{ Ironing and my favorite Vlogmas Channels }

My skin has been so dry the past month or so, it's quite awful and no matter how much wash it or apply lotion, it just doesn't seem to help.  So this morning, I decided to start with a Rose Face Mask which I've had on hand for a while but hadn't yet gotten around to trying it.

It smells amazing, and it worked really well hydrating my face.  I'll have to keep using it throughout the winter months.

{ Another rainy day - Blogtober 2018 }

Well, another super dark and rainy day.  Both hubby and I were surprised at just how cold it felt this morning, we both had on sweat pants and long sleeves and sweaters.  It was that much of a temperature change from the usual hot weather around here.

{ Reminded me of living on base - Blogtober 2018 }

40 degrees, rainy, dark, cloudy and gloomy and everything that makes me happy.  Kinda weird saying that isn't it, like how many people admit they like gloomy days? 

Usually people will say "it's a beautiful day", when referring to blue skies and hot weather. 

I'm the opposite, I see rain and dark days that only illuminate with candles and I get the warmest and happiest of feelings. 

{ I forgot how much I loved knitting - Blogtober 2018 }

I always tell myself that this day and that day, I'm going to do nothing, just relax and not get off the couch.

And then that day comes around, and no matter how awful I'm feeling, I get up and get moving, because that's just how I am.  Or maybe that's how us women are?  I mean, I can only speak for myself, but this seems to be the norm, feeling guilty for taking some downtime.

Anyway, I had every intention of doing nothing, but guess what?  I didn't Hahahah

{ I didn't even take a picture - Blogtober 2018 }

It was one of those days where I was so busy with house cleaning and cooking, that I didn't even get a single photo taken, of anything, other than the chicken I was making......and well, that's not exactly what I wanted to show on today's post.

But I guess there will be days like these, where the need to get things done, far surpasses the need to snap pics while I'm doing it. 

I gave the bathroom a good clean, and as always when I am scrubbing bath tubs, I end up with a sore shoulder and back.  Par for the course.

Blessed with Yarn

I mentioned in my previous post, which you can read here, that I had been gifted a whole lot of yarn, and not just any kind of yarn, I'm talking Mohair, Angora, Cotton, Cotton Linen, Wool etc, most of it from France.

I am truly blessed to have received such a beautiful gift and my mind is already reeling with thoughts of what I can make with it.  It might even come in hand for some beautiful Christmas presents.

Anyway, let me show you what I got and why I'm so excited, and I'll also link any patterns that I have in mind for these.  If you have any suggestions on the use of any or all of these, please leave them down below.

In the world of yarn, I've really just stuck to the cheapest which means Walmart Red Heart Super Saver and though I enjoy working with it, sometimes it's nice to have beautiful expensive yarn at your fingertips.

This beautiful wool is going to become either a scarf or a cowl.  I'm thinking something inspired by Outlander for sure because the colors remind me of some of the knitted cowls, shawls and wrist warmers that Claire wears.

Gorgeous Angora.  I have never worked with Angora before so I am not sure what to make with it, again if anyone has any ideas, or good projects, please let me know.

For these I'm thinking of making the Campside Shawl. 

How gorgeous is this mohair?  I only have this single skein so I don't know if I'll be able to make anything at all.

And for the yarn above, the cotton linen, I'm thinking of making this wrap.   I am definitely going to have to get my knitting skills polished, it's been many many years since I've knitted anything of substance, as I prefer to crochet instead.

I'm not entirely sure what I'll be doing with this cotton. 

Truly the possibilities are endless.  It's the small things in life that bring me the most joy, I know many people would find none of this too exciting, but for me it's like receiving a huge Christmas present in September.

Can't wait to get started :)

{ What a day....Marley hurt his leg }

Oh folks, it was just one of those days for me.

It started ok, I worked on some knitting, enjoyed a cup of coffee and tried to push away the tiredness. Last night Bella kept me up all night, she paced the bedroom, she panted, she laid down, then got up again. It was constant the whole night, so sleep for me was non existent.

This beautiful boy right here hurt his right back leg, today. He is so active, so jumpy, so full of energy and I always fear he's going to hurt himself seriously.

He started the day fine, then around noon when my husband was home for lunch, he got super excited, tried to jump on him on the couch, missed and jumped right over the side. The minute he hit the ground he started yelping. We rushed to him and did a quick check of his leg, which obviously hurt him. After feeling around, moving it and making sure it looked ok, we concluded that it's not broken but I think he either landed on it, or pulled a muscle.

The rest of the day he's been off that leg, he won't put it on the ground, he either hops around, or puts just the tip of his toes down but keeps pressure off.

I hate seeing him like this because he's usually so full of life.

I have to say, my anxiety today though has gone through the roof. My experience with Lola, especially the 2 nights before she passed, traumatized more than I realized. It's not good at all, really, because the minute Marley started yelping, I had flashbacks to Lola and just wanted to burst into tears. I'm so thankful my husband was here at the time because he took over, allowing me to step back a bit and compose myself.

While Marley rested next to me, I tried to keep my mind busy with some more knitting. 

I did a little bit of housework while he napped and then worked on finishing off our taxes, which by the way, did not do much for making the day any better.  $2800 is what we owe.  God give me strength.

I actually sat down this afternoon and started thinking that maybe getting another pet right now, wasn't the best choice for me, I don't think I'm quite mentally prepared for it.  But I look at Marley and love him so very much and honestly couldn't imagine him not being here, or still being at the Humane Society.

I know I did the right thing, I know I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, so I think I need to just give myself time to deal with my emotions and get through the grief of losing my Lola and the traumatizing moments leading up to her death.  I can't compare the two, I can't keep thinking that what happened to Lola is going to happen to Marley, because if I do, I will drive myself insane.

He didn't break his leg, she pulled something or landed funny etc.  He is fine, he is playing, he is eating and drinking, he moves his leg around when he's sitting or laying, it's just walking that he doesn't put it down.  I think he may be scared that it's going to hurt?

Either way, I called the vet and they said to just keep an eye on him, and unless he starts crying, or there's a lot of swelling or doesn't look right or he doesn't get better over the weekend, then we'll take him in on Monday and have some X Rays done to see what's going on.

So yes, a bit of a crappy day, tomorrow will be much better.  We're heading to David's Bridal in the morning for Jasmine to try on some bridesmaid dresses for Tiffany's wedding in June.  I plan on taking my camera to show you :)

Right now, I'm going to head to bed with Marley, I'm exhausted, and so is he.

I hope you all have a blessed, wonderful Friday night, and I'm sorry today's post was so full of wah wah wah on my part, I will be back to my usual self in no time.

Living....

That is just what I've been doing the past two days.  Just living, doing usual stuff around here and not really having much time for anything other than that.

I do realize I didn't even get a chance to pop in yesterday to say hi, and much less to go read up all the Happy Homemaker Monday participants.  I will do that tomorrow as I have a much slower and not so busy day, planned.

How are you all doing?  I do hope everyone is well, healthy and happy.  We are doing ok here, just very busy, very stressed financially and I feeling quite drained emotionally too.

But you know what I realize in the middle of all this chaos?  That it always happens the minute I start trying to get closer to God.  Without fail, I will be tested, I will have things go wrong and I will be pushed to my breaking point.

Unfortunately with as many times as it happens to me, you would think I would be some expert at this life thing, and recognize the signs immediately.  Truth is, I am not, and I don't.  So I stumble and I fall about and cry and feel completely helpless for a few days until I see it for what it is.  I'm just thankful I do at some point see it, right???  :)

Right!!!

Now let me quickly show you what I've been doing, I have just a few moments from the past two days.  I can't stay very long and chat, as we need to head to Tae Kwon Do.

::::  We have found our groove homeschooling wise, and things seem to be running pretty smooth.   One thing I do is keep a folder with the lessons planned for every day, I write down everything we do for each subject and even page numbers in textbooks or things that need to be printed out.

Helps me keep track of what we're doing throughout the year.




::::  Lesson planning.  I don't do this for the girls, seeing as one is 15 and the other 17, they are old enough to get their stuff done completely on their own.  I do supervise and help here and there and basically make sure they are getting their work done, but I don't plan anything.

With the two boys it's different, I plan everything, I even get their stuff ready in their workbooks.  They are younger AND they are boys and they tend to try and gloss over everything.  If it were up to them they would just browse through the text, skip right on over anything to be done in their books and move on.  Big no no.

Truthfully, it IS a lot of work for me, but it makes things run so much smoother that I just can't not do it.



::::  I tried a new soup for lunch, yesterday.  I had bought it a while ago and never got around to trying it.  It was actually pretty good, I think I would buy it again.



::::  Sat down this morning for some coffee and a little knitting, with a certain project in mind.



::::  After two cups of coffee I was knitting right along and finished what I was making.  Didn't take me too long but oh my word, the result is adorable.



::::  A Mug Sweater, complete with mittens and a little pocket.  I am so in love with it, I can't even begin to tell you.  It has got to be the cutest thing ever.



Look at the little pocket?!?!?!?   Hubby says it is perfect to hold candy canes in the winter.  I tend to agree.



And because it knitted up so fast, I am going to make another tonight, and who knows, maybe a few more, might even give one away here on the blog.

Being that this was the first, there are quite a few things that I'm not exactly happy with, just some minor errors here and there but it is still the cutest thing ever.

What do you think???

Oh and by the way, I am always asked how I drink out of a mug with a cozy, and for me it's not an issue.  I usually fold the top down where I'm drinking and have never had a problem.  Besides I love drinking out of a mug with a cute little cozy around it.

Alright now I really need to skidaddle on out of here before we're late for Tae Kwon Do.

I'll be back in the morning with a Slow Cooking Thursday post.  :)

Needles and thread

Been busy today.

Well, actually it started last night, after my hubby left for college class.  I got the kitchen all cleaned up, made sure the kids had their showers taken and pj's on and settled in their room playing.  I took my own shower, got into my own comfy pj's and then headed to the living room.

My idea was to just have a cup of hot tea and watch some TV, but then I suddenly got this yearning for Knitting.  I know, I know.

I'm such a huge crochet lover that I don't get to knit as often as I would like and I don't know why but I felt like I really wanted to sit with my needles and yarn/thread and work away at a project that didn't require focus or attention or counting rows or stitches in any way.

So dishcloths it was.  I made one last night and another this morning and I'm about to finish another.  I'm on a roll and I can say that I have missed knitting immensely.

The click clicking of the needles is extremely therapeutic for me.

I'm currently working on Christmas gifts and who doesn't like receiving homemade goodies right?  Especially knitted dishcloths.

But before I show you those, here's a few pics from my day.....

Early breakfast for this mama, toast, butter and some Bonne Mamam Wild Blueberry Preserves, along with a hot cup of warm cinnamon sugar cookie flavored coffee. Yum!


Butter making, had some heavy cream that was close to the expiration date and of course there's nothing better than homemade butter


And then it was time to play with those things that make me so happy.


For these I'm using Sugar n' Cream 100% cotton. I feel they hold up better than other yarns. Don't get me wrong though, I have a lot of dishcloths made from all sorts of leftover yarn I have laying around and I love all of them, I've figured out which are best for different cleaning jobs.



I'm using a simple dishcloth pattern, there's nothing to it. It's not my pattern and I think it's the most used one for the basic dishcloth. Been making it for so many years that it's ingrained in my mind.

Cast on 4 stitches.

Row 1: Knit across.

Row 2: Knit 2, yarn over, knit to the end of the row.

Repeat row 2 until there are 40 stitches.

Start decreasing on next row....knit 1, knit 2 together, yarn over, knit 2 together, knit to the end of the row.

Continue until you have 4 stitches left. Bind off.



So the first 2 are done and folded, sprayed with lavender linen water which smells amazing and tied with a ribbon.



The next ones I'm making are actually my favorite dishcloths, and you know why????

Well, because I use crochet thread instead of cotton. I just knit using double strands and it turns out amazing, much sturdier than all the other dishcloths and the rougher thread is great for scrubbing dishes.



Give it a try.

As always, switching the size of the needles will yield different results. For this one I'm actually using size 4mm needles which give me a smaller dishcloth. The first time I made it I wasn't sure I would like the smaller cloth, but I've actually grown to like it, even more than the normal bigger sized dishcloths I have.



Just follow the same pattern as above but using two threads at a time. :)

Let me know if you try it.

I'm thinking with the amount of dishcloths I'm knitting up, I may do a little giveaway of 2 or 3 on the blog, would that be something you ladies would enjoy?

Do you knit or crochet your own dishcloths?

Dreaming out Loud!

As the years go by and Curt's retirement creeps up on us (only 2 years away), we find ourselves talking about the future, where we're going, what we're doing, where we will be living, what kind of house we want to buy. It thrills me, it gives me chills because it will be our first home together and we have the chance to get exactly what we want, it's like getting your dreams and making them a reality.

As we talk about these things, we sometimes just chat back and forth about the kind of house we want to own and we're both on the same wavelength because we're thinking about something between a cottage, farmhouse, ranch house kinda thing. We want land, we want space, we want a chicken coop with chickies running around, we want fruit trees and we want veggie gardens and a porch and big windows and a fireplace and my dream kitchen. But we're also realistic and we know that chances are.....BIG CHANCES.....that the home we buy may not be exactly all we want it to be at first, but that's what makes it more exciting right? Knowing you can build it whichever way you want it.

So I'm dreaming out loud today, I'm throwing it all in here, the first step is to know what you want and then you work towards making it happen. Mind you, what you'll see here may make you shake your head at times, but that's what makes dreaming fun because there's no limitations on what you can have.

Oh it's just what I envision,I think it would make me really happy to drive into our own Ranch one day....I can almost smell the fresh air.

Yeah, this would definitely make me smile.

You think this chicken coop is big enough *snort*

And this is how you know it's a dream, because we all know how well I do with keeping plants of any kind alive LOL

But hopefully one day, I'll have a beautiful vegetable garden.

The kids of course, want a horse....which I guess in a way is my dream too, I've always wanted a big property with horses and goats running around LOL

I'm sorry, I'm starting to laugh because I just picture myself amongst the goats probably freaking out everytime one came my way.

All joking aside, how amazing would it be to wake up every morning and walk out onto the porch with a beautiful view, hot cup of coffee in your hand and nothing but the sound of the animals around you?

But for now, I'm moving away from the dream and tuning back into reality, where my wonderful family, my crafting, my cooking and my homemaking surround me, bringing me joy no matter where in the world I'm living.

Like the looks on my children's faces when they went off to school this morning wearing their new gloves and smiling because mommy made them.....no matter that I was up late just to finish them because the reward I get is worth every minute of lost sleep.

So simple and easy to make and the kids LOVE them...they were very impressed because as they said "wow, I can still play and write like this". Yes, Yes you can :)

I've started on another pair for Jasmine, she's requested ones that go all the way to her elbow, apparently it's in fashion, so she says LOL

In the middle of all this knitting frenzy, I sent off Curt to pick up the kids from school yesterday afternoon, while I fixed some Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting...it was their afternoon snack and boy were they happy.

Today is going to be filled with cleaning, menu planning and grocery list making and computer searches for the perfect laptop for me. It will be my first, I've always had a desktop but I find myself missing the ability to carry my puter with me wherever I go, to be able to fix dinner while working on the next recipe for the blog, or to check email while sitting in bed under the warm covers.

So I'm on the lookout for my very first laptop, I don't need it to have all the bells and whistles but there IS one specification I told Curt I absolutely need. It HAS to be pink! He called me "such a girly sometimes" LOL Yes I am!

Tell me that is not the cutest thing?

Oh and I'm also working on making a list of things we need to replace in the home, or buy, or bills we want to pay off completely, for when the tax return comes in.

This year we won't be able to make it to South Africa, so we're staying close to home and planning just a short vacation, maybe a trip to the beach in California OR a camping trip in the mountains OR 2 weeks of just cramming in as much entertainment nearby as we can...day trips, trying out new diners and restaurants, hitting the Theme Parks or who knows?

But yeah, to get any of that done, I do need to get off this computer, as much as I wish I could stay and chat the whole day....but look, you're free to stay and relax, I'll even leave you some Pumpkin Cupcakes and hot cuppa.

A little bit of rest and everything is better in the morn...

Thank God for a comfy bed, tons of pillows to prop my neck and back, Mcleod's Daughters AND my knitting basket.

When I wasn't in the kitchen fixing dinner, I was in my bedroom, on the bed, in my little nest, with the clicking of the needles and the sound of characters on the TV....I got so relaxed and so into it that before I knew it I had knitted a bath mitt for myself and let me tell you, I tried it last night and it's just wonderful....I won't be going back to washcloths ever again.

and one of my fingerless gloves. So quick, SO easy, you won't believe it.

Jasmine and Nicholas took one look at it and begged me to make them some, so that's what I'll be doing today.

Even if you're a beginner knitter, you just have to give these a go, within 30 minutes you'll have yourself a nice glove....then you can either knit the remaining one or go for the cool look with just the one glove on your hand LOL
But you'll likely be called Michael Jackson, like I was when I showed hubby the finished one I had LOL

Now for all the McLeod's Daughters fans out there, the ones who are watching it through Netflix....it ends with Season 7, but Season 8 has been playing on the TV in Australia and just ended I think this past fall...but it hasn't been released yet on DVD, so what is a girl to do? Wait for months until that happens? Nope, you go to YouTube and you watch the last Season, and you cry like a baby, and you stop yourself from throwing things at the TV because nothing makes sense and you're frustrated and irritated and you feel like a fool sobbing over this.

But if you're like me and can't wait, go ahead and go watch. Don't say I didn't warn you though and don't come back and complain of red eyes ok?

Me? I'm just going to go putter around the house, put away all the laundry that I just washed, give this living room a quick sweep and then sit down with my knitting. I am feeling a lot better but still not 100% and I do NOT want to push it.

I'll back tomorrow. Hope you're all having a wonderful Sunday, whether you're in a sunny place like we are, or in a snowy place like so many of my favorite bloggers are.

If you need me, I'll be in bed

Remember that neck muscle I pulled? Well I thought I was fine but unbeknownst to me, I must have done something else wrong because by 7pm last night, I could hardly move my neck. It's very much like the problem I had last year around the same time where I had that excruciating pain at the top of my spine. UGH.....me and my neck need to sit down and have a serious conversation.

Thankfully hubby came home from work early last night, it was 8pm, and after seeing me so uncomfortable and trying to deal with kids, he sent me to bed. Have I ever told you I have the best husband on earth? After a full day's work with jets and all the military stuff, he is still willing to take on the kids for a few hours just so I can get better. There are few good men out there and I'm glad I snagged me one, I hope you got yourself one too LOL

So I got into bed with my knitting and my McLeod's Daughters and that is where I remained for the rest of the night.........a cup of tea, my knitting basket, my favorite show on the tv and my wonderful pugs snoring next to me.

I LOVE my crochet socks, my stepmom made them for me years ago, as a matter of fact they came with me all the way from South Africa. They're comfy and warm, so much so that Jasmine keeps trying to steal them from me LOL

Here's the Waffle Dishcloth completed, I love the way it turned out and the fact that it only takes me a few hours from start to finish, and that is with all the interruptions.

I need a bunch more, so I'm going to keep knitting these. Who knows, I may knit a set of 3 or 4 to give to one of my readers, that is if anyone would be interested in them.

I keep all my kitchen dishcloths in this basket on my window sill, not only does it look cute but I like having them handy.

A couple of you have shown interest in knitting and want to learn, I say, GO FOR IT. It's is so easy and once you start you'll never want to stop. If you have never knitted before, there's some great sites out there who will teach you, like this one here, there's a Lion's Knitting Guide here, and here's another video to teach you how to knit.

Once you're comfortable knitting, you can go to Sugar and Cream and look through their free patterns, you can even change the level to Beginner, Easy, Hard etc...so you'll be able to find wonderful patterns for whatever skill of knitting you're at.

Today is going to be all about taking it easy for me, no cleaning, no organizing or mopping or whatever. Nothing!

I plan on watching some movies, catching up on my reading, knitting a few more dishcloths and some bath mitts for my kids. Later today there will be cooking and possibly some bread baking, depending on how my neck is feeling, and a new recipe on the food blog too, but I'll let you know when that is up.

I'll leave you now with some Saturday Linkies, places I think you'll enjoy.


Pea Soup - I love this blog especially for all the hand knitted goodness going on.

A Life full of Blessings - Wonderful blog that I enjoy so much.

A View from the Green Barn - another of my favorites

Codlins and Cream - You all know how much I love England and Castles etc...so this blog just makes me smile. I could sit all day just going through the beautiful photos the author posts.