twirly, whirly hoop dreams

i'll confess that the ability to hula hoop has always eluded me. fairly certain that i tried to figure it out when i was a kid, but for whatever reason, could never quite get the hang (or swirl of) it was one of those things that i simply chalked up as something that wasn't meant to be.

as an adult, i assumed it would be something that i didn't really need to know how to do and subsequently pushed the thought aside but lately i've been curious and a little intrigued with the hooping lifestyle. a few weeks ago i picked up a lightweight hula hoop at the toy store, thinking i would give it a whirl. even if i didn't like it, i knew one of my boys would claim it and either learn to do it themselves or use it to try and teach the dog some new tricks. $5 and a few days later, i was shocked that hooping wasn't as hard as i remember it being, in fact, it was pretty fun!

this of course led to a search for online hula hoop info and what i found was a whole community of people who LOVE their hoops. intrigued as i read more about the different sizes, weights, and designs, it was natural that i should decide to try and make my own. (as it turns out, that cheapo one from the toy store is actually a little too small and light for my body) so, off to Lowe's i went yesterday on a quest for supplies.

pvc tubing- check
duct tape- check
tubing connectors- check
electrical tape- check
pvc pipe cutters- check
play sand- check




spent the afternoon reading through some of the online tutorials and watching a youtube on how in the world i was supposed to use my handy dandy new ratcheting pipe cutter, by the time the kids arrived home from school, i had 1 brand new spiffy hula hoop to show for my efforts. unfortunately, it was still a little small for me, but keegan gladly claimed it for his own and i attempted to make another one for myself, finishing it after we were done with dinner.


so, here's my preliminary thoughts on the process... i don't like duct tape. it's bright and pretty and it's amazing all the wonderful colors they make now, but wrapping the tube with it was a gigantic pain in the butt. it didn't lay right, was hard to get it to stay on a nice angle,and when it overlaps too much, the results are just not pretty. i had better luck with the electrical tape though but realized very quickly that this is one of those things that takes practice to get good at, kinda like hooping itself. i like that i will be able to remove the tape and update it if need be, either with better tape or new colors :)

... and with that, my hooping journey begins, time to get those hips moving!

bangles never FELT so good

so, i've always liked the look of bangles but the clack, clack, clack of them banging around as i moved always threw me off. i think that's why i find wearing these felt bangles to be so much more my style. they're soft and quiet, extraordinarily durable and the bright colors add a "pop!" to my favorite outfits.



it's easy to mix and match them too, depending on my mood and what colors i'm feeling like on any given day. all one color, complimentary colors, triadic color scheme or the whole rainbow, the possibilities are endless!
sometimes i just wear one, other days, 5, but i usually stick with odd numbers. (matches my quirky, asymmetrical demeanor, i guess)

seeing red

red, red, red
everywhere i look i'm seeing red. most likely because it's february and we get bombarded with pink and red decorations, cards, and clothing but i've got red on the brain for other reasons too and find myself drawn to this bright vibrant color like a ladybug to a tomato.

so inspired, i started a few red projects. the first is a knitted wool hooded cape, a la little red riding hood, but as i quickly realized, i really need to order more yarn cause there is no way i currently have enough to even come close to finishing it. knitpicks must surely love me, it's a shame i can't get any kind of frequent shopper discount...

today i attempted to make a pom pom from an old t-shirt. results were so-so but not bad for a trial run. need to make my cardboard pattern a little bit bigger and take better care when trimming it up at the end, but the color is pretty and it's making me smile hanging from the window in the laundry room :)


i've also started writing, revisiting an old idea that i began outlining over a year ago, which is coincidentally a new version of an old favorite fairy tale. yep, you guessed it, little red riding hood strikes again! she's permeating my every day life in more ways than i care to admit, lol.

this little piggy went to jersey....

who's that peeking around the corner?
chrissy's little piggie!

per special request, a large plushie piggie for my favorite jersey girl :)

i'm thinking that maybe it took a detour to the market and had some roast beef before finally arriving. (note to self: when the post office says it will be in NJ by tuesday, they really mean more like friday)

backwards down the number line...

happy, happy, oh my friend
making a best-of list once again
leave the presents all inside
take my hand and let's take a ride

backwards down the number line


(creative liberty taken with that second line, sorry trey)
alright, here's my top 10 things that made me happy in 2010:
10. new hello kitty sewing machine. i know it looks like it's for a 12 yr old, but who am i kidding, i'm very much still a 12 yr old at heart. it's turquoise and has a fair amt of nice settings on it, how could i go wrong! (thanks to mickey and michelle for the gift)


9. this killer banksy-inspired phish tank top! originally only offered as a silkscreen on men's style t-shirts, i begged Sanberdino (aka Josh, my favorite Montana mountain man and fellow phan) to print one up for me on something a little more girly and flattering. he even let me choose what color i wanted for the hand dying :)



8. little girl birthday parties. i love that my boys have friends who are sweet little girls and they get invited to pink parties. trying to figure out what to get for a 7 yr old is hard enough, but when i found out she loved piggies, it gave me the courage to try my hand at making a plushie. i wouldn't have had the confidence to make one otherwise.



7. Star Crossed Slouchy Beret pattern from Natalie Larson. it took me some fanangaling to get the gauge right for my little head but once i did, i went on to make this pattern in 3 different colors: red, violet, and lime green! i love this pattern, it compliments my personality and wardrobe perfectly!!!

6. John Butler Trio's Paleo Festival Nyon on Dailymotion. it has been the soundtrack to most of my summer and fall kitchen baking projects. huge thank you to AnEerieFeeling for sending me a link to not only this show, but also a few others and some albums too.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xe59ox_john-butler-trio-paleo-festival-nyo_music#from=embed




5. visiting Washington DC for Keegan's birthday. we invaded the capitol for a couple of days, exploring the Smithsonian and National Zoo and wandering through the city.





4. Hershey Park with the family. mike and i went to the Phish show on Sunday night (6/13/10) and monday was spent with the family riding rides, eating deep-fried food, and picnic-ing with mom, dave, kim, nathan, and almost all the nieces and nephews. running into old and new friends was just icing on the cake.


3. speaking of Phish shows.... i was very lucky to hit up 7 shows this summer, including taking Keegs to MPP for his very first show (well, that he can remember, anyway). the summer started with Blossom, then Hershey, MPP, Raleigh, Charlotte, and finally 2 nights at Jones Beach. it's always so much fun to go to shows and boogie all night, esp when you know that friends will be there too! even getting lost on the way there or home can make it fun :)



2. Piper's birthday weekend (10/15, 16, 17) in Charleston, SC. i was really dreading spending her birthday at home again this year, so when the opportunity presented itself for us to travel to carolina instead, we thought long and hard about it and in the end chose to go. it was a beautiful weekend, back in the beautiful city of chucktown. the beach was a little chilly but we braved the wind and cooler temps.




1. well, this is kinda a no-brainer... my boys, all of them, including mike, the cat tigger, and new puppy gryphin. i'm completely surrounded by males and although sometimes i wish for more female company, i fell very blessed to have each one of them in my life. (special thanks to all my female friends for keeping me sane) i'm lucky to be married to my best friend and we've had 12 wonderful years together, have 3 healthy, smart little boys, and i know he'll stick by me through the tough times (he's proven his worth many times over). what more could i really ask for?

they provide endless entertainment, making me laugh, dancing in the kitchen with me, helping me bake... they are the literal reason i get up in the morning, but also the metaphorical one too. i can't imagine how lonely and sad i would be without them and hope i never have to live in a world of which they aren't apart.



so, that's about it. my year of lovely things in review :)

weaving in loose ends...

weaving in loose ends: (v) the act of reworking all the little bits and pieces of yarn from a project back into the main body of knitting so as to create a clean and seamless item


well, it looks as if 2010 is almost over and while i'm a little sad that another year has passed (and i'm a bit older), all in all, it was a pretty good year. there were good times like going to shows, swimming with the boys, amusement parks, and our mini-getaway to charleston, sc in october but the year also ended sadly with the death of my beloved grammy 2 weeks ago.

ups and downs, mountains and valleys, whatever you want to call it, life is a series of events that can quickly take you from happiness to sorrow and then right back up again. i've learned new lessons this year and worked hard to remember who i truly am, even when feeling frustrated and sad, which is all i can ever really hope for.

so, tomorrow night, as we toast in the new year, i'm going to look back and say goodbye to 2010 with hope and love in my heart that 2011 brings my family and friends a wonderful year filled lots of highs and the occasional bump to remind us all how truly fortunate we are. there are always little loose ends to weave in before moving on to the next project but if you find a good starting point and work your way out, then everything seems manageable again :)

Annie layed her head down in the roses
She had ribbons, ribbons, ribbons
in her long brown hair
I don't know, it must have been the roses
All I know is I could not leave her there

I don't know, it must have been the roses
The roses or the ribbons in her long brown hair
I don't know maybe it was the roses
All I know was I could not leave her there

Ten years the waves rolled the
ships home from the sea
Thinking well how it may blow
in all good company
if I tell another what
your own lips told to me
may I lay neath the roses
and my eyes no longer see

I don't know, it must have been the roses
The roses or the ribbons in her long brown hair
I don't know maybe it was the roses
All I know was I could not leave her there

One pane of glass in the window
No one is complaining though,
come in and shut the door
Faded is the crimson from the
ribbons that she wore
and it's strange how no one
comes round anymore

I don't know, it must have been the roses
The roses or the ribbons in her long brown hair
I don't know maybe it was the roses
All I know was I could not leave her there

Annie layed her head down in the roses
She had ribbons, ribbons, ribbons
in her long brown hair
I don't know, it must have been the roses
All I know was I could not leave her there

I don't know, it must have been the roses
The roses or the ribbons in her long brown hair
I don't know maybe it was the roses
All I know was I could not leave her there

*words and music by Robert Hunter

wishy-wish, wishy-woo, i wish my wish comes true!

so, as a mom, i end up watching my fair share of cartoons or rather 5 mins here, 10 mins there of cartoons. while i do enjoy watching them, i rarely have the time to sit down and relax for a full episode. we like to switch them up in our house too. the plethora of cartoon channels allows us the ability to continually tune in to new episodes of some old favorites but also to be turned on to some new ones.

yesterday i realized that there was a new channel available (who knows how long it's really been on, i just noticed it though) called HubBub. going through the satellite guide i saw Fraggle Rock listed, which was one of my favorite shows as a kid. how cool that all the vintage episodes are being broadcast again! i love the characters and those little doozers are just too cute.

anyway, a little while later i notice the listing for another show that's on at 10:30 called Maryoku Yummy. having never heard of it, i was intrigued and made sure i turned the tv back on in time to check it out. it was love at first sight for me! ohhh, the colors, the simple little shaped characters, the little village that looks like a cross between the smurf's village and whoville... this cartoon is everything i love about animated shows!!!


of course, then i felt inspired and needed to express my creativity in the form of making some little wishes myself. sorting through all the fabric, i settled on the fleece, mostly because of the colors, but the softness of it seemed to fit in well with how i imagine a cuddly little wish would feel.

here's maryoku with some of the wishes in the forest:


my version of the wishes:



i cut out some more pattern pieces last evening after the kids went to bed and will hopefully find time this afternoon to sew them up and stuff them.

speaking of stuffing, after trying out a few different objects to help with the turning of the fabric and stuffing last evening, i've decided that my favorite tool is none other than the Lion Brand Kid's Knitting Needles. the points are not too pointy, slightly dull and the kittie end of them is awesome for pushing the stuffing in and getting it nice and even.i love when things can be re-purposed!