The BIG Announcement and a Giveaway X 2

I do not usually make new year resolutions, but this year I decided to make an exception. Knitting, crafting, and blogging has been so therapeutic for me in 2007. So, to keep the momentum going I am going to blog everyday in 2008.

This year promises to be full of new projects, new skills, and new challenges.

So, here is the deal. I am going to blog and blog and blog. And to keep this going, I need lots of support. I will commit to giving away two gifts. One to the person who leaves me my 100th comment. Then I will put all of the names leading up to the 100th comment in a hat, pull one out and send them a gift. (If you comment more than once, you will be put in the drawing more than once.)

Yea!!!!! I am so excited.

Happy New Year!

A Beautiful Day

I woke up on Christmas Day to this. It was beautiful. My oldest son has always been infatuated with the moon. We sing about it, read about it, talk about it, and spot it if at all possible. When I woke on Christmas morning, the moon was the first thing I saw when I looked out the window. It made my day and reminded me of the simple gifts of Christmas.

So, you can imagine how I felt review Christmas Day pictures and seeing this.

I can’t believe I reacted so strongly to a new camera, but I was sooooooo excited. I have loved photography for most of my life. But, since I had children, it has taken on a new life. I think it helps me feel like I am saving a piece of my children at every stage, every memory, every new discovery. I especially love digital. I take hundreds of pictures of the boys with the full intent to only keep the great ones. However, when I review the pictures, I treat them like holy words. I can’t delete them and most of the time I can’t even alter them in any way.

Needless to say, I love my boys, I love my Christmas, and I feel so blessed to have such a bright outlook on Christmas. What a Gift.

HOMEmade FOR THE HOLIDAYS

HOMEmade FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Originally uploaded by UpNAdam

What a year! A year ago December 15, I decided to quit my day job and stay home with my two little guys. It has taken a little getting used to, but it has been worth it. One thing I knew I needed to survive and flourish was something to learn, create, improve upon, etc……you get the idea. So, in preparation for my year I asked Santa for a sewing machine, and ipod and I learned to knit. WOW! My life is forever changed……..for the better. I have created things I never dreamed I could create. I have discovered things about myself that I never knew…..I really am creative and I can do things that not everyone else can do. It has served as an outlet and has proved to be the best therapy EVER!

Last spring I set a goal for myself. I was going to make a majority of the Christmas gifts I gave this year. At first, I was going to supplement the homemade with something purchased. But, as the year progressed, I really felt like that cheapened what I was doing. The things I made, by hand, were valuable…..what a concept.

Test Runs:
Alpaca Knit Scarf for my sister’s birthday
Prayer Shawl for my mother’s birthday
Travel Art Book for a friend’s son

And (drum roll please), here is my Christmas list:
Photo Montage for brother-in-law
Ruffle Scarf (Alpaca) for my sister
Photo Montage for my dad
Prayer Shawl for both of my grandmothers
Knitting Project bag, notions bag and needle case for my sister-in-law
Scarf for my sister’s boyfriend
Photo Calendar for Husband’s Grandmother, Mother and Aunt

Yes, that is right, a total of 13 homemade gifts from August through Christmas. Pretty good for someone who has never made a homemade gift….and actually gave it to the recipient.

The biggest surprise! This was the BEST Christmas ever. I have never been so excited to give these gifts. They all went to great people that I dearly love.

As usual, I am obsessed. I am already planning my homemade gifts for next year. Working up to 100%. We’ll see.

A Special Thanks to a few of Those Who Inspired Me:

Amy at Creative Mom Podcast

Aunt Linda

Brenda Dane at Cast On

My eldest son who remarked about a halloween project, "Mama made Halloween."  Precious.

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Happy New Year!

A HUGE Announcement to be made December 31st.  GET EXCITED!

I didn't need a quiz to know this.......

What Kind of Knitter Are You?

You appear to be a Knitting Guru. You love knitting and do it all the time. While finishing a piece is the plan, you still love the process, and can't imagine a day going by without giving some time to your yarn. Packing for vacation involves leaving ample space for the stash and supplies. It can be hard to tell where the yarn ends and you begin.http://marniemaclean.com Take this quiz! Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Knitting Craze

chandelier
Originally uploaded by annamariahorner

I found this on Anna Marie Horner's Blog. I love it. I really think I need this in my house all year round.........sans the bird........they freak me out.

Has anyone seen the yarn tree at the Gap? I think that is where I saw it......I love it all.

"Pay it Forward"

I hereby pledge to send a handmade gift to the first three people who comment on this entry. No real promises about time frame, but it’ll be within the next 365 days. In return, you have to post the same offer on your blog, and prepare to send a gift to three other people.

Remember, you have a year to get your gifts done! Please remember, you don’t have to knit or crochet to participate, anyone who can make a nice handmade gift is welcome to join.

Ice Storm 2007

Ice Storm 2007
Originally uploaded by UpNAdam

Well, things have been a little rough here in Oklahoma. We had a major ice storm and my family has not had power since 1 am Monday. The boys have been sick and my poor husband is living in our house with no heat or lights and working during the day. Did I mention we were supposed to have baby boy's first birthday party on Saturday?......invitations have already gone out. Yuck!

The picture you see is of our street sign.  Can you find it?

Here is the link to more pictures....

And a link to Dillon on the news.....

Bedlam 2007

Bedlam at the Curran home is always a little bit tricky.  I am a LOYAL OU fan and Dillon is a LOYAL OSU fan.  However, things got more complicated this year because we are now proud owners of OU season football tickets.  Here is the long and short of our day.

We wake up to snow on the ground and a 2 year old with a temperature.  We pack up our Thanksgiving trip bags and head out to Grandma Jan's....we convince ourselves that the 2 year old will be just fine and we are "just a phone call away"...and a 2 hour drive.  We head to Norman, hit Pepe Delgado's for some Pork Taco's.....the best Mexican food ever!  Then we head to the game.  We hike up to our seats and watch.  We watched and cheered and watched and cheered.  We stayed until the last second.  The Sooner's came out on top, the ponies, Boomer and Sooner, were retired, and Joel had his last home game as a member of the Pride.  We finished our night with Tim and Tracy at Turquoise....Pepe's new restaurant.    A Great Day.....victory again.....until next year!

Oklahoma in the Fall

I was driving by the Memorial yesterday at sunset. It was beautiful.

Rolling Stone Online - Flaming Lips

Rolling Stone Online - Flaming Lips
Originally uploaded by greyhound808

My neighbor was published in Rolling Stone. How cool is that?

Happy Halloween....and a day

When we were in Boston a couple of weeks ago, we got to see their attempt to break the world record of # of Jack o Lantern's in one place. It was pretty awesome. They lit them every night and it smelled like a Pumpkin Spice Candle.

A New Playroom

I love how this room turned out. When boy #2 arrived, we decided to put him in his own nursery. But, the plan was to eventually move them into one room and make the other room a playroom. This past Sunday we woke up and decided "today is the day". What an adventure. We worked and worked and I am pretty happy with the results and the boy likes it too.

Before (I LOVED this room, but it was time for a change.)

During (What a MESS. We let the boys play in the pile of toys to keep the occupied. They both had a great time, but the little one had the best time of all. His eyes were huge when we set him down.)


A couple of pictures of the boys in their new room. There is still a little to do, but it is generally finished.

Back from Boston

Dillon and I had an awesome time in Boston. He had a CLE and I had a little vacation sans kids. It was kind of strange...being away from the boys, that is....but we had a great time. Here are a few of the highlights. The weather was a little dreary and pretty warm for this Okie, but there were a couple of absolutely beautiful days.

I walked from our hotel (that, by the way, from our window, we could look down into Fenway Park....AWESOME) across the Harvard Bridge, through MIT and all over Harvard University. This was my own little fantasy world, being the professional student I am. I even thought about sitting in on a class or two, but I chickened out.

On Saturday, when Dillon and I had a whole day together, we took a ferry over to Salem. It was a little touristy for me, but once we got past all of the people dressed as witches there were some wonderful homes and boutiques. I fell in love with this yellow house. The weather was beautiful and we just walked and walked. A perfect day and surroundings to catch up with my husband.

The sun was setting as we returned on the ferry. We got back to Boston just in time to watch the game at a fun little place up north. A Great Day!

The day we flew out our flight did not leave until late afternoon. So, we got up and walked the Freedom Trail. I know, a little dorky, but it was really interesting and a beautiful day. This is a picture of North Church, where the lanterns of Paul Revere are kept. You can see them up in the steeple. We ate lunch, when we weren't really hungry, just to eat one more Italian meal on the North Side. Then, as luck would have it, the Head of the Charles Regatta was taking place near our hotel, so we watched that for a while.

As you can can probably tell from the excessive use of superlatives we had a Wonderfully Spectacular time.

Boo

Halloween Decorations including Mantle Scarf I made
Originally uploaded by UpNAdam

I am getting ready for the holidays....I think. I made this mantle scarf to go with my halloween decorations. It turned out pretty cute. It is reversable, so I will flip it over for Thanksgiving. I love this little witch. I bought her in Santa Fe a few years ago. I think she might be one of my favorite holiday decorations.....she is just so darn cute. I also love the jack-o-lantern bubble lights. Every time A walks by he says, "Mommy made Halloween." It was worth the effort!

New Toys and Book Clubs

Today I picked up a couple of fun toys to add to my art supplies. I have been looking for stencils like this and I found some Pitt pens at Office Depot. SCORE!

I have also been trying to interest people in a book club for years. Finally, this month not one but two came into being. So, I have some reading to do. The first one is The Faith Club. The mom's group at my church is reading this book. I have already read it, but it is really good. I will look over it again before we discuss it. The other book is Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love. A group of girlfriends is going to read this after seeing Elizabeth on Oprah.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

My Personel Palette

My Personel Palette
Originally uploaded by UpNAdam

I had such a great time last Thursday. I have been asked to lead a series of "creativity" activities for a Mom's Group. I do it once a month and last Thursday was the first one. I was pretty nervous. I have never led anything like this before....but, it went really well. I took an idea that I had read about in Visual Chronicles, making a personel palette. I took out all of my art supplies and introduced the idea by asking, "what inspires you?" Then each mom was to make a palette for inspiration. They loved it. I had several people say that they could do this all day. Everyone had great ideas and all in all it was a great time. Now, I just have to think of something for next month....any ideas?

Boys and Beautiful Butterflies

Boys will be boys.....that's what they say, I guess. Here is my dirty boy taking a dirt bath.

Luckily, I have a backyard full of beauty.

A Great Trip

Las Vegas Mosaic
Originally uploaded by UpNAdam

It is well known that my "Love Language" is Quality Time and boy did I get some quality time with my family this weekend. We went to New Mexico...all of us this time....daddy included. We spent our time hiking, playing, talking, playing with ladybugs, wheelbarrow riding, practicing photography, visiting galleries, and much more. The weather could not have been more beautiful. Here are a few pictures of our great trip.

Chronicles of a New Knitter: My First Hat

I have been working on a hat out of the First Knits book. It is the Hat with Flaps Pattern. Things have been going pretty well, but there have been a few "hiccups":


1. I found the pattern and bought the yarn specifically as the pattern called for (first time ever)....I should have the right amount, right? NO!

2. I did a gauge swatch....another first. The gauge was about ten stitch's off. I had no idea how to fix this so I decided I would just knit more loosely and hope for the best. If it is way too small, Adam can wear it.

3. I Knit and Knit and finally I was almost ready to start the decreases and I obviously did not have enough yarn! Aargh! That's okay, I always save my yarn wrapping. I CAN'T FIND THE RIGHT ONE!

4. I start guessing which yarn to buy and I keep buying an off color. At this point, I am too embarrassed to take my partially finished hat in...I don't know why, but I am.

5. I FIND the right yarn (3 weeks and 6 trips to different stores later).

6. I get started on the decreases (I didn't realize that I was knitting too tight to k2tog with ease) and start watching the football game, enjoying some wine, and forget to refer back to my pattern. What now?

7. Since I don't know how to partially frog, I set out the next morning on a mission to pick up a coffee and get my hat back on track...NO MATTER WHAT!

8. Surprisingly, I was able to get back to the correct number of stitches and finish the crown. Unfortunately, when I flat stitched the hat together it was HUGE....and I have a big head. (Please refer back to #2 where I mention that my gauge was Too Small.) Frustrating.

I have now finished one of two ear flaps (also huge) and I plan to finish the hat tonight. I will let you know how it works out. I am going to try to wash it to see if that helps. I can say that my first hat taught me a lot, and, believe it or not, it turned out way better than my first shawl.

I Got My Invitation

I am sooooooo excited. Yesterday I received my invitation to join Ravlery. I am still finding my way around....more to come later!

Celebrating Oklahoma's Centennial

I was born and raised in Oklahoma. While it is not the most glamorous place to live, there are many things my "great state" has to offer that I take for granted. I read a lot of blogs. (Sometimes I think it is my way of getting off the Great Plains.) I am always a little jealous of those who live in the mountains or near the ocean. One way or another, I am always interested to read about people's (and their children) adventures around home. I make a lot of jokes about being an Okie, but in lieu of the Centennial, I thought I would post some of Oklahoma's bright spots!

#1 POPS 66

Route 66 (a.k.a The Mother Road....how fitting) runs right through the heart of Oklahoma. Historic Route 66 was established in 1926 originally running from Chicago to Las Angeles (a total of 2,448 miles). Route 66 was a major pat of the migrants who went west and the travel supported the economies of the communities through which the road passed. US 66 was officially decommissioned in 1985 after it was decided the route was no longer relevant and had been replaced by the Interstate Highway System.

POPS 66 was built in Arcadia, OK. It is a gas station, convenient store, soda fountain, and landmark. It is a futuristic building filled with colorful sodas from all over. Out front is a 66 foot tall pop bottle that lights up at night. It is a sight to see. Even more impressive, my brother-in-law can claim this as his first construction job for which he was the primary manager. Go Devin! We were impressed.

Favorite Podcasts

I traveled across 3 states three times this summer with my children. My company: my iPod! I discovered several podcasts and a couple (actually 3 to stay with the theme) of them I really have to mention because I LOVE them.

Creative Mom Podcast: Amy does a great job covering all types of art, creativity, parenthood, etc. I look forward to this every week and I love all of the creative promts and book suggestions. I have also participated in a Artist Trading Card exchange hosted by this group. I have to say I have also listened to almost all of the archive episodes.

CraftSanity: Another great podcast. Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood does an interview show. She interviews current creative minds...many of them fellow bloggers. It seams like every time I discover a new creative person that I enjoy they appear on her show.

Writers on Writing: Barbara DeMarco-Barrett interviews writers, editors, publicists and agents. LOVE IT! Again, I have listened to a lot of the archive episodes, but there are sooooooo many....I think over 300. Anyway, I have plenty to keep me busy and I have learned so much about the writing industry. We will see if it helps :)! I have also discovered some of the best books that I would not necessarily pick off the shelf without hearing the author discuss it on this show. I can also recommend, if you are interested in writing, Barbara's book, Pen on Fire.

These are just a few of the ones I listend to...all great and all pretty popular! Let me know if there is a Podcast you can't miss.

Inspiration of the Week

link

"Your soul is oftentimes a battlefield, upon which your reason and your judgment wage war against your passion and you appetite.
Would that I could be the peacemaker in your soul, that I might turn the discord and the rivalry of your elements into oneness and melody.
But how shall I, unless you yourselves be also the peacemakers, nay, the lovers of all your elements?"
Kahlil Gibran

A New Knitters Dream

I am tentatively planning a knitting "get away". I have a vision of a small group a knitters from all over the country with all different skill levels meeting in the mountains, at Casa de Maria, to meet, knit, share stories, and visit some "fiber stops". So, while on a recent trip out to Las Vegas, NM, I stopped in at the visitors information place. I asked if she was aware of any local yarn spinners, retailers, etc. She suggested Ironstone Yarns...gave me directions, a map and a phone number. I was off. She neglected to mention that this was Ironstone Yarns' warehouse. I found the building and there was no sign. I called the number and asked if they had a retail area where I could shop...the woman said no, but suggested that I come in and look around.

What a treat! There was more yarn then I could have ever dreamed. Jan, showed me around, let me pick a project and then sold me the yarn at wholesale price. I mentioned my possible trip and she said to just give her a call and she would set up a tour. What a great day! I will post more pictures on Flickr.

We have been pretty busy around the Curran house. I finally finished the thank you notes for Adam's birthday. Better late than never, but I really need to work on getting thank you's out better. I don't know why I didn't just buy some ready made cards....I am on a serious DIY kick. Here is a peek.I have had these books for a month....I re-checked them out and they were still overdue. Bad Mom! We enjoyed them throughly. Adam never gets tired of nursery rhymes and I LOVE everything Eric Carl...Flora and Tiger is a collection of his essays.
Finally, I made it to the post office last week (my least favorite errand). I almost bought 400 stamps to ensure that I would not have to return until both boys are walking "aggressively"....I decided that would be excessive. To make it worth my trip, I bought some fun stamps. Super Heros!
We are out of here for a little while. The boys and I will be enjoying some mountain time out in New Mexico. We will be back at the end of the month. Until then....

FINISHED

FINISHED
Originally uploaded by UpNAdam

I finally finished the prayer shawl I began ???months ago. I make these with a Knitting Group from my church. We make them for people who are sick or homebound for a little homemade comfort. Sometimes we know them, sometime not. I began this one for a friend's sister who had a baby in need of a liver transplant. He received the transplant and is doing awesome. I finished this for a friend who is fighting Stage IV liver cancer. I met her when I worked as a Children's Minister....her son, now 10, was one of my favorites. Now, I need to get up the nerve to go see her. Life is so short and full of excitement and sorrow.

I need a "Studio"

since I began my new life as a SAHM, I have been doing all kinds of arts, crafts, and writing. I keep telling my husband that I need a "studio". This is how I will turn my new hobbies into "real money making ventures." He laughs. Now, I have a GREAT idea....I will knit a studio. :)

My Right Arm is GONE

This weekend was busy, busy, busy....I was exhausted. The worst part is I BROKE MY CAMERA! I dropped it trying to find a binky for my 2 year old. ARGH!

The good news is....due to a broken washing machine....I had time to work on some ATC's. I think I might even have mine out on time.....SURPRISE!

More on our crazy weekend and crafting later.

Birthday Madness

Treasure Bags
Originally uploaded by UpNAdam

I love birthday's! I always have, but now that I have children the madness has reached a new level. We celebrated Adam's first birthday with 50 of our closest friends and family at Wiley Post Airport. The festivities included a private viewing of a vintage airplane. Daddy even got to ride in it during the taxi.

This year (2) is no different. We are having a pirate themed party. It will be here at our house and we have tried to keep the guest list down. Just a couple of friends and the whole family. I have made tablecloths, Treasure Bags, and plan to do hamburgers and sides. We bought the cake (I am NOT a baker) at Brown's Bakery.

Adam seems to be excited. He can sing....yes, sing...every word of Happy Birthday. We have been practicing. I will let you know how it goes.

Crazy Crafting Business

I have so much going on right now I hardly have time to sleep, much less blog. But, I am trying to discipline myself and I want to keep everyone updated to the current happenings. I will write just a snippet for now and update with more detail as time allows.








My boys and I just returned from our second trip out to New Mexico. We had such a good time! This trip we took some friends and all enjoyed some much needed rest and relaxation mixed with nature, art, and (of course) "playing with cars"....boys.














My oldest will have his 2nd Birthday on July 31st and his party is THIS SATURDAY. I wanted to do something special, so we settled on a Pirate Themed Party at home. I made the invitations, we plan to grill hamburgers, and I am currently working on all of the decorations. I need to make the tablecloth and some "treasure bags" for the favors. This will be my primary task for the day.










I have also been stressing over my first ATC for CMP. I am really excited, but VERY intimidated. I am also having trouble with the theme, "A Midsummer Nights Dream." I really need to get on the ball and get some of my ideas on paper. I am also reading up a storm....and since Jessica introduced me to Shelfari on her podcast Halfway There....I am hooked. It has fed my reading addiction.


I am still knitting. This is my comfort these days. I love to knit, although my skills still need a little honing. I am trying to finish a "Prayer Shawl" for a friend who is fighting very serious cancer. I want to finish it soon and I do hope it provides her some comfort as I have thought of her often. I also took a knitting class at SWAK...loved it. And, best of all, I am going to Stitch n Bitch after a little postpartum break (for the organizer, not me:))










I made an little artist drawing case for my son and then gave it to a friend. It was from a pattern I had found on Craft Apple. It turned out really cute, but I learned a few things I will do differently next time.

















I have been playing with photography. Here is one of my favorites from NM.

Please let me know if you are reading this....I am curious about my current audience. Thanks for all of your kind words.

BTW, I was asked to take a self portrait a LONG time ago by Amy at CMP. So, here are a couple.
Me with the youngest

Me Sewing Outside