4th of July Party

We celebrated the 4th of July with a party. We normally host an annual 4th of July party, but last year we were unable to have one because Vince had to work. It was nice to have the family over and catch-up with everyone. Vince grilled burgers and I made all the sides. Afterwards we popped fireworks. Everyone had a good time. The photo is if Vince holding his niece Billie. Isn't she a cutie?

I've found Ravelry

I've been knitting like crazy the last few months and I think I have to blame it on the new website I found called "Ravelry". I stumbled across the website several months ago and signed up for their waiting list to be invited. I had almost forgotten all about it when I received my invite e-mail. I logged in on April 6th and have never left! This website is wonderful for knitters and crocheters. Once you create your account, you can keep track of the projects you are working on and the projects you have finished. You can give details such as the yarn you used, the size of needles, any notes you might want to add, and you can post pictures. You can inventory your books, magazines, needles and yarn. You can also join groups and participate in the forums with people who have the same interests as yourself. The site also has free patterns. I am loving this website!!!

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth!

Ok, it's been a while since my last blog entry. I have no real excuse really. I guess I've just been pre-occupied with life in general.

I started a new job in April. I'm now working for my Dad in the office of his electrical shop. I answer phones, do payroll, invoicing, deposits, etc. I like it for the most part. Sometimes it gets kind of slow though because I'm used to moving in a fast pace and tend to finish all my work for the day in just an hour or two. That leaves the rest of my day to just sit there and answer the phone. However, there are some good perks to the job. First, I can wear really whatever I want to work. I wear jeans and a nice shirt everyday, I still like to look nice. In Corporate America, that was never the case, as I always had to wear slacks or skirts and uncomfortable shoes. I also get to take a book or knitting for when things get slow. Where else could you read or knit and get paid for it?

We took a quick trip up to Auburn the first part of May to pick up my step-daughter from college. We moved most everything from her dorm room to a storage unit. She did bring home some clothes and shoes and her computer for the summer. The picture above is Tori, walking off campus after her last final. We wanted to stop off in New Orleans on the way home, but we ran out of time. Oh well... maybe next trip.

What is a clapotis, you ask?

Well, it's basically a scarf, but it's knitted on the bias and the shape is more like a parallelogram than a rectangle. I first heard about the clapotis when I saw a request for one on Alchemy on Etsy. I went searching the Internet to find out what this Etsy member was talking about. Sure enough, I found it. I found it on knitty.com and you can take a look at a picture and the pattern here: http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall04/PATTclapotis.html

The clapotis was designed by Kate Gilbert, who lives in Paris, France. I'm dying to make this clapotis for myself! The pattern call for 4 skeins of Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb [50% silk, 50% wool; 205yd/184m per 100g skein]. I'm going to have to take a trip to the yarn shop and check out this particular yarn. I don't recall ever seeing it before. I'm hoping it's not too expensive.

For anyone reading my blog, I'd love comments on this particular yarn if you have used it. Or, if you know of another yarn I could use as a substitute, I'd greatly appreciate your comment. :)

I got a NEW CAR!!!!

Finally, I have a new car!!! I've been driving around a 1999 Dodge Durango for years and it's on it's very last leg. I bought the Durango back in July 2001 after my car was flooded from Tropical Storm Alison. The Durnago was used and had 19K miles on it when I bought it. It took me a lot of places... but it was definitely time for a new one.

So, my husband and I have been looking for a new car, but hadn't planned on buying anything until this summer. I've been looking at the Mercury Mountaineer online and just fell in love with it. My husband and I went Saturday and test drove one. They made us a great deal, so we went ahead and bought it. The color is "vapor silver metalic" and has charcoal black interior with charcoal black with sand inset seats. It came with Sync and I absolutely love that feature. I can now use my cell phone hands-free while driving and the sound comes through the radio. How cool is that!

Saint Joseph's Day

On March 19th, many Italian-Americans celebrate St. Joseph’s Day. St. Joseph is the patron saint of family life, hand-labor, and carpenters. It Italy, it is the feast of their Father’s Day. This holy day is celebrated rather privately in homes and neighborhoods across the United States. Although my family no longer celebrates St. Joseph's Day, I do keep to tradition and plant my cucuzza seeds on this day because that is when my Aunt Frances always planted hers.

A cucuzza is a long, green Italian squash. It is pronounced "ku-koo-za". The inside is a firm white flesh, similar to that of eggplant. The taste is a little sweeter and nuttier than other squash. It can be cooked like any other squash. My aunt used to grow these in her back yard when I was a child. She would slice them, dip them in an egg mixture, then in bread crumbs and fry them in olive oil. She would serve them along side her Sunday spaghetti dinner during the summer months. I use cucuzza in tomato sauce, breads, cakes, pies, and relishes.

The cucuzza grows like a vine and needs full sun and a trellis to support it's weight. The vine can grow up to 2 feet per day and the squash can grow up to 10 inches per day.

I've been selling my cucuzza seeds on Etsy and I still have several more packages left. I hope that people who have never had cucuzza will grow their own and give them a try.

New Clutch Pattern

Today I took a trip to the fabric store, mostly to get out of the house, but also to look around and get some new ideas. I've been searching for a new pattern for a clutch, but with no luck. Well, no luck until today that is. I was so excited about finding the pattern, that I decided to look for some new fabric. I didn't find anything that just jumped out at me, so I decided to go home and look in my craft closet for some fabric or scrap fabric. As I was searching through the stacks of fabric and bags of yarn... there it was! I found some scrap material which I had used for a bag recently and as I reached for it I hoped that there would be enough. Luck for me, there was. It's a black cotton fabric with white roses. The lining is black and white stripe. I cut it out immediately and started to sew it up. However, I didn't have a zipper, so I will go tomorrow and get one. The original clutch pattern doesn't have a flower on it, but I think it would be cute to add one, so I will.

EDITED - I finished the bag and I'm posting a picture. I think it turned out great!

I finished the baby blanket!

Well, I finally finished the baby blanket I was making my step-kid's new baby brother. Although it's been just over 4 weeks, it actually didn't take all that long because I didn't work on it as much as I had planned. I was very pleased with how my first baby blanket turned out and the pattern is really pretty. Their mother loved it as well.

Our trip to Los Nortenos

It was a beautiful warm and sunny day here, so my husband and I decided to take a little drive. We love a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Bryan, Texas called Los Nortenos. It's about a 45 minute drive from our house, but well worth the trip! The restaurant has been there for years and I first learned about it from my sister, who went to Texas A&M. They serve authentic Mexican food. I have two favorites when I eat there. The first is their migas, which is the best I've ever had. They are served with refried beans, guacamole and warm, fresh tortillas. My other favorite is their tamale plate, which is served with rice and beans. Their salsa is delicious too and it has huge chucks of stewed onions in it. Lyle Lovett and Julia Roberts used to eat there years ago when they were dating or married. If you are ever in the Bryan/College Station area you MUST stop there for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You won't regret it!

My Hurt Hand

Well, my hand has been hurting off and on for about two months now so I finally decided to go in to a specialist. Every morning when I wake up, my hand is numb and tingly and my thumb is very stiff and pops as I bend it back and forth. The doctor said I have "trigger finger" in my right thumb and gave me an injection of cortisone. He said it will hurt for about two days before it starts to get better. He also gave me a splint to wear. I have to go in for a nerve test next week, as he also thinks I have the beginning of carpal tunnel. I'm a little bummed because I have so many thinks I've been working on for my Etsy store and I'm anxious to sew and knit and get some things made and listed. I have a very hard time sitting still. I sure hope the injection does the trick and I hope that next weeks test shows that I don't need surgery yet on my hand. The good thing about getting an injection today and having a sore hand, is that I didn't have to cook dinner - I got to go out to eat - and NO dishes! LOL

A baby blanket for Bruce

My step-kid's mother remarried about two years ago and last Tuesday their mother gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, named Bruce. The kids are so proud of him and I can't blame them, he is adorable. I've decided to knit him a baby blanket. I've never knitted a baby blanket before. A few days ago, I picked out a precious yarn and today I borrowed a book from my mom that is full of patterns for knitted baby blankets. I picked a pattern called "fans and feathers". I started to knit it today and I've worked on it for about 2 hours. I think it's going to be beautiful. I can't wait to finish it and give it to their mother. I think she'll love it! :)

Walter

Walter is a grey little kitty that lives nearby. He comes to see me almost every day and in the summer months, he sleeps under our fig tree. My husband didn't like him hanging out in our backyard at first, but I told him that he guards his precious figs and chases away birds and now he likes him. My dog, Dottie, even likes Walter. Dottie runs around the yard and tries to get Walter to play. Walter never wants to play. He just plops down on his side and rolls around on his back and teases Dottie.

One night, my husband and I had just gotten in bed and I heard a huge crash. I couldn't tell if the noise was inside or outside. So I got out of bed and checked the house - all was fine. The next morning, I let Dottie out in the backyard to go to the potty and there was something in the middle of the yard. It was still dark out, so I couldn't tell what it was. I called my husband to take a look and he said it was my iron bird cage that I use to keep the cats off my catnip. We had stormy weather the night before and all I could think of was, "wow, that was some storm". Well, later that morning after the sun came up, I went outside to put the bird cage back on its stand and was shocked to see Walter's collar attached to one of the iron curly rods. I was horrified and all I could think of was that Walter might be hurt. I called him several times a day for about 3 days... and no Walter. Finally, on the fourth day I called Walter and here he came. Thank goodness he was OK! I put his collar back on and gave him lots of attention. I'm sure his owners were wondering how he got his collar back on. LOL

Walter still visits often and I've found him sleeping up on our picnic table for the last week. Poor Walter! If I didn't already have three pets... and if my husband wouldn't get upset... I'd take him in. He's such a good boy. I love my little Walter! :)

Shopping Spree

Today I went looking around at several different fabric stores for some inspiration on some new bags and some medical scrubs. I hit the jack-pot and found so many nice fabrics that I had a very hard time deciding on which to purchase. I finally decided on enough fabric to make for two "Tori Bags" and one "medical scrub top". I can't believe all I finished today, even with my hours of shopping this morning. I came home, washed up all the fabric, cut out the two bags and the medical scrub top. Then I sewed and finished one bag and almost finished the second. Whew... what a day! I'm really excited about the colors and prints I chose and I can't wait to get them all finished. I will post some pictures to this entry tomorrow. It's late and I'm pooped.... so it's off to bed for me.

~EDITED TO ADD PHOTOS~ Here are the two bags and the medical scrub I made from this particular shopping spree. I love how they turned out and now I need to go on another shopping spree.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Yes, I know I'm a little late to be posting about Mardi Gras because it was this past Tuesday. However, I love Mardi Gras and I was just looking at my dinning room table and thinking about how I need to remove all my decorations tomorrow and start decorating for Valentine's Day. I really don't know what my fascination is with Mardi Gras. I've never attended the big festivities in New Orleans, although I did go to the parades in Galveston one year. I love all the colors, the outlandish masks, the beads and coins, and the parades. And I think it would be a blast to attend one of the balls!

Anyway, this year I went all out and decorated our dinning room table. I made a centerpiece out of Christmas decorations which I found for 75% off after Christmas. I draped the table with a purple tablecloth and scattered beads and coins around the table. My wedding china went perfectly with the table-setting and I placed a mask in the center of each bowl. A gold napkin was stuffed in each goblet.

My menu inclued chicken and sausage gumbo (http://www.recipezaar.com/284631), white rice, and warm French bread. I made a kings cake (http://www.recipezaar.com/90932) for dessert.

I even dressed up Dottie for the special occassion. Although it was just me and my husband for dinner this year, we still enjoyed the food and each other's company.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Mum Fairy

Well, it's a gorgeous day here in Texas and I'm really in the mood to get out in the garden and start planting seeds and flowers. However, it's still a little early for that. So, I decided to list some of my mum fairies on Etsy.

Mom and I first made a set of these fairies about 7-8 years ago while I was a student at the University of Houston. I majored in Hotel and Restaurant management and the fairies were part of my table decorations for my "Foods" class. In that class, the students ran the restaurant on campus and each week, we took turns working different job descriptions within the restaurant. We rotated between host, server, front of the house manager, chef, prep-chef, kitchen manager, etc.. On the night that I was the front of the house manager, I was also in charge of decorating the restaurant with a the theme. The dinner that night was "vegetarian" and I didn't want to decorate with just veggies, so I came up with an "Enchanted Evening" theme and decorated the front of the restaurant and each table with fairies. I even sewed special aprons for my servers. The night was a huge hit and so were the fairies.

The fairies upper body, hands and face are sculptured from clay and her dress is made from artificial mums. She is secured on a long, narrow stick, which is used to place her in your favorite pot plant. Here is my first listing on Etsy for the mum fairy. I named this one "Betsy Blue". http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9470140

I did it!

Well, I finally did it! After lurking around Etsy for almost a year, I finally decided to open my own store. I've been sewing and knitting for years. My grandmother and mother both taught me to knit as a kid. They taught me the basics, but I've recently been teaching myself the more advance techniques to knitting and I'm having a blast. I love going into a yarn shop and searching through the knitting books and then the isles of yarn. I love yarn and I have to touch them all as I look. I also enjoy sewing. My mother taught me to sew and I also took sewing in junior high school. I've been sewing my own clothes since I was in school and I now enjoy sewing for my step-daughter. I've sewn a few of her dresses for special events... it's like sewing for my barbies, but better! LOL

My new store will be full of mosty ladies accessories. I like making knitted scarves, shawls, hats, ponchos, and capelets. I also enjoy sewing bags, totes and purses. Anyone who knows me, knows I love cooking and trying out new recipes. Therefore, it wouldn't be my store if I didn't include something that had to do with cooking... so there will be aprons too. I also enjoy other crafts, so from time to time I will be listing miscellaneous items.

The picture above is of my first listing. It's a knitted drop stitch scarf which I made from two different yarns. You can check out the listing here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8754132