Anyone out there understand Blogger better than me?

.............what happened to my page?  If someone out there reading this has any suggestions, please send them my way.  I'm willing to try just about anything, and I've tried everything I can think of!

Last Wednesday morning while stuck working a 5 hour day prior to driving home the day for Thanksgiving, I decided that it was the perfect time to update my layout to something "Christmas-y"  As soon as I did this (using thecutestblogontheblock.com, like I always do) all of my gadgets disappeared!  When I go into my dashboard, they're still there.  On Monday I even deleted EVERYTHING from my dashboard and re-added it all new but with no luck.  I also tried a different template from my favorite layout website, and tried no layout at all and still nothing will bring back my gadgets!  Now, my picture is also off center and I don't understand why!!  I'm really quite computer savvy....I spend enough time each day on one that I should be, and I'm good at designing things (even non yarn/fabric items) so it's infuriating to me that this is still not right!  I've been meaning to write for a couple of days hoping that someone out there in "blogger land" could help (I've also submitted a question on the blogger help page but no one has answered).  I didn't write this on Monday because I acted like maybe the website was just being funky and that it would all come back tomorrow.  It hasn't and I need help!!

As for my crafting, I packed more than I needed to bring home with me over Thanksgiving.  I always ALWAYS do this.  I fear that I will run out of  projects to do and with the stash of yarn and running list of projects I always have to complete I hate to think I'd have to go buy more random yarn just to keep working on something!  I put some good time into a special project on Thanksgiving morning while watching the Parade with Mom, and then did more while dinner dishes were washed and food was put away.  I still didn't get as much done as I thought I would (I really think this project is bigger than I let myself believe).  I also find it hard now to work on a large project anywhere other than my favorite spot on my chaise with my legs stretched out in front of me.  At home (aka my parents house) I sit on a kitchen bar stool since that's where mom usually is (and I REFUSE to sit in the living room and listen to Fox news with dad).  The TV in the kitchen is also an old school 13" tube - hard to watch anything on that when you're working on something in your lap when you're used to a 47" HD flat screen at home!  Progress is progress though and each stitch and each row bring me that much closer to have this done by 12/25 :-)

Since returning home from Thanksgiving I haven't been to productive on Christmas crafties....this has been due to a number of factors:

1. we drove home on Wednesday and I didn't get to bed until 2 a.m., I was up everyday by 7 and spent the last 3 days back home traveling to, checking out, discussing and arguing over wedding venue details, and we then didn't get back until after midnight Monday morning so saying that I'm exhausted this week would be an understatement.  Tack onto that all the Year End work that's going on right now and I can barely walk to my car after 9 hours of crazy in the office.
2. I'm so excited about all the wedding details that are coming into place that I'm having a hard time with not quitting my job and planning my wedding for the next 8 months.  I realize that I can't give my almost finalized Save the Date cards as Christmas presents though so I really do need to get crackin' (and wrappin')! ;-)
3. I'm starting to stress about all that needs to get done in the next 20 days before we go home for Christmas!  Yikes we drive home in 21 days we have no Christmas tree, I need to unpack from Thanksgiving before I can decorate for Christmas, our Christmas/my birthday party is a week from Saturday, presents need to be finished and wrapped, no Christmas cookies have even been thought about yet

Last night after spending far too much time trying to pinch pennies on my Save the Date cards, but I did get a chance to finish up the slippers for Mom.  My apologies for not properly linking the pattern here....I have searched and searched through all the blogs on follow and can't find the right post.  If you posted the pattern, please feel free to post the link in a comment for your rightful credit.  I didn't follow the pattern 100% because Mom and I wear size 9 and they never would have fit as the pattern read, but the pattern certainly got me off on the right foot and I love it!  This morning I tried my best to get out of bed early (this happened 45 min after the first alarm went off no less...) and I got 30 minutes done a a pair of slipper socks.  I love how simple this pattern is so I'm testing it in my favorite color (which will match Grannie's ripple lapghan of the same color perfectly!) as a solid and will then try a Christmas color scheme in my head if it works out!  I hope to have some pictures to post soon.

I'll leave you for today with this wonderful information regarding the wedding:

The best number for marriage and a wedding would be 6 the number of family, responsibility and commitment.

8 for fertility and wealth.

1 is the number of new starts, beginnings.

08.06.11