Decorating, decorating, decorating

Well, I spent all day Saturday and Sunday decorating and I'm still not finished. I keep thinking of things to do and decorations to put up. I do have all the trees up and all but one decorated.

First, we have the entry tree. In the foyer I put up this tree of all things patriotic and New York. We love New York and the Yankees. The mural in the background is the New York skyline, it is the first thing you see when you walk in our house! We try to visit at least a couple times a year; I am also very patriotic. The entire first floor of our house has an American, red, white, and blue theme. I LOVE my country and those who fight to protect it. Thank you to all the soldiers.

Second, we have the main tree in the living room, it is what I call the "formal" tree, at least as formal as we get here in this house. It is where Santa puts the gifts for our kids go on Christmas Eve. I have yet to find a tree topper that I like well enough for it, that's why it doesn't have one. Notice the dog on the couch? He has a "ruff" life.

Next, we have one of two trees in the dining room, this one is the one I put all the special ornaments on. The ornaments that the kids have made over the years, the ornaments that have special meaning, like the kids first ornaments and different ones that mean a lot to me.

The other tree in the dining room is probably my favorite tree. It's the photo tree, all pictures of my family and friends. I got this idea out of a magazine last year and went crazy. I love pictures and the stories that they tell and the memories they help you remember. It is a very special tree to me. Always a work in progress, I am constantly adding pics to it! Very fun.

Then there is the bathroom tree. This tree came about kind of by accident. The first year we moved into our house I had a tree in every room on the first floor and my Mother said "Well, if you had one in the bathroom you would be set.". That did it, I put one in the bathroom. The first year it just had lights on it. The second year, I wanted to decorate it, but couldn't think of anything. Then a light bulb, all the little bottles of shampoo we got throughout the year while traveling. Double fold decorating, it goes with the bathroom theme and reminds us of where we've been.

The last tree on the first floor is the kitchen tree. Obviously, it is decorated with kitchen items.

This is my DD tree in her room. I bought her a new pink tree this year and she puts it up and decorates it herself.

Then we have the WS tree. he use to "help" me decorate it when he was younger, but now I guess he is too cool for that so I put it up for him. I know he likes it even if he won't say!!
There is also a tree in the upstairs hallway; the DD's old tree,that has lights on and red and white balls ready to go on, but hasn't made it yet. And two trees on the stairs that only have lights and two trees on the front porch to greet people. And six mini trees in the large pots on the front porch. I think I could use a couple more trees!?!

Happy Holidays!!

I know it's been forever. Well, only about a month, but you know. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Ours went well. Aren't families just wonderful? I won't get into that, but lets just say " I love my family!" Things are starting to get crazy. I am beyond panic about knitted gifts, there is just not time. I have a few finished and the rest will just have to wait til next year. Yes, I'm starting that already, I guess it's never too soon to start saying, next year......

On another note, my DD has been accepted to Washington and Jefferson in Washington,PA and has been offered a scholarship. We are very proud of her, she has worked hard through school and, well, let's just say high school hasn't been kind. So she finally has some justification that everything she's been through has been worth it. She has two more applications out there that she's waiting to hear from before she makes her decision, but for now we are very proud of her accomplishment!

The high school she goes to is in the playoffs for football and we went last week and froze our a--es off. It was soo cold, the announcer insisted to telling the temperature at the start of every quarter and we were stupid enough to stay through it. At the start of the 4TH quarter it was a balmy 19!! It was worth it though, because we beat the crosstown rivals for the 2ND time this year!! It was great!! Tonight should be a bit warmer, it's 50 degrees right now, so hopefully it won't cool off too much!! I bought lots of hand warmers!!

Tomarrow will be Christmas decorating day!! Although it will probably take me most of this week to get completely finished!! I put up 12 trees, 9 of which are fully decorated!! The other 3 just have lights. I will try to get pictures posted. I love Christmas, the decorations, the festivities, the food, the family, the friends. It's probably my most favorite time of year, if only it was warm. I hate the cold (see previous post). Oh well, only a few more months till warm weather!!!

Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween everyone!! I love this time of year, the leaves, the smells, the pumpkins(there is something about a fat orange pumpkin), family and friends gather, the holidays are almost here!! Yes, I love this time of year. It's what comes next that I detest!!! I hate cold and snow; OK I don't hate snow as long as I can sit in my house and look at it and don't have to go out. I HATE the cold, I hate to be cold, I hate to have to wear close toe shoes, I hate coats, I hate the ugly black snow, I hate the cold, bone chilling wind, etc..... You get the picture. So tell me again why I live where it gets cold? Go figure, this is the story of my life!! I guess so I have an excuse to make/wear hand knit socks!! I guess it all evens out, I have to put away the flips flops (which I love), but I get to pull out all the hand knit socks that I so happily made while I was suppose to be knitting gifts for everyone else. OK I'm convinced, it evens out!! It has however gotten very cold, very quickly this year, we somehow skipped our Indian summer, I like the Indian summer. Our local high school homecoming is next Saturday, maybe Indian summer will show up for that, I can only hope. Especially since I was suppose to have my CPH finished for homecoming (see previous post) and that's NOT happening. Too much to do between now and homecoming. This weekend is locker decorating and next week is just crazy with homecoming activities. It is the DD's senior year, so very busy. Oh well, one more UFO to add to the list. I did however, finish my sister's gloves for Christmas! I am proud of myself. I didn't get everything finished that I was suppose to, but at least I got something finished!!

Very Selfish!!

Haven't we always taught our children to share and think of others and not be selfish? I know I have (not that it took). And what is that saying?....Do as I say not as I do....Well, let me just say, I am the one that needs to be taught thinking of others and not being selfish. Everything I am actively knitting right now is for self. MY CPH, MY knotty gloves, MY October socks, you get the picture. My BFF called this morning in a panic over Christmas gifts (can anyone say deja-vu), I told her I made my Christmas list yesterday and am not real concerned with knitted gifts for Christmas. I am more concerned with self knitting. This by the way is the same friend who called about getting the CPH done for the high school football game (see previous post). I can't do it all and I'm not trying. If I get gifts done, good, if I don't, oh well, nothing I can do. Well maybe there is something I could have done, like knit for someone beside self. No, not going to happen right now, I'm not in the mood. I know, I know, I told myself last year that this wasn't going to happen this year, that I was going to have gifts knitted!! Well, another year and here we are again. I need more time, and self NEEDS hand knitted things too. What is the fun in only knitting for others? Oh, yea, that giving is the true gift bologna, and blessed is the giver and all that. Well, right now, self needs a CPH and knotty gloves, and October socks. Don't get me wrong, giving is fun especially when the recipient really and truly appreciates it. I do so enjoy giving to people who really love it!! Oh great, here it comes, thanks BFF, now I need to get busy knitting gifts. 2 months till Christmas? PANIC!!!!

Way Behind!!

Wow, I down loaded pics from my camera from this past week. I have some blogging to do and get caught up!! First, my DD plays on the local high school softball team, they won the class 1A state championship last may. This is the first girls team at the school to win a state championship since 1954 volleyball. We are so proud. The school however, failed to even make an announcement the following day at school. The girls received state champion rings as a joint effort of fundraising and the school sports club donation. Long story short, they were finally recognized last Friday at the football game. Way to go girls!!

Last weekend was quite an adventure. Saturday, Romeny Cycle Center was having their grand opening for their new building and Travis Pastrana was there to sign autographs. We are huge fans of the X games and of Travis. He is a Maryland boy after all!! We awoke at 7am to meet my sister at 8am to travel to Romney so we were one of the first 100 people, after all they were giving prize packs!! We arrived at 8:30am to a line waiting. A friend of mine was in the parking lot and asked if we were going to buy cycle? I told him no, we are here for Travis , he informed me that Travis wouldn't be there until 1pm. :(. Great, we did however get the prize pack for being one of the first 100!! We went home and went to eat at Denny's. The Harley Shop had a Jessie James built bike on display so we stopped to see it and the guy let the kids get their pic with it!! Way cool!! So at 12:30 we ventured back to Romney for Travis!! After waiting in line for 1 1/2 hours, we finally got to see Travis, he gave autographs and we took pics! He's as cute in person as he is on TV. My sister didn't get to see the Jessie James bike so after we saw Travis, we went back to the Harley shop so she could see the bike. We got back home at about 4pm. It was a long day, but very fun.

The pressure's on!!

I'm feeling the pressure now. Thursday will be three months until Christmas. I will never have everything finished by then. My intentions are good, I just have bad habits. I have a bad habit of knitting for self and procrastinating. I have too much to do and not enough hours in the day. I was on Knit Picks yesterday and they have a tutorial of the fastest knitter in the world; if I could knit that fast, maybe I could get finished---NOT! I would still put it off and make excuses. I am about 3/4 up the back of my CPH that has to be finished in a month. I have one glove finished for my sister, one mitt of the four pair I need, the DD gloves aren't started, the DH socks aren't' started, I want to make stockings for my parents and my in-laws, the list goes on and on!! Three months? THREE MONTHS!?! Yea, right. I am going with my sister on Thursday I have every intention of getting some knitting done. We will be in the car for an hour each way, and I will be in the waiting room for an hour and a half; 3 1/2 hours of knitting, I should be able to get something done!! Oh yea, and the DD graduates in May 2009 and I have every intention of having her scrapbooks up to date before she gradutates. Let me just say, they are really behind. Her school one is only up to fifth grade, her regular one is up to 2002 and have to do her baby one too!! I'm soo far behind!! Why am I on here??

The Challenge

The challenge is on. My BFF called me yesterday, you see we get ourselves into messes most of the time when it comes to knitting and yarn!! We got the bright idea to knit Central Park Hoodies for everyone we know including ourselves. I made one for my mother-in-law for her birthday, I also have the yarn for one for my mother and my DD and self; She made one for her daughter-in-law, her daughters, and her soon to be daughter-in-law (she's quicker than me). But as usual ours got put on the back burner. I started mine in July, right before vaca, so I could work on it during vaca(that didn't happen). Ours were suppose to be finished to wear to the local high school football games(that didn't happen). So she calls me yesterday and NEEDS hers for next week's game,lol. I convinced her that we could get it finished by Homecoming (November 8), a month sounded alot better than a week! My problem is that I am suppose to also be making one for the DD who is a senior at the high school. So technically I have two to make by Homecoming!! See what I mean about the messes we get into. These were all suppose to be finished BEFORE football season so we could happily wear them to the games when it was cold,so now it's cold and there is a game!! I also have gloves to make for my sister, mitts to make for my two nieces, my husband's two cousins, socks to make for four nephews and ...... I think I'm in trouble. Does this sound familiar? Next year.....

Here we go again!!

Here we are, just a short four months til Christmas and I'm already behind!! I have quite a list of knitting to complete and only four months to finish! I'm gonna make a prediction; I will be finishing knitted present on Christmas eve!

I finished my ravellympics socks yesterday, just in time to recieve my medal!! I'm very excited. The first medal I think I've ever won.

Today is the kids first day back to school. I think it's a little early, but so be it. I sent them off this morning. I'm not really ready for them to be back, but nobody asked me. My DD the senior was glad to be goning back, only because this is her last year and she just wants to get it over with. The WS (wonderful son) was not so excited. He is in 7th grade this year and he would be very happy to never go back to school. I told him, only 179 days left of school!!

I'm off to knit for christmas gifts!

Happy Birthday to ME!!

Another Birthday has passed. We are always on vacation for my birthday (July 17), so when we returned my BFF came by the house bringing along my gift. I always love the gifts from her, she knows me so well and always puts much thought into them. This year she made me a crocheted doilie. I LOVE doilies!! They are all over my house, some were given to me by my grandmother, others I have found at yard sales and church bazaars, but this one is now THE FAVORITE,because of course now I appreciate the work that goes into them and know how long it took her to make this one. It is beautiful. She also included a skein of Tempted Glam Girl red, white, and silver sparkle yarn to make a pair of gloves and a sock it bag that she made out of red football fabric so I can take my knitting to the local high school football games!!! Along with the gift came a plateful of gobs(whoopie pies), also my favorite. Not good for the hips, but what the heck, it's my birthday after all!! I managed to eat them in 3 days. Thank you sooo much Kathy!


I have signed up for the Ravelympics2008! I'm sooo excited. I always wanted to be in the Olympics, just never had and talent!! I'm in the Sock put. You all know how I love socks and I have many pairs to make for Christmas so I figured that this would be a kick start to my Christmas knitting. However, I chose to make Socks that Rock and a Cookie A pattern (my two favorite things!) so if they make it in the Christmas basket for gift giving it will be a miracle!! Wish me luck!!

It's next year already!?!

Well, here we go. It's next year already. I've been saying "next year" for two months now, and here we go. I started this year with knitting for self. Not a good way to start it off for knitting for Christmas gifts, :( , I've got 355 days though so it's all good! I have started socks for the son and a scarf for my niece. Although I probably won't keep them til Christmas, if I get them done.

The Longhorn lovin' son loved the hat and gloves and was thrilled that they matched his new coat. I got done everything for Christmas except my dad's socks; I had one and a half finished by Christmas eve and wrapped them as is. He opened them, still on the needles, and got a big kick out of it. He asked if he had to finish them himself. It was worth the laugh. I finished them the day after Christmas and he was thrilled. I am determined to have something handmade for everyone THIS year for Christmas!! Mark my words; and remind me when I'm mad at myself for not getting it all finished!