Big Girl Feet Cynthia Frenette

Friday, March 27, 2009

Long weekend Friday

I gave myself a long weekend. I finished my work before 11am today so that was that- alllll done ‘til Monday!

Today is lazy day, Starr and Norm have the right idea….

We went out for lunch, then groceries to make Chicken Wings + Blue Cheese Pizza for dinner- my specialty! I worked a bit on my big painting, it needs to be relocated so I can work on it without breaking my back bending over. Will figure that out tomorrow. Or Sunday. Or some time when I get fed up bending over to paint it.

Here is the Ugly Betty blanket as of this afternoon! I’ve added a scrap ball of Scout’s Swag Pink Punk.

I wasn’t sure overall how this blanket would turn out, I almost frogged it but I stuck with it and I really like how funky it’s coming out.
(BTW we’re having some formatting issues with el bloggo- Norm is working tirelessly on it to figure out why it suddenly went weird for no reason…. fixed soon….!)

And the first of my 5(7) Things made by Me on Facebook arrived today to it’s new home, to my friend Crissy, a sock monkey to add to her collection!

More surprises to come as they arrive to their destinations…. back to my blanket knitting…. new ball to be added very soon- that’s the exciting part….!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Hey wha’ happened?

This week has been a bit of a blur- work flying in and out, multi-projects multi-tasking, really, I don’t think I did too much other than work, eat, sleep, walk Starr in there a few times. I actually got my email inbox down to a manageable volume- from over 60 emails all needing something done to a project/quote/info/etc. to 17! That’s the lowest it’s been in a while. I feel like I accomplished something finally and feel better that I am pretty much caught up. Tomorrow should be right up to speed again and not feel so overwhelmed and wondering where to start on the everything is urgent and important list! Relief!

Look! Norm got out dressers all done!

Aren’t they nice and grown-up looking? Norm finally had it with the old ones- repairing them over and over every time the bottoms fell out.
We got suckered in to get the mirror above it when I spied it in the showroom above the same dresser. The power of displays!
My brother gave him an excellent assembly tip for Ikea furniture to make it last longer: glue the pieces together as well, as you assemble them.

I took most of today off. It’s been a rather stressy week and yeah! I was ready to snap so we went out for lunch, mailed my 5 Things packages, (watch your mailboxes recipients!), went to Michaels to get my juicy paint colours, came home and took Starry to the doggy park, then back home again and I worked on my Fire on the Mountain- inspired painting. Making progress, and the new bright colours are just what it needed….

(My click thru to Flickr image links aren’t working for some reason, Norm the self-proclaimed “Webmaster of Death” is on it!)

And here is the Ugly Betty blanket as of today, the Fire on the Mountain ball is almost done!I’m working thru the scrap balls- it’s a relief to make something with them and not have them sitting around (and also means I can start adding to my stash again..?!)

I am very happy it’s Friday Eve. It’s been a long week!
And that’s about all that’s new around these parts!

Monday, March 23, 2009

Time flies when you’re having fun

Another day, another weekend. Is it really Monday again?

We had another busy weekend!

Saturday morning, we met my new friend, Cynthia for coffee in Maple Ridge. Have you ever met someone you just feel like you instantly click with and have known for years?  She’s fab! We had a nice visit and get to know you, then on our ways we went.

Norm came along and we went to Ikea afterwards, we needed to replace our crappy bedroom dressers with the bottoms that fall out and drawers that get stuck with some nice shiny new ones, so we got those and a few other things. Ikea was swarming with people buying cartfuls of Ikea goodness- recession? What recession? Then we headed to Home Depot to look at light fixtures and paint. Our entire house is the same colour throughout- a tan/cappuccino type colour- except for the olive chartreuse colour we did in the office & my art room. We’re getting tired of it! Norm’s been talking about painting the bathroom so we looked at ideas for that & the bedroom. I’m leaning toward a very pale brownish/antique-y tinted lilac. Project for another weekend!

Then we headed home to let Starry out, she was all wound up for the rest of the day poor girl! I took her on a walk before we left in the morning, so I took her on another one when we got home to burn off some energy. She’s going thru a growth spurt as she is eating tons and growing and super hyper. Typical teenager!?

Saturday night was tv and chillax.

Sunday, Norm assembled the dressers and Starr and I did some yard clean up- sweeping pinecones, trimming broken branches on the hedges, planted some wildflowers and sweetpeas, dog poop patrol, (me) , playing ball and running laps of the yard (Starr). After that it was so nice and warm outside, I put on my comfy pants and sat in the sun and started reading The Artist’s Way. It looks pretty interesting, deep and scary but interesting. My brother Tom arrived to measure for our deck addition, so if the weather’s nice, the boys will be doing that next weekend while Denise, Carol & I do our hypertufas!

The sun vanished and it went back to cold and windy weather so I went inside and packed all my 5 (7) Things from Me packages up.

I’m just waiting for confirmation of one address then they are off to the recipients, then once they are all received, I can show you what I made. A sneak peek,  everybody got one of these magnets tucked into their package:

I kept one for myself too. I made them with those little corner supports they put in the package with canvases from the dollar store. I never use them for their intended purpose so I had a stack I was going to recycle but then saw this idea in Cloth Paper Scissors so I made some! I think they turned out super cute!

Then, I started my Goddess Project 6. I watched the video then started listening to the meditation. For some reason I wasn’t connecting with it this time. I was a bit distracted and the window was open so I could hear the neighbour kids outside playing, cars going by, Starr scratching at the bedroom door to get in (I tried letting her in but she was too restless so I had to kick her out!). So I stopped at almost the end. I got the jist of it though, it’s all about your big wildest dream(s) and taking steps to making it happen. Currently, I do not really have a big wild dream specifically, I guess my biggest one was starting my own business for real which I have already done and am working on already. What’s the next step? Growing it? Maybe that’s my next big dream? I don’t know yet. Anyways, it was also about trying new things, what have you always wanted to do, create, experience, etc.?

That I can do! Something I’ve had in my head for a long time (my head is super full of ideas and projects waiting to get out- I need to win the lottery so I can just play and get them all done!) is to take the colours of variegated/handpainted yarn and how they knit up and make a “stitch” painting based on how the colours come up in the stitches as you go. My Ugly Betty blanket is my inspiration, and since I added the next scrap ball- Socks that Rock Fire on the Mountain(thanks to Robyn!), I thought I just had to try it.

Here’s the yarn, knitting up in garter stitch:

And here’s the painting just started. I need to get some more paint colours so some of the stitches are just blocked in until I get the proper appropriate shades.

I’m pretty stoked on this- I think it will be pretty cool when it’s all done. It’s a big canvas, 36"x48”, so there’s LOTS of painting to do, but all the vibrant colours make it interesting. I have the newspaper collage texture in the background for some interest- it’ll be all painted over in the end with just the paper texture visible. My plan from now on is to quit work work at 4pm and do creative non-computer stuff. I need some play time.

And now it’s Monday again and back to regular work…..