All Things Heather

Phew...

That was a lot of work!  What a tremendous response, we managed to raise over $500.00 to various charities around the community.   I'm hoping this giving spirit will continue, no matter how little you may have, you always have enough to share a little. 

These will be heading to the post office today and tomorrow.   I think it's about $1000.00 worth of yarn give or take a little.  Of course, I didn't think it through on my end and forgot about postage costs!  Yikes..we might have to set up a charity to cover mailing fees, some of these packages are going all the way to the UK!   

 

I have contacted pretty much everyone to let them know they made it to the list. If you have not heard from me, drop me a line.   I have 3 folks that I'm not sure about. The rest of you should be getting your envie in the mail sometime soon!   

give a little...get a little...

Thanks so much everyone. I've run out of yarn, but feel free to donate if you want, I'll add you to a list in case I find some more!

I know times are hard for lot of folks right now.  "Economic recession" isn't just some it word from TV land, it's hitting many Americans in both big and small ways.  Being a single income military family, we have experienced parts of this recession first hand as we watch gas and grocery bills go through the roof and don't even get me started on Southern California utilities, I have a nearly small coronary each month.  Regardless, no one has felt the crunch more then non-profits, people in real need don't just go away during these hard times and many folks are out there just struggling to feed their kids. But that doesn't mean that we all can't use a couple of life's little luxuries - like hand dyed sock yarn! 

So I'm hoping to find a new home for some of my stash and make a little cash for those in need.  This will be much simpler then last years fundraising thing, I'm still pretty sure that a few of you didn't get your yarn! 

I have about 25 skeins of hand dyed sock yarn - most doubles - meaning they are double skeins, 8 oz instead of 4 oz so enough for grande socks or two pairs - that need new homes.  I'm out of room and seriously, I've knit 1 pair of socks in the last 6 months, at this rate it would take me about 25 years to knit through half my stash! 

   

So this is how it's going to work.  You will donate some cash (whatever you feel is fair - I'm talking $5.00 - $10.00  - $15.00 - $20.00 -  I'm not judging) to UNICEF - or a charity of your choice.  E-mail me - athyarns at yahoo dot com - a copy of the receipt and your mailing address and I'll send you a skein of yarn.  I'm going to just slap your name on one of the envelopes - (this is true Montessori style - you get what you get and you don't mind a bit).   

About the yarn, it is from my own personal stash and it has all been been hand dyed by me.  None is tagged but it is all superwash merino or a combo there in and all is appropriate for knitting nifty little socks,scarves, hats, or small shawls.  I realize it's a bit of inconvenience to not know the yardage but I've made sure to only pack up the skeins with ample yardage to knit a normal pair of socks.  And as I said, MANY of the skeins are double skeins so you should have more then enough to share with a friend if you would like.  The gauge, well you guys all to test swatches right?!?  As I stated earlier, you get what you get - if you don't like the color, swap with a friend, knit a hat for a shelter, or use it in a charity blanket - it's for a good cause and you never know, you could strike gold!

So I don't run out of yarn..be sure to post a quick comment that you are participating.  It will "close" at 35 commenters, if it even gets to that, until I reassess my supply. 

P.S. If you are a spinner and would like roving instead of sock yarn let me know.  I think I have a bit I could part with. 

Lose it unless you use it...

As most of you know, I'm returning to school in the fall to get my certification in Montessori.  I'm pretty excited, a little nervous about my ridiculously long summer reading list, but excited none the less.  The thing I didn't talk about was the Master's in Education that could go along with my certification if I choose to pursue it.  Well, I should clarify, if they choose to let me in.  My grades in college pretty  much sucked, I really had other priorities at the time, and now 10 years later I'm paying the price for a little too much fun time.  I e-mailed the admissions board, actually the lady who heads it, and told her very candidly that my grades sucked, is there any way in hell they would let me in especially since it is 10 years later.  I have a chance, not a great chance, but a chance if I take the GRE.  Holy crap! 

So now I'm in GRE hell. I decided to go for it, minus the fact that I would actually get my M.Ed. if I get accepted, I would also qualify for all sorts of financial aid things that I do not by merely getting my certification.  Unfortunately, getting a kick ass score on the GRE, which is highly unlikely, will not guarantee me a spot but it will  help my pathetic odds just a little bit. So I decided to just go balls out and buy all the Kaplan stuff and really study.

I'm amazed about all the stuff I really don't know. I could not answer even one of the math problems and did not even recognize half of them.  And to demonstrate even further how sorry I am at this, I don't even know enough of the basics to be able to learn the advanced stuff I need for the test - how to divide decimals, simplifying radicals, finding percentages of percentages of decimals.   I really don't think I'm a stupid person, I just don't remember any of this crap.  So, I'm feeling a little tense.  The thing that irks me the most though, is after spending literally hundreds of hours to study, they probably still won't let me in but I have to give it my best.

 

On the knitting front - I've begun a sweater if you can believe it.  The Ogee Tunic from Knitting Nature.  I'm not entirely sure why I'm knitting a definitely fall sweater right at the beginning of a sweltering SoCal summer but I've committed to it.  I have at least 10 UFO's in my "knitting trunk" and there is no room for another so this must actually come off the needles in a decent amount of time. I've made a few minor modifications to it but will discuss those as the sweater comes to a finish. In the meantime, it's slow going but I must not lose hope!  Tootles. 

Friends don't let friends drink white wine...

The fundraising auction was Saturday night and in my humble opinion it was a smashing success!  Unfortunately, I got a little smashed as well and I'm payed the price for it the next day.  I managed to suck down 5 glasses of white wine and a token kamikaze - not a pretty sight considering my alcohol tolerance is at nil. Luckily, I'm a gushingly happy drunk so if anything so I just tried to spread good cheer.  I had about 10 people come up to me and tell me how nice I looked, one person even went so far to say that she almost didn't recognize me.  I guess it should be a good thing, but it makes me wonder if I really just look like crap the rest of the time.  It was like they were all shocked I could actually clean up.  But it didn't stop my good cheer and I had a great time. 

The mirror project went for $600.00 in a silent auction.  We all agreed that if it had either gone live or had stayed open longer it would have gone for more. My mother was disappointed, she really wanted it but the price ended up being over her limit.  Instead she focused her energy on a gas grill...yeah for us..we now have a new grill for our patio and she got to win something.  Our last grill basically imploded while we were living in Charleston and we have greatly missed it. I managed to get a little overly generous and paid $200.00 for an overnight babysitter - that's what liquor will do to you!  BUT, at least I know sometime in the next year Tom and I can have a real date night, complete with hotel room and a nice sleep in sans children. 

Pre-event..you would not  BELIEVE what happened to me.  I was in desperate need of a hair cut so I just picked a random salon out of the phone book and went for it.   The auction theme was "Hollywood Glamor" so figured I should at the very least get my big hair blown straight and try to channel some inner glamor.  I get to the salon and am mid styling when a camera crew enters the salon. Get this, apparently they were filming for a new reality show on TLC.   Holy crap.  Of course I was filmed mid blow dry, no make up with a giant mushroom afro - couldn't they at least wait until I was done for a presentable filler shot.  I'm sure the whole thing will make it to the cutting room floor but it was quite an adventure.  For the Mom, who was being taped, she didn't look like she was having a good time, must be challenging to have your every move dictated and filmed. 

    

A sucker born everyday...

I'm really a sucker for cookbooks and of course, I made no exception with this one.  I've been drooling over some of the delectable cookies that Amy has made over the past couple weeks so I decided to jump on the bandwagon.

   

It was a tough decision after realizing that 99% of the recipes could be found for free either on-line or in some of the older issues of the magazine, I only have to decide to take the time to look for them.  Yet, something is said for convenience and I like having all of these delicious cookies in one neat little book.  It does make me wonder how often we purchase stuff that we don't really need just because it's easier then doing without.  I only have to look around at my gazillion kitchen gadgets to realize that convenience rather then resourcefulness definitely rules this roost.  But easier for whom - there is always someone out there somewhere that has to pay the price for that convenience.  If you have not had an opportunity to watch this video here then please take the time to do so now.  Although much of the video is not anything that I hadn't heard before, she made some good points and I definitely had a couple "ahhhh" moments. But I digress.   

The real reason I'm here is to share some chocolately love with you.  I present - The Surprise Cookie - isn't that a delightful name.  For all you thrifty folks, you can find the recipe for free here and I must say that these are probably the first cookies that I've ever made that actually look like they do in the book.  And they were super, super, super delicious.  So bring a little love to your belly and make a batch. 

   

Bamboozled...

Have you ever been bamboozled?  You know, agreed to something before you even knew what was happening.  I got bamboozled and I've been feeling the pain over it the last couple days.

I was approached a couple months ago by a very nice lady at our school who said she heard I was pretty crafty.  My first instinct was to run - would have been the best thing to do, instead I stood there like a deer in headlights.  First off, how did she know I was crafty (I found that out later) and secondly, what exactly did she want (boy I'm getting awfully suspicious in my old age.)  She asked if I'd be interested in doing a couple craft projects in my children's classrooms, I didn't think much of it and agreed, assuming it was all low key and no pressure.  We could do home made paper or make beeswax candles or something - she just gave me this funny smile and nodded.   

A couple days go by and I start to learn the whole story - first in bits and pieces and then like a giant tidal wave. Funny none of this was told to me before.  First it was - oh by the way, we need a finished product.  Then we went to - we need a finished product to sell at the school's fundraising auction.  Then I got, we need a sophisticated yet cute yet age appropriate crafty finished product for the hoy-tie toy-tie school auction that raises in my opinion a ridiculous amount of money each year.  So I went from homemade paper to some elaborate and amazing art piece created by 3 and 4 year olds.  Holy crap!

Amelia's class went surprisingly well and I'm rather pleased with how this turned out - the pictures really do not do it justice.  I can actually envision a couple smaller versions of these, maybe picture frames, going out as Christmas presents, so if you any of you have questions just drop me a line.  The tiles were super easy to make and doable by most ages - even the real young ones could help out.  I used polymer clay, let the kids roll it and out and then had them stamp designs into it using some random stamps I had lying around.  Then, they cut out "tiles" using square cookie cutters from the craft store and finally brushed their finished tiles with mica powder to give them a sparkly sheen.  After a quick bake in the oven, I glued them onto a largish photo frame and had a mirror cut for the middle.  I used seed beads for "grout" and lastly sprayed the whole thing with polyurethane to protect it.  I really am thrilled about how it turned out and hoping it will be a huge success. 

   

The second project..was a little more stressful and definitely came down to the wire.  It consisted of hand prints of all the children in the class - the children themselves punched them out using their little punching needles and pads - a lot of patience on their part.  They then painted them with water colors and I sprayed them with a sealer.  I painted the canvas with the background, border and heart and then glued the hands directly onto the canvas.  I then used decoupage medium to "paint" over the whole thing and seal it in. The stars were punched out and also decoupaged on.  I'm not sure if it's legible but it says "With heart and helping hands, a child can accomplish anything."  Many of the auction projects are donated back to the classroom so I'm kind of hoping this will end up back in the class.  Once again - picture really doesn't do it justice.

All my frustration melted away when I heard the oohs and ahhs from all the children.  It's fantastic to see the delight on their face when they see something big and beautiful that they created.  And it was actually a  a great opportunity to spend some quality time in the classrooms getting to know the other kids.  Biggest lesson learned - to just let things go and let the children's work stand.  On a number of occasions I wanted to help "fix" something but I realized it wouldn't be their work if I tampered with it.  I've been down on myself lately for my lack of self control in a number of areas but this really took a tremendous amount of willpower to not be anal.  I feel pretty proud of us all.

 

Just a quickie...

Only time to write down a quick note.  For all of you with children or whom feel like a child at heart check out The Crafty Crow - a children's craft collective.  Its the brain child of BellaDia and is really a fantastic resource for all of us who could use a little extra inspiration from time to time, I especially love the watercolor flowers and the puffy paint. Just brilliant!  I'd love to hear what you think.   

Montessori or bust...

My father recently told me I needed to get a life.  I know he meant it in the most sincere way and really meant no harm.  Of course, my initial reaction was where could I possibly squeeze in any more life, I'm already busting at the seams - literally and figuratively.  But after further contemplation I realized he was right.  I need a long term focus, something to get me through the shitty days.  So I'm taking a major leap of faith and going back to school in the fall.   

I've decided to get my primary teaching certification in Montessori education.  This is no easy decision, minus all the insecurities that a 30 something faces when making major life changes, financially it's going to be brutal.  The tuition alone is ridiculous, but add to it the other nickle and dime costs and I'm likely to have an anxiety attack.  I'll be needing to pull about 10 grand out of my ass come September, yeah for me. 

I'm a 100% believer in Montessori education - it has had a phenomenal impact on my children's lives and most folks who I've met who do not agree with this form of education have had gross misconceptions about the process. True Montessori learning is warm and nurturing, it teaches children to be independent and creative thinkers and really nurtures self worth and pride.

But that's not why I'm here.  How many of you have truly gone out of your comfort zone to start something new?  A new career, a big move just on the whim, or some other life change.  How do you cope with those little nagging doubts and insecurities.  Or the self consciousness of starting fresh and not having a clue about what you are doing.  Let's hear your story.   

Crazy...

It's been far from quiet around here the last week and I'm far from feeling the inner peace that I've been working hard to cultivate over the past couple months.  My husband has returned from a long patrol overseas, this is both a blessing and a curse, and the kids are home for spring break.  About the husband thing, of course we miss him dearly when he is gone, but the dynamics of the house shift when he returns from these long trips and it takes a bit for me to readjust.  He really is filled with good stuff and is a great father but he is notoriously bad at spewing out idle threats and then not following through.  It's a major frustration for a number of reasons.  First off, idle threats are just idle, not much point to them unless you are going to follow through.  Secondly,  when you have a majorly stubborn and controlling 3 year old like we do, every little give in grows the monster bigger.  I see it growing everyday and I feel helpless to stop it.   So when I finally get fed up and point out the behavior, of course calmly away from the kids, I get the old one two - "I know, I know, I'll stop doing it."  This is accompanied with the glazed look and no eye contact.  Does it change?  Of course not, and 10 minutes later when it happens again, I'm ready to scream nasty profanities. Grandma and Grandma came for a short visit the day after my husband returned, so this of course quadruples the stress I'm feeling.  I love my parents dearly but I don't necessarily love myself when they are around. I find myself regressing to old behavior, and I end up feeling like a little girl who is trying to please mommy and daddy. It's very annoying, and couple that with the children's behavior which suddenly becomes dictated by an overabundance of sugar and spoiling, I end up feeling like a crazy person.

In the meantime I did manage to finish my little ankle socks and have decided to ship them off to my girlfriend Christy. She is unexpectedly pregnant with her fourth child (can you say holy shit) and if any feet need a little love it's hers.  I'm pleased with the way they turned out although I did get lazy and did a 3 needle bind-off for the toes, next time I'll just graft them the proper way.