Wow...

so the number of people who've visited my blog has pretty much doubled over one weekend...that's pretty darn cool (and I'm trying not to let my new-found fame go to my head ;) ) May seem a little strange to get excited about 136 people veiwing my proflie (that's total...not just this week) but for awhile I've been convinced that the only person that really saw my blog was my boyfriend...so yep, this is great!

Thanks Kirsten! I think you're freakin' awesome too--your knitting projects are incredible and inspiring (lace knitting---you must have the patience of a saint! Remember when I was working on Branching Out? Well...it hasn't gotten any longer since then...I think it'll be a loooong-term project) and I love reading about everything you're up to (P.S. I love Alton Brown too--if he weren't married I'd go to Georgia and steal him for myself--now don't you go down there and try it, I'd fight you for him ;) )

So with great fame (lol) comes great responsibility...how can I make my blog interesting enough that people will come back? That's something I've wondered the entire time I've had a blog actually...and I've thought about having a theme (photography or "how to survive in rural Kentucky when you're not from Kentucky and don't have a clue what soup beans or country ham is") but the truth is, I'm too scatterbrained for a theme...so I'll just keep posting about the random parts of my life and hope you'll stop by sometimes and check it out!! Oh, and if you're really into photography...root around a little more...I've got some stuff from Wyoming that I really like and it's in the postings from last March (?) I think...

Photography is pretty much my favorite thing of all time--I've been taking pictures since I was nine (heck yeah, 4-H photography project!). Since then, I've had a photograph on the cover of Kansas Banker Magazine (you all saw that issue, right?? ;) ), dominated the Douglas County 4-H photography contest at the county fair and newspaper/yearbook photography stuff at my high school (you can also find some of my pictures in the FSHS display at the local Applebees...now that's the big time ;) ) and went to Ohio Univeristy for photojournalism..and got totally BURNT OUT, switched majors twice and ended up as an English major (and since reading is my second favorite thing, things worked out really well--though as you can see, I still love the run-on sentence)...

Now that the burnt out feeling has worn off (helped along by receiving a Canon Digital Rebel for graduation) I'm happily taking my camera anywhere and everywhere I go. I'm also looking into getting my photography displayed at some local galleries and since it turns out that people (other than my parents) think my photography is worth buying, I'm also looking into selling my prints (SO EXCITING!!)

If you're really into knitting...well...you're pretty much seeing the extent of my knitting skills right here (though there are some adorable baby boy scout socks around here somewhere). I first learned to knit from my sister Erin, promptly forgot how, and learned again during a sock knitting class I took last winter...I'm still learning but I love knitting (and I NEED the stress-relief!) and I also love impressing the heck out of people when I'm using double-points ;)

Anyway that's about it for me...except for...a quote that I love right now...(heck, if I can't get you to come back, maybe Voltaire can!)

"I have always made one prayer to God, a very short one. Here it is, "My God, make our enemies very ridiculous!" God has granted it to me." - Voltaire

May all your enemies be "very ridiculous" ;) Thanks for coming by

Can you spot the finished projects??

My most recent knitting projects...one and a half toddler socks (the other half is on the way). I LOVE making these socks and luckily, it seems like everyone I know is having babies. I'm also loving the purple varigated yarn--I think it's making the cutest socks ever (rivaled only by the baby boy scout socks I made). The socks are all resting on my newly finised throw--which I love so much that it goes on my bed every night and back to my couch during the day. I'm not sure what I'll tackle next. I've been doing some online pattern searching--one of these days I may attempt to make socks that are actually my size!

Another South Dakota Picture

A cold day to be taking pictures...

Other Exciting Things...

I don't think I posted anything about it, but I entered one of my photographs from Seattle in the "Glories of the Garden" Art Show at the UK Arboretum. I was thrilled when it was picked for the show, vey excited at the Artists' Reception...but that was nothing compared to Friday morning, when I found out someone had bought my photograph!!! So somewhere, on someone's wall...someone I don't even know, there's a signed, framed print by me!! I don't think I've posted the picture yet, so here it is...feel free to tell me how beautiful it is (hehe) ;)

Work in progress...

So on Friday night I started knitting a throw...and it's going pretty well! It's 60 stiches, knitting both sides (is that garter stitch? maybe?), holding two strands of Lion Brand Homespun (in Colonial--dark blue with turquoise and beige accents) on size 35 needles (which are huge...but honestly, I wouldn't knit a throw with needles that weren't huge ;) )

Here it is!

My adorable couch and a close-up so you can see the pattern!

Going to be a couch potato!!

Guess what I did today??? I bought a couch! Now this may seem pretty normal/not that exciting...BUT for the past 6 months I've been living WITHOUT a couch...which means I've had a papasaun chair and a folding camp chair in my living room...and even though they are acceptable things to sit on, they are not at all like a couch...

So yesterday, my wonderful new friend Keith called me to say that they'd seen some nice couches at the Peddler's Mall in Richmond. I was so excited (especially knowing that Keith has impeccible taste and would only tell me about nice couches) so I took off work at 4 and drove over to Richmond to check them out....ahhh love at first sight!!! so my new couch is really comfortable AND it looks like it's never been used AT ALL (it also doesn't look like the type of couch that would have fleas, bedbugs, or mice living in it--and yes, bedbugs do really exist and are making a comeback...oh, the things you learn working for the College of Agriculture ;) )

So my new couch looks like it came from someone's formal living room...it's part of a two couch set (I did think about buying the other one but really...I don't need two of the same couch). It's got a lower back and low armrests, and it's a blue, sage green, gold floral, which sounds...well, it sounds hideous...but take it from a girl that does not normally like florals, it's really cute...and now you're picturing retro...but I think the couch isn't actually that old...anyway, I'll post a picture when it gets here!

That's the only sad thing...me with my camry on a really rainy day can't get a couch from Richmond to my apartment...so I've already been trying to secure some help and a truck for tomorrow after work...luckily, I am very persuasive, determined and I've got a killer smile...

;)

Some of my favorites...

For eight years, I've been collecting quotations and putting them into blank books. It's always a thrill find a new quotation that I love and can add to my collection! This evening, after adding a few new ones to my book, I was reading back through the some of the older ones....

"So, when something out of the ordinary happens,
some event that brings reassurance that our faith is trustworthy,
we welcome it with all our heart.
But the lesson is the same,
ultimately
everything is going to be okay."
- Mitch Finley

"What is the meaning of it all? I will never know. But I may, like those first graders, give my life meaning by throwing myself recklessly into it daily, as if something astonishing is happening and I am a part of it. It is and I am." -Robert Fulghum

Wow...
=)

You Can Be Domestic Too

So I had a wonderful Christmas, and got a lot of great gifts (all very useful and domestic as my sister called them). I'm the proud owner of a new sewing machine...and today I even managed to use it AND keep my I-hate-not-knowing-how-to-use-things temper down enough that I didn't throw it through the window. I did however imagine throwing it through a window and gained quite a bit of satisfaction from that. I'm psyched about it though and am looking forward to making more pillowcases, curtains, and cute purses than my apartment can hold (and maybe someday I'll branch out and make some pajama pants...we'll see ;) ) Oh, and just think of how I can dominate craft challenges when I don't have to sew everything by hand! ;)

I also got lots of cooking related gifts...hand mixer..cooling racks...cookie sheets...cookie jar, two new knitting books, the Redwall cookbook (yum!), CDs and new sheets for my bed (already washed and ready to go! yes, I have been taking full advantage of my parents' washer and dryer)

So with all my domestic gifts and a new year about to begin, I resolve to become a DOMESTIC GODDESS, able to create all my own clothing, cook everything from scratch, decorate and furnish my home with a few bits of twine and some tape...

hmm...maybe not ;)

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree...

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday so far! I'm doing great--with all my family here, plus 7 dogs, 5 Christmas trees, 2 plates of cookies and fudge (and a partridge in a pear tree) things couldn't be better!

I've posted pictures of all of my Mom's trees, so you can see them. From the top, we have the Family Tree, that's located in the family room. Below that is the Gold Tree that's in the dining room. Next is the Snowman Tree that's in the T.V. room. Then, there's the Kitchen Tree, and then there's the Silver Tree that's at the top of the stairs. The dogs leave the trees alone pretty well, but Freya (that's Erin's dog) has the "tail of doom" that tends to knock glass ornaments off the snowman tree, so we have experienced some ornament casualities. ;)

Christmas Trees

My Christmas Tree! 

From ratty jeans to...

My very first craft challenge entry!

I entered decided to try out craft challenge #7 on craftster.org and "bring new life to old jeans"

I came up with this jean apron/tool belt, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it'll be voted one of the top 5 coolest, so that I can win a crafting book (wouldn't that be awesome). So here's my shameless plee...

vote for me! vote for me! vote for me!

Okay, I'm done now ;)

Puget Sound

A picture from our whale watching trip...
didn't see any orcas, but we did see a little Minki Whale

Back from Seattle

and very very tired...but it was an awesome trip (and as soon as I'm back in my apartment with my USB cord, I'll post some pictures)

Mushed Mums

Mushed Mums

One picture from the Fout garden after a crazy weekend of driving (well actually riding and sleeping while John drove) up to Lancaster and then to Cleveland and then back to Lancaster and then to Athens and then to Lexington (whew!) but I did get to see the end of my friend Erin's wedding and attend her wonderful reception! Then, the next day, I got to go back to Athens for the first time since I graduated...we visited John's really hung-over brother and then went to Donkey for coffee...aww, Athens, I miss you!!

and, on a completely side note, I've been taking my camera with me everywhere....so maybe, just maybe, I'm not burnt-out anymore. We'll see...I'm hoping that one of these days I branch out beyond flower pictures, but I'm not pushing it ;)

We'll see what I can do in Seattle (when I'm there in two days!!)

hmm...

so am I still popular if most of my comments are spam?? ;) hehe at least they appreciate my "very interesting blog"

Slow and steady...

or maybe just slow ;) Branching out has six repeats now...maybe because I keep surfing the internet instead of knitting. I like how it's looking so far but gosh, I have to pay UTTER AND TOTAL ATTENTION to what I'm doing or else I finish a repeat and wonder...

"Why do I only have 24 stitches? Where is my other stitch?? How could I only have 24??"

I think that's happened three times so far...but LUCKILY I read about lifelines and so in the worst cases, I've only had to pull out 10 rows...

I thought that maybe I'd finish it to wear on my Seattle trip, but that'd take some frantic knitting...don't think it's going to happen but we'll see ;)

Another one for the flower portfolio

Flower

A couple pictures from our trip to the UK Arboretum...I love that place sooo much.

My new knitting project, Branching Out, is going well...4 repeats down...32 or so to go...