Dessert Quesadillas :P

Well I ended up making the Dessert Quesadillas the other night, and not Monkey Bread. ;P  If you are wondering what dessert quesadillas are...  They're crepes.  (It's what our youngest son thinks they are called... :p)  They aren't "hard" to make, similar to making pancakes; but I do them in a small pan..  I made them Thursday night.  We put blackberry jam in them, roll them up & sprinkle them w/ powdered sugar.  The next morning when I was trying to get Eon to eat something for breakfast, I went through the usual "What do you want for breakfast? Cereal?" "No.."  "Pancakes?" (I still had a couple in the freezer from last time they were made.) "No..." "Oatmeal?" "No" "Eggs?" "No"  "Come on, you have to eat something..."  I went to look in the fridge, and saw there were still some crepes left. (Bonus!) So, he ate crepes for breakfast...  And some applesauce which was the only other thing he wanted before I said crepes..   I had taken a picture of them Thursday night, but my little card wasn't in my camera. (Duh!) So... here are the actual crepes Eon had for breakfast Friday morning...  :P 

Look at the afghan my husband crocheted!!  lol..  He's so funny.  This is my 3SUB. I was working on it yesterday. I'm so close to having it done and I just want to finish it. I was reading Missy's blog and she had posted about her 3SUB. (Hers is looking great, btw...)  I thought "Oh, man...  I really need to finish mine.."  ;)  Since I am still sick, and yesterday I felt worse than ever...  I just sat on the couch and crocheted.  I did from the red part all the way up, yesterday. I'm * * this close to being done.  It's going to be humongous.  I kept putting it on my bed, to see how much more I had to do. Each time it seemed like it shrunk...  (Sigh.)  I figured at least 20 rows. And I did more than that.  I need to go make my bed, so I can see how much more I need to do now...    Then after that, I need to work on my husband's afghan... he keeps asking me if it's finished yet.  (I will probably finish it right in the middle of summer, with 115 temperatures, knowing me..)

Making "Muddins"

I have been baking more lately...   I made some more muffins yesterday; "Fudgy Banana Muffins".  I usually make Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins, but I didn't have any chocolate chips. I had a chocolate bar though. So I used this recipe. It's yummy.  These four are all that are left. Actually, I ate one...  :/  So there are only three left now. lol  One of our boys used to call muffins "Muddins".  (I'm pretty sure it was the 14 year old.)  So I still call them that. :P  I'm kind of in the mood to bake today, too. I don't know what. I want Monkey Bread. But the recipe I use is pretty time consuming. So, I don't know. Eon said last night, "Can you make dessert Quesadillas?"  I said "Dessert Quesadillas?... I don't think I've ever made those.. Oh, do you mean Crepes?"  :P  I guess he saw something on TV.  So, maybe I'll make Crepes later for dessert.  (That sounds easier.)   We've all been sick with something. Sore throat, stuffy nose (Hmmm... A cold?)  The kids both missed school this week they felt so bad.  They're both back today. Eli had a Pizza party at school today. I wonder if that wasn't going on, if he would have been so eager to go. ;P  It was 16 degrees here this morning!! :0  I know, compared to the rest of the country/Out East, that's nothing. But it's still cold. So I made sure they dressed warm and bundled up.  I'm still cold, in the house. 

Here's a dishcloth I recently finished. It's the "Short-Row Sweetie Dishcloth", from the Feb Crochet World. I thought my subscription ran out but apparently it hasn't, yet...   The one in the magazine was done in "Black Cherry".  I went and got some, but I'm making a different dishcloth with it, now.

I found out yesterday that my husband's Grandma fell, and fractured her hip. :( She's in the hospital. I talked to her yesterday. She sounded upbeat and optomistic. I guess that's a good thing. She said they gave her "a little" Morphine.  (I had asked her if she was in pain. She said "Not anymore, they gave me a little Morphine". She's so cute.)  She did sound a little out of it, but she had just woke up. So.  Anyway. I wish I could go see her/help out, but...  It's kind of hard living so far away.  :(    She's 90 years old. Fortunately, she already was living in an Assisted Living Facility. And, there is a Rehab facility right next door. That's probably where they'll take her. Her (Late) sister went there a few times;we visited her there (before she even moved into the Assisted Living place, if I remember right..)   Anyway~~  I hope everyone is staying warm!!  <3

Are You Sick of Mittens Yet?...

I'm still making them...  o.O  Hee hee...  This is actually a pair of mittens I think I started; even before I started knitting Eon's pair. So. I just last night picked them up again. I almost panicked, because I didn't put in my notes where I left off. (I was into the purl/knit part already..) But I calmed down and figured it out. ;P   The stitch holder is where the thumb will be.  I am kind of tempted to send a message to that person on Ravelry who has these (same kind of) mittens in her projects page, and ask her where the pattern came from . :)   I'm so curious, it's just unbearable not to know. :P     You can see a little bit of my book I just finished reading last night, in the picture. "The Hundred Secret Senses", by Amy Tan. (I got it at a used book store here, I finally got an "account" at~ You bring in any old [paperback only] books you don't want any more, and for each book you bring in, you get half off a book you buy~which is already only $2 or $3. And Eon has an account, too. :P) Anyway,  I really liked it.   I've been doing a lot of reading and some knitting & crocheting~~ I have to sit and "ice" my back; 20 minutes (at least) in each spot...  It's very time consuming. But it does help.  I don't know if my fall back in December is why, or what.. (I am pretty sure that's what it is~ It probably just made my already bad back worse. Or "Compounded everything", as the Chiropractor said...) But..  I was in bed all last weekend.  I do testing as a volunteer in my son's school every Friday. Well last Friday, my back was starting to hurt. Every time I'd get up to go get something, I'd notice my back was hurting/really stiff, when I got up out of the (little kiddie) chair.  Well that night it got worse. Almost all day Saturday I was in bed. I took a shower, but.. Got into some clean "pajamas"-  a t-shirt and cotton loose pants I got at the Salvation Army just to wear around the house..  (They're comfy. :P)   Anyway~ I am babbling.  Monday I couldn't take it any more. My husband took me to the chiropractor. It helped. But I still wasn't "better" (I'm still not, but...  It's a lot better than last weekend.)  I went again on Wednesday. But until I can get a referral from our doctor (which we are going to change and that's going to be more hassles...), I cannot afford to go anymore.    Anyway. I also have to do "therapy", similar to what their bed at the Chiropractor did to me on Wednesday~ which was NOT fun... :(     It's pretty painful, actually. But I do think it's helping.  I dread doing it, every day; though. I have to take a rolling pin, and roll it up and down (hard to explain).  I call it RPT: Rolling Pin Therapy. lol. 10-15 times each spot. Then when I'm done doing all that, I'm supposed to ice..  See what I mean about time consuming?  So I've been getting books to read or projects to work on, while I'm doing it. So it's not a "waste" of time. ;P 

Almost forgot I had another picture here. lol.  This is another pair of mittens like the grey ones in my last post. I think after I finish the orange ones, I am going to send everything. It is the end of January, here.  If I keep making things, it will be summer time by the time I send it all. (Plus, the box would be too big to send/afford to send..)   I might keep making things here and there though. So by the time it's winter again, I'll actually have some stuff to send. I don't do that well with challenges and stuff. It seems to take me forever to get anything done, anymore.     Well if you made it all the way to the end of this, you must be bored. ;P       I hope everyone has a nice weekend.  <3

Monkey Bread, and More Mittens..

I made some Monkey Bread today. I had been wanting to make some for years.  See how long it takes me? The recipe was somewhat confusing to me, but... It still turned out good.

It doesn't look so good here. But it was.  :)   Now I know how to do it, I'll probably make it more often.

And, I've been making mittens...  These are an old pattern, I think. The url doesn't work anymore. So I'm thinking it's just gone. But it's similar to Bev's Marvelous Mittens.  I'm sending these to Pine Ridge. Maybe.

And I made another pair of "Grow Mittens", like my son's..  These are for his teacher.  I'm glad I started them when I did, and was close enough to finishing them to actually finish them in time. Because tomorrow is his last day in that classroom. I didn't have any idea until yesterday, but he is moving up to second grade on Monday.  Yay!!  He will be where he is supposed to be now. Hopefully he will be able to catch up. We'll see...   He's excited about it. (So that's good~ At least he isn't scared/nervous/anxious..)  I met his new teacher yesterday, too. She's nice. So is the one he has. I'm kind of sad... :(  I'll miss all the kids in his class. (I only helped out in there a few times, but..)     Well....  That's about all for now. 

A Pair of Mittens

I finished the other mitten today.  Every day Eon would ask "Did you finish my other mitten yet?"  Well this morning I said "I might have a surprise for you when you get home from school today?" (I only had the thumb to finish..)  Eon said, "Is it edible?"  LOL!!! He is living up to the family name, that's for sure...  I said "No..." :P  They fit him perfect, too.

See?  :D   I wanted to get some of those little labels "Made With Love by Mom"; or "Handknit Especially for You"... I had some, but I think I only have one left. I wanted to sew them in the mittens, so I could write his name on them. (So they won't get stolen.. grrr.)       I cast on for another pair for his teacher, today.  I was sneaky and had him ask her what her favorite color was. :P  (I got two colors, too. But I knew almost immediately which of the colors I wanted to make, since it is also the school color.)   :)      

Mittens

A couple of days ago I got a package in the mail. Someone I write to/writes to me, sent me a pair of mittens she knitted me! And, the pattern to make some myself.  :D  I pulled the mittens out, and immediately the 8 year old was eyeballing them. Then I looked at all the papers in there; one was a letter and the other paper was the pattern. I said "She sent me the pattern, too". Eon said "Now you can make me some, too."  :P  (He isn't very demanding, is he?... ;P)  I said "What color do you want?" So he started going through my yarn bins and picking out yarn. "That one is too thick" (Red Heart Cloud) "That one there probably isn't enough yarn to make two mittens with though.."  So finally he picked out the blue I am making his Snuggie with (ughh... I'm going to start calling that thing an "Ugh-ie" lol...). 

Ta Da....  :P  One mitten done! (It really is done, I wove in all the ends since I took this picture. :P) And it fits him perfectly.  I'm so happy.  After my disappointment with my Shalom Cardigan; and before I did this mitten, I started and frogged three different times, with this pattern...  I actually have another mitten (orange) started with 9's, that I did wrong. So I took out all the needles, and ripped it back (GASP!) to the ribbing part; and am going to try from there.  I was doing increases all around each round, not just around the thumb area. (Duh...)   Eon's mitten I did with size 7's.  I wanted to do it with 8's; but I don't have any~ and my 9's were occupied. :)    I'm really loving this pattern, thank you Marsha!! :D  I haven't knitted mittens in a few years; and the ones I did do I had a problem with, and had to force myself to finish the second mitten..   Oh, these are called "Grow Mittens" I think? That's what she wrote on the pattern. I tried doing a search on Ravelry, and found these.  She calls them "Grow with me Mittens". So I'm not sure what the exact name is.  I wonder where the original pattern came from, though (she said it is an OLD pattern).  Well til next time~~  :)

Beautiful Colorado

Our family got to go to Colorado for Winter Break. We weren't going to, but...  My husband hasn't had a vacation/time off in so long...  So we decided to go ahead and do it.  I had a hard time trying to decide which pictures to blog about. But I decided on a few that I thought would show "Colorado".  This one was when we were driving on I-70.  I was amazed I got this shot. (Obviously as we were driving into it..)  The kids love going through the tunnels. (Well, the 8 year old still does..) 

Some pictures from the Garden of the Gods. I *think* the one of the left (used? to be?) is the "Kissing Camel (used to be "Kissing Camels" but the other "camels hump" fell off..) So I don't know if it is still called the Kissing Camels or what.  It's still a beautiful red rock, though. :)

This one just looked cool. Eon was climbing up there...

Water seeps out of the rocks and freezes.  I think that is so cool.

Fountain Creek, in Manitou Springs... They changed a lot of things in the park, by this creek. I guess they don't want people going down by the creek. (Which I can understand, the way people vandalize and pollute... And ruin it for people who really appreciate and love things like this..) Anyway. You can still go down there, but...

This is the view from our hotel window.. 

This was the view from our hotel window the next morning. :0  It snowed that same day. We went to our friends house to visit them, and when we drove home, the roads were horrible and it was freezing cold.  When I walked into the hotel room, I went to go into the bathroom (there was a heater vent in there that kicked out the heat and I wanted to sit by it til I got warmed up). Well (not wearing "snow boots" or snow shoes of any kind), I stepped onto the linoleoum (sp?) and whoooooop! Smack! Fell flat on my butt, and somehow managed to hit my left elbow (it still hurts) and whack my head...  :(  It hurt so bad I couldn't get up for a while.  The weird thing was, I hurt my hip/butt the worst when I fell. But my elbow has been hurting the worst since...  I don't know if I hurt myself enough to go to the doctor/chiropractor, or what...  But now my hips hurt so bad the last two nights, the only way I can sleep is on my stomach. :(  I'm seriously thinking about going to the chiropractor...   Anyway~~ Other than me falling, and the freezing cold; we had a wonderful time.  :)  It was 20 below Wind Chill Factor. Eon wanted to go outside and play in the snow while we were there, but we kept telling him, "It's too cold".  So he was happy when we came back home and it snowed/he got to make a snowman - in my last post... :)

The snow on the patio outside our room.  

The snow on the trees, by Soda Springs Park..   I saw some really pretty trees with snow on them somewhere else, but didn't get my camera out in time. (My husband gets irritated with me, I think... "Oh wait, I want to take a picture"... ;P)  So I took a picture of these... :)     I had some other pictures I guess they aren't on here though. So maybe I'll do those next time..    :)

Vacation is Over

This morning was the kids first day back to school after Winter Break. But....  Then, some "Winter" happened. :P  We got snow! Only four inches (at the most). But in this town, you would think there was a blizzard. School was cancelled today. So.. Winter Break was extended by one day.

It's a good thing I got pictures this morning (it still wasn't completely light out when I took these so if they look a little dark to you, too; that's why.). It's almost all melted now.

And it's a good thing our youngest son got out there and made a snowman when he did, too. It was already starting to melt while he was making it..

Ta Da... Mini-Snowman.  :P

I finished a couple towel/dishcloth sets (or washcloth~ I guess it depends on how the recipient wants to use them?) over Winter Break.  I had been wanting to crochet The Hanging Dishtowel forever.  So. I did. :P There is a matching dishcloth link in the pattern. But I did my own thing for my dishcloths. (I didn't have computer access when I was making these..) So, I chained 34 and just did the stitch pattern. Then did the stitch pattern around the edges.

This one is in "Desert Sunset".  I think it looks good in a variegated, too. 

Well, I am pretty sure school won't be cancelled tomorrow. So vacation really is over. (Sigh...) 

Shalom Cardigan is Finished :(

It's done. But. It's too big.  :((((   I am so discouraged. I did a gauge swatch, I don't know what I did wrong?...  Unless, it's because I switched to circular needles, and maybe that's why. I know I didn't re-check my gauge after I switched.  Sigh.  I guess I will have to find someone to give it to. Although I don't know what size it is..  Ugh. 

Well... After my failure with the Shalom Cardigan, what did I do? Dug out my Central Park Hoodie to work on.  I must be crazy. lol.  I sewed the shoulder seams, but then decided I am going to have to re-block it before I do anything else.  Then I dug out my Earl Grey socks and worked on those.  I must be a glutton for punishment, eh? :P  The Earl Grey socks are not that hard, it's just a couple parts of the "Clock" that are completely confusing..  The rest is just straight knitting. (I am still on the sock part..  Haven't gotten to the heel yet..)

And, Another Card...

This one I got the idea from "Paper Crafts" magazine. There aren't any online directions for this card on the website, but there are other fun downloads. I didn't do mine "exactly" like the one in the magazine. (Even though I wanted to.) I got a hole punch (?) that I thought was going to be big enough, on sale and with my JoAnns coupon it was super cheap. But not big enough...  I still used it to do the pink parts.  I still think it turned out kind of nice. I've already written in it and have it waiting to go to it's recipient. :D  I'm waiting until Monday or later next week, to avoid the insanity at the post office right now; though...

My Card (Updated)

Well I decided to add some little tiny gems; like the bird is "singing". :)   I think it's done now.. 

This is our road~ flooded. Can you see the lake the SUV is driving through? Our yard was all smushy, you could feel yourself sinking a little in the mud. It was kind of scary there for a while. It's stopped raining for now. But it's been raining for about three days straight. They just showed on the news that a house went into the Virgin River in Mesquite, Nevada. Yikes!  

Here's another view, closer to the road. All the water in the ditch, and you can see the small pond forming, just before that car.  I guess they didn't prepare for lots of rain here in the desert...  Not very good drainage in a lot of places. Roads will flood over (like this).   Well I have to get dinner out of the oven. So... Til next time~~  :)

Another Card I Finished...

Remember this? I didn't know what to do with it..  I kept putting things by it (flowers, bird stamp...)  I still really don't know what to do with it, but... 

I just did something, anyway..  This is what I came up with. What do you think? Lame-O? Or what?...  I kind of want to do "more" on the top. But don't know "what"... I was thinking, maybe some tiny gem dots in a swirly motion coming out of the birds' mouth? Like the bird is "singing hello"?..   Well, that's two cards I have done for the January Card Swap.  I have a few ideas for another one..   I "kind of" cleaned my kitchen table off/organized some more.  I will finish cleaning it off later. (Going to try and make another card~ Or at least start one..)  I think my husband is getting fed up with my clutter.  It's not that bad. Just the kitchen table was really bad...   I keep telling him, "If I had a craft room... "  :/  I have too many hobbies.  And with the kids and all their messes..     Sigh. 

"Ugly Blanket" Progress...

Well since Blogger is being (somewhat) cooperative today I thought I would press my luck and try a second post...  This is my "Ugly Blanket" progress.  I think it is close to being done. Maybe a couple more feet.  I do kind of think this afghan is ugly. But it is super warm.  I'll probably keep it for an extra blanket or to use in the Travel Trailer...  My husband keeps bugging me "When are you going to finish my blanket?"  Sigh...  (I have another (baby) afghan I am trying to finish up besides this Ugly Blanket.  He said "How come you're working on these afghans when my afghan isn't done yet?" He was just joking around but...  Now I should probably finish his too.  0.o  (By the way, I am a lot farther on his blanket than what I was in that picture.. I have taken it out a few times and worked on it... ~~  Those cookies look yummy...  I was kind of in the mood to make cookies yesterday. Maybe I will today, now.)  :D

More Slippers...

Are you getting sick of slippers yet? You would think I would be sick of making them by now; and completely burnt out from them.... Surpisingly, I'm not.   Although, I think I may be getting close.  All these are going to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. It's not a "Challenge" or anything, it's just something I am doing on my own.  I have squares (the burgundy/pink/yellow) enough for two more pairs of slippers, just like these.  These turned out too big for my feet, so they are probably a size 8?

These are ones I tried to make like the ones her cousin bought/brought from Georgia. The pink is not bright enough, though; I don't think. I still think they are different and cool looking. I didn't do the extra sc around the edges on these and they fit my feet perfect (I wear a 7 if you are wondering.. :P). So I'll have to remember that for future reference.

These, I actually started for Eon. He wanted a pair in red, blue, and yellow. I said "Superman colors?" and he said "No, I just want them red, blue and yellow..."   ;P   They look dark here. I used royal blue, plain old red, and bright yellow.  I used an F hook, and skipped the extra sc on the edge again. They're too small. Grr.  So, I will have to do some with a G hook I guess..  So, I'll send these to Pine Ridge... :)   All these slippers are the Granny Square Slipper pattern at the Purl Bee. :)

Another Coffee Cup Card...

A Blue/Brown version of the Coffee Cup card I did previously. I think I like this one better than the original one I did.  I was just messing around making cards last night; since my husband had to work 17 hours yesterday. :/   I tried to organize all my card making stuff a little. Pssshhh...    I will definitely be saving this one to use for the January Just Because Greeting Card Swap.  I used my brown calligraphy marker to write "Hello", and then punched it out. I had a punch out already done, but the calligraphy I did on that one didn't turn out too good. So I did it the other way.

And, here is a close-up (but kind of blurry?) picture of the bear, Paula. :D   It's from a tea box, "Candy Cane Lane" holiday tea.  I was trying different things to make cards with...

More "Hello" Cards...

Well, for something to blog about...  :)  I have been making some cards lately. (Well, a couple, anyway.) I finished this one a few days ago. I call it "Hello Peppermint Bear".  The bear oval is from a Candy Cane Lane tea box. :P  The "hello" letter/envelope stamp is one I won on Ebay.   I have been trying different ideas, like the Coffee Cup Card I made..

This one I call "Hello Snowflake". I screwed up on the top part. Makes me so mad.  I got it all taped on the back and went to put it on the card. It stuck too fast, before I was ready. I couldn't get it up and it got all crinkled. GRRRR.  Maybe the person who gets this card won't be too critical of it.  You can barely see the snowflake (that's a semi-new stamp, too~ I got it a long time ago but this is the first time I've used it..); I used embossing powder & pigment ink.  And a pigment pen (one side is calligraphy) to write "hello". Also with embossing powder. And foamies, a button, a sticky gem, ribbon...   I have enough of the papers to do another one of these. (Or two or more..)  I'm trying to get stocked up for January's card swap.  I don't know if I will use either of these cards for it though. Maybe the bear one.  I like just simple "hello" cards.

I Am Crocheting a Snuggie... (Sigh...)

I started one of these last November (the only reason I know that is because I put it on my Ravelry page). I vaguely remember ripping it out and using the yarn for something else. But for some reason (probably because my 8 year old keeps reminding me that he wants a "Suggie"; "Which I am supposed to be crocheting him.."  :/   He isn't demanding for an 8 year old, is he?  I figured, in another year he probably won't want one, so...  I will crochet it for him.   I'm doing it in HDC's instead of DC's though, since it looked too loose.  I'll try to find the link to this pattern as soon as I can.
 
Well I should head off to bed. I've had a headache all day that won't go away even with Tylenol. Tomorrow is my first "official" day of volunteering at my son's school. I was supposed to do it last week, but he was sick. (But, I technically did do it last week, the day before. So...)  Wish me luck.  :/  (It won't be bad at all, I just dread everything the month/week/night before..) 

Slippers...

Holy Guacamole (however you spell it..)! Is it just me or is Blogger having issues lately? Sheesh! This is the fourth time (today) I have tried to post to my blog..  I tried a few days ago, too and it was the same thing.  I almost was afraid to post all the pictures I wanted to...   I have been working on slippers lately.  It's that time of year, I guess...  And I like crocheting slippers. Especially this pattern. Ruby's Slippers. One of my favorite patterns to crochet.  This pair I made a size 8 to send to the 15 year old girl I send things to on PR.  I put some goodies inside the slippers. <3  Fun!... :P

And, I made Eon a pair since he just skipped like TWO shoe sizes in the last month and the slippers that fit him last year are WAY too small... :0  They still look brand new. (I think I will send them to PR.) These are a tad bit big on him; but the way he keeps growing, that's a good thing. :P  I told him I am going to have to stop feeding him. Then he won't grow anymore. :P

And, a third pair I finished (I still have one more pair of these started, too..)  I did these with an F hook and sport weight yarn. They are probably a 9 or 10 childs size. They measure 6 inches long.  All the kids sized slippers, I am sending to a person on PR who distributes things. All the adult size ones I get done, I am sending to Pass Creek Eldery Center. 

Like these.  This one is a pattern from an old Crafting Traditions magazine. It's another one of my fave easy slipper patterns. 

And, this is the Granny Squares Slippers pattern I have talked about, from The Purl Bee. I love these slippers. Obviously I have to finish the other one. :P   I'm gonna put goodies in all of them. For the kids, Candy Cane Cocoa (or any other single pouch thingys I can find.. They have some at Smith's I think.)  Chapsticks, little animal pencil topper/erasers (in the first picture there is one~inside the little plastic ball)...   For boys, Hot Wheels or any little toy; maybe some Silly Band Bracelets...    Well I should get dinner started early today so I better get off here and hope it will post!..