Making...

Remember these? Well, they have been finished for awhile.  Just got him to try them on for me.  I had all of three seconds to take pictures.  I have no details.  

 I lost the ball bands along the way.

 I'm just glad they are done.

 And yes, of course Ryan picked out his shag rug. 

 This here is the my Simplest Sweater.

Which now has been ripped out.

You know when you knit something and you just get that awful feeling that something is not right, yet you continue to knit on, hoping that feeling will go away.

It didn't. Everything was way too small.  I could have given it away, but I love the color.  I still have two balls of yarn left.  I'm going to go up a needle size and take my chances. 

Wish me luck!

5 things...

Well, hello!

I didn't think I would be away that long and I'm still not sure how often I will be back.  Life has been busy and we've all been settling into a routine now that school has started again.  I think the change in the weather, going to bed at a reasonable time and exercising for all has made for happier people in our home.

 1. We finished our summer in the Adirondacks.  This was our fourteenth summer at the same place and I would have to say our best.  The boys brought a friend along which kept the fighting at a minimum.  We all had a ton of fun and even I,had time to relax!

 2.  Both boys are in the high school now.  Yes, our eighth grade is included with the twelfth graders.  It  seems to work out okay.  Ryan is happy to be back in the same school as his brother.

 3.  I've been reading a lot more.  I need to update my sidebar.  If you are a member of Goodreads, you can find me over there.  

 4. Sports are back in our house.  Matt is running cross country and Ryan is just starting up hockey.  The cross country I enjoy-the hockey makes me break out in panic attacks.  It's not my favorite pastime anymore. 

5.  If you are still reading....thanks for sticking with me.  Hopefully, I will be here more times than not.  

Enjoy the week!

I had a birthday...

or in other words:

"This is what 50 (yikes) looks like."

I found myself approaching this birthday in a not so nice way. In fact I was really dreading it.  When I hit 20, 30 and 40 I was busy, busy.  In the midst of college, teaching and then parenting. And while I'm still in the midst of parenting, my kids don't need me as often as they did and I find myself with a lot of down time, hence, the wondering of what I want to do with the rest of my life, which leads me to gasp at the fact that I'm 50!

So, what I found myself doing over the last few months is reflecting on this great journey and thinking about where it will lead me next. 

So I thought:

When I was 10, I was a tween. Hoping to be the next Olga Korbet or Cathy Rigby.  

When I was 20 I had met my husband, who wouldn't become my husband for quite some time. I was too busy playing partying to be serious about anything. 

I remember turning 30 and still thinking that I wasn't ready to settle down.  Andy was back in my life and this time it was for good.

And then all of a sudden I was 40.  We had a great party in the Adirondacks.  All my favorite people were there...and I was sicker than a dog with the flu.  Matt and Ryan were only 5 and 3 and so excited.

I always thought I wanted a big bash for my 50th.  But as it grew closer I just wanted quiet. To celebrate with my favorite people.  My close friends took me out for a surprise dinner, my brother and sister-in-law came for a summer time visit and I quietly celebrated my day overlooking the mountains and the lake in the Adirondacks.

I'm not sure where I will travel this decade, but I do know that when I reach the other side I will have both boys out of school.  It will be an exciting time for our family. It will be a time where Andy and I will be back to just us. I'm looking forward to watching the boys grow and become young men with their own dreams. I'm looking forward to my independence and where it might lead me.

So 50, welcome and play nice.

I'll Be Back Soon....

I'm still basking in our last hurrah of the summer season.  I'll hurry back as I have so much to share!

See you soon!

Back to School...

...with the Schoolhouse Tunic.

I figured I might as well sew this up.  I cut the pieces way back in June, before the boys were out of school.

It sat around and collected dust while I languished the summer away eating bonbons and laying in the sun carting my boys around to their various activities.

 I sewed it out of lightweight cotton and I made the extra small.

The pattern says to sew 5/8 " seams but next time I might go to 1/2" just to have a bit more ease.

 I have to say that I really am proud of this one.  

Of course, there are mistakes because I misread the pattern, but those will be fixed on the next one.

 I'm thinking a soft, lightweight denim or corduroy.

Add some tights, boots and a long scarf! 

Perfect autumn outfit!

 One modification that I made was to place only one pleat in the center of the skirt rather than have a bit more boxy look with two.

I saw this one and knew that it would work better with my body type.

 So now it's your turn!  Go, buy the pattern and get sewing!

If I can do it, you most certainly can!

San Francisco:part two

As we all know traveling with children can be fun and exhausting at the same time.  My husband and I have made it a point to show the boys as much as possible before they are out on their own.  They are confident travelers and appreciate a new experience when offered to them.

The last few year that we have vacationed we stepped away from the hotel model and have rented through VRBO.  Renting a home offers us the space that we all need at the end of a long day exploring.

 Last year, when we traveled to Jackson Hole, Wyoming we were lucky enough to find a beautiful home overlooking the town of Jackson.

 This year, we immersed the boys into city living by renting a two level apartment right in the middle of San Francisco.  Again, the space and the privacy of their own room helped to eliminate the nastiness that can occur at the end of a long day.

 I'm always a bit nervous to send off the check or charge my credit card to someone I don't know.  But VRBO has a good advice page on being safe with the people you rent from. It's a good thing to always try to speak to the owners on the phone first to make sure they are legitimate. 

 Unfortunately, we ended up in a hotel for the last two nights of our trip because of scheduling.  And, as always, even with having connecting rooms, the hotel demons were out and the sharing of a room did not go as nicely as our stay in the apartment.  What is it, with kids and hotels?

So, if you are planning a trip soon, check out this alternative to hotel stays.  I think you might be pleasantly surprised!

We went West....

to San Francisco!

And I believe, we all left our hearts there!

Be back soon!

Baseball Socks 2012

Each year during baseball season, I pull out my sock yarn and knit a pair of socks.  They are easy to carry to the games and don't make me sweat as much while I endure cheer on the boys. 

 This year was no exception.  My goal is to knit through some of the miles of sock yarn that I have stashed here and there around the house and knit up socks for everyone! I grabbed a manly color and got knitting.  Seeing that this sock was meant to be for one of the boys I added a few more stitches and knit a bit longer in hopes of producing a sock that fit.  Which it does, no problem! So what then is the problem? Sadly, I don't have enough yarn.  I thought I did. I really thought I had another skein.  But as I tore through my stash yesterday I only came up with this red.  

So, tonight I will rip the sock out, go up from size one needles to size three, keep my standard stitch count and add red on the cuffs, heels and toes.  I hope that will solve the problem. At this rate, the baseball socks will turn into hockey season socks.  

Wish me luck!

Link Love

My pictures just sing summer this week!  It's been a fast paced, action packed start to vacation.  I'm looking forward to settling into a summer routine filled with a few camps, a job for the oldest and lots of time spent with friends.  Hope you are all staying cool and enjoying this beautiful weather. I'm off to the farmer's market.  Blueberries and raspberries are on my list!

 These are going to be made this week!  But first, I need to buy the molds.  

 I'm in love with this site.  This post did not disappoint.  Shrinky dinks for adult jewelry!

 Yes please!  

I'm not on the wedding circuit of late.  But this would be  a great wedding present or shower gift.  

We are thinking about installing a rain barrel.  We  are on a well and in the dry years need to preserve our water.  This might be an option for us!

enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Happy Birthday America!

We are off celebrating the birthday of our Nation!

136 years young!

5 things....

Saturday, Andy took the boys and their friends out tubing on the lake.  I decided not to go as I tend to get a bit nauseous when they have the boat spinning in circles in order to get bigger waves.

As I was sitting, waiting for them to come back I discovered that I didn't know any of the parents sitting at the beach.  I've officially become one of the older moms.  The mom that sits out of the fray of the toddlers and elementary school kids.  The one that can actually relax while sitting near a body of water. The one that doesn't turn her head when she hears "Mom" being screamed at the top of someone's lungs and the mom that doesn't  go running when she hears a piercing scream and crying.

It was a bittersweet feeling.  I'm sad that our days of summer are not spent on that sandy beach anymore.  Days of digging holes and swimming for hours until their fingers were wrinkled from the water.  Gone are the many days of grilled cheese sandwiches and snacks from the beach bag.

But as I watched this new generation of parents and their little ones I was happy that we were part of the long tradition of families on that beach.  I can only hope that my boys decided to find a place just as special, maybe even the one they grew up on, to raise their families when it's time.

1.  Loving caprese salads right now.  It will be even better when the tomatoes ripen.

2.  Looking for a good television show for summer.  Suggestions welcomed.

3.  Just finished reading The History of Love.  It started out slow, but in the end I really enjoyed it.

4. Do you like sweet tea or unsweetened?

5. Matt and I have started a summer blog.  We took the idea from Sarah and Anna ( can't find the link Sarah...could you send it to me?) Matt and I need something this summer.  Hopefully, this might be it.
  
Enjoy the week everyone!