February Photo a day

I took a photo every day in February! Some days was difficult....others not so much. 

For March I'm going to use the prompts at Fat Mum Slim.

I'm sure there will be days that the photo I want to use for the day won't match up with the theme, but I've noticed I've run out of different things to photograph some days. So on the days I need a little inspiration I'll check over there. 

I have to say having my iphone REALLY helps with a photo a day project. I don't always remember to grab my camera when I leave the house but I always have my phone with me! And instagram is awesome so I use that very often!

Yarn Along Wednesday

I finished my Boneyard shawl that I've been working on for the past few yarn alongs...even blocked it! But I am so proud of it that I'm going to dedicate a post all to that so check back tomorrow!

In last week's yarn along Rosina at Rosy Posey posted a little sock she was knitting and that decided what I'd cast on when I finished my shawl. Ree has been asking for socks from momma since I made mine last month. 

It's using the most basic kids sock pattern and I don't like knitting it on the 5 needles. Too fiddly for me with such a small amount of cast on stitches. I may try and do the math to figure out how to use 4 for the second sock.

Not a lot of Momma reading has been going on lately. I started The Widowers Tale last week but find it slow moving & I have to pay close attention in order to follow it. I do have a whole stack of books here from the library that I could choose another one but I keep thinking this one will pick up!

Extra Yarn was at the library the other day and I've been seeing so much about this lately that I took it out. It's beautiful! I'm going to order it for our library here at home!

I can't wait to see what everyone else is reading and knitting this week at Ginny's!

Weekend

Saturday was so windy! After a busy morning we hunkered down at home where I cleaned and Ree decided she wanted to try & potty train. Late in the day we went outside for a very few minutes to see the snow (that lasted for 5 minutes!). 

After Mass Sunday we went shopping to find big girl "undies". Then home to cook dinner to bring to my sister-in-laws. 

A very full, fun weekend with lots coming up this week. It's Read Across America week with Dr. Seuss' birthday on Friday. We've got some fun stuff we want to get to!

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor & remember.

Joining Amanda at Soulemama! 

February {in the Picture}

These are my self portraits for February's {in the picture}. Due to a sick toddler at the beginning of the month and a sick Momma at the end of the month I didn't get as creative as I had hoped. 

My plan for March is to take a few more pictures of other parts of me rather then my hands! I've also figured out how to use the self timer on my camera so I'm hoping to play with that a little more as well!

Yarn Along

Linking up with all the ladies over at Ginny's for this week's Yarn Along! 

 I'm still working on my boneyard shawl. I began the border yesterday so I should have a finished product to show by next week. After posting this I'm going to look through everyone else's projects. I have no idea what to cast on next!

I haven't actually started looking through these magazines yet. This is the first year we are able to have a garden of our own so we're both very excited. I've had these on the kitchen table for a week to start reading. I'm hoping by posting this picture it'll get me to open at least one!

I am in the middle of reading O, Juliet. It's the "background"(fictional) story of Romeo & Juliet. The author is good and I want to check out her other books at some point too.

Insta-Tuesday

A few pictures taken on my iphone with instagram the past couple of weeks. I hope everyone has a good Mardi-Gras! We've got a few little plans to do around here. 

Joy Daring

Some recent 1000 gifts:

97. Towels still warm from the dryer
101. Impromptu trip to the craft store for watercolor supplies
108. A little girl asking for her nap
116. Ree's joy on Daddy's birthday
123. Daddy daughter movie night while I clean uninterrupted
125. Valentine themed birthday parties
131. Daddy daughter Valentine shopping....and the cute gifts that she picked out all on her own
136. A mom who takes care of both her granddaughter...and me too
138. Toddler messes....but it means she's been playing and using her imagination
143. A delicious supper....made by my husband
147. Morning notes
150. Sunlight through the windows

I am very much enjoying the counting of my 1000 gifts in 2012!

Around the house with Ree

This afternoon I walked around the house with Ree. She kept telling me things to take pictures of. She kept saying "picture Momma!"

 A picture of her back

 A picture of the back door

 She wanted a picture of the front door...but it had to be open

 A picture of the dining room window

A picture of Ree "hiding"

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor & remember.

Joining Amanda at Soulemama! 

Day late yarn along

This week certainly hasn't gone the way I'd planned! Coming down with a head cold on Monday certainly put a damper on our Valentine's plans! We didn't get a chance to have out little family Valentine's dinner Monday night. Instead my husband & Ree went out to do some shopping while I stayed home and rested.

On Valentine's we did get to have a fun get together at my parents with my sister & her family.

 As for knitting....I did manage to finish up these two projects since last week. The hat was given to my sister for Valentine's. The mittens are Ree's....I made the 1st one last December (2010) but it was too big. It fits great this year so I made up the second the other day. She likes to wear them on her feet rather then her hands though.

 And this is our new house "guest". He got in the house on Monday and yesterday decided to make his way up to our living quarters. There he's sitting in out living room window. Thankfully he made his way back to the basement where he still is. My husband blocked all points of entrance to up here so he's staying down there now.

Life is never dull....a fun holiday; head cold; and squirrel in the house. All in one week!!!

Weekending....Valentine's Style

 I made this Valentine's Wreath that I'd pinned on Pinterest from The Hybrid Chick.

 We celebrated a special niece's 2nd birthday with a Valentine's Day theme

 I made Valentine's cupcakes for our Sunday family dinner

And hung up the Valentine's goodies that were made at the birthday party.

A fun start to Valentine's! Tomorrow we'll have our little family Valentine's celebration with some small gifts & American Chop Suey. Then on Valentine's we'll have a dinner with my parents, sisters & our families.

(This post was supposed to go live last night, Sunday, but I hit save to draft instead of publish!)

Pinterest...Food

I love Pinterest. It took me awhile to get the hang of things and to understand what it's all about (I'm slow sometimes). But now I love it and check in at least once a day.

Some people are intimated by it, or think less of themselves after visiting. They feel like they don't measure up because of all the pretty things there; things they can't make or don't have time to make. 

But not me. I go there to see some pretty craft eye candy; or check out new recipes to try; or to get inspiration for things to make with Ree. I like how it's a place to keep all the ideas I want to try "someday" organized. With nice pictures to remind me of them. 

My goal has been to try and do at least one of the things I've pinned a week. It's not going so bad. This week I made a few things from the food board.

These lemon cookies are THE. BEST. COOKIE I've ever had. Seriously. I made them as a snack for my husband to bring to work on his birthday. I made them at my mom's house and we had to force ourselves to stop eating them or he wouldn't have gotten any. I had to hide them on myself when I got home. He ate them and told me "I can't believe I've lived my whole life without these cookies". I feel the same way.

He made me promise to make them at least once a month. I can do that. They are easy and quick and did I mention delicious? 

These spinach balls on the other hand....we each took a bite & spit it in the trash. Not very good. I followed the recipe to a T but they came out dry and blah. I'll stick to my own spinach puff recipe.

I have tons of other yummy looking recipes pinned I want to try in the future. As well as boards full of other pretty things. Come on over & join me! It's fun!

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor & remember.

Joining Amanda at Soulemama! 

Sunday drive

Every Sunday afternoon we head up to my sister-in-law's house for a potluck Sunday supper & fun times. She lives in the state just above us and we have to drive through the "big city". I love taking pictures as we pass the different landmarks. This past Sunday was only a few days before the full moon so I got some neat shots of it rising. And of course on the day of the actual full moon I was the one driving so couldn't get the awesome shots of the big snow moon coming up. Thankfully there's a full moon every month!

Yarn Along

Linking up with Ginny again this week

I'm still working on my Boneyard shawl. It's coming along great...although the rows of stockinette stitch keep getting longer & longer! A great knit to do while watching TV or when Ree wants me to sit on the floor with her but not necessarily join in her play. I can stop in the middle of a row and not worry about having to figure out where I was.

I'm not really in the middle of any books at the moment. I did take out Amanda Soule's books last night. The Rhythm of Family because I had forgotten to read the chapter for February at the beginning of the month. Today is my husband's birthday and Ree wants him to have a hat so I looked through the Creative Family to see if I could adapt the birthday crown to an adult (I think I'll find another way to make him a hat). And while I was looking through those I decided to glance through Handmade Home as well. 

Watercolor painting

After commenting on Amy's post at Salamander Dreams we had a discussion about watercolor's. I'd never tried it before and didn't think I ever would because I can't draw or paint or anything like that. She encouraged me to try it saying it was fun & easy.

 We took a family trip to Michaels Friday night and picked out paints, brushes and paper. But then it was a busy weekend and I didn't want to rush our creativity. Last night we had a surprise that the husband got home from work earlier then planned, we had supper & cleaned up in time to take out the supplies. We had a fun family watercolor session.

 Ree & Daddy painted this one. I think it came out beautiful! She had so much fun and sat at the table for a good 45 minutes. She kept saying "Ree having fun!"

 This one is mine. I'm not finished yet. I'd like to doodle around the various shapes like this pin on pinterest (again an idea from Amy). I'll update when I add more to it.

I also have other ideas of ways to paint. I'm encouraged by Ree's excitement too. I think we'll be doing this often! 

Super Bowl weekend

While it was a disappointing end to the Super Bowl, it was still tons of fun. With food & family how can it be anything but?