MIA because of WIPs and reading. Take a look!

Hello all!  I've been MIA for a while because of family issues that have been keeping me busy.  I've been helping my little guy a lot with school.  Apparently, 5th grade is tough and quite a transition.  My little guy who has never received a C or less on any of his report cards is struggling this year and I had to get down to the bottom of the problem before report cards came out.  Officer Friendly and I had to meet with little guys teacher to see what was going on and what we should do.  She mentioned that 5th grade is tough because students no longer get reminded and prodded of what they need to do and they forget to bring books home and turn their work in.  I've been working closely with little guy these lasts few weeks to get him on track and now I'm slowly backing away as he discovers his new learned independence.

I've started plenty of crafty projects!  I'm working on a light weight blanket for my bestie who is a truck driver and needs a twin size summer blanket for his bed in his truck.  I picked out these manly colors.

I'm not sure about throwing the chocolate square in. What do you think?

I'm still plugging away at the baby blanket for my moms co-workers daughter.  Thank goodness she hasn't had the baby yet because I've only put a small dent in it.  I remember thinking that I was hoping to finish it within a week, HA!  It's been like, three!

This week, I plan to whip up a few quick eternity scarves for myself in Tiffany blue and grey that look like this.  I found it on Pinterest.

Using a pattern from a video I found on YouTube here.  Hopefully, I can actually finish these this week (positive thinking here!).

Last, I've been reading, I've read "Best of Me" by Nicholas Sparks for my book club >.< ( I don't prefer reading chic-lit), "Tomorrow, When the War Began" by John Marsden which was a decent read and now I'm reading "Way of Shadows" by Brent Weeks which has received good ratings so hopefully it will be worth the 645 pages.  This book is more up my nerd ally with all the fantasy involved.

I'm glad to announce that I have FINALLY finished my rainbow blanket, yay!  It's been done for a while but I had to finish it with an edging.  After frogging that several times, I decided to go with a simple edge :)

The final measurements are 85 inches by 70 inches which fits fairly well on our queen size guest room bed (although, the plan for it will be for my personal use of snuggling on the couch with a book and tea!).

So, now that it's done, I've been working on the backing that I'm probably not going to finish until next Fall.  I purchased flannel and quartered it up into four panels.  I plan on embroidering each panel with a season (winter, spring, summer, fall) and stitch motifs that represent each season.  Here's a peek...

So that's why I've been MIA.  What have you been up to?

Have a blessed week ;)

What have I been up to?? FROGGING!!! Grrrrr!

Frogging.  

I have ripped out the entire border of my rainbow blanket, twice!  One, two!  

Nothing else is really happening in my world except for this...

Finally got some decorating done but I've mostly been chaining and ripping.  I can't wait to finish this blanket.  I do believe it's been creeping up on two months now since I first started it.  Have you ever just wanted to be done with a project so you can start another?  Hopefully I'll have a complete blanket the next time I post.  Until then, have a blessed day!

Cat

Dreadful Monday and WIPs

Monday, Monday, oh how I dread thee!  I've been extremely busy lately with birthdays and events that I haven't had much time to crochet.  Officer Friendly has had 4 days off in a row and is back to work today.  My little guy had his 10th birthday along with my mom last week.  My step-grand daughter also had a birthday last week, hence the Mr. Potato head/Costco post from last week.  I conducted book club last Wednesday and we had a church event on Saturday. Sunday, Officer Friendly took me to see a movie.  He said all the guys in the department were talking about it.  It's called "End of Watch".  I didn't like it.  Only because it hits so close to home :( He definitely owes me a chic flick.  My disposition was ruined for a couple of hours until I picked up my hook!  Praise the good Lord for hooks and yarn!  Since I've been so busy, I was unable to finish my rainbow granny stripe blanket. 

I have ends to tie in and a border to put on it but I started something new.  

It's a baby blanket for my mothers friends daughter who will be having a baby girl any day. It's in Larksfoot stitch that I chose from a book I have.  I'm hoping to finish both blankets by the end of the week along with my book.  This week is looking promising as I don't have many clients down for services this week.  That's a bittersweet thing :)  I have also changed my cleaning schedule so I'm not so burdened with chores on Monday and I've spread them out evenly throughout the week. Here's a peek:


CHORES LIST


~Monday~

Change sheets on downstairs beds
Clean  downstairs bathrooms
Water plants
Dust downstairs
Vacuum downstairs bedrooms

~Tuesday~

Change sheets on upstairs beds
Clean upstairs bathrooms
Dust upstairs
Vacuum upstairs bedrooms

~Wednesday~

Clean oven, microwave, wipe down front of dishwasher and fridge
Straighten pantry

~Thursday~

Mop tile
Vacuum stairs

~Friday~

Mop hardwood floors
Wipe down sinks and toilets in bathrooms
Clean loft office desk/file

~Sunday~

Clean out fridge
Plan menu for following week


Much better :) Notice I don't have chores for Saturday?  I'm sticking to my guns on Saturday being my day off. I'll stay posted on my WIPs. Have a blessed Monday!

Who did this?!!

Ugh!  Why are these chocolaty little treasures so delicious?  I DID THIS!  I ate five of these at once!  The way they melt in your mouth to reveal a crunchy almond center is beyond ecstasy!!  What am I going to do when the kids start bringing in all their Halloween candy?  I can't continue on.  The scale is creeping up and I'm pulling jeans from the big girl pile in my closet.  And, yes, I have a small, regular and big girl pile of jeans in my closet.  Don't you?  I also have and addiction to premium denim but I'll discuss that at a later time.  Right now, somebody, anybody has got to rescue me from this chocolate stash I've accumulated in my night stand drawer!  It's either that or I'll have to start doing the E word.  That is a very bad word to me.  Exercise.  I cringe as I type it.  I don't enjoy it but let's face it, it's a necessary part of life.  I hate gyms so I choose to walk or jog outdoors and do a few resistance exercises at home.  I'm completely opposite of Officer Friendly who is bordering on the brink of being a gym rat.  The boys are following in his footsteps.  Everyday they ask me "would you like to come to the gym with us?" and everyday I say with my face all crunched up like I ate a Vegemite cracker "ewww no thank you"!  but instead of it actually being a Vegemite cracker, it's chocolate or brownies or chocolate chip cookies.  I truly believe that one should enjoy the delicious treats of life but in moderation.  I've gone completely nuts lately and if I continue down this path I'll need big, big girl premium denim.  The problem is (this is where I blame shift) the weather.  It is stinking hot here.  99 degrees is on tap for the forecast today here.  I woke up at 7:30 to 68 degree weather.  By the time I drop the kids off at school, prepare the sun tea for the day, throw on a load of laundry and put my jogging clothes on, its way too hot to jog!  I am an esthetician and it would be sacrilege to run in the crispy sun for an hour no matter how much sunscreen I put on.  Why don't you run at night you might ask?  Well, because my police officer husband is over vigilant and says that's a crime waiting to happen no matter how nice of a neighborhood you live in.  Yes, it's officially fall but here in the middle of California, it's still summer.  As I visit many of my favorite blogs, I see that everyone else it decorating and making soup and settling into their lazy boys with cups of tea as yellow and orange leaves trickle off the trees in the background.  Fall has not tripped in to these parts yet so I'll continue to watch the boys file out of the house to the gym and stuff my face with Hershey's gold nuggets until the temperatures reach the low mid 70s. 

On another completely random note, I ran into Costco to get bread.  I didn't grab a cart on purpose because I knew if I grabbed a cart, I'd fill it with totaly random things that I don't really need.  Costco seems to have that effect on people. Bread and body wash.  That's easy.  I have a hand for each.  I can only buy two things...

I somehow managed to to grab

...really, Cat??  I have no self control lately.  I hope you're having a blessed day!

Quick Spicy Crockpot Chili recipe

Monday Monday.  What a crazy day for us in this household!  Trying to get the boys back into the weekly routine is always tough and for some odd reason, I have a long list of chores to do.  I think I'll have to fine tune my chore list for the week because cleaning four bathrooms and changing four beds in addition to Monday being my most busiest day seeing clients, I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off!  So to ease a bit of my stress, I like to prepare crockpot meals for Monday.  As hot as it is today in Central California (100 degrees), my boys have requested chili.  I know, I know.  They're silly boys. I did mention to them that we'd have a plethora of chili at the chili cook-off at church this weekend but they still wanted moms chili.  Be still my heart... So here goes!

SPICY CROCKPOT TURKEY CHILI for a family that eats a lot!

4lbs. ground turkey

1/2 bell pepper diced

2tbs. minced garlic

1/2 tps. season salt

1/2 tps. black pepper

1/2 tps. garlic powder

1/2 tbs. caldo de pollo

1 tbs. chili powder

1/2 tps. ground mustard

1/2 tps. cumin

1/4 tps. red pepper flakes

1 can dark red kidney beans 15.5oz.

2 cans chili beans 15oz.

2 cans diced tomatoes w/green chilies 14.5oz.

3 cups tomato sauce

Brown ground turkey in a skillet seasoned with season salt, black pepper and garlic powder with diced bell pepper and minced garlic until cooked then drain. 

Place in crockpot. Sprinkle caldo de pollo, chili powder, ground mustard, cumin and red pepper flakes on top.  Add chili beans, kidney beans, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce and stir thoroughly. 

Cook in crockpot on high 4-6 hours.  Top with sour cream and cheese if desired.

Now remember, I have 3 boys (two who are teenagers) Officer Friendly who takes leftovers for lunch the next day and myself.  This makes a huge batch of chili.  Honestly, for sharing purposes, I measured the ingredients.  Usually, I just throw, sprinkle, dash and dump things together.  I hardly ever use recipes so if this looks a little too spicy or salty for you, just adjust here and there.  

I am soooo hoping to end the night with a glass of Chardonnay and my crochet.  There's just something about yarn and a hook that calms me after a crazy day :)