do you see them too?

I took this a couple of weeks ago - a bracket on the playset in the backyard - because, well, it looks like a face. A funny face that is kind of saying "neener, neener...my function in life is to secure a structure that provides *hundreds* of hours of exuberant play opportunities. what do you do?"

Do you see faces everywhere? In clouds? Or the recesses created by textured walls or carpet? Or mundane household objects? Maybe you saw them as a child. Particularly after watching a scary movie probably not intended for someone of your age.

Like an optical illusion that defies you to find either an old woman or a young girl depending on your perspective...I challenge you to find something unexpectedly familiar from an abstract source. Just do it for you (but I'd love to see the results if you take a photo!) And if you need some inspiration, check out this flickr group or this one (do you love how they have so much personality?!? I can tell by looking at them whether I'd like to be there friend or not...I mean, if they were people :p) And, for some science behind it all, this NYT article. Also note that a grilled cheese sandwich with a likeness of the Virgin Mary went for 28,000 on eBay...so this isn't a frivolous waste of time - you could make bank, baby!

I'll just call this one, 'Random Sunday Rambling.'

finis

It's done :) But too small :) But that's OK :) Because it's now become my earliest Christmas gift EVER (echo, echo, echo)

And, I knitted it supah-fast so I'll happily do another one that actually fits (and honestly...I don't know if red is *really* my color anyway :p)

Jennifer and Andrea :)

Send me your addresses so I can send you some goodies! Thanks for playing along in my stash buster challenge :D

Rusted Root is done. I'll share a photo tomorrow! CHA rocked. The company was amazing. I took no photos. That about sums it up :p

rusted root

is coming along nicely...hoping to finish it up before I head out tomorrow afternoon! just a couple of more inches at the bottom and then finishing the sleeves and neck hole :) Then, I can figure out my next project - yay! I think it's going to be a little small though. I'll definitely be able to get it *on* but don't know how comfortable it would be. My gauge was right on though so either a good blocking will take care of it or the pattern runs a little small. It may become a gift but since it's come together so fast and I really enjoy the pattern, I'll have no problem knitting it again to actually fit me!

I've decided to give you until Sunday at midnight to link me to your stash busting layouts since I wouldn't mail the package out until early next week anyway so you still have time :)

Oh, and if you work at a funeral home, it's really important that you double check the number before you dial...just sayin'

the world according to Jake...7/12 edition

while watching max and Ruby, I commented on Ruby's pretty purple dress (which was totally sarcasm...because purple is hideous) Jake looked down and furiously patted himself from head to toe in pseudo dismay; "Where is *my* purple dress??" I asked him if he'd like me to buy him a purple dress and with a wave of the hand and appropriate eyeroll said "No mommy, I'm not pretty enough!"

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playing in the backyard, stomping bugs; "Mom, I totally (without a doubt his favorite adverb :p) GOT that bug!" "Yup Jake, you like bugs, huh?" "Yeah, I'm a great bugger..."

Truer words have never been spoken...

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and ps, if you're going to rip a chainsaw sounding fart out of your trucker ass on the faux leather chair in the middle of a quiet IHOP while your trucker buddy defiles the IHOP bathroom for 15 minutes (entering said bathroom with the paper tucked securely under arm) expect that the 4 year old in the room will call you on it. Loudly.

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pps, thanks for all the kind words about Bonita :)

ppps, I have some goodies to give away...stuff I bought that I just know I'll never use. And my simplified scrapping deems it necessary that I get rid of them. So, scrap a page or 15 using some old stuff. I know "old" is subjective so go through your stash and just use something you've had for awhile and post a link to it in the comment section on this post. One entry for every layout you do! I'll draw a winner before I go to CHA so you have a few days. Hop to it!

over and out.

please don't judge me for my dirty mirror...

Holy crap, that's bad. I had to bring it up from the basement though - it's the only mirror in the house besides the medicine cabinet :p I thought the spots wouldn't be as noticeable in photos but damn was I wrong! If it were just a couple, I'd photoshop those bad boys out...it's late here though and I don't have that kind of time (or talent!) So, be good friends and pretend you can't see them.

My poor attempt at capturing Bonita. A self-portraitist, I am not (and no Ashley, I *don't* know how to use my timer!) Like I said, a little shorter than I would have liked but over a tank, not too bad. It's growing on me and I think I'm at the point where I would actually wear it out of the house. It's nice and light - perfect for summer. I think the i-cord bind off for the neck and collar is awesome - so neat and smooth! Finished it last Sunday and started Rusted Root on Monday. And I'm *loving* Rusted Root. Here is my progress as of yesterday. Today, I managed to get a couple of inches into the body (past the armhole) I'm flying on this one and the pattern is so much easier than Bonita. This one will get done in a flash!

And we had a nasty storm blow through yesterday...sun and super hard rain. It was a little windy too - these are sitting on the windowsill in our kitchen and this is how they looked after the storm passed:
Oh, and the give-away...that'll start on Monday and run through Friday! I'll give you the details tomorrow but in the meantime, dig into your stash stuff!

because I know you just come for the pictures

I'll include one from last weekend. Jake was a maniac in the sprinkler and then raced over to drench Carlos :)

It's completely unrelated to anything in my post but I had to suck you in somehow!

We've been busy the past couple of weeks! A surprise birthday party for my mom, a surprise party for my step-grandma, my nephew's 3rd birthday, a trip to Algonac to visit my camping parents and watch the freighters (and a wicked sunburn as a souvenir...all three men in the house turn golden brown after a couple of hours in the sun. Both boys (especially Z) have taken to pointing out that they are brown and mommy is white :p) A trip to the petting zoo that isn't really a petting zoo (no touching allowed!) Hess Hathaway also has a pretty cool playground that turned out to be the real attraction for the boys. While there, we ran into a little boy (probably 6) who was carrying around a wooden board with a face painted on it. He called it "Plank" (which is clever, lol) but he talked to it and had it talk to other kids. Like "hey kid, Plank says hi!" And it wasn't just for a few minutes. It was for the duration that we/he was there. Awesome.

On the knitting front I FINISHED THE BONITA SWEATER and immediately casted on for Rusted Root :) I don't completely love it but for a first effort, I'd say not bad. My finishing skills leave a lot to be desired but I'm hoping they improve with each subsequent project. I'm glad to be knitting a top down sweater so I can control the length a bit better. I'd like to have Bonita a bit longer but it's way too late for that! It's not terrible but - if I hadn't just had a baby (three years ago) my belly could handle the length a bit better ;) I think Rusted Root will go quickly though! I'll try to share pictures of both soon!

Hmmm, what else. I'm thinking of getting a haircut. I think maybe I want to try bangs. They've always been a miserable failure in the past but I haven't humiliated myself with them in a good 15 years or so so maybe it's time to give them another shot! I've been on the hunt for some good shots of styles I like so I can work my photoshop magic on them like last time but I haven't had much luck. If you have any good links for slightly-above-shoulder length hair with cute bangs, hook me up!

Ooooh, so last week, I was totally pissed to discover that I couldn't watch the This American Life show anywhere - wasn't available on iTunes and the Showtime snippets weren't working for me. *Today* my Tuesday iTunes update email tells me that it's now available for download - woohoo! So I immediately purchased the season and have already watched the first two episodes. I highly recommend it. And if not the TV show, than at least do yourself the favor of listening to the Podcast each week. I have a major nerd-crush on Ira Glass :)

Also sucking up my time lately? This site recommended by both Mel and Shelby. Holy cow - I'm totally addicted! Essentially, you create a list of all of the books you have in your possession that you're ready to part with. People request them, you mail them at your cost (media mail - like $2) and for each one, you get a credit of your own to spend on someone else's book - genius! I uploaded 16 books when I signed up a week ago and I've mailed all but one! That's a lot of books folks. And the best part is they have all kinds of books - anything with an ISBN is fair game. So there are children's books, craft books (lots of knitting and sewing books on my wishlist!), cookbooks - whatever you're interested in. And the books you receive are yours to keep or swap again once you're done with them. Love it. I anticipate Ravelry taking up a lot of my online time as well once I receive my invitation!

Oh, I have some more stuff to give away too but you have to work for it this time. Just a little scrap stash busting exercise (and who among us doesn't need that?) I'm tired of typing though so I'll fill you in on that tomorrow (or Saturday or the third Thursday in September...basically, whenever I get around to updating again :)

Later gators :)