Moody Monday - week 7

Gah – the last week really slipped away from me!  Sorry to have disappeared a bit….I had been doing so well the first few weeks of 2014.  Between getting over being sick, catching up from being sick, and transitioning into a new role at work; I can’t seem to recall any free time had to blog, or crochet!

2/10: PRODUCTIVE – as I mentioned last Monday, I was a little ahead of schedule in my posting.  I spent Monday recovering from the last of the flu, but this was the perfect opportunity for some seriously hexagon crocheting in between naps, allowing me to catch up on all my days to date in 2014, picking a joining method, and I mapped out the size of my blanket (how many hexs in each row by how many rows to make sure the size come Dec 31^st will be proportionate with the correct number of finished hexagons for the year!)

2/11: HAPPY/PRODUCTIVE – Tuesday was my last day in my old position.  I had a busy day of wrapping up what I’d been working on, and leaving notes for the woman coming back into the roll.  I also got all of the final details on my new role, which was exciting and made me happy to start anew on Wednesday morning!

2/12: FREEZING – holy moly was it coooooooooooold on Wednesday morning!!!!  I was driving to work and started hearing this creaking and bending noise on the top of my Jeep.  I couldn’t figure out what was going on, but looked up at my temperature gauge and saw THIS!:

If you were wondering, this is 10 degrees colder than it was here during the first Polar Vortex back in January.  The creaking and [almost] snapping of plastic sounds reminding me of the movie “The Day After Tomorrow” when everything turns to ice.  I think it goes without saying that I had a hard time warming up most of the day.

2/13: SAD/FRUSTRATED – day 2 in my new position proved to be a challenging one.  I don’t like to be idle at work, and I had a day of forgetting that it takes time to get adjusted into something new, especially when it’s a newly created position with no previous job description and duties to follow!  I spent most of Thursday having a pity party for myself in this respect.  Completely illogical, but who said there’s logic behind our feelings??

2/14: VALENTINE’S DAY – we had a bit of a low key Valentine’s Day.  We’ve never gone crazy with this holiday, just small gifts and a nice evening together, which is a-okay with me.  I came home to red roses and a heart shaped gluten-free brownie.  There was wine, a lovely dinner, and an evening in front of the fire watching the Olympics.

Friday was also the day we celebrated Copper’s 1^st Birthday!  Since he was a rescue, who was found in a field, we’ll never know his exact birthday.  When he came to live with us this summer, they told us that his birthday was February 13^th.  The more I thought about it, I decided this situation had some wiggle room, and I made his birthday Valentine’s Day – cause he’s definitely my little LOVE BUG!  

This picture was taken yesterday evening; clearly his birthday weekend was exhausting business!

2/15: DREAMING OF DISNEY/THINKING OF GRANNIE – Jamestown High School’s music department left Friday afternoon for Walt Disney World.  Since then my Facebook feed has exploded with status updates and pictures from within the Resorts.  There’s student’s family members, and the fact that my in-laws are also currently in Walt Disney World, on a totally unrelated trip (my Valentine’s Day present will even be coming home with them this spring as it was purchased at the Polynesian resort!).  All these images of people that I know at the Happiest Place on Earth just makes me want to put on a Disney t-shirt, flip through photos from our previous trips, and listen to this (or watch these….)

or THIS!

Over the past day or two, my mind keeps wandering to my Grannie.  Just little things like something happens that I want to share with her, and I think to tell her on my way home from work….then I remember that I can’t.

2/16: LOVED – Last night we were sitting watching the Olympics while I crocheted up my hexagons for this week, and I said to Jonathan: “I don’t know what mood I’m feeling today!!  What is my mood??”  I spent the day out shopping/running errands, having a phone date with my best friend, finishing up laundry, playing with the puppies and crocheting.  Being productive and/or crafty was not really sticking out as my mood for the day, and I don’t have a color for ‘shopping fun’, ‘snuggling puppies’, ‘best friends’ or ‘excitement for pizza for dinner’ (yes, I have a color for excited, but it seems a little ridiculous to use this for the day just over the evening dinner selection…..)  Jon’s response was: “don’t you feel loved today?”, and I said: “I always feel loved”. 

Everything else with my blanket is still piles of hexagons that need the ends woven in on and to be crocheted together….as always, there are never enough hours in the day/week

I planned to start crocheting things together this evening, at least week 7's work....but in a brief moment of exhaustion; this happened:

Of course, the one that weighs around 70 pounds thinks she's a lap dog...

Moody Monday - week 6

Another week has come and gone, and I've made great progress on my Mood Blanket!

For starters:

I have finally caught up!  Everything to date (through today) has been crocheted!  As you can see, no ends have been dealt with (well, some have) and I still haven't started putting my blanket together, but progress has been made there as well!

I did all the math, many many times to figure out how I wanted to put my blanket together, and tested out Lucy's joining for Granny Squares.  Still not 110% on my joining decision, and wanted to just look things over one more time in the light of day (AKA: Saturday).

Here's what I crocheted for week 6:

2/3: NOT FEELING WELL - woke up last Monday morning not feeling well at all.  Hopeful that I'm not getting sick and/or catching whatever it is going around my office.

2/4: FREEZING / THINKING OF GRANNIE - the sunrise on my drive to work Tuesday morning made me feel as though Grannie was looking down on me

It was, again, freezing cold but I immediately thought of my colors for freezing and thinking of Grannie, and they really match this sunrise perfectly.

2/5: SNOWY DAY / EXCITED - more snow in WNY and some exciting possibilities arose at work.

2/6: EXCITED - Wednesday's excitement continued into Thursday with good meetings at work, in additional to a few meetings I had outside of the office.

2/7: SICK - ugh....drove home Thursday night with a migraine, woke up with it on Friday morning.  Started to cough while getting ready for work, and definitely had a nasty sore throat.  Everything went downhill throughout the day on Friday, but I made it through my day in the office, came home and just C.R.A.S.H.E.D.  sore throat, fever, body aches, and cough

*BONUS HEX* refused to miss the Opening Ceremonies for the Winter Olympics, even if I did have a flu.  I had to make a TEAM USA hex for the day as well!

2/8: TIRED / SICK - didn't feel as terrible Saturday as I did on Friday, I even made it to my 10 a.m. nail appointment.  Came home and took a 4 hour nap, slept through most of the Olympic events that night, and still slept a solid 8 hours.  I clearly needed all that rest to get over whatever it is/was infecting my system.

2/9: FEELING CRAFTY / SICK - woke yesterday feeling around 75%.  Spent most of my day crocheting and watching Dawson's Creek on Netflix.  Slowly getting better (even if my voice isn't fully back)

2/10: PRODUCTIVE - "technically" this hex belongs on next week's post.  But it was already in my picture before I realized this.  So, you're getting it tonight.  You may see it again next week, if I remember.  We'll call today's productivity a variation on overachieving!

Speaking of today's productivity, I've gotta show off my favorite hex to date:

TOO CUTE, right??  Jonathan asked me if the owl was because I was feeling crafty.  I told him it was because I bought an Owl [decoration] that day!  I'm just realizing now that the owl was supposed to be happy / feeling crafty, but that I crocheted it happy / thinking of Grannie.  Maybe she wanted to be part of today's crocheting - or she was a part of my crafty shopping trip with Mom back on January 18th.

Showcase Sunday

No "sneak peak" to show this weekend, cause I'm too excited to show off of my 2 new ETSY postings:

Are these hats not the cutest?  I'm just in LOVE with both of them!!  I wish I'd made the pink one in my size...or that I had a little girl to put them on :-)

They are between 18" and 19" in circumference - perfect for ages 1-3 (though measuring the recipient's head is the best way to ensure an accurate fit)

Both can be found at www.etsy.com/shop/craftyhollylouise - check them out today!!

Warm Your Space Wednesday - Valentine's Edition

I did it!  

I actually completed a planned project for Warm Your Space Wednesday and am ready to write about it on Wednesday.

If only I had gotten better pictures this weekend... Thank goodness for photo editing online... (there's always room for growth before next week, right?)

Isn't this so cute!!!  I just love it every time I walk through the kitchen!

I found THIS pattern just as it was posted last month.  I honestly can't even remember what I was doing/looking for when I came across it, but I immediately fell in love with it and new it would be a great way to warm my space this Valentine's season (yes, I do believe a season is in order for all things hearts, pink, love, and roses)  Everything was crocheted in Red Heart with Love in Candy Pink and an I-hook.

 

This shade is just perfect for Valentine's Day!  Over-the-top sickeningly sweet, perfect shade of pink!

As previously posted, it took me a few weeks to really get started on this project, but once I got focused and really started working on these they went so fast!  Sarah's pattern is super easy to read and I quickly had it memorized and cranked out the 13 necessary within two nights of crocheting.  I'd say that they could have been done in one if I didn't eat dinner and those puppies weren't so darn distracting, but neither of those is ever likely to occur in our house!

I'm not sure there is much more that I can say about these except that they just make me smile! 

*side note - totally loving on all the snow stuck to the trees in these pictures.  While I'm a little over the excessive cold, and am really sick of my sweater collection each day as I'm getting dressed for work, I just LOVE the snow!  Even when the slower driving extends my commute, I can't help but smile at the beautiful white flakes coming down and the winter-scape out my windows

**side note #2 - those spring like flowers were a lovely surprise from Jonathan last week while everything that was going on last week really had me down.  There are also flowers from my mother-in-law that are just out of the sight line of this picture.  As I mentioned on Monday, my family has been amazingly supportive and really know how to make a girl feel extra loved!

For any of you non-crocheters out there reading this, who would love Heart Garland for your home for Valentine's Day [2015], send me a message at craftyhollylouise[@]gmail.com  I sadly don't anticipate having enough time to make and ship these for your family's enjoyment this year (unless you're looking to use these year round / for an Anniversary / Birthday!  Then I'd be more than happy to work with you on timing!)  As always, color options are endless.

 

P.S.  Be sure to check out the adorable ideas Taurie has been cranking out for Valentine's Day, including Valentine's inspiration and this week's Warm Your Space Wednesday, found here.  And I sooooooooooo wanna make THESE!!!!

Two on Tuesday

Things making me happy as I head to bed this evening:

1.  time to crochet after work this evening, allowing me to catch up on Mood Blanket!

Here's my hexagons from week 5

 Still not fully caught up for January, but here's where I now am!  Totally having some anxiety over the order when it comes time to start connecting these - between similar colors and patterns that I don't want next to each other, I'm not sure what I'll end up doing!

2.  Our puppies are just the BEST

Osa and Copper were both very interested in hanging out with me while I crocheted this evening

Clearly, they were exhausted after a day of playing in the snow

Can't imagine he was chilly when laying that close to the fire, but Copper found himself the warmest location he could! LOL he cracks me up

Wouldn't it be great if there were enough hours in the day that I could work, crochet and still be able to take pictures when it's daylight vs. everything being dark, fuzzy and not quite the right color overall?  #agirlcandream

Moody Monday - week 5

 what.a.week

As you can see below, MOODY is a pretty darn good word for how I have been feeling over the past 7 days!!!

1/27: ANXIOUS - due to some totally unexpected, and unforeseen news at work, I spent most of last Monday evening in a state of shock, disbelief, anger and sadness.  As of today, things still aren't totally straightened out, but I am trying to keep a "things happen for a reason" attitude, and I am overwhelmingly thankful for my amazingly supportive and loving husband and family.

1/28: ANGRY/LOVED - Monday's news spilled right into Tuesday, but in the form of anger that I haven't experienced in quite some time.  I have to say that Jonathan has been just amazing all week long.  I mean, he is ALWAYS amazing and ALWAYS makes me feel loved, but he's managed to go above and beyond as we deal with all the emotions of the past week.  He truly is the biggest blessing of my life.  And the best.

1/29: *FREEZING - I'm not convinced this winter will ever end, and I'm pretty sure most of you would agree with me on this!  The cold on Wednesday just seeped into my bones and I never really warmed up in the office all day.

*Freezing is one of my new "weather related" moods that I added in when I found the perfect shade of ice blue in my stash this weekend.  I'm saving this for days when the space heater has to be on at work all day, or I'm sitting in the house in 5 layers and still can't warm up!

1/30: STRESSED/ANXIOUS - Sometimes I think I take on too much.  Most would definitely say that I do, but I'm rarely willing to admit this.  Thursday was one of those days.  I was panicking about work that I needed to complete for my newest job (I technically count 4 jobs these days - one of these days I should maybe break that down for you....).  I spent Thursday's lunch hour from my full-time job doing work for that night, just to find out around 5:30 p.m. that it was a total waste of my time!  Okay; not a total waste, but I could have more productively used my day if I'd know how the evening was going to pan out.  

Vague yes....but there's so much to share that's not necessary for the subject of today's post.  soon, perhaps?  Yes, I'll try for soon.

1/31: NOT FEELING WELL/TIRED - I suppose it's not surprise after the level of stress I was under last week, that I woke up feeling pretty poopy on Friday morning.  Yes, poopy is the technical/clinical term for "I kinda feel sick, but I'm not so sick that I can't go to work, but if I did stay home and sleep all day I'd probably get over this faster than going to work, but I don't feel bad enough that if I did take a sick day I wouldn't spend the entire day feeling guilty that I'm not 'sick enough' to have taken said sick day".  Did you not know that this type of sickness is called "to feel poopy" by medical professionals all over the world?  No?  Well, that's what I call it!

I'm exhausted by the repetitiveness of this past week just in typing this recap.  I'm going back to what I said initially - what.a.week.

2/1: STRESSED - I try to do the heavy lifting of my weekend "chores" on Saturday (errands, laundry, cleaning, unpacking/organizing), leaving me with Sunday to relax, enjoy and crochet as much as possible!  There's almost always too much that I try to pack into Saturdays, and this past one was no different.  We started our day getting up early, going to Wegmans to Super Bowl grocery shop, met my Dad at Home Depot to buy the final fully assembled cabinet for my Craft Room, then I parted ways as Jonathan and Dad went back to the house I continued with the errands that needed to be run by going to Sam's Club and Walmart.  We left that house that morning a little after 9, and it was 2:30 before I was driving home in the rain with a full Jeep of bags that needed to get into the house.  I got everything inside, and I had no more dried off, and started the past week's laundry when my Dad asked if I wanted to drive back into town with he and Jonathan to look at some tool at Sears.  I agreed as I needed to make a return at the mall anyway (and figured this would save me the trip into town the following day).  Back into town we drove, they went to Sears, I did my return, Jonathan purchased his new tool and then the two of us headed over to Office Max - the last stop on my weekend errand list (I needed index tabs for my pattern organization project).  Needless to say, by the time we got home (around 4:30), I wouldn't have done any laundry if the dryer didn't have a new mattress cover in it and the washer wasn't full of wet bedding.  I made the executive decision to not do any additional laundry that night but was left feeling frustrated that every weekend is the same, and I never have the time I want/need to crochet!!

2/2: HAPPY - Sunday morning my Momma came to hang out!  It's been an interesting transition with our moving home how little I really get to see her.  Between her taking care of Grannie over the summer, her work schedule, my work schedule(s) and the "distance" between our houses, we definitely don't see each other as much as either of us thought we would once I moved back home.  Yes, I'm now 17 miles away, not 400 miles away, but it's not the quick trip down the road either - even if I were to "swing by" on my way home from work, I still have 25 minutes to get home after.  I work about 8 miles away from my parents house, so I do make a point to go have lunch there on the weekdays that my Mom is either off from work, or doesn't go in until later in the day.  When a rare weekend day comes up that she's off, we definitely try to meet up.  This time it involved her coming to our house and while we didn't do much more than finish my laundry and talk with my Dad and Jonathan about design stuff for my Craft Room it was nice to have her there, and I look forward to the next weekend day she has off where she can come up and we can just watch movies and do crafts together!

So you're all excited to see what my blanket looks like now that we're into the 2nd month of 2014, right!?!  

At the moment it's basically a stack of could-be coasters waiting for their ends to be taken care of!

I'm struggling to take the time daily to find the right color of yarn and just make one hexagon, so moving forward I am going to set aside the time on Sunday to make the previous week's hexagons per my notes that I take throughout the week.  Of course, I waited until the last minute to do everything for last week, and I ran out of time!  I still have 3 to finish for last week, not to mention most of January that still hasn't been crocheted!  Plus there are ends to weave in, and I need to make a final decision on how I want.

 

This is week 5 as of 10:30 p.m. Monday evening.  Hopeful I will have 7 hexagons by my Two-on-Tuesday post...

I know I'm not the only one out there who feels there are NEVER enough hours in the day/week/their lifetime to crochet everything they want to make, so for all of us, I'll like to put in a request for a few more hours added to each day to give us our rightful time to crochet!!

And yes, one of these weeks I will accurately hit PUBLISH at the end of the night, not SAVE

Sneak Peak Sunday

As always, I like to pick a Super Bowl project - you know for crocheting during the game.  I need something to keep me busy so I'm awake during the commercials....yup, it's the one time of year you say something like that!

I was SUPER excited about this years project earlier this afternoon!  It leads in nicely as a pre-Olympics project...one where if it didn't get finished tonight, I could easily finish it up during the Opening ceremonies.

I even posted about it on Facebook during the first half of the game.

So where's your sneak peak picture, you ask?

siiiiiiiiiiigh

All I can offer this evening is the knowledge that 3 hours of work has been frogged and rewound.  Totally discouraging night of crocheting.  

Could someone please rewind the clock so I can try again?