Up and Down (And Up and Down...)

Boy am I behind! My Sister In Law's father passed in December and I'm just finishing this up for her to send out. Sewing is my nemesis, why can't I do it right? Or I guess I should ask why does it intimidate me so? The knitting was done. It was the buttons that took me forever to sew on.

Pattern: Celtic Cable Neckwarmer

Yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh Worsted - (which really seems like a dk weight - very thin. Loved it though, very SOFT after wool rinse).

Colorway: Dahlia

Size 8 Needles

Buttons: From Joann's
I couldn't be there in person to give her a hug (they live 2000 miles away), and it was a long, tough struggle they had with her Dad's illness so I wanted to send a "hug" her way as best I could. I'm just praying the buttons stay on. Oh I'm terrible at sewing! I used the yarn and refinforced, but gosh I worry!!
We've had a tough time lately that's consisted of a stomach bug The Big Guy brought home from work (and unfortunately shared with us), and also having to worry about my oldest Miss J taking care of her "Real" baby for her health class this past weekend. If you knew my Big Guy you'd know that it takes a lot to get him to admit he's sick. Well, I'm pretty spoiled because he works his "magic" around here and gets SO much done. When he's down, our household can come to a screeching halt with my issues making me almost useless some days. Luckily, he was back up by the time I was down with this illness. We're a good team. I did miss my knitting meeting with the gals and that bummed me out, but now I'm SO glad I didn't go and pass it along to them!

Miss J did VERY well taking care of her "Beyonce' Leona" (maybe you can figure those names out? If you listen to pop or whatever I'm sure you know!) She got an A! Yay! I tried really hard to get her to take the written essay assignment but you know how it is when "all your friends are doing it"? Beyonce' was a very good baby for the most part. I do have to admit, I babysat for couple of short spells because my own baby was pretty wiped out. This is pretty "REAL" and it's not a cakewalk at all, but much easier than a real life baby. We thought we'd miss Beyonce' when she went back, but honestly.... we don't! LOL! She DID take FOREVER to burp too. My arm almost fell off. Whoever programmed her is probably laughing their pants off. Right now Miss Beyonce' is driving another Mother (worried at how HER child will manage) to distraction. I feel for her.

Happy Knitting.

Photo Meme & BIG NEWS

Dawn tagged me for this photo meme...

Here are the instructions
1. Go to your pictures on your computer
2. Open the 6th folder
3. Choose the 6th picture
4. Show the picture on your blog and write something about it.
5. Invite 6 new people to this challenge.
6. Link to them and let them know they are challenged

Well.
I thought for sure I'd come up with a picture of YARN, or KNITTING, or at the least my KIDS or HUBBY. But of all things it's my two little monsters kitties who showed up! How funny.

Sasha takes after me, she's gotten sort of "fluffy" as she's grown and is big enough to fit in this window all by herself now. Sophie is slimmer but is the shy one for sure. She'll quietly come and lay by me while I type away or knit once in a blue moon but normally she's being held hostage by my youngest all snuggled up in her blankies. Sasha DEMANDS love and attention when she's in the house! You KNOW when she wants love. I do love my kitties, I just wish they didn't destroy everything in their path. We will need new furniture one day, new curtains, and new carpet. Their little claws are T. R. O. U. B. L. E. It's funny, at my knitting meeting last Saturday a couple of people own farms in the area and said people drop off their unwanted pets and it's just terrible. I was sooooo tempted to ask where exactly they lived......

On the FANTASTIC NEWS FRONT, my oldest daughter won FIRST place in her schools Storytelling Contest last night. Talk about Party Down Time! We're absolutely thrilled! More than thrilled really, because this was a last minute kind of thing and it all seems to have happened so fast. Her Creative Writing teacher told her to enter a story she had written the week before, and then bada-bing, she enters, makes the finals, and then WINS! She's one talented little lady and I'm one extremely PROUD Mama!

Of course I already know she's mega talented and could've saved them a lot of time by telling them to just go ahead and hand it over to her from the beginning. You know how it is.

OOOH, and MORE GOOD NEWS!!

I FINALLY won a contest! Un-Be-Lievable! I've entered a lot of things, but very RARELY do I get lucky enough to win. My wonderful and talented friend ANNA (Diary of An Eccentric)hosts a book review blog and often has book give-aways. I won this:

I'm so jazzed. I LOVE to read and I adore Jane Austen books. I've read other sequels by different authors and really look forward to receiving and devouring this one. I love Anna's writing style and all her reviews. Check out her blog and you'll be hooked.

Photo Meme: I pass this along to anybody who wants to try it! I think this is definitely one of the funnest ones out there! I was so curious to see what I would end up with! GO FOR IT!