Cakes and Bags

So, that cake I was suppose to make, turned into a lemon crunch cake that I bought. I just couldn't fit it in last night. Today is my managers retirement party and tomorrow is his last day (his birthday) and I'm a little sad. I like my manager and it's hard to find people who you like to work for. Also he wrote all of the staff personal thank you notes for the work we have done and the full time staff also got gift certificates. I got a $10 one to starbucks :-) His wife even baked us coffee cake for our staff meeting this morning. I don't want my manager to go. While the new manager is cool (he currently works in our department) I still want my current manager to stay. Oh well.

On the Knitting Front, Hopefully I'll get to finish my other fetching tonight. I've also decided that I'm going to make my mother a purse for Christmas, but I'm not completely sure which one I should make. Either the Brea Bag











or this one















the only issue is that the second bags directions are in finnish. but i do love it. It's sophisticated and simple. the first one is pretty also, so someone is gonna get it for Christmas.

Delinquency Continues

So, I haven't written much on my paper...maybe another paragraph, which is so so sad. On top of that I haven't knitted much either...so I'm doubly sad. I have been at work, so that makes up for some of it.

I am so overrun with ideas on what I want to make different family members for Christmas. This year I'm convinced that I'm making Christmas gifts, these gifts will consist of knitted goodness, homemade soap and home made lip balms. I'm already finished one knitted item for one g-ma and this upcoming weekend I'm gonna buy the yarn to make the purse I'm going to make my Momma for Christmas. I sent my mother a picture of a fair isle sweater that someone had done on ravelry and she said she wanted that...but she's gonna have to wait for that. I'm not sure I'd have the time to complete it plus the other gifts I need to get done.

For Christmas I'm hoping to receive a sewing machine and a new digital camera...but we'll see. I'd be cool with either. My current camera is not the hotness and I want something that will do a better job. I want a sewing machine because both my g-ma and her sister are seamstresses and I grew up watching my g-ma make the prettiest dresses, tops and skirts. She used to let me make her little purses to match her outfits when I was a kid. I want to be able to sew like her, which i know is gonna take some practice, but under my g-ma's watchful eye, I should do fine. I also saw a quilting book yesterday at the bookstore and I got all excited. I've never tried quilting, but what the heck, I'm becoming a sucker for all things crafty.

On the book reading front it has been so long since I've read any book purely for the fun of it and I'm getting an itching to start reading the Harry Potter books. I know I know I know...before you even say anything I already know. I like the movies and I figure the books are always better than the movies..so what the heck. So I'm putting them on my reading list. The only book that I read that isn't school or work related is The Bible and that is essential for life and salvation!!!

Tonight I have to go home and bake a cake for my manager's retirement party which is tomorrow. I haven't baked anything since Mother's day (wow that was a long long time ago). I made homemade muffins for my momma, aunt, and both g-ma's and they loved them. I use to bake all the time, then I moved and lost the time to bake. I'm slowly getting back into it. I love baked goodness..it makes my tummy happy. Hopefully I'll post some pics of the cake once its done.

FO and Procrastination

Soooo. I may be the biggest or at least on of the biggest procrastinators of all time. I've been working on my master's degree in urban planning for 4 years now...and all I have to do to finish is to finish my Master's Essay. How long have I been working on it you ask? good question. for the better part of 2 years. Should I have finished it by now? another good question HECKS YEAH!!!!! So what's the problem you ask? lack of motivation. When you get a job before you graduate that doesn't require you to finish your degree as a requirement for employment your motivations totally gone. But I've been renewed and so I must finish my paper before the end of the year. I need to stop being a procrastinator and a delinquent about something that will help further my career.....IT"S ON NOW!!!!!!!

Knitting Update: so here are the pics of my irish hiking scarf. such simple pattern yeilds great results. I adore it and have been getting great reviews from my friends and fam that have seen it.
































So on to the next project. I've started the fetching fingerless gloves from Knitty. I've already finished the left one ( except weaving in the ends) and have just started the right one today.

Irish Hiking Scarf

I started the Irish Hiking scarf for the Red Scarf Project, but I soon realized that I wasn't going to have enough time to finish in time for it to be sent...so now this scarf will be my G-Pa's Christmas gift. The beauty of knitting is that even when you miss your target deadline...things always work out. The good thing about giving gifts to my G-pa is that he is excited with whatever I buy or make him. Here are some progress pictures of the scarf.......they are taken with my camera phone, so excuse them for not being crisp.

hello out there

I've started to this time keep a blog up. I've started one in past years, and lost the passion for them, but this one i vow will be different!!! These are my self imposed rules (that I will keep on various sticky notes at work and at home to remind me)
1. I will post at least once a week
2. The post will involve
a. knitting
b. cooking
c. fashion commentary
d. urban design, planning commentary
e. anything that interests me that week...cause hey, it's my blog!
I figure I need to brush up on my writing skills, because with my current job i don't do any writing, short e-mails at best....so here we go...let the fun begin!