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09/29/2005
An apple for the teacher!
don't you just love my supercute coffee cup warmer from Miss Lily???
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09/25/2005
Chickens and whatnot...
I mean, I've gotta get my lovin' from SOMEONE, right???
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How I spent my Saturday...
Besides being a little hungover (had a drink named after me last night. It was christened the "manoob" after this guy I used to date. long story.) , I was productive today. Oh yes, I was. I made AWESOME progress on my Sven cardigan. I did some math planning, and graded a HUGE mess of papers. I ate some of the Toblerone that Lily, the queen of cool, sent me. I drank some diet coke. And yes, ladies and gentlemen, I finished season one of Desperate Housewives, just in time for the season 2 premiere.
So the hungover part of the story... Liz, Virginia, her fiance and I went out on the town. I scored VIP passes to the grand opening of Buffalo Wild Wings in my town, so we ate and drank $100 worth of goods for the bargain price of $8. Love that. Then we went to this bar called PJ's, where the bartender created a drink for me. My friends told him the legend of the manoobs, so that became the name of the drink. Steven and Virginia were drinking Moscow Mules. Ick. Then we went to this other bar, and there was a girl there who looked like a cross between Paris Hilton and Tara Reid, only the girl has a semi-mullet. Scary.
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09/23/2005
The goods...
Here's the stuff I got in the mail from Miss Lily, the coolest of cool. I've never had this type of Toblerone, but oh wow. Yum. And how cute is that apple cozy??? Here's a close-up.
PS-I'm now in the middle of disc 4 of the Housewives. I may actually finish by Sunday. Flippin sweet.
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09/21/2005
Lily KICKS ASS.
Lily is the greatest, people. The greatest. We did a coffee cozy swap, and she sent me some kick ass shit. If I hadn't left my camera at school, I'd take a pic of the treasure trove of goodies. 
Here's one of the cozies she sent me on my pumpkin latte this morning. I LOVE IT. More pics to come.
I'd love to stay and blog a while, but I've got four and a half discs of Desperate Housewives to watch. Toodles!
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09/14/2005
Oh happy day!
So I just got home from watching the Northern Illinois University cheerleading tryouts. One of my girls from last year tried out and SHE MADE IT!!!! I am SO excited for her!!! I feel like the proud mom!
Speaking of mom, one of the girls trying out asked her why her mom was there watching. Dude, I can't look old enough to have an 18 year old daughter, can I?? Shit. I need to go moisturize.
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09/13/2005
SP6 Questionnare
1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you? I sort of am a snob. I really love working with nice yarn. I use Red Heart and Lion Brand for baby stuff, but for me, I usually go with good stuff.
2. Do you spin? Crochet? I don't like to crochet at all. I've not learned to spin yet, but I'm intrigued!
3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.) nope!
4. How long have you been knitting? 2 years in November!
5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?I have one at Amazon.
6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) I'm really into Bath and Body Works' Fig and Brown Sugar right now. I like warm scents (plum, vanilla, pumpkin) and clean scents (Fresh Comfort by Yankee Candle)
7. Do you have a sweet tooth? I totally do. I love red swedish fish and chocolate! Lately I've been into dark chocolate with peanut butter... I am a Starbucks JUNKEE, and I love Diet Coke.
8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I'm getting into beading, and I love paper crafts.
9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s?Either MP3 or CD is fine, and I love most music. I've been into cheesy dance/pop and classic rock lately. Weird combo!
10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand? I just did my craft room in hot pink and orange, and my kitchen is lime green. I really don't think that there is a color I don't like.
11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I live with a very small weinerdog named Zoe.
12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know) I'd love to own a store!!!
13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? I'm hooked on Brown Sheep's Cotton Fleece, but I'm really interested in making something with that Mission Falls cotton or Koigu.
14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?anything too splitty like microspun or homespun... I'm not a fan of acrylics. I'm totally against fun fur.
15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? I'd really like to make a poncho if I can find the right pattern, and I'm into things with bulky yarn.
16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I'm not sure!! I love sweaters and tanks. I loved making the Lelah, so I'm into lace I guess. I'm sort of boycotting socks right now.
17. What are you knitting right now? some little tiny sweaters from Weekend Knitting and a Chickami. I'm getting ready to start the Sven from Cottage Creations.
18. What do you think about ponchos?I really like the idea, but I've yet to find a pattern that will look ok on me.
19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? I'm much happier when I don't have to sew pieces together, so circular rocks my world.
20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?bamboo, but I'd like to try some of the Addi Turbos.
21. Are you a sock knitter? not lately, but I have about a million balls of sock yarn.
22. How did you learn to knit? my mom. And I hang out at my LYS a lot, and the owner is great about showing techniques and fixing mistakes. She is a knitting genius!
23. How old is your oldest UFO? about 6 months. It is the body of the cardigan from the front of the first SNB with the sleeves from the red sweater on the cover of SNB Nation
24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? I love bumblebees and weinerdogs.
25. What is your favorite holiday?Halloween and Christmas. I'm big into snowmen.
26. Is there anything that you collect? snowmen and weinerdogs. I'm really into funky stickers and sushi stuff (magnets, etc. I'm trying to talk myself into getting sushi jewelery and stitchmarkers from amyville.com). I love sparkly, glittery things. I collect travel tumblers from Starbucks, too! I also LOVE their city ceramic mugs. I have Chicago, Las Vegas, Portland, San Diego, and the California State one.
27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? none!!! I'd love Interweave Knits, though.
28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on? yes, I saw one called "Pet Crafts" that looks like a lot of fun.
29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another?? There is a snowman embellishment kit that goes on a Christmas Stocking from www.woolandcompany.com that I'd LOVE to make.
30. What are your foot measurements, and what kind of socks do you like? I wear an 8.5 or 9. I love funky, seasonal socks. I have a pair with turkeys on them, but not really very many other fall socks. I love sushi socks. I'm still looking for a pair of weinerdog socks.
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Crazy girls at the street party...
So I saw the artist formerly known as MPC at this street party on Saturday. I was very disappointed that he pretended he'd never seen me before, but I still managed to have a BLAST. I gave one of the beer servers power of attorney, and tried to convince a cop to handcuff me for a picture. Nice.
Rat bastard came over with an appraiser today. I'm pretty sure he was crying as he was sitting on the floor in my living room. My excellent friend Liz came over and I basically ignored him. He tried loving on the dog, who was more interested in her snacks. His appraiser told me that I have the best attorney in town. Life is good.
So I'm totally excited for SP6!!! I'm going to post my survey later this evening.
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09/12/2005
100 things about me...
1. I am going to be 30 next summer.
2. I love to cook.
3. My favorite TV show is Good Eats with Alton Brown.
4. I am a chocoholic, and I've recently become addicted to dark chocolate with peanut butter.
5. I love to read.
6. I love funky pens and stationary.
7. I have a weinerdog who is pretty sure she rules the world.
8. I teach sixth grade.
9. I coach a varsity cheerleading squad.
10. I lived in San Diego until I was 16.
11. I lived in Portland, Oregon until I was 26.
12. I live in Illinois now, and I'm planning on staying put.
13. I love people who make me laugh.
14. I drink way too much diet coke.
15. I am a Starbucks junkee.
16. I love sushi.
17. I hate pickles and mustard.
18. I am in the process of getting a divorce, and I'm not scared of being alone.
19. I really like knitting, but I hate weaving in ends and blocking finished pieces.
20. I think I might be high maintanence right now.
21. I am blessed with really great friends.
22. I am an only child.
23. I will never live without a pet again.
24. I don't have any tattoos, and sometimes I wish I did.
25. I love shoes.
26. I hate wearing socks in the summer.
27. I love socks, though, and collect funky ones. I have 3 pair of sushi socks, and I wish I could find a few more!
28. I'm 5'4.
29. I love the movie "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," and have seen it about a million times.
30. I could probably eat a whole jar of peanut butter in one sitting.
31. I am too thin skinned for my own good.
32. I can't stand the show "Frasier"
33. I love seafood.
34. I REALLY love salmon.
35. I don't have a favorite color. I can't choose.
36. I just painted my craft room orange and hot pink. It is awesome.
37. My kitchen is lime green. It is actually called Lime Rickey.
38. I am afraid of the dentist. I have to be sedated to have my teeth cleaned.
39. I'm terrified that I will never end up having kids.
40. I own a home.
41. I taught in three different states in three years.
42. I really like my mac mini.
43. I really REALLY like my Ipod mini.
44. I hate George Bush.
45. I love listening to music.
46. I really like lava lamps.
47. I might be obsessive compulsive.
48. I love pajamas.
49. I probably use the F-word way too much.
50. I love sarcasm.
51. I am a very picky eater.
52. However, I am a very adventurous eater, and I will try anything once.
53. I love Thai food.
54. I love green tea frappucinos from Starbucks.
55. I have panic attacks when I am under a lot of stress.
56. My closet is organized by color.
57. I love fresh cannoli.
58. I love pignioli cookies.
59. I went skydiving for my 22nd birthday.
60. I went parasailing in Hawaii four years ago.
61. I went in a glider plane when I was in college.
62. I am a rollercoaster junkee.
63. I have a lot of respect for people who choose to do the right thing, no matter how uncomfortable or uncool it is.
64. I've kissed a lot of boys.
65. I haven't said "I love you" to very many people.
66. I love sparkly things.
67. I love having my scalp massaged.
68. I didn't see my first firefly until I was 26.
69. I love reading kid books.
70. I really enjoy getting things in the mail.
71. I love listening to live music.
72. I have a weird Sharpie marker fixation.
73. Margarita on the rocks with sugar on the rim is my favorite drink.
74. I earned a Masters degree before my 22nd birthday.
75. I was in a sorority in college, and it was one of the best choices I ever made.
76. I've worn glasses since my freshman year of college.
77. I just started wearing contacts, and I love them.
78. My hair is chocolate brown right now, but my natural color is blond.
79. I have green eyes, and they look totally different with my new hair color.
80. I love hydrangea.
81. I really like when you can tell someone has paid attention to what you say.
82. I like intelligent people.
83. Cranium and Catch Phrase are my favorite games.
84. I'd like to learn how to play Euchre.
85. I collect Starbucks traveler tumblers.
86. I collect Starbucks city mugs.
87. Sometimes I have to remind myself to not sweat the small stuff.
88. I like going to the pumpkin patch.
89. I love reading menus.
90. I like when you are good enough friends with someone that you don't have to worry about them judging you if you are having a bad day.
91. I always read before I go to sleep.
92. I have a weird obsession with beaded bracelets.
93. I never keep the buttons and thread in the little baggies that come with shirts and pants.
94. I LOVE LOVE LOVE reality TV.
95. The Amazing Race and Road Rules are my favorites.
96. I really enjoy college athletics. Especially during tournament time.
97. I have conversations with my dog.
98. I love peach slurpees with sprite.
99. I love dancing to really good music.
100. I think that I am a good friend.
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09/08/2005
Beads are heroin for crafters...
So Liz and I decided that we didn't have enough craft projects going. So we decided to make some beaded stitch markers. Cute, huh?? It is addictive. We went wild in the JoAnn Fabrics ETC store, and then still had to make a 10:00 PM WalMart run. They are super cute, though.
So I finished the Jim Jones sweater, but I'm terrified that it will not fit me. I still need to wash and block it, and then add the zipper, so I'm probably freaking out for nothing. But the thought of working so hard on it and it not working out for me is paralyzing!! I know I need to suck it up and just see what happens. Maybe this weekend...
Oh, the craft room is painted!! I need to do a second coat of the pink, but this is what the colors look like together! Doesn't the trashcan look cute with the walls??
I'm still really sad about the artist formerly known as MPC. At first, I thought it was because I was afraid of being alone. But now I don't think that's it. Every day I get a little closer to becoming the best version of me, the one I get to share with that person I'm on my way to finding. I was excited about the fact that he might be that person, but maybe I was wrong. I can't wait to find the person I'm supposed to share my life with. But I will wait. I will not settle for someone who "might" be that person. I've done that before, and now I'm ready to find love for REAL.
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09/04/2005
Lelah
So here is a pic of the completed Lelah. I'm hoping to get a pic of me in it sometime soon. I used Cotton Tots in Little Boy Blue, and the ribbon is a chocolate brown color. I took someone else's advice and did a purl row to turn on for the elastic. It was a great idea, and it makes such a clean top edge! I was unsure about the yarn, but it shows off the lace very nicely. LOVE IT!
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09/03/2005
Sigh...
So the artist formerly known as MPC is MIA. As in I haven't talked to him since Tuesday. I've called, I've emailed, but no response. Even though it has been a rocky last few weeks, I've got to say I'm much more sad than I thought I'd be. He was really a nice person. He heard my friend tell me that diet coke was on sale, so he went and bought me 4 12 packs for the first week of school. He knew I wanted the DVD Serendipity, so he snuck it into our cart when I wasn't looking. He used to always send a good morning email, because he knew it would make me smile. Obviously there were things that weren't perfect, but I think there was much more good than not. The worst part is the fact that I don't think we'll end up having a conversation again to iron things out, say goodbye, or anything. I'm the kind of person that has to be able to talk about it and process it, so this is complete torture. But I'll get through.
So I am almost done with the Jim Jones Koolaid sweater. I'm working on the raglan shaping. Liz and V kidnapped me on Monday night and took me to California Pizza Kitchen and JoAnn Fabrics to try and find zippers for our cardigans. We thought we'd hit the jackpot, and bought some really cute colored zippers. But alas, when we brought them home we realized that they were non-separating. I prefer to not have to jump over a zipper to get into a cardi, so the search continues... But here's a pic of my progress thus far:
So my girl dog got a festive Halloween collar the other day, and in the middle of the night, it scared the beejeezus out of me. Here's a pic of the collar: 
I didn't realize that the yellow parts glow in the dark.
She also got a new beaver toy: 
She really loves it... 
...and now she's spent... 
Wow, it appears that I've got a REALLY boring life. Just me and my weinerdog. Sigh.
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09/02/2005
Back from the Bermuda Triangle...
Whoa, baby. Has it been forever since I've posted or what??? I've been busy, plus I've been holding out for some pics to post, but I've got nothing. Soon I should have some, but you'll have to settle for stories for now.
So last time I posted I was getting ready for Vegas. That trip was a BLAST. It started off great--we all got the FULL BODY pat down by the security guards. Underwire bra, metal zipper and grommets on my back pockets meant I got violated. Seriously violated. Then, on the way to the terminal, we meet the pilot, who is HOT. Then we go to board the plane, and he is waiting for us! He says "Hey, do you guys want to come take some pictures in the cockpit?" Are you kidding me?? We took like 10 shots--me sitting in the captain's chair. The pilot says "oh, we're still on the ground--just push whatever buttons you want!" So then we get to Vegas and realize that the camera had NO FILM in it. Lame. Vegas was a blur--I won $100 on a two cent machine, we saw Cirque Du Soliel (um, I seriously doubt I spelled that right...), went swimming everyday, and danced on the bar at Coyote Ugly. I ended up with my finger down Jenn's throat (she got a little crazy celebrating her dirty 30 birthday). What a fantastic way to end the summer. Then, the day before school started, I went with MPC (who is MIA, but that is a story for later) to Six Flags. That was a perfect day. The longest line we waited in was for funnel cake.
So on the knitting front... I've finished (and worn!!) my Lelah. I'll have to do a photo shoot this weekend. I'm almost done with the second sleeve of the Jim Jones Koolaid sweater. Virginia finished hers (except for the zipper), and it KiCkS AsS!!!! I can't wait until mine is done. I bought my yarn for the Big Sven by Cottage Creations. I can't wait!
By the way, I just finised "Last Chance Saloon" by Marilyn Keyes. SO GOOD.
So tomorrow ends the first week of school. I love sixth graders. They are not used to being responsible for themselves, and I heard a kid say "So you mean we just leave by ourselves? They don't even walk us out?" Too funny. It looks like it could be a good year.
My mailbox has been so boring lately. Are there any good swaps going on out there? Does anyone want to start one with me????
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