Another year has ended......

Okay, I'm jumping the gun on the whole end of the year by 3 whole days, but since I've remembered my poor neglected blog I figured I had best write a year end summary BEFORE I blinked and it was already mid-January.

 

It has been a busy year for me....from the hectic travelling around Europe, organizing the move back to the US, finally moving back and then the subsequent house hunting and move in madness while trying to settle into the new job...chaos! 

 

Crafting has taken a back seat for obvious reasons, but that has not stopped me totally!  I did find the time to work on a few doilies, snowflakes and of course play yarn food! 

 

2010 looks like it will be a fairly busy year for me as well.  Aside from the job stress, I will be doing some personal travel around the US to visit old friends which I have been unable to do the past few years. 

 

I also have decided that I will be taking a retreat of some sorts to figure out where my next steps in life are going to take me now that I have settled back into the US.  A feeling that all was not right with my life has slowly been growing the past few months since I have been back in the US.  As if something was misplaced that I could not find.  A rather strange feeling to be having with all of the changes going on in my life.

 

Okay, I must be off....here is hoping that everyone had a great Christmas and wishing everyone a very Happy and Joyous New Year!

 

See you in 2010!

 

 

 

 

Christmas approaches....

And as it does I really must take a step back and wonder where on earth the year has gone.  I've been in my new house for just under 2 months now, and I am still not fully unpacked.  I have slowly decreased the boxes in my bedroom from 20 to 3, but the boxes are still piled high in the office and still a few in my craft room. 

 

Things have gone missing - for the life of me I can not find where my crochet hooks are stashed.  I have located a few and bought a few new ones, but the storage box that I kept them in is AWOL.  I have found the storage box with my knitting needles so hopefully the hooks are not too far behind! 

 

I did a quick put up job for the holidays in regards to indoor and outdoor decorations - just not enough time to get what I wanted done before the bad weather hit!  I also need to have an electrician come out and do some work adding an addition breaker box and some outdoor outlets and a few outlets in the kitchen that I want for my Dept 59 houses which I plan next year to have up on top of the cupboards in the kitchen if I can get power outlets installed up there to avoi having extension cords dangling down the walls. 

 

My Christmas tree is up - it stands about 9 feet tall and is gorgeous!  I have put up all of my ornaments, including all of the handmade ones I received in years past!  I can not wait for next years tree - I hope to have some more snowflakes and hand ornaments for it.....along with it being bigger and potentially artifical - I love the smell of the real tree, but I fear if I go too much taller it would become a problem guaranteeing that it will stand up and not fall over.  With all of the glass ornaments from around the world that I have collected I would not want this to happen!  

 

Take care and enjoy the holidays!!

 

Happy Veteran's Day!

Happy Veterans Day to all of those who have served our country in honor.  A thank you too all who came home and a thank you to all who sacrificed everything and never made it home.  You are not forgotten.

Right down the drain.....

My resolution to blog more once back in the US that is!  I can not believe that 3 months has passed by so quickly!  My first few weeks were filled with car shopping (I am the proud owner of a 2010 Chevy Equinox) and house shopping which lasted more than a few weeks!

 

I finally found my dream house up in Gurnee Illinois, and moved in my furniture and belongings finally 2 weeks ago.  It was a crazy and hectic period but the house is finally getting into shape.  I plan on taking pictures this weekend of the finished rooms for everyone to see.  I still have several rooms that are teeming with boxes, but the main floor is mostly done and the guest bedroom is completed and currently occupied by my best friends from Argentina who is up visiting for 10 days!

 

The new job is going good - it keeps me busy and fully occupied.  Its a big change from the job I did in Europe which I sorely miss.  I am already trying to plan some trips back to Europe to visit friends and places I did not see while I lived there!  Its a good thing I hit my 10 year work anniversary this year and will have 4 weeks of vacation in the US finally....although it is still 2 weeks less than I had in Europe!

 

Crafting has been on hold once again during the moving chaos.  I am trying to work on a Swifter Cover for my Mom, as well as working on those unfinished blankets that are lying around hidden from view and thus hidden from my getting a guilty conscious when I see them!

 

With the new house, I am planning on having a craft room upstairs with the hopes of keeping all the yarn clutter contained within those 4 walls with the exception of 2 projects which I have decided can go in a basket next to the couch in the family room.  My goal is to finish those 2 before bringing anything else out of the craft room....will see how long that lasts right? 

 

I've been slowly collecting bead kits for jewelry....will try my hand on a few projects to see if I have something new to work on or not!

Invasion!!!!

Halloween has invaded this place that I work!

 

The hallways are crawling with all sorts of folk!

 

Monsters.....skunks....spidermen galore

 

Princesses and dragons and fairy tale lore

 

Raggedy Ann, but no sign of Andy

 

Muscle men, zombies, even a toad

 

A robot, a sorceror, a Witch and a Lion!

 

Wonder Woman and BatMan with Robin the Hood!

 

To inifinity and beyond!!!  Screamed Buzz as he passed

 

In rolled a pumpkin, followed by Pooh,

 

Dorthy from Oz and a Ninja Turtle too!

 

The halls were a burtsting with giggles and more,

 

Spooky sounding spiders and streamers a fly

 

The treating has ended, the chaos is done,

 

Now back to work, a spreadsheet awaits!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have arrived.

 

And that is about all I have to say =)

 

No, honestly its been a busy 9 days since I have arrived here in the Chicago-land area. Its been very busy as I got off the plance on Sunday, managed to get my car and apartment located, and then started work on Monday morning! Talk about no rest for the weary!

 

I am living right now in Glenview Illinois on an old Naval Air Base. My parents came to help me house hunt (more on this later) and while walking around the shopping area my Dad got to talking about how he could not believe that he was on the Glenview Base. I guess several of his old military budies had either been stationed at Glenview before shipping overseas or had gone to Glenview when they returned stateside. So for him it was really cool where I am living.

 

My parents drove over from Michigan last Thursday and we spent all day Friday looking at 13 different houses. Several issues popped up during the day - i.e. an electronic key not working, another key not turning the lock, but we were able in the end to see all but 1 of the houses on the list and then narrowed the list down to 4 possibilities. I am going back to re-visit the 4 houses today after work with a colleague to try to finalize my decision in my mind. I think I have it narrowed to 2 but I want to make sure about that as I can honestly see myself living in all 4 of the houses.

 

While I was still in Europe on my last trip to Zurich I picked up a magazine from a stand off the motorway in France. it showed a techinique called Hardanger - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardanger_embroidery Whqt gorgeous patterns qnd designs! I can not wait to try my hand at this - has anyone ever done this?

 

I have not had much time to knit and crochet since being back, but I did pick up some yarn. One of my new colleagues is pregnant so I thought to make up a quick baby blanket for her upcoming new arrival.

 

This is all for now! Enjoy the rest of the week!

The end of the road......

The end of the road......and the turn onto another has begun! 

 

Lots has been happening here lately and my apologies for again the long gaps in blogging.  The e-mails and other avenues of communication that I have been able to share with everyone has been great!

 

So, what is going on?

 

After 14 months of searching and waiting and worrying and stressing and every other "ing" possible my move back to the US becomes reality in 4, thats right FOUR days!!!  I will be moving back to Chicago where I will start the process to buy a house and settle down.  I am very excited about the opportunities that are being given to me and can not wait to jump on in to the new job.  I will be doing a special project implementing new accounting and reporting software which is something totally different than I have been doing - lots of changes!

 

All of my belongings, including almost ALL of my yarn was shipped back last Friday, and I'll receive it in 6-8 weeks in Chicago.  I kept out a few smaller projects and the one baby blanket that I am STILL working on - it is getting there though!  If I totally go into withdrawl there will be all of the lovely yarn shops in the Chicago-land area waiting for me.  Although I expect that I will be too busy at first house and car shopping and settling into a new routine.

 

Project wise I finished a few Swifter covers to use in my new house along with a few dishcloths.  I am working on several doilies and recently picked up multple new french doily pattern magazines which have everything graphed so I do not really need to speak french that well - I've also recieved similar mags in Flemish and Spanish from friends.

 

Once I am in my new house I am sure to be working on lots of new home type projects - I really would like to try my hand at crocheting some curtains, depending of course if I have the right type of window for curtains.  I also want to make some dishcloths to color coordinate the kitchen as well as some doilies and runners for my tables and china hutch.  I have a ceramic figurine for my dining room table named Minnie.  Minnie is a mermaid and came to me when I received the dining room table from my Grandfather after Grandma passed away last year.  Minnie was a fixture on the table at my Grandma's and when I was given the table, hutch and chairs, the first thing that I asked was if I could have Minnie too lol!  My Grandpa said yes and went running to get her lol  I must make something for her to sit on!

 

Okay, this will probably be the last posting from Europe - will "see" you all when I reach America!!!

 

 

Where is the time going?????

I can not believe that it is already mid-June! Seriously, it was just yesterday that it was new years right????

So I'm sure you want to know whats been on at the Casa de Kimberly. Well.......I've been trying like mad to find what appears to be an elusive job back in the US. I am seriously stressed and depressed and pulling my hair out in frustration here. I really do not want to leave my company since I seriously enjoy both the people and what we do in the world to help others have better lives.

And now for the real reason that you read my blog......crafting!

While I have been busy i have been working my fingers off whenever possible. I am almost finished with a baby afghan and I've finished a few thread projects here and there. Here are a couple of the things I've finished recently:

First up is a Jean Greenhowe design from her Little Men and Monsters Collection - a T-Rex which is sitting on my Dad's bookshelf currently back in the US. he was made using Wibra acrylic and took forever since I was too lazy to take the 10 minutes to sew him all together.


When I was in Spain back in April, I bought a Thread Doily magazine. It is in Spanish, but thankfully the designs are charted so I can just read the charts and figure things out from there along with my very basic Spanish skills I possess for reading the instructions. The first is a small design that I made as a starter Spanish Project using Size 10 Coats Eldorado White thread:



The second doily is way more advanced and ovaly! I loved the look of it as being something different. I first crocheted the round middle section and then added on the two ends before crocheting around the entire project for a few rows...novel concept eh?



I did hit a stumbling block on another small project I am working on. I've never seen this stitch pattern charted before and I can not for the life of me figure out how in the world it can be done based on what is written in the chart! And of course there are no descriptions anywhere on how to do it! I'll have to see if I can write out a portion of the chart and see if anyone knows how it can be done!

What else is on the hooks and needles you ask?

Why another doily, but this one is from a FRENCH pattern book with a Flemish pattern waiting right behind it! Also a few scarves (its summer I know, but I need these for gifts) and some dishcloths and patterns I am testing for others and creating for myself!

What is going on in your corner of the world?

Spring is here!!!!

And with the arrival of spring comes allergy season and of course, spring cleaning!  Or at least that is the plan for the weekend at the Maison de Kimberly!

 

My apartment has next to nothing when it comes to storage.  I have 2 closets, one filled with coats, and the other filled with suitcases, ironing board and the vacuum cleaner.  I have 2 wardrobes for my clothes, and one small little dresser.  That is it.

 

Hence the reason the bookshelves are over flowing, clothes are piled up on top of boxes, crafting supplies litter the living room, and overall general chaos exists in my apartment.

 

I hate it.

 

I really do.

 

I can exist and live happily in it, but at the same time it annoys me when I actually stop moving at a 100 miles an hour and actually take a look around.

 

So I have decided that this weekend will be a cleaning weekend.  Ruthlessness will come out and things will be thrown away.  Those papers I've had for the 6 years I've lived here?  Gone!  Out the door.  The miscellaneous odds and ends I've kept just in case.....binned!

 

We will see if I succeed or not.....but away I go to dive into the deep end...cluttered bookshelf number one your minutes are numbered!

 

And within that cleaning spree is the decision to finish the gazillion unfinished projects i have lying around or else frog them.  

Travels galore.....and some crafting!

First up the travels! I am done for a few weeks now. Lisbon was great fun - I really enjoyed it - had a fab time at the Hard Rock Cafe which was most conveniently located across the street from our hotel - bonus!

First up, me and 2 co-workers I travelled to Lisbon with - Karl and Jon. There was 5 of us in all there celebrating my friend Te-Keisha's birthday.

We spent one day out at the beach - lovely time - nice and sunny and I enjoyed splashing in the water, even if it was FREEZING!!!!

Here are some pictures from Rome - first up me outside of Saint Peter's in the Vatican:
And next, a group shot of us with two Roman Soldiers we found outside the Colliseum!
Last but not least the dishcloth - rather springy is it not? I also have finished almost a second doily - will get it finished and then block both of them at the same time along with some snowflakes I have done recently - nothing like putting it off huh?
I am slowly getting back into the swing of things for crafting. I need to pick up the needles again, which should happen soon hopefully!

My neice has requested more Play Yarn Food - this time she only needs 5 pieces of bacon, 2 doughtnuts and just a few grapes. She was so cute while asking that I could not say no!

I was touched by my nephew the other day. They got a new puppy and we were talking about how he was taking his stuffed animals. I said "oh no thats not good that hes chewing on your animals" to which Andrew replied most seriously "Don't worry Aunt Kim. Super Turtle and Charzon are up on my shelf where he can not get to them. The others were bought at a store, but yours you made for me which makes them super special!"

I did not think he really respected the fact that I made him something, but he does! I made him the little turtle probably 4 years ago, and with all his toys and junk I am surprised he has not lost it in the mess of his room / closet!

Okay, I am off for bed - have a great week everyone!!

Crafting returns!!

I am finally getting back into the swinging of crafting....about time I know! I've finished finally the dishcloth along with a quick Spanish Doily....my skills in foreign language crocheting are quickly increasing!

Now pictures. Ummm...sure....tomorrow perhaps since my camera batteries died right as I snapped the last picture. Typical right?

I had a great time the past two weekends in Madrid and then in Rome - I just love visiting different cities. I did find a yarn shop in Madrid where I bought some hooks, a hook case and a booklet of Spanish doily patterns. The shop is El Gato Negro and is right in the Plaza Mayor - easy peasy to find!

Wanderlust strikes again....

Or at least thanks to some really great air plane flights I am going to be travelling a lot the next few weeks!

I spent the past weekend in Nice France and Monte Carlo Monacco - had a great time and really enjoyed seeing the sun for 2 days - I think that living in Belgium I sometimes forget what the sun looks like!

I have found time to update my places I've visited map.

• Create your own travel map or travel blog


• Travel Info at TripAdvisor

I still have a large number of places that I would like to see! One day and one city at a time I guess!

I am off to Madrid this upcoming weekend, followed by trips to Rome and Lisbon with tentative plans to go to Morocco in the upcoming months!

Crafting? Ummm....I have finished a couple of snowflakes along with starting progress on a dishcloth.....but have not blocked the flakes yet so pics will be coming soon as I find some spare time to get them blocked and starched.

I want to make something.....

Honest.  I really do want to knit or crochet something.....I just don't know what.  I am itching to dig into my stash and start churning out projects again.....but I just can not get over some weird subconscious thingy that is drawing me away from the yarn.  I stare at my yarn, look at patterns and others finished items and yet there is no great big epiphany on what I will create. 

 

I guess I gots me the crafters blues.

 

*sigh*

 

Soon, I promise I will overcome this malady that has me unconsciously turning away from my beloved yarn and reaching instead for solace at the bottom of the nearest pint of Ben & Jerry's.......

 

Taking it easy....

This week will hopefully be a quiet one for me.  I spent the weekend near Ramstein Germany and I really need to recover.  From the 3 hour drive there and back plus a night of dancing - my feet feel like they want to seriously fall off my body!

 

I have a TON of upcoming travel planned.  I will spend this upcoming weekend in Brussels, and then the weekends after that are as follows:

 

Normandy - near Caen, spening time visiting the beaches & Mont St. Michel

Nice - Sightseeing - first time visiting

Madrid - visiting my old co-workers

Rome - Sightseeing

TBD - For my friend Te-Keisha's birthday

 

Plus there are tentative trips planned for Dublin and Amsterdam, along with the necessary work trips to Zurich.....crazy!!!!!

 

This is all in hopes of seeing everything possible before both myself and TeKeisha move back to the US.  I still do not have an exact date planned, but it is going to be in the next 6 months as my final Visa is ending June 30th.  If I choose to stay longer than this, I will switch to a permanent European contract which I have not wanted to do for various reasons.

 

I am off to lunch and then hopefully to get a TON done this afternoon rather quickly so that I can have an early night at home to catch up on some laundry and of course sleep!

Proof that I am still crocheting! Here is a snowflake that I made from a pattern magazine I picked up in Argentina! My first Spanish project.....I feel so proud! =)

And just a fun little pic of me and the girls from our weekend adventures.


I do not have a pic of the doily I am working on....can not find the camera cord....it is around here somewhere!

I just want to sleep...

Honest, I am not asking much.  Just a full night, of 8 hours, of 100% uninterrupted sleep.  No more tossing and turning and coughing so hard it feels like my lungs have left my chest and splatted against the wardrobe doors across the room.  Monday night it was almost 5:30 before I hit exhaustion, Tuesday was around 4:30ish, last night it was actually around 3:30. 

 

I am going through the motions at work on auto pilot right now - brain has left the building.

 

I did start a crocheted dishcloth - yay, as well as work on the next section on the french doily I'm working on.  No knitting though - just can not find the mojo to start going.

 

That is it from my side for today!  Pictures will be coming soon!

In the top 10.....

This Valentines Day weekend has to be in the top 10 of my life, if not the top 3. 

 

Meti has started working nights again, so I am all alone.  I knew he was going to be working this past weekend, so I did what every "single" person would do and planned a Girl's Weekend.  Friday night we included 2 of the guys that we go out with, which ended up being a lot of fun, even though I was sick. 

 

Saturday was spent lazing around one of the girl's apartment until we got up enough energy to go do a whirlwind shopping trip to find THE outfits for a Girl's night on the town.  I ended up scoring the cutest little black dress....and wonders of all wonders, it fit me wonderfully!  We went out dancing, I had my hair down and let's just say we painted the town red! 

 

Sunday was spent doing brunch at one of the apartments and laughing and reading Cosmo.  We found the energy to get dressed eventually (we all live in the same building, so it was sleep pants and lounge clothes all day long) and went to see a chick flick, The Women (great movie!) and since our calorie intake for the weekend was already sky high, ended the weekend with a fried chicken dinner.

 

It was such great fun with the girls - laughing and joking and just having a great time.

 

It did not even bother me that I saw the boyfriend for probably about 5 hours in total over the weekend, and that he totally blew off Valentines Day.  Who needs a man when you have your girlfriends right!!!!!!  =)

 

I got two wonderful Japanese craft books from my friend Genevieve.  She went to a show in Paris and brought them back for me. One is a Hello Kitty Amigurumi book and the other one is a Desert Type amigurumi book - too cute!!!  I can not wait to make something from them!

 

I am off for home now though - still feeling under the weather - I need some more cold meds and some sleep.

Not a bone was broken....

During my 2nd skiing trip to France. This time we went to Les Trois Vallees to a resort called Les Menuiers. We had an amzing time - the views were spectacular, and the skiing was great fun.

I really progressed this time and even went off-piste (not on the marked trail) in the powder some which was amazing until I hit a rock and tumbled head over heels.

Here are a few pics.....

First up a picture of yours truely in the Powder (before the aforementioned tumble) with the resort of Val Thorens in the background.....

The views from the top of the slopes.....
The gang - Justin, Me, Andy, Erin & Marci - a great group of people to go skiing with - we are truely had a good time together with lots of laughter and fun!
Les Menuiers where we stayed.....
The view of the mountains with the ski lifts....
I did work a little bit on my doily that I brought, but no great energy to do more than just a little bit. I hope that I can get back into the crafting bug soon so I can start using up some of this yarn that I have bought and have sitting here waiting for inspiration to appear!

I hope that everyone is doing well! Will catch up more with everyone soon!

Hello from Paris!

I drove to Paris this morning - easy drive, and I am now sitting in the subburbs at our office here, and tomorrow it is off to the mountains and a week of skiing!   I am very excited about going skiing, although after my day skiing last week in Switzerland, I know that I am going to be VERY sore after 6 days....perhaps I'll lose some weight during this time - I can hope!  =)   I did not really pack any projects to take with me - I threw in a doily I am working on at the last minute, but just did not feel the mood.  I am looking forward to just relaxing and skiing and not thinking about work.....well, not thinking about it after my call on Monday that I need to take.....well, 2 calls actually.  No rest for the weary that is for sure.

Au revoir Mon Ami

What to do?   What to do, when the bad news arrives The unchangeable need to say good-bye What to do, when your hearts torn in two? The pain and the sadness, filling your mind What to do, when you need to talk But only silence answers your cries What to do, when you need to cry The tears won't come, for your eyes are dry What to do, when you're all alone Miles away no chance to go home What to do, when the curtain is closed But to say farewell, we'll miss you my friend   ________   Farewell my old friend.  You will be missed by everyone who was lucky enough to have a chance to have you in their lives.  I thank you for so many good memories, and I wished that we had had a chance to have more together, but we had to grow up and move on with our lives, while time and distance came between us.

And the year begins.....

With lots of travel and a snowflake!   I am in Zürich for a week, including staying over the weekend which will let me get in a day of skiing on Saturday.  I'm really excited about skiing and trying out my rusty skills before I go to France.   I am off to the French Alps the 24th for a week of zooming down the mountain.  I am hoping that I can get in some lessons again this year and improve on my very beginners skiing ability.  We are going to Les Menuiers which is part of the Trois Vallee region in France.    Hopefully I will have a few more trips planned in Feb and March which will keep me busy.  I still do not know when I am moving back to the US - I am living one week at a time almost waiting to see what the job hunt turns up.   The first finished project in 2009 is a snowflake from a Spanish magazine I picked up in Argentina.  The pattern was charted which allowed me to easily complete it, although it took me a few minutes to figure out which symbols were which stitches.  I'll post a picture of it as soon as I get my camera downloaded to my computer.   I brought the Granny Blanket which I did not finish in the US in hopes of making more progress on it.  I hope to have it finished soon and mailed to my cousin back in the US for her baby girl.  I also brought a doily I am working on and the Spanish magazine in hopes of making a few more flakes from different patterns.   Happy Crafting!!

A few Vacation pictures.....

Here are a few pictures from my vacations - all of people since I had been to Argentina before I did not take that many touristy type shots of buildings etc, but people are what makes the holiday great!

Included here are the Niece & Nephew with my parents Christmas Bears, Me & Miss Molly (Vik's dog), Me & the Llamas at the zoo, Me, Zori & Leen, and then Me & Vik.

A look back at 2008....

Part of the whole making resolutions each year is to look back at what was accomplished or as the case may be not accomplished during the previous year.

Before I go into a huge self analysis on my resolutions from 2008, I thought to show you 2 of the final 2008 projects that I made.....

First up is the Santa Cloth that I made for my Mom. Done in Katia Cotton in red:

Second is a hat made with some of the yarn I bought in 2006 in Argentina:


Now on to the 2008 failures and successes. The whole resolution list can be found here from last year: http://cityofcrochet.blogspot.com/2008/01/first-post-of-2008.html

Resolution #1: Yarn on Top 10 List: Only used 5 of the yarns - Failed
Resolution #2: 52 Projects: Over 56 if you count the yarn food - Succeeded
Resolution #3: 26 Projects with Stash Yarn: Done thanks to yarn food - Succeeded
Resolution #4: No more yarn bought: Bought way too much: Failed
Resolution #5: 2 Projects KPAD & CPAD: Failed
Resolution #6: Finish all existing WIPS: All either finished or frogged: Succeeded
Resolution #7: Weight Loss: Gained more - Failed
Resolution #8: Travel to 2 Places To Visit Before I die: Went to 6 - Succeeded
Resolution #9: Travel once per month - Succeeded
Resolution #10: Decision to go back to US: Made in May - Succeeded

Well, 60% or 2 out of 3 (just about) ain't bad! =) #4 was set out to fail - how could anyone not buy any yarn?

I still need to think about resolutions for 2009, perhaps some repeats from 2008 will occur, and hopefully all will be a challenge but more reachable than 2008's resolutions!

Look what I can do with my Yarn Food!

While home for Christmas my niece Megan pulled out her play Yarn Food that I had made for her, along with the two doughnuts that was sent from Anita. She got a huge smile on her face and said "Look what I can make Aunt Kim"

This was the result......



A little person made of food!

Megan is still saying that she is going to be a Chef when she grows up. She got an Easy Bake oven for Christmas and took great pride in making a cake and giving us all a bite of her masterpiece.

Happy New Year 2009!!

Best regards to all for a prosperous New Year in 2009!

2008 has been a difficult year in many ways. I am glad that it is over, but also sad that another year has passed by so quickly! I hope that everyone has has a great Christmas vacation!

My trip to Argentina, Texas & Michigan went very well aside from a few transportation issues, but I arrived safely every time which is all that matters at the end of the day!