, I'll show you what might be the best part. Do you suffer from serious paper clutter? Never know what to do with the mail that comes in, or all the papers that your kids seem to generate. I keep this little basket on my kitchen counter.

In the very back, you can see the binder peeking out. In front of the binder is my coupon book (that's a whole 'nother post!) In front of that is a file folder for each person in my family. When the kids get home from school, and papers that I need to see/read/sign, then know that they have to put it in my folder, or I won't see it. Mail gets sorted right in front of that basket. DH's bills and magazines? Right into his folder! My bills and magazines? Right into my folder. In the boys' folders are magazines, papers they've drawn, and often, a little love note from mom. This one little basket has cut down tremendously on the paper clutter that used to permanently reside on my kitchen counter. The basket was less than $6 from WalGreens, and is easily one of the best purchases I have ever made!

I hope you've enjoyed this little tour of my home management binder. It has been such a blessing to me in my own home, and I pray that it blessed you in our own homemaking adventures!

Silly Saturday (and other Random Goodness)

2008-01-26T13:17:00.001-05:00

I think it's time to shake things up a bit here at Chez Blog. (Let's face it, it's been a downright snoozefest round these parts for quite some time) I've realized that much like the rest of my life, this here blog needs a schedule An ordering of days. A plan. (Yes mom, you really did read that right. Your daughter is formulating a plan. Try not to keel over in disbelief)

From now on, Saturday will hereafter be known as Silly Saturday. It'll be the day that I troll the internet, seeking fun and frivolity to share with you, my dear reader. Right to your monitor, I'll bring the funniest jokes, videos and stories from my family (heavens knows we're all silly enough to fill at least a month's worth of Saturdays!) We're going to spread the happiness, share the smiles and make everyone laugh. We can all use a bit of laughs these days :)

Next up will beTutorial Tuesdays, offering great short videos and lots of pictures to detail those techniques that many of you ask about often. On this, I want some input from you, dear readers. What would you like to see an LTK Tutorial on? Email me at theresa{at}littleturtleknits{dot}com and I'll try to get your request in the queue.

Work in Progress Wednesday will be where I hold myself accountable and show actual progress on various projects. They might not always be knitting projects, because there's often designs that I can't show, but they'll always be crafty and (hopefully) interesting!

Finally, Fiber Friday will round out or blogging week. Some Fridays there will be gorgeous pictures of handpainted yarns, other Fridays we'll have little fiber profiles, and still other days we'll preview some of our new yarns.

I hope that you enjoy all the new stuff coming!

For today's first Silly Saturday installment, I present a Shaun the Sheep parody for your entertainment, courtesy of YouTube. This has been viewed in our house at least 10 times a day for the past week, and the kids still aren't tired of it!

The one in which I can't sleep

2008-01-04T00:37:00.000-05:00

I'm normally a great sleeper. I fall asleep easily, sleep soundly, and if left undisturbed, will sleep in whenever I can. I adore laying in bed in the morning, in that half-awake/half-asleep state where everything feels sort of dreamy and nothing in the world seems more appealing than the warm covers pulled up under my chin and a cat curled up at my feet.

But every once in a while, I'll get in this headspace where I just cannot fall asleep. Sure, I'm tired. Sure, I want to sleep. I need to sleep. But the brain just won't stand for it. Often, these sleepless nights coincide with bursts of creativity, when my mind is brimming with ideas, designs, craft projects I want to work on, things that I need to tinker with on the website, and most recently, my committee work with the Association of Knitwear Designers, Inc. I've learned to stop fighting these nights where I'm still awake well after midnight, and now try to embrace them for the rare, quiet moments they provide. Let's face it, the only time my household is quiet is after midnight!

It's 12:46 am as I'm writing this, and I've spent the past hour working on the design of my new cart (sorry, no preview yet. Soon, I promise!) I've sketched out three new designs and will add them to the (large) pile of "To Be Swatched" sketches (surely I'm not the only designer who has a pile like this?!)

I've been catching up on blog reading, and have fallen in love with Amanda's sweet babes' Bird Calendar. The ideas are whipping around my head for next year's gifts, already. I've been admiring Meg's Emmeline Apron, and really trying to stop myself from emailing her to pester about when the pattern will be released. I really want one (or ten!) of those aprons. So cute. I'm pretending to ignore Amy's homemade marshmellows, because, well the holidays are over and I can't make any more excuses for eating sweets. But I'm counting the days till Valentine's when I can make them as treats for the boys. The only thing stopping me from busting out the rubber cement and making some seriously adorable bubble mailers right now is the fact that both the bubble wrap and rubber cement are in my craft closet, which is in the room that Rusty is asleep in and the door squeeks which will wake him up.

So, what do YOU do when you can't sleep?

Comfort in a Bowl (aka: White Chicken Chili recipe)

2007-10-15T16:53:00.000-04:00

It seems that in the past month, at least two people are sick at any given time in our house. That's a lot of germs, folks. That's a lot of demands for comfort food, also. To be frank, I'm a little tired of chicken soup, so I've been trying to develop a taste for other comfort foods in my family. This recipe is a sure winner. Everyone loves it, and it's easy to make.

White Chicken Chili
2-3 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded (if we've got leftover chicken from a roast, I use that, otherwise I boil 2 boneless breasts and shred it after cooking)
1 bag of great northern beans, soaked and cooked(or 2 big cans of northern beans or other white bean)
1 onion, chopped
1 stick, plus 2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cups milk or half and half
2 cups chicken stock (or 1 can chicken broth)
1 small can green chilies
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt & pepper (to taste)

Condiments: sour cream, monterey jack or sharp cheddar, avocado, tomatoes, cilantro or whatever else you fancy

1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot (I use this cast iron dutch oven) over medium-high heat.
2. Add onions, stirring several times to coat with the butter. Allow the onion to cook down until golden, about 10 minutes.
3. Remove onions to a separate plate, and add remaining stick of butter to pot.
4. Once butter is melted, slowly add in flour while constantly whisking (this is making a roux)
5. very slowly whisk in the milk/half and half until the mixture is thick and well blended, then very slowly whisk in the stock
6. add in the onions, chicken, green chilies and spices
7. reduce the heat to med-low and let simmer for 20-30 minutes (or reduce to low and let it simmer for an hour or so)

Serve with condiments and enjoy!

Meal Plan Monday

2007-10-15T07:58:00.000-04:00

Last week's meal planning made my life so much easier, so I'm definitely on board again for this week. Here's what I've got planned:

Monday: White Chicken Chili (recipe coming soon)
Tuesday: Veggie Lasagna
Wednesday: dinner at church
Thursday: Breakfast Dinner (eggs, bacon, pancakes and cottage potatoes)
Friday: homemade pizza bar (I make the crust and prep the toppings, then each boy gets to create his own pizza) We do "Family Night" on Fridays, where we all make pizzas together, then either watch a family movie or play board games.
Saturday: Mushroom Risotto
Sunday: Meatballs with Gravy (aka: homemade tomato sauce for you non-Italians, LOL!)

Menu Plan Monday

2007-10-08T15:51:00.000-04:00

In the constant effort to simplify my life and get more out of my days, I'm once again going back to a menu plan. I'm ~~confident~~ hopeful that this will drastically reduce the amount of time I spend thinking about dinner.

Monday: French Dip sandwiches, mashed yams and garlicky broccoli
Tuesday: Veggie Tortilla Soup
Wednesday: Dinner at church
Thursday: Spinach stuffed chicken breasts with cider gravy
Friday: homemade veggie pizzas
Saturday: kids to Gigi & Pop-pop's, mama and papa to NY for a wedding (woo-hoo, a night away!!)
Sunday: grilled cheese and homemade veggie minestrone
Sunday:

The one in which we talk about eating locally...

2007-08-26T08:52:00.000-04:00

It is 98 degrees outside my window here in Pennsylvania right now. A hot, muggy, sweltering 98 degrees - and it's only 8:53 am as I start this blog entry. It's suppossed to go over 100 today. As I sit here with a damp hankerchief wrapped around my neck (truly the best way to cool yourself off on a day such as this!) I am consciously stopping myself from cursing this heat and humidity (especially after the fall preview we got last week.) I'm trying to focus on the positive of this inferno. It will be short lived - school is starting next week and surely fall is just around the corner. And, it's making my tomatoes grow.

And grow they are! The bounty of tomatoes parading through our kitchen these past few weeks has been nothing short of miraculous. Clearly, Mother Nature is loving my committment to eat local this year, and in her effort to support this endeavour, she's sending forth the most delicious tomatoes.

I'm sure by now, you've heard about the Local Food Movement. If it hasn't already, the word locavore will surely pop up in your news reading before summer is over. If you're interested in doing the local food thing, this Eat Local Challenge post is a great overview to start with. I've adopted the locavore pledge outlined in that post:

If not LOCALLY PRODUCED, then Organic.
If not ORGANIC, then Family farm.
If not FAMILY FARM, then Local business.
If not a LOCAL BUSINESS, then Fair Trade.
If all else fails, at least don�t eat at McDonald�s!

If you're not sold yet on the benefits of eating locally, watch this:

I encourage each of you to try to have at least one local meal this week. With summer's bounty upon us, there's no better time to taste the flavors of your local markets and see their wonders for yourself. As for me, I'm off to eat my heavenly little bounty:

Abundant Tomato Salad

1 garden tomato, roughly chopped (I used an heirloom brandywine picked from the garden this morning)
1 handful of fresh arugula, ripped into bite sized pieces (from the farmer's market)
1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped fine (from the farmer's market, though it wish it were from brother-in-law's garden becuase his garlic is outstanding!)
4 ounces fresh mozarrella (that recipe will come on another day!)

2 tablespoons good olive oil
splash of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Toss it all together and let it sit for a bit to meld (10 minutes or so) and eat with some fantastic rustic bread

It's heaven in a bowl.

The one in which I anticipate fall...

2007-08-24T21:53:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure what this week was like for the rest of you, but here at Casa de Locos Ninos (that's House of Crazy Boys for you non-Spanish-speakers) it was, well, crazy. The boys were crazy, I was crazy, but most of all, the weather was crazy. It was down into the lower 50's at night. Poor hubby went running Thursday morning and said he could see his breath. There was a crisp breeze blowing, and those hints of autumn were all I needed to push me to finish these socks (started the last time I felt 50 degree weather, on our vacation in June to Nova Scotia)

It's a pattern based on my own sock recipe with Barbara Walker's "Little Waves" incorporated on the ankle and instep. On our vacation, we stayed in a lovely farmhouse in Tatamagouche, NS. (whoo-wee, the drive up there from here was i-n-s-a-n-e!) Several of the days we were there, we visited Rushton Beach, which was a gorgeous little provincial beach on the Northumberland Strait (warmest water north of the Carolinas!) Watching the tide come in and out was incredible. The waves themselves were tiny, undulating - but the tide changed so fast and it was a huge change. We started the first day a good 10 feet back from the edge of the waves and by the time the tide came in (just a few hours later), I was scrambling to keep the edge of the blanket dry!

The pattern for these Tatamagouche Socks will be available sometime this coming week, along with a pattern for The Bruiser. The Bruiser is a boo-boo buddy - you keep him in the freezer and when the kids come in screaming with an injury, the Bruiser will help make it better (and hopefully make the injured one laugh a little.) Nothing heals pain better than laughter. And maybe some cookies!

And now, you'll all have to indulge me in a bit of shameless mama show off. Several of you readers have asked for recent pics of my guys, so I'm happy to oblige.

Here's AJ, just turned 8 and sporting his new Harry Potter glasses:

And Ethan, 6 and a half (can't forget the half!), participating in what has to be one of his very favorite summer sports: Watermelon Seed Spitting.

(Yes, that's C wolfing down the watermelon behind him. Love ya, honey!)

Gregory (aka: macGregor, Trouble #1)showing his decided non-Trouble side, gently feeding a sheepie at the 4H Farm

And finally, the Caboose: Rusty. Recently re-named Trouble #2, after a most horrifying fall down the basement stairs.

Yes, they look all sweet and innocent. Yes, I adore them. And yes, I am counting down the days till they start school!

The one in which they come to an understanding...

2007-04-06T11:23:00.000-04:00

The cat and the babe, that is. Rusty's 6 months old now (we'll ignore the time warp that must have occurred for those 6 months to go thisfast, because surely it was just a week or two ago that I was bring that tiny little bundle of blobby baby home from the NICU)

Since Rusty's arrival at home, the cat (Lily Potter Belville) has wavered between indignation at the affrontery that is a newborn (the screaming, the smelling, the stealing of the good spot in mama's bed) and curiosity (if I lay on it, will it be a good pillow?)

We've fianlly, I think, reached the Indifferent stage. Rusty's not yet mobile, so Lily can plant herself just out of arm's reach and look at him with mild annoyance. To which he laughs back hysterically, like she might just be the funniest little creature to ever walk the Earth. It's entertaining all around; I adore the giggles that erupt from Rusty anytime Lily gets close to him. But poor Lily, she doesn't have a chance once this kid gets some skills and can chase her.

Yesterday's birthday festivities included a jaunt to IKEA where the kiddies got to play in Smaland (god, how I adore whatever genius thought up the IKEA Smaland!) and I got to play in the housewears. I was very, very good and came home with only a few trinkets.

Some plain bibs that are destined to be gussied up with embroidery from the insanely inspiring Design Collection for Kids which I found from reading over at one of my favorite blogs, SouleMama Stay tuned for in progress pics as I work on them.

I was sorely tempted to get some georgeous earth tone printed linen called Gribby, but it I didn't have a specific goal in mind for it, and I'm trying not to buy anything that doesn't have a goal. So, I put it back. If it keeps calling to me, I'll figure out a project for it and go back, I think. Isn't it pretty?

In knitting news..well, there is no knitting news. I've been....well, um, I've been...crocheting.

There, I said it. I've been crocheting. And I like it. Yes, me - crocheting. And liking it. I've been churning out granny squares like a mad woman. It all started with Alicia's ripple afghan. Oh, how her ripple sang to me. Called to me. But, then she started in with the grannies. And then I found the GrannyAlong and now I'm just in big trouble. I'm thinking of all the surfaces in my house I can cover with the granny. But the first up, I'm making a sweet blankie for a friend who is expecting a wee girlie early this summer. Don't these colors just make you picture a rosy cheeked little summer girl, sitting under a tree in the breeze?

The one in which I am (Officially) a Grown-Up....

2007-04-05T08:09:00.000-04:00

Today is my birthday. My 30th Birthday. For the past several weeks, everyone around me has been making a big to-do, talking about how this is the end of my youth and I'm now most certainly "old." I usually stare them down for a few moments, then let my eyes wander to the wee boys who are usually running circles around us and finally, erupt in fits of laughter.

Old? OLD?! Dude, I've got 4 (4!!!) kids. Boys. I already am OLD.

How is it that your children can simultaneously make you feel so very old and so very youthful at the same time? It's one of the myriad gifts of parenting; when I'm feeling down and dreary, a quick game of tag with my boys envigorates me and reminds me that there's plenty of life left in these bones. But one roll of my 7 year old's eyes, and wham! I feel like I'm the crustiest old broad, so completely out of touch with the youngun's.

Of course, having 4 kids really turned me into a grown-up far faster than some arbitrary age ever could. Being MaMa to these fantastically interesting boys has taught me to meet their needs (without sacrificing my own)...to love unconditionally (and from a place in my heart I didn't even know existed)...to prioritize (and let go of the unneccessary ideas and ideals that hold me down)... and to multitask better than anyone I know.

Can you guess how many things I am doing in this picture? We're at the park, so I'm making sure three insane boys are not hurting themselves (or any other unfortunate kids who get in their paths). It's morning, so I'm drinking coffee. I've got the bub in the sling, so naturally I'm nursing (yes, after 4 kids, you get that good at nursing discreetly) And, of course, I'm knitting. Because without the knitting, I would be too crazy and far gone to be able to do any of the other things.

Today, I'm off to IKEA to spend some quality time looking for bathroom accoutrement for our soon-to-start renovations. I figure the birthday has got to give me some good juju and I'll find exactly what I need.

After all, you only turn 30 once.

The one in which spring arrives...

2007-03-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

Sweetly scented hydrangea blossoms

Good Day, Sunshine! Handpainted 2 ply Farm Yarn

Wild Snow Crocus on the front lawn

Slowly, the signs of spring are creeping up all around me. Other telltale signs spotted in the wild in the past two days include sidewalk chalk strewn all over the driveway, empty magic bubble containers, and pasty white legs on boys who can't bear to wear anything but shorts once the thermometer gets higher than 50 degrees.

I hope that whatever part of the world you're in, the signs of your seasons are bringing you as much joy as spring's are to me.

The one in which I find (another) new bag...

2007-03-28T21:31:00.000-04:00

C says that I have too many bags. I say that a girl can never have too many bags. There's the cute little evening bags (let's ignore that fact that I can't even recall the last time I went anywhere that an evening bag would even be questionably appropriate) There's the little something bags, just big enough to hold my favorite Aveda Lip Glaze (Color #261: tangerine tea), my keys, and the wallet I'm currently lusting after (The cute olive floral one in the pic)

But, since I generally have at least two kids with me at all times, one of which is in diapers (cloth, naturally) and the other who likes to toss assorted sundries like toys, food, sippy cups and shoes in my bag, those little something bags don't cut it.

Thus, the bulk of my bag stash is of the large variety. Totes, backpacks, messenger bags, a few Kecchi's, and one well-loved (and thrifted!) Petunia Picklebottom - these are the bags I turn to over and over. And now, I've got another that I am aching to add to the stash.

sigh Isn't it lovely? Naturally, I'll be reverse-engineering the pattern since, #1: I can never manage to follow a pattern, and #2: there's no way (NO WAY!) I'll be using the 19 hanks of Ultra Alpaca the original calls for (and I doubt very much that I'll be double stranding, which I'm guessing the original must do to eat that much yardage) Do you know how much 19 hanks of that yarn costs?!??! This is a diaper bag, people!

I think I'll play around with my trusty felting standby, Classic Merino. I've been perusing some of my treasuries for a few eye-catching peeries, but I'm considering just using Paton's Soy Wool Stripes, too (hey, will be much easier that way - instant color fun without the fuss)

Now to just decide the best way to break it to C that I am adding yet another bag to the stash...

The one in which it is established....

2007-03-26T22:28:00.000-04:00

that I am a woefully inept blogger. Yes, it's been several months since my last blog post. It's not due to lack of good intentions. The road to my blog is paved with good intentions. I've got entire posts all thought out, planned down to the punctuation marks - in my head. It's the getting them on the page (er, is it considered a page if it's a virtual journal?) I'm not even going to bother waxing poetic about how I'm going to be better, blog more, and take more pictures. We both know that's not likely to happen with any sort of regular frequency. So, let's move on, shall we...

Spring is slowly arriving here in soggy Pennsylvania. The weather is warming up, I've pulled out the Crocs that I got for Christmas.
Oh, how I love these shoes. Comfy, cute, kicky. They make me smile when I catch a glimpse of them on my feet.

Spring's creeping arrival has also brought about my yearning to craft some cute warm-weather wear. Naturally since I don't have any wee girlies to dress, I'm furtively working on (you guessed it!) Girls' Dresses. The Perfect Summer Dress, to be precise.

That's Marnie's sweet girl in a dress I made last year. I am working on the finishing touches to the pattern, so it'll be available soon. (Not soon enough for an Easter dress, but definitely for Cinco de Mayo)

It's fun for me to get to play with girlie things like this, since I'm (as C puts it) an island in a sea of testosterone.

Lately, I have felt like the sea is battering down on my island beaches, and I desperately need some serious girl pampering to recover. Next week is my 30th birthday, and I'll (finally) be using last year's birthday gift - a day of spa pampering at Adolf Biecker, getting an Aveda facial, a swedish massage, and a mani/pedi. I feel spoiled.

The Giving Season

2006-12-17T22:01:00.000-05:00

My husband thinks of this time of year as "Football Season"

My kids think of it as "Cookie Season"

My mom thinks of it as "Shopping Season"

But me, I like to think of it as the "Giving Season"

I know that you knitters, you're good, kind, caring and generous folks. Stephanie over at Yarn Harlot has confidence that y'all are VERY generous people, and I think that together we can even exceed her ambitious expectations. So, I'm doing my part by offering a wee bit of an incentive, if you will. What could be better than a little pixie to help you make your donation?

(no, not the baby. you don't get to keep him, he's mine and I'm not giving him up!) But, you do get the hat. Well, the pattern for the hat, that is.

Now through January, I'm going to be donating all of the sales of the new Winter Pixie hat to Steph's Doctors Without Borders campaign. So, buy a pattern, knit a cute hat, and feel good that you're participating in the best season of all - the Giving Season.

Pictures

2006-12-01T22:52:00.000-05:00

I have spent the last several evenings going through all the pictures on my hard drive. 6 years of pictures, people. I'm only doing it because hubby asked for two photo albums with family pictures in them for christmas (we've definitely been victims of the digital camera, I can't even remember the last time I had real prints made! Bad mommy!)

My head is swimming, but it's been fun to take a (virtual) walk down memory lane and see how my children have grown over these past few years. It's been wonderful to watch my eldest go from a toddling babe to a georgeous young man. (Witness the stunning pic below, taken with my nifty new camera, which I am IN LOVE with. It's a panasonic lumix, with a nifty leica lens that takes rather fantastic photos)

I honestly cannot even believe that this boy is mine. He amazes me more every single day, he's creative, full of wonder, polite, and really, a joy. (Except when he's screaming at his brothers. Then I want to kill him)

That is the same boy in this picture, from about 4 years ago. I came across it in my pictures searches tonight, and played around a bit with it in photoshop. The end result you see here is magical, I think.

meme-o-me

2006-11-04T15:33:00.000-05:00

1. FIRST NAME? Theresa
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Yep, St. Theresa of Avila
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? uh, this morning - around 5am when I got up to get a diaper to change the wee babe and stubbed my toe on the bed
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? i never really thought about it, but yeah, I guess so
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Corned beef (with swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and russian dressing - aka a reuben)
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes
7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? This blog is my pitiful attempt at one
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No way, no how.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? is oatmeal considered a cereal?
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? no
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? mentally, yes. physically, not so much.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? edy's special edition pumpkin pie
14. SHOE SIZE? 7.5
15. RED OR PINK? barn red
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? I'm moody and can be quite bitchy to those I love
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? my friend kevin. he's not dead (thank goodness!0 but he lives far away and we never talk as often as I'd like
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? No
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Grey yoga pants, white nursing tank, burgundy zip hoodie, handknit socks.
20. LAST THING YOU ATE? a kit kat I swiped from the boys' Halloween stash.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? rusty's sleepy breathing on my neck, college football that DH is watching, with background noise from th eboys playing on the computer upstairs
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? red
23. FAVORITE SMELL? My newborn's head when he's asleep on my chest
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? a very sweet Indian man who is a customer service tech for Cisco
25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Their eyes
26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from? Absolutely
27. FAVORITE DRINK? alcoholic? A Tom Collins. Non-alcoholic? Sweet tea.
28. FAVORITE SPORT? can knitting be considered a sport?
29. EYE COLOR? greenish gold
30. HAT SIZE? huh? hats come in sizes?
31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yes
32. FAVORITE FOOD? fresh baked bread with butter
33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings
35. SUMMER OR WINTER? winter
36. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs
37. FAVORITE DESSERT? pecan pie
38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? I'm calling out Melissa H. ;)
39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Everyone
40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Survival Guide from a Family of Nine, Theodore Rex and Can't Wait to Get to Heaven (well, I'mlistening to that last one, does that count?)
41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? No mouse pad - it's a laptop
42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? Star Wars Episode II: Attach of hte Clones on DVD
43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? the sound of my boy's breathign while they sleep, Dh saying he loves me while I'm half asleep in bed before he leaves in the morning
44. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles
45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? California
46. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? surviving as the only female in a house with 5 guys
47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? New York
48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I pinched it from Steph

You know you wanna be an avenger!

2006-11-02T08:01:00.000-05:00

Last year, a group of us fantastic craftsters (mostly knitters with a few hookers thrown in for good measure) on the Wooly Wonder Forumsgot together to help one of our own, Jesse, raise money to run the Three Day. It was exciting being a part of something so worthwhile, and it became almost larger than life. Now, the Avengers have come together again for a special little boy, the best friend of one of our Avenger's daughter.

Here's some of his story:

Nat is a three and a half year old boy. He's been called the Professor since he was a newborn, and it suits him well. Proffer is a wonderful kid, he loves nursery rhymes and fairy tales. He loves to dance and sing and from infancy has always been very sure of himself and what he likes in life.

On October 25, 2006, Nat's family discovered that he had a brain tumor. On October 27 at 1:30 PM EST, The Professor underwent brain surgery in an attempt to remove the tumor.

It was discovered to be Medulloblastoma. This type of malignant tumor is among the more common in childhood cancers. The surgeon reviewed the post-op MRI, and there is no sign of tumor either radiographically or microscopically. So the only bits that can be left are cellular, and that's what the chemo is for. The fact that this is a fast-growing tumor is actually good for chemo, because chemo targets fast growing cells and eradicates them.

The oncologist is in full support of Nat receiving homeopathic support throughout his allopathic treatments. We know homeopathy helps, and we're hoping that the support it gives his whole body will allow him to withstand the levels of chemo necessary without suffering major long-term side effects.

The Fiber Arts Avengers want you to join us - become an avenger, fight for this sweet little boy. Whether you donate money, Craft something to sell, or even just buy a pattern or two - we appreciate all of it!

In the coming week, I'll be adding a pattern to those for sale to benefit The Prof, and knitting up some goodies to auction. So, get that paypal ready to spend!!

Harvest Blessings Soup

2006-10-31T10:04:00.000-05:00

I was craving some squash soup yesterday, and with the bounty of fall surrounding me, I decided to playa round a little. The recipe I came up with was a huge hit in my house - C actually said it was the best soup I'd ever made! So, Ithought I'd share the blessings with you :)

Harvest Blessings Soup

1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 large butternut squash (can substitute acorn or delicata squash) peeled, seeded and cubed (about 2 cups)
1 medium yam or sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 large granny smith apple (or other tart apple), peeled, cored and diced
1 cup apple cider
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 t ground ginger
1 t gound nutmeg
1/4 t cinnamon
1/2 -3/4 cup light cream
salt and pepper to taste

put butter and oil in dutch oven over medium heat, add onions and garlic when butter is golden. stir often while onions cook about 5-7 minutes, until translucent and soft.

Add squash, yams, apples, cider, stock and spices, stir to mix well. Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Remove from heat and process in batches in blender or food processor. Return to pot, add light cream and stir well to mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!!

seriously, can we just start today over?

2006-10-27T17:13:00.000-04:00

or maybe just erase it completely from the calendar? (Warning: postpartum hormone filled whiney-ness is about to ensue. Proceed at your own risk)

As if it's not bad enough that my second-to-youngest is waking up before the crack of dawn (yes, that's really early, folks) But there's nothing like checking email first thing (while aforementioned child insists on watching Barney. Purple dinosaurs should be forbidden before 8 am and at least 2 cups of coffee)

Anyway, back to the email - checking email and finding out that some nasty hacker has set up a phishing scam on your website. Your business website. And the person who alerted you to this fact has also alerted your local police. Now there's a wake up call you want to get (seriously, NOT)

So, come to find out that it's likely a security breech with either my forums or my shopping cart (both of which need to be upgraded and checked over to ensure that the security is fixed now) My host is a gem - Be hosting, and I want to send Erica some flowers for getting rid of the phishing crud from the site approximately 34 seconds after I emailed her. She rocks, seriously.

So, I spend a good portion of the morning (while nursing at the lapop, naturally) trying to get the forums updated and security-checked, when I realize that the only way really to do it is to do a clean install of the forums. Which means I lose all the posts, members, everything.

Can you see me now?

So, it's now exactly 5:16 pm, and I just poured myself a glass of merlot. I am going to forget today ever happened, drink my glass of wine, and watch Star Wars with my boys tonight. Tomorrow, back to work. Onward...