Date night...it's hockey time!

Hockey tonight with Steve for our date night this week. Came to see minor league hockey - chicago wolves vs grand rapids griffins...I'm cheering for g.r. since they are from michigan about 30 minutes from where I grew up.

Valentines yesterday was great..very low key - Steve cooked dinner for me at home. It was yummy!

I'm still working on the blanket...need to hurry since baby Alyssa is now a week old! :)

The dog's are getting along great. Beau is now about 80 lbs and a total lap dog lol

Have a wonderful week! Happy crafting!

Pizza making!

Had great fun last night making pizzas. We made our own dough, and then loaded up the toppings before throwing it all in the pizza oven! Both of our pizzas turned out great, and we had fun making them together! Can not wait until our next date night out!  Attached are pictures of our masterpieces!

Forgot to mention yesterday...I entered a cake into the office superbowl dessert contest and it won first place!  I made my grandparents lemonade cake...yummy! One of my favorite non-frosted cakes.

Have a wonderful wednesday!

Tuesdays are for pizza making!

Happy tuesday everyone! Tonight me and Steve are heading off to pizza making class! Signed up for a lesson in groupon...should be fun learning something new with him!

Things are going great between the two of us! Steve is officially moving in the end of the month when he can terminate his apartment lease. He and Lil' Bear haver been here now since new years without any issues. A smile is constantly on my face these days! :)

I am still working on the baby blanket. Finished 2 more squares last night...slow but steady! Need to think about what my next project is going to be!

Still have not organized the craft room and books...focusing on other areas of the house which need it more....i.e.last night I cleaned out the closet and dresser, getting rid of junk and garbage including 6 parties of old shoes...I told steve to hurry and throw them out before I changed my mind!

Have a wonderful tuesday everyone!

February already?

The year is flying by once again! Then again it usually does when one is happy and keeping busy!

Beau is keeping me busy, along with Steve's dog Lil'Bear...I will not say they are best buddies, but they are getting along...more so now then at the beginning!  Having 2 dogs makes me almost want a third one...will wait though...Lil'Bear is 14 now, so in a few years will most likely pass away...will consider getting another dog then!

Crafting right now consists of working on a baby blanket for a co worker who is expecting a little girl soon. making a simple squares blanket, 2 sets of basic squares and then a third set of squares with a star pattern on them...pattern from a ball band.

I leave you with 2 photos...one of the squares, and one of Beau! Happy February!

Winter Getaway!

Hello from the land of cheese...aka Wisconsin for all my non-us readers :) Came up for a long weekend with Steve you escape the winter blahs - at the Wilderness indoor water park. Had a great weekend so far - riding water rides and floating in tubes on a lazy river.

Spent the drive up working on a baby blanket for my co-worker Lorinda who is expecting a little girl. Steve made me promise to leave it in the car once we got here lol

Been thinking about getting rid of some of my stash of craft books - knit, crochet, needlepoint, cross-stitch etc...will let you all know once I sort them all out! :)

Beau is getting too be huge! At 5 months he is already 70 pounds! Will attach a recent photo - he is an amazing dog - great personality and super loving...also a guard dog...he has a stranger danger bark when someone he does not know is outside...does not bark at any of the neighbors though!

Happy 2012!!

What an exciting year 2011 was with lots of ups and downs! I started out 2011 with such happiness and expectation...only to have it all come crashing down on me in March. I honestly thought my heart was breaking and that happiness was not going to be mine.

I picked myself up, dusted myself off and made a decision to continue to live life for life itself. I made a bucket list of summer things to accomplish and made myself complete them all! That included making sand castles, running through the sprinklers, dancing in the rain and flyin a kite!

September saw me take my first flying lesson which was amazing! I so loved being up in the small airplane - it was like nothing else!

Then on Labor Day weekend I made a purchase which changed my life! Yes, Beauregard has changed my life for nothing but the better. My heart was full again of love and I had something wonderful in my life. He has been an amazing addition to my household. His personality is great and he is always so happy to see me. He's not a big fan yet of knitting or crocheting...he keeps trying to eat the yarn that is hanging between the project and ball!

During all of this time, I've started dating again and have met an amazing guy! He is super wonderful...he makes me laugh and smile, lets me torment him with "tickling experiments", takes care of me when I feel like my head is going to explode and is an all around nice guy! We will see how this relationship develops....am hoping for the best! :)

As for crafting! I've made some more bead items, and have finished some snowflakes and a few more of Mimi's Poinsetta Coasters for my Mom after she realized she did not have enough! I'm also making headway on my next Star Afghan....spent a few nights working on it on the couch.

Okay - time to let the boys out (I have Beau and Steve's dog Lil-Bear here this weekend}

More to come soon - I've missed blogging and my blogging friends!

The newest addition!

Labor day weekend brought about a rather large change to my household and my lifestyle! I welcomed into my life a 7 pound baby named Beauregard, or affectionately called Beau.



He is a 7 week old Bernese Mountain Dog, and is giving me a run for my money already. He is just a like a baby in that we have been getting up multiple times each night to let him go out to the bathroom.

He is already spoiled rotten...it seems he gets a new toy almost every day...I just can not resist bringing him home something new!

Summer living.....

I have decided that I am moving somewhere that is summer year round! Having an absolutely great one!

Progress made on the bucket list....over 75% done with it...need to expand it I think!

I have been working on decorating the house a little bit more...finding accent pieces - tables, mirrors, pictures. Am putting my full stamp on it and making it mine.

Have also been car shopping...deciding between a camaro and a mustang....i want a second car for the summer / in-town driving, so why not a fun one right?

Been cleaning out the craft room. Found some unfinished projects....working on those a little bit....hope to start focused on them so I can get them done!

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Crochet you ask?

Sigh that is right...this is supposed to be a craft /crochet blog, and yet lately, that has been far from my life.

I did buy a new book of crochet food....will be working on those shortly.

I've also started back on that darn star afghan...reminds me someone what I was thinking on this thing! Lol

Made another bead necklace and earring set....future owner uncertain, picture to come!

Happy crafting!

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The journey continues....

Everyday life continues to amaze me and change me in the process. 2 years ago I was starting to wrap up my life in Europe. I was already starting the packing process, saying good byes and looking forward to my journey back to the US and seeing what life had in store for me.

It's not been an easy 2 years.

As you know, I said farewell to the boyfriend of 3 years...emotionally difficult but what needed to happen for my own mental and physical health. Over the course of our relationship, I gained 60 pounds, mainly due to stress eating and drinking...its easier to keep a harmonious relationship when we are not stuck in the same apartment

I moved back to the US, and in that first year I lost 30 pounds, half of what I had gained.

I met Mike, and slowly went back into old habits when the relationship started to go downhill and he pulled away. I did not recognize it for what it was, but I gained back 8 of those lost pounds. I went back into focusing on an on-line gaming world.

Single now for 3 months, I have once again started to focus back on my health, and have lost those 8 pounds, plus another 7. I no longer play games on-line and my TV is rarely turned on.

I have another 30 still to lose. My focus is on health eating habits - no more skipping meals or eating junk food. With a focus on being more physically active - no more sitting on the couch at night watching TV.

The journey towards happiness continues....stay tuned....

Beading continues!

I continueto find time to bead...even if I rarely pick up my hooks and needles these days. Total lack of interest....I was in the middle of working on a set of play yarn food for the boyfriend mike's niece when he decided to split with me...since then no yarn at all....will start again I promise :)

Darling Vik is visiting from Buenos Aries...the necklace set pictures above will be returning with her to argentina as I gifted her the set. I hope she enjoys it!

No other news here...will be taking Vik shipping tomorrow...pictures to come!

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Summer of 2011...The Bucket List

So my summer is going to be filled once again with insane working hours.  Wanting to make sure I take some me time out of my schedule, I have decided to write a bucket list for the Summer of 2011 with everything that I want to do to make sure my mental sanity stays intact!

 

Here is the current list:

 

SUMMER 2011 BUCKET LIST

 

* Go to the Drive In Movies

* Go on a Picnic

* Watch the Sun rise over Lake Michigan

* Watch the Sun set over Lake Michigan

* Eat an Ice Cream Cone

* Drink a Glass of Wine on the Deck

* Take a Nap in the sun

* Swing on a Swingset

* Fingerpaint

* Run a 5 K race

* Go for a Midnight Slurpee run

* Build a sandcastle

* Bike ride up to Wisconsin

 

 

Additional suggestions gladly taken...leave a comment with what you think I should add to my summer list!

Blink...blink....

Well I am out from under the rock...okay...back from the work trips to Tampa FL and San Jose Costa Rica. Busy 2 weeks in my world, but I was able to get some crocheting done...amazing!

A friend of mine is a board member for a not-for profit organization that deals with homelessness for Chicago area women. They are having an event this week and SiSi asked me to make something for their auction. After thinking about it, I decided to make up some play yarn food, and this is what I created for the auction:




Fried Eggs and a Fruit and Veggie basket. There were also 2 cupcakes that missed the photo shoot.

I think the boyfriend gave a cheer when he saw that I was using up some of my yarn stash....we will not tell him about the additional 2 balls that I bought this week to make a felted purse! Ssshhhh! lol If I put it up in the yarn room he will never notice right?

Progress continutes on the new Star Afghan...pictures will be posted next time!

Have a great week every one!

Valentine's Day Already??

Sunday, February 13th...time approx 9:20 pm....26 hours and 40 minutes until the pain of yet another Valentine's Day is over with....can someone please tell me why no matter how hard I pray this day always seems to come?

I hinted to the boyfriend that I would have to work super long tomorrow as we were on vacation all last week and I am only in the office 2 days this week as I leave Tuesday on a business trip. His response...we'll work something out...I am not going to not see you for a week. I forgot to give him my usual "I hate Valentines Day" speech that I have given every other boyfriend....not sure why I did not...perhaps I was trying hard not to think about the upcoming day of doom.

Yep, Day of Doom. The stress and pressure of this one little day is enough to ruin relationships, marriages, friendships...you name it, it can be destroyed on this one day. This holiday puts WAY too many expectations on the other partner, and I do not want that kind of stress!

An example......The search for the perfect card:

Awww, this one is cute...oh god, its too cutesy hes going to think that I am an empty headed bimbo if I pick this card.

Okay, here is a humorous one....ha ha ha..that's funny....oh wait! He won't think that I am taking our relationship seriously if I give him this card!

Aha! This one says it all.....spending time together....finding the perfect guy.....ARGH!!!!! Now hes going to think that I am way into him.....what if hes not that much into me as well? He'll feel sorry for me....tell his friends that I am making a fool out of myself over him....no. no. no.

That's it. I won't give him a card..... but what if he gives me a card...I won't have one to give him.....he'll think that I am not interested in him.....AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!


And anyways, this can't be a good holiday......it brings out way too many of the deadly sins....

Wrath - How dare you forget to buy me a card and flowers?!?!?
Lust - Ooohh Baby!!!! You be looking gooooooooooood...I'm gonna get me some!
Greed - What else did you get me.....jewelry....perfume....chocolate???
Envy - Mary Jane's boyfriend got her a new necklace...I want to be her
Gluttony - That's it - only one more chocolate....well just one more......
Sloth - Yeah, I'll go get her a card.....maybe tomorrow (the result - see wrath)
Pride - I am the best girlfriend....no one is better than me....

Okay....I stretched it a bit on finding an example of Pride...but the others are all ones that happen!!

So join me folks on my mad dash for the hills as I try to avoid yet another appearance of this holiday that causes relationships to break down, single people to develop severe depression, marriages to falter, sins to appear and insanity to develop on the card aisles as people start talking to themselves and screaming as they quest for the perfect card!

(Psst - if you've been a follower of my blog for a while, you are not going crazy, the search for the perfect card and the seven sins are a repost from 2006...why re-write what is perfectly written right???)

New Year....New Resolutions

Tis a new year….and I am already breaking my resolutions!  Every year I make them with all the best intentions in the world…lose 5 pounds….ok 50 to be honest, craft more, blog more often and even stay in touch more with friends.  And then, every year I start to break them right away….at least I am consistent right?

 

Okay, I've not broken all of them….yet.  I stepped on the scale this morning, saw that I had gained 8 pounds over the past 6 weeks.  Darn trip to Belgium…WAY too much good food there…then add in all of the holiday eating…well it's no wonder I went backwards on the weight loss!  But at least I know where I am starting the year at and I know that I can lose those 8 pounds again…the other 42 might be more of a challenge…well….really the last 12 will be the challenge…lots of running in my future I think!

 

Blogging more…well this one is always my challenge.  Best intentions in the world aside, I just don't have the time to spend on the computer once I am out of work these days.  Okay…spend on the computer blogging that is.  I spend plenty of time on facebook which is how I am trying to stay better in touch with more friends…I can cyber stalk everyone to my hearts content.  What did we do before Facebook?  Oh, that's right, letters and the age old process of gossiping…so did you hear about so-and-so?

 

Crafting you ask?  That's right, this is a crafting blog!  I continue to work on a doily I started in Belgium…talk about procrastination right?  I actually am making progress on it though!  Over the holidays I made up some knitted Korknisses (Christmas Ornaments made from Wine Corks) and crocheted Snowflakes although I never did find the time to block the snowflakes!  I started finally the Star Afghan again for the Family Room in colors to match the couch.  I am also in the process of starting to make lots more yarn food.  Decided that I needed a collection for my house and that the boyfriend's niece will soon be old enough for her own collection of yarn food!

 

Pictures?  Right…ummm…will see what I can take the next few days and find some time over the weekend to post them up!

 

Happy New Year to all of you!

 

Kimberly

Happy thanksgiving!

Yes, it's a day late but a hippy thanksgiving to everyone!

Weren't to mike's parents yesterday for dinner...it was a nice evening with excellent food and company! His family are all great people.

I have been crafting like crazy lately...got bitten by the crafty bug which has been missing lately! Did some bead work...the picture is of a bracelet and a watch I made. Both turned out lovely...i got complimemts at work on the bracelet...will wear the watch this week for the first time.

Also made some more snow flakes, korknisses, working on a doily wip, and trying to finish a few other wips...progress! I have to start using some of this yarn up....mike was a little in shock when he saw how much I have lol

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Sunday afternoon football

mike is at work today so I am sitting on the couch watching sunday football and working on some wips. First up that I actually finished is the attached granny square baby blankie.

Been working on this one for a while...would finish a round or two and then put it down for a few weeks. Finally devoted some time and got it finished. No recipient lined up for it yet...wait and see I guess!

Yay for the short week! Been a while without some days off with nothing big planned to take up the time. Will go to mike's parents for thanksgiving then relax at home the rest of the weekend....perhaps put up some christmas decorations!!

Hope that everyone had a great weekend!

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Birthday cake anyone?

Here is a picture of the cake I made for my niece megan. I forgot to take one so I had my sister take a phone picture and send it...better pics coming in december when I see them again! Megan loved it which is all that matters!

Downside...my other niece abby liked it as well....i see another one in my future....ugh!

Off today to mike's nephew s birthday. I had a friend bring some kinder surprises (kids chocolate eggs with a toy inside) for me to give him...hopefully he likes!

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

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On our way to Wrigleyville

To watch the Bears game with friend of mike. Should be a nice evening.

Bren crafting up a storm. Finished the birthday cake for megan and forgot to take a picture...blonde moment. Have finished 5 more flakes and almost finished a granny square baby blanket...3 more rounds yay!!

The next month is going to be super busy. Going up to green bay for the packers game, a trip to europe, thanksgiving at mike's parent's home, christmas at my folks in michigan, illinois for new years...busy busy busy....and I have to work some during all that travel!

What is your holiday schedule like this year?

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Early snowfall!!!

Here is the second flake of the season! Am going to wait and block all that I finish at one time Rather than one by one! Not sure how many I need to finish in total....depends if I give them away as decorations on christmas gift tags.

Most of my christmas shopping is done. Rather easy this year since all the kids have gotten season tickets to six flags great america!

Have a great day!!

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