Blog Sob Story

Maui Leaf: the spots are from a virus....but what a cute virus :)

I feel like whining. I spent so much cumulative time on setting up my blog the way I liked, then I really just wanted to change the "look" of it by adding some background pattern or color. Blogger told me to back-up my files and everything would be okay, only when I did that,I lost all my lists. I just spent much of my holiday weekend adding my fav blogs to lists again, and realized some of my favorite buttons and artwork are missing too! Dang Blogger.

But, since I have put this much effort into it, I hope it is worth it. I love the new blogroll lists that keep me updated on all my favs with so little effort!!! Now if I can just get the Mapstats visitors list to show up. What is up with that?! Grrrrr.

Oh well. I can play with it ad infinitum. But the good thing is I got a long stretch of unadulterated time to mess with it this weekend, and did. So, nyah! (BTW, I can't seem to find one of my fav blogs--I thought it was called sheep something, and she always posts great pics of sheep. The whole blog is about sheep. I think she's from the UK or Ireland. Anyone know the blog I'm talking about?!)

Regarding Simple September--Aaaaaaaaah! I just realized that my participation in this means that I won't be able to run out and get the new Mason-Dixon book as soon as it comes out in the next week(like I was planning to do!) The first of many limitations I'm sure I'll be feeling this month!!! Oh, well. Like I said, I can go shopping in my basement, and I'm GOING to!

I have a huge box of workbasket magazines I got on Ebay. I can't wait to go through them, slowly, savoring the finds! I had a previous giant stash of them that I demolished (tearing out pages I wanted to keep!) about 12 years ago. I've been rueing that...if for no other reason than tearing up vintage items makes me wince, now!

I am having fun re-experiencing the sewing blogs I loved a couple years ago, before knitting overtook my whole life :D I added some of them to my "Other Blogs" list--you should check them out. There are some of the cutest things there....


<
.

Clutter

More Maui--botanical garden with bulbous base palms....

Haven't given a knitting update in a couple of posts: because I haven't done knitting! So far I am one chart repeat into the Aran Wrap Cardi--not much, I know. There are some changes I'm making to the pattern, which I'll post soon. The wool is a bit warm with our current heat wave of 90 degrees, so I am waiting for the nice fall weather to come back in. I did knit 5 hours worth on the Summer Sampler Study Stole, the other night. I'm into chart #11 at this point (of 12, and then there's the edging!!!)

I am a packrat. When I have a love of something, I collect books about it first-off, then gadgets, gizmos, tools and supplies related to that something. I have a cookbook collection that would make you cringe. I have quilting books, sewing books, crochet and knitting books, gardening books, medical books, books by my favorite pulp author Betty Neels...That's just the books, folks. Wow, how DO I live in 900 square feet with other people and two 80-lb dogs?!

So, I was inspired when I saw this link at Junie Moon's website. The video is a bit long, but it really rang true with the way I've been feeling. Less clutter, less stuff, less consumerism. You should watch it if you get a chance:




De-cluttering is going to be a good thing for this household, and so will changing our consumer habits. (I can always go shopping in my basement....)


.

Simple Foods

Simple September: preparations begin!

In advance of my planned budget for September, I have been seeing recipes for great-looking dishes from scratch. I must try that Lasagna Soup that Hakucho posted about last year (now that I'm no longer a staunch vegetarian, I can do that!) I just found this recipe for homemade soft tacos--I can only say that I had these once when I lived in Oklahoma for a month doing a clinical rotation, and they are incredible! My family has yet to taste some of the great things I had there, so finding this recipe really got me excited. I can't wait to make these and see their reactions! =D

One other recipe that came out of that trip is my favorite broccoli salad. Oh man, is this a great tasting salad. I guess I'll post that now:

Idabel Broccoli Salad

2 lbs fresh broccoli florettes
1/2 c (6 oz pkg) raisins: goldens & cherries mix is best
2/3 c minced red onion
6 slices bacon, cooked crisp & crumbled, with drippings reserved
1/2 c sliced almonds for topping
dressing: 1 c mayo + 1/4 c sugar + 2 T vinegar + fresh ground black pepper

Toss together first four ingredients. Mix dressing well, and toss with the salad, adding bacon drippings. Chill for at least 2 hours. Toss in the nuts just before serving (they taste better if they are toasted first, in a dry skillet until browned!) YUMMY!!! This serves 12 people, and is a classy dish for potlucks or showers.

This is just one of my favs...and boy do I remember the incredible barbecue they had there. And, well, they had a Sonic in town--I ate there nightly, heh! I can dream about it now.

I hope you all like this recipe, and try the soft tacos. Oh, and Angry Chicken has posted a recipe for great looking Banh Mi--I've never tried those, but they look incredible! These are all on my upcoming menu....

New websites I love: Black Apple,
Sublime Stitching (because I LOVE outline stitch, running stitch, redwork, etc!), and Soule Mama. Fun stuff :)


.

Simple September : 30 days of Nothing

I saw a post about this here, and it spoke to me.

While I am not necessarily into feeling deprived, the whole idea of green, earth-friendly consumerism really appeals to me. Our (read: my) propensity to spend so much more than necessary, for the acquiring of things seems very wasteful. The idea that I could get along with spending much less $$ is very appealing. I am taking up this challenge: Less Spending in September.

During the next month, I will not buy anything unless absolutely necessary. (And nothing knit related. I already have a huge stash of books, patterns and supplies. I have yarn AND books on order that have already been paid for but are en-route.) I also have fabrics sitting there waiting to be made into clothing, so I will not be buying more clothes. I am going to shop for groceries in a minimalist-style (no more frozen dinners) and locally if I can. It's not too late in the year for our local farmers market...Keeping in mind that simple dinners go a long way, I should be able to pare down our grocery bill by at least half.

For entertainment, we will enjoy simple pleasures. DD is coming over for a "first fest" of this sort in 2 days. We are planning a Scrabble tournament, for which I will probably bake something special to eat. Cheap, easy, fun, and family-oriented. Reading, gardening, cooking, organizing, embroidery, quilting....I need to stay in touch with my family, when I am not at work.

No more excess consumerism. I still have my old car, and my 3-year old cell-phone. Do I need new ones? No, mine are working fine.

Simple September is going to be the way of things around here. It's about slowing down the consumer treadmill, constantly working so hard to keep up the purchase power. I want to spend less, and start saving, so I actually feel ahead of the game! (Lest anyone think I'm scroogy for doing this, just read back over my knitterly acquisitions for the past 2 months....YIKES!)

So, no pedicures unless they are of my own doing, I will keep trimming my own hair (been doing that for a while--what the heck, it's only 2 straight lines!), I may even try to start walking to work. It's about a 12-14 block walk, but I always drive. I could definitely use some exercise....

If the sound of this appeals to you too, read what No-Impact Man has to say.

More on this later. I must knit now =D



.

Knitting Holiday

YAY for 3-day weekends!!! Ya know what I'm gonna do with mine? KNIT! SPIN! CROCHET! and hopefully SEW! I get three whole days to do whatevah...!

I (sneakily) started the Aran Wrap Cardigan Sunday. I have been poking my way through it. This week has not really given me too much time to knit. I ran errands almost every night after work, and by the time I got home, ate and sat down, I was done for. I slept 9-1/2 hours Wednesday night, and about that much last night too. So it was a real treat to go to knitting tonight. I opted to bring the lace sampler stole instead--I would like to keep working on that til it's done. It' s so close to being done, the fire is starting to get lit under me to FINISH it!!!

I spent about 5 hours knitting the remainder of chart #10 on the Summer Sampler Study, while chatting and munching with my knittah chicas. Now I am well into chart #11. There is only this chart and one other, then the edging! How cool is that?! I'm really pumped. I might have a finished lace project soon!

I am so looking forward to doing stuff on my own time for 3 straight days...can't even tell you how much I look forward to that.

Especially after having spent $250 to get a replacement plastic exterior door handle put on my '97 Camry after the old one snapped off in my hand last weekend. Grrrr. It irks me more than you can know, to think I just paid that much for another cheezy plastic handle. That one better last 11 years, too! Why do they make those out of plastic, for crying out loud?! It drives me nuts, this whole throw-away economy. I have a car that still runs, even though once in a while we have to replace a part. The paint is chipping a bit where the hailstorm 5 years ago dinged the roof, but it still runs. It is my baby, and I'm not getting a new car. I drive 7 minutes to work--this thing should last me another 20 years easy at this rate! If the parts they cheezed out on could just last that long....sigh.

Happy knitting!
.