Too much on my plate

So I have come to realize that I have too much going on in my life and I need to cut out some of the "extra" things that cause me unneeded stress and worry. That's why after months of ignoring my blog, I decide to actually write a post. That makes a ton of sense. Actually, I just want to be able to post pictures of my son's birthday party (which is probably my real source of stress -- only because I am going to be embarrassed by the rock quarry and mud mounds in my yard.) I really should have had a construction themed party. It would have been perfect.

Anyway, just to get back in the swing of things. Here are two items I have knitted in the last couple months. The first is a set of booties for our neighbors who had their third boy. You can get the pattern from here: http://www.bekahknits.com/. Or if you are on ravelry, from here.

The second pattern is from Debbie Bliss' "Essential Baby." It's just the little baby vest pattern, but I added the monogram "R" using intarsia. It's my first time making of my own intarsia design. I just basically created a grid of the stitches and Xed the blue ones. It was pretty easy.

Seagram: 1993-2008

Last night, I made the choice with my husband, Greg to say goodbye to our sweet dog Seagram. In the past couple months, Seagram declined significantly from the effects of lymphoma. In addition to failing appetite and intestinal distress, breathing problems and muscular-skeleton issues, the last couple weeks rendered him completely blind in one eye with the other failing fast. This being said, I can officially say that I am a complete disaster as my mind second-guesses my decision. It's difficult to process that yesterday, he was here, and today, he’s gone. Words really can’t describe how sad we are and how much we miss him. Seagram has been around for nearly half my life. He was born in New Orleans sometime in July of 1993 and came into our lives after someone found a litter of puppies in a garbage can and took them to the LASPCA. He was a mess when we got him with gross intestinal parasites and a big spot of ringworm on his back leg. Nonetheless, I couldn’t help but think he was adorable after watching him pounce and wrestle with his brother. So Seagram went home with us to 916 Audubon Street, his first home of many. During the New Orleans days, he romped around with his fellow college partner in crime, Champ Bell plotting ways to tip over the garbage can so he could drag the trash to Barrett’s bed or how he could eat an entire tray of brownies sent to me for Valentine’s Day from my Grandma Schutte. He also accompanied us on many hikes, the most memorable one to St. George Island where he was carried 2 miles in Barrrett’s back pack on what later became known as the “Spring Break from Hell.” When he moved back to St. Louis with me in 1998, he was able to become a full time roommate to my childhood dog, Charlie, then living with my mother and my cat from 4th grade named Dusty. Seagram pretty much sealed the deal on Dusty’s moving papers and she decided to adopt our neighbors as her new parents because I guess that she didn’t like to be out-numbered. Then came Suzie and Miles who have been his longest companions yet…Suzie for the last 8 years and Miles for 5. He has spent many a day laying in the sunshine with Suzie (and avoiding Miles) watching the birds and clouds fly by. It’s amazing how he seems to be one of the only dogs that I have known to really take in all of his surroundings. Seagram will be forever remembered for his sensitive nature and for his caring intuition for his humans. He was a very good dog and I am lucky to have been able to have him share in my life.

And again...Why did I not learn how to Crochet?

Holy cow. I want to make these. Except bigger and I wanted them like 3 weeks ago so I could have my one hand smack my other hand around when it got out of line during the debates.


Barack Obama Crocheted Finger Puppet from Lion Brand


John McCain Crocheted Finger Puppet from Lion Brand

The Jib Jab Guys are my Heroes

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Hickory Dickory Dot Sweater

I have officially finished the Hickory Dickory Dot Sweater by annypurls. It's for our friends, Sarah and James (and Sadie) who are expecting their first child due September 24. I don't think my sweater is nearly as cute as hers, however I used yarn that probably wasn't as nice. I get worried about using yarn that is too expensive for a baby. They either grow out of it quickly or get it terribly stained and you can't throw a lot of the yarns in the washer for a good scrub. If anyone has found a good DK yarn for baby items that is not TERRIBLY expensive, let me know.

While at Jujube&Lolo, I discovered anny has a new pattern. Yay! It's called Duck Soup. I really want to make it for Ethan, but I'm a little worried it looks too girly. I wouldn't make the closures multi-colored. I think that would help lessen it's feminine effect. What do you think?

E's Birthday Party Invitation

So, as my good friend Ellen pointed out in my last post, I didn't show a picture of Ethan's invitation. Here it is.

I am selling ones like it that I will customize with your child's silhouette and colors in my Etsy shop: www.inviteddesign.etsy.com

Happy Birthday to E!

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I know it's been a month and a half since my last blog post, but it's not like I've been sitting around twiddling my thumbs. So here's what I have been up to ...

Knitting: I am almost done with Hickory Dickory Dot by anny purls. I'm just finishing up the mouse and deciding if I want to put a squeaker in it before I finish seaming. I'll post a picture of it when it's complete. Next on the needles: A sweater jacket for me! My first. Here's the pattern I'm using: DROPS Jacket

Invitations: I guess you can say I have started an invitation business. This has taken up most of my spare time. It's too much to go into now, so I'll save that for a later post. Maybe tomorrow.

My son's second birthday: Yay! Ethan turned two! With all of my efforts towards designing invitations (which I really have enjoyed) I was totally the slacker mom about the E-Man's second birthday. I couldn't really even decide on a theme. I was torn because he really likes cars. However, we got him a train set because he loves playing with them at other people's houses and has really started to say "CHOO! CHOO!" whenever we're driving or walking and see trains. On the other hand, he's totally obsessed with balls. So the theme became "All things that roll" I made his invitation and lined the envelopes with paper printed with little cars. I love to make cakes, so I totally stole the idea of this train cake and made my own. Here's mine.

OK. So mine isn't as fancy, but it's OK. I used my Grandma Young's Lady Bird Johnson Chocolate cake recipe which is one of our faves.

The weather here in St. Louis has been beautiful for August so we were lucky enough to be able to have the party outside. Here's some pictures from the day.

That's my husband's tortoise, Buddy. (Notice I say my husband's tortoise. He came with him in the marriage.)

So, Ethan wanted to play with "Daddy's Lawn Mower" (it's really a blower) more than anything else. Eventually, we had to put blower "Night. Night" "Bye. Bye. Wawn Wower."

He can finally rip wrapping paper. Yay! He eventually got the hang of the present thing. Here he is playing with his Thomas book from Aunt Lynn and Uncle John.

How cute is my niece?
These are the lion cupcakes I made and brought to school for his birthday. I got the idea from here. (I'm such a cake hack.) Ethan doesn't like cake...I have no idea what is wrong with him, but I figured he would like the candy. Plus, I wanted to hear him say "Wion. RAARRRR!"
He's a good "rarrr-er".

So that's it for the birthday. I can't believe my little love is two.