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Thursday, September 30, 2010

Food Love


I'm a little food obsessed these days. I think there are a few contributing factors...

1. The weather is starting to turn colder which means I start to crave the comfort foods (gravy tops that list) and warm cozy foods which usually require loads of butter.

2. I was away from all my favorites for too long. Don't get me wrong there are some things I miss from Abu Dhabi but right now I'm enjoying all those things I had to do with out while we were in the Middle East.

3. My kitchen is fabulous. I couldn't have designed a better kitchen for an apartment. There's a gas stove, a dishwasher, a full size refrigerator AND I can see the TV. These things combined make me enjoy being in the kitchen and cooking all my faves

One of those faves.... Cornbread

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

All American Saturday

I'm not sure if there's a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than watching a baseball game

and enjoying a hotdog
It's been so long since I have been able to enjoy a baseball game. I forgot how much fun they were (except that it was flippin' cold! and I imagine you'll be hearing that a lot from me in the coming months).

Oh and the Cubs won! woot woot!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

A new taxi in Chicago - Red Bull NASCAR

There's a new taxi driver is in town



That's Scott Speed (Is that not the most appropriate name ever!) from the NASCAR Red Bull Racing Team working as a taxi driver in downtown Chicago for a day!


Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Swap!

I have been having loads of fun swapping lately. I love the whole process of it. I love looking for things I think someone will like and knitting them something special. This has pushed my knitting boundaries which I also love. Trying new techniques or just knitting something I wouldn't normally knit (like a Bad Horse and Unicorn).

The other fun part is seeing how people see me and what they think I will love. Oh and getting a surprise box of presents is always loads of fun...

So I joined the "spoiler's choice swap" where we listing themes that interested us and our spoiler got to choose which one (or all) of those themes to base the package on

My themes were: Mystery Books, Notecards, Relaxation, oh and Purple (surprise surprise)

This is the AMAZING package I received


Don't you just love looking at a pile of wrapped presents! It makes me SO giddy

For relaxation...

let me tell you that foot cream is AMAZING.

For my love of notecards...

I love notecards. I really love when they have interesting designs. I really love the design on these and look there's a matching pen! and other little stationary goodies. so much fun!

For mysteries...



Can you believe I received 4 (FOUR!) books!!! and all Mysteries and the main character is a knitter!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE.
And check out this book cover which was hand crocheted in PURPLE! LOVE!

Finally there was this gorgeous NORO. I love noro and can't wait to get my knitting needles working on this.


This was such a great package and I'm so impressed with how well my swapper "got" me. I loved everything! It makes me want to sign up for a hundred more swaps!

Monday, September 20, 2010

The mystery....



... of the disappearing Willis Tower (a.k.a Sears Tower).

Now you see it


Now you don't


Seriously. Chicago has some crazy weather...

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Randomness


I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed in my knitting. There's so much I want to knit right now and I just don't have enough time to knit everything

It's flippin' cold. It hit the mid 50's and that is just unacceptable

I'm going to attempt a yarn diet again

Perhaps I'll start the diet after yarn con

There's a package waiting for me and I don't know what it is. I can't get retrieve it until Monday. That's its own kind of torture

If it gets much colder (which I hear it will) I'm going to have to make some chicken noodle soup. Yum

And I'll finally get to wear all those hats and scarfs I knit in Dubai - I knew there was a reason for that

I think I'll shall leave you with some Malabrigo Sock

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

It's the little things....


It's the little things that make me happy to be back in the US.

- Wonder Bread

- Salted Butter

- Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Tillamook Vintage White Cheddar to be exact)

They come together in glorious ways


Saturday, September 11, 2010

The story of Bad Horse

If you are a fan of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog then you now all about Bad Horse, the head of the ELE (Evil League of Evil), and probably no matter how bad or horrible you are you still do your best to steer clear of him. He is a horse to be reckoned with.

But if you are like me you also wondered what made Bad Horse so bad? What happened to him as a colt? What led him down this dark path?

Here my friends is the story....


When he was first born everyone one was surprised at Sparky's (that was his birth name) compassion, loyalty and kindness. He was always there to lend a helping hoof (shoe?) and to make sure that all was right in the herd and that no horse was left behind.

Then he met Unicorn the unicorn (her parents weren't very imaginative). He was galloping through the forest smelling the roses and tulips when he came upon a clearing and spotted a beautiful unicorn frolicking in a lavender field with the butterflies. It took just one look for Sparky to be smitten. He made his way into the clearing and the unicorn noticed him and beckoned him over. They started gamboling and playing together and by the end of the day Sparky knew he had found the unicorn of his dreams. He made Unicorn promise to meet him in the same field the next day.



When sparky went home he told his mom of the unicorn he met and how she had changed his life in one short afternoon. Him mom was so happy for him but encouraged him to remember that not everyone thinks it's ok for a horse and a unicorn to be together. Not everyone is so progressive in their thinking she reminded him... Sparky was sure this would not be a problem and went to sleep that night with
a smile on his face...



The next afternoon he went to the same clearing and even picked some tulips and roses for Unicorn on the way. He waited and waited until finally Unicorn came running into the field sobbing. Sparky begged her to tell him what was the matter. But Unicorn was reluctant. After much prodding finally Unicorn relented and told Sparky that her dad had forbid her from seeing Sparky again. "No unicorn of mine is going to date a horse!" he said. Unicorn was heart broken but would not go against her fathers wishes,


Sparky begged Unicorn to to run away with him but she refused. After all her father paid her cell phone bill and she had unlimited texting.


Sparky was outraged that Unicorn's father would not allow them to be together and that Unicorn wouldn't to stand up to him. He shook his hoof in the air and vowed never to love again. Never to let "the man" get him down.

Sparky changed his name to the worst thing he could think of, Bad, and he quickly started climbing the ranks in the world of Evil. He realized that evil came to him as easily as compassion and understand had before he ever knew Unicorn. Soon Bad Horse was at the top of his game running the ELE and striking fear in the hearts of humanity (especially "the man"). But on a quiet day when Bad Horse has had time to remember his dear Unicorn you can still smell the faint scent of lavender.

And that was day Sparky became Bad Horse - out to fight the status quo, because the status is not quo




Pattern Details
Bad Horse:
Pattern: Sea Horse by Barbara Prime
Yarn: Cascade 200 in Chocolate and Heathered Charcoal
Needles: US 6
Mod: Added a little pouch of lavender so that he smells pretty

Unicorn:
Pattern: Sea Horse by Barbara Prime
Yarn: Some rainbowy fingering weight yarn from Beirut - I held two together. And some pretty purple yarn from Abu Dhabi.
Needles: US 6
Mod: Added a little pouch of lavender so that she smells pretty

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Recipe for a famous sock - KISS in Chicago!



Here's what you need to make your sock (or in this case Amanda's sock) famous

2 good friends on an adventure - one has to be smart enough to think outside the knitting bag - in this case all credit goes to Amanda!

2 tickets to KISS & 2 surprise backstage passes


1 sock in progress

Add a dash of waiting in line and persistence in the backstage area and you get this:

KISS holding a SOCK in progress!


After picture enjoy the concert and let rest for a while in a cool dark room until mid-noon


Wake up, brush off Rock N Roll party dust and send photo to the Yarn Harlot

Watch Amanda's pink sock become famous!


Backstage at KISS and being on the Yarn Harlot's blog in less then a week... This is so exciting I might pass out.