Book of Knitting

I bought myself a journal of sorts. Every time I want to knit something for someone I have to ask them what size they are. Since it is usually a gift this ruins the surprise. Not to mention I have learned it is best not to announce you are doing something and then not deliver. Enter the purple journal, that nicely matches my current knitting.

I am pretty sure knitting is going to be my life long friend. This book can potential hold a written record of all the knitting and possibly sewing I do. I know there is ravelry as a sort of knitting documentation. However nothing can replace the written word. The hard copy that can be passed on to future generations.

I have a family party of sorts to go to at the end of the month. I will be armed with my book and a tape measure. I am trying to put together a list of measurements I would want. I think I want to include socks in there in case I ever get the urge. Some of the basics are head, height, wrist, palm and maybe bust and waist. We will see how willing people will be, excluding my immediate family who don't have a choice! It will be interesting to see the littlest family members grow over time!

Not exactly right...

So I am not in love with my new kitchen color. I spent two long days painting it and I am thinking I might have to do it again in a couple weeks. I am a little depressed about it. Anybody got a green paint color they love. One that doesn't look like hospital green or sea foam green. A nice light rich green...

It is started at least

Today is the day we finally started to paint the kitchen.



Well prepped and primed the walls that is. I think we are done for the day though. We shall see if it gets finished tomorrow!

This is the third room we have painted in the house so I think I am allowed to decide if I like painting or not. It is definitely a NOT. How expensive are professional painters because I really really don't want to paint the living room/upstairs hallway myself.

More Curtains

I need bedroom curtains. Well okay need might be the wrong word... want is probably better. I have fallen in love with these curtains from Crate and Barrel. A few weeks ago I even tried to check them out in the store (no luck finding them though). Lets drool over them together shall we.

Oh so pretty. I however can't stomach the price tag, even on sale. I need four of them that would be $356 excluding shipping for bedroom curtains, and they don't come in the length I need them. Let us not forget the fact that I need to buy two curtain rods also.

So I figured I would troll the internet looking for cheaper substitutes. What I like about these curtains is the sheer pattern that isn't that see through and offers some visual interest. What I probably won't get in a substitute is the hammer cut design layered with a sheer.

I can hope though right. Then of course show them to you all and see what you think, because heaven knows I can never make a decision. Not to mention when I ask my husband what he thinks, he will have a brain aneurysm and say something like aren't they all the same? To which I will reply, the color maybe but they are all VERY different!

Please bear with me as I found a lot of candidates. While I don't love them all as much as the original I want to compare them.

Option 1 - total cost $120

Option 2 - total cost $80

Option 3 - total cost $116

Option 4 - total cost $180

Option 5 - $220



Option 6 just a plain and simple window scarf.



I would appreciate every one's thought on this. As I am sure you all know picking out curtains is hard work! You should of see me last night trying to talk to my husband about the size of rug we should get for the office! Then I mentioned curtains and his eyes glazed over and he slowly backed out of the room. It cracked me up.

Daily Ritual:6

This morning I did something I do every weekday morning. I lock the door. My husband leaves for work well before me and always locks the door knob, but doesn't ever feel like putting the key in to lock the deadbolt.

To me this seems like a silly little daily ritual. Last week I forgot to and when I came home my husband asked me why I didn't lock it. I didn't even realize he knew I did it.

I am amazed at how many things we all do on a daily basis. Far more then I ever expected.

Baby blankets to be

Last night as I was coming home I noticed a nice fat envelope in the mailbox. I practically ran to the front door I was so excited. Just last week I placed a fabric order on Etsy.com.

I am getting a new niece in October and I figured I would try to sew something up for her since my knitting track record with baby blankets is horrible. I also still owe her big brother a blanket so I thought I would whip something up for him as well. But then there is the oldest boy who was born before I started knitting and we wouldn't want him to feel left out now would we?! Thus my fabric buying binge.



I thought these two fabrics would be great for Tyler who is 6.



Then we have the soon to be baby girl. When I picked this out I thought that background was black, but it actually is brown. I think it will be a nice change to all the pink I am sure she will be getting.



Then we have Colin who is 3. This isn't the best picture of the animal fabric but it is really cute. I know he is going to like it.

Now I just need to get some batting and crack open one of my sewing books. There is a simple baby blanket pattern in Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts that I want to try. Since I will be making three of them I wanted it to be pretty simple. I really can't wait to get started.

4th of July Dessert

Last week I was flipping through the channels and settled on the food network for a few minutes. Paula Dean happen to be making a Blueberry Tart. My husband started drooling. So I attempted to whip this up for a pre-fireworks dinner we were suppose to go to on Friday.



I got a tart pan as a wedding gift and had yet to use it. However it was not the correct size that the recipe called for. I still went on, figuring I could make it work. In retrospect I should of used LESS dough for the crust. I had a mighty thick crust for my tart. It all worked out though as everyone loved the crust. It was like a shortbread cookie almost with some pecans thrown in for good measure.



It always amazes me that there is more to learn in the baking world. The recipe calls for 2 three ounce cheese cream packages. I didn't even realize they made them that small. I also didn't realize that the larger 6 ounce package has marks on it like butter breaking it up into ounces. Oh the things we learn. And boy are those tart edges pretty! I didn't get the best pictures as we ending up eating it at night while camping, but it certainly had a pretty presentation.