Sunday, August 30, 2015

Ending on a High Note

This was not a good week, yet I cannot explain why.  I felt overworked, stressed, run down, tired and in need of a vacation.  I was not feeling sick, Work was not out of the ordinary crazy/busy.  I just was not feeling it this week.  I've vented and now it is time to move on!

We are almost at September and that means it is time to start my new planner (even thought I cheated and started it already).  My first goal towards being more organized and accountable for the things I want to accomplish and places I want to go.  If I write them down then I have to do them.  I am still easing myself into what I want my weekly spreads to look like, fancy yet functional or more functional with a little fancy.  I will share next week a planner spread as I start to process how I will be recording events and memories while keeping track of lists and meal planning.

As crazy as life felt this week there were some great accomplishments along the way:
First in the knitting:  I finished my shawl, I am so glad it is done, one because it took longer than it really should have, and it just needed to get finished.  The other reason....It is beautiful!
It grew quite a bit during blocking and it much larger than I had originally expected.  It was a simple knit where you knit the side lace panel then garter stitch all the way up to the point.  It was supposed to be two colors but I had three that went together so I did it with 3 colors and I am so happy with the results.
As part of the Yarniac's KAL  for the Colors of Fall I need to put together an outfit for this so I will post again next week the full stylish look.
There is plenty of time to join in if you want a fun and exciting KAL.  You can find the details about this KAL on the Yarniac's Ravelry Group (HERE)
Project Details:
Pattern:  La Playa (This is a link to the pattern on Ravelry)
Designer:   Sara Gresbach
Yarn:  Fiddlesticks Enticing
Needle Size:  4
Total Yardage:  434

While on the topic of knitting, I am moderating the DownCellar Studio Ravlery board and helping Jen (BostonJen) out with he 2nd Annual DCSPigSkin Party.  Jen and I run a KAL that spans the time of Kickoff from the first NFL game of the season through to the end of the Superbowl.  If you love to knit, watching football games is optional, this is the KAL for you.  Check out the details (HERE) on the DownCellar Studio Website.  We have lots of plans this year for weekly Bingo games as well as special assignments to keep you interested all season long.  We kick off on September 10, so don't delay.  Get your name on the roster.

I cooked this week too.  Well, actually my crockpot did all the work, I just needed to throw it all in there.  I made homemade vegetarian Refried Beans and they were nothing like you would get from a can!  They were delicious and enough to throw some in the freezer for next week.  It was so simple to make.  I found the recipe online at the Mom on Timeout website.
Refried Bean Recipe
Every Tuesday night in our house is Taco Tuesday so this was a treat with the tacos.  The bonus is that it called for Jalepeno Peppers and we had some ripe ones fresh from the garden.  Yum! Unfortunately they have been harvesting faster than we can use them.  I think we will have some homemade dried pepper flakes this winter.



 So as the title says....the HIGH NOTE!  Yes there was some fun to end the week.  Saturday my husband wanted to go to the Cape Cod Food Truck Festival. We have never been to one before and not sure how much I could really eat there, being vegetarian.  Well, I'm glad we finally went to one.  What a fun day it turned out to be.  There were many trucks there that offered vegetarian options.  We tried some new foods as well as settled on some of our basics.  There was a Samuel Adams Beer Garden as well so I got to try their new Octoberfest Beer.  It was really good.
One of the new foods we tried were from a truck offering Korean Fare.  We tried the Rice Cake Skewers.  They were really good.  They were more of a thick noodle consistency covered in a red sweet and spicy sauce.  That was just an appetizer, I followed that with just some Tofu Teriyaki which was nothing special, Dessert was the best, a waffle covered in Chocolate and Strawberries.  It was delicious.We ate, we drank a little, listened to the live band, walked around the Etsy Craft Fair and stayed around for a couple hours doing this.  Around 4:00ish it was time to leave, but we were already on the cape so a nice afternoon stop at a beach was in order. 
We stopped and rested for a couple of hours, and at 6:00 decided it was time to find a place for dinner.  As fun as the day was, this was my highlight.  We found on Facebook a restaurant nearby right on the Cape Cod Canal.  It was busy and we waited over an hour for a table.  (It was a Saturday Night over the Summer) but during that wait we walked along the Cape Cod Canal for a little while at sunset....Stunning!

I don't have an actual Quote this week but I found this saying on a sign somewhere, I don't know who or where it was from but I've always loved it and it works so well with my week in review:

A bad day at the beach is still better than a good day at the office!

Sunday, August 23, 2015

A Week Of Reviews

This week was jam packed, well mostly this weekend, but still....I have been doing and going so much that I would like to offer some reviews of videos, restaurants, places that pulled this post together.

The Big Reveal
Yes it is finally done and ready to show.  My first homemade Fauxdori Planner.  


With the help of three different YouTube videos along came my first Planner.  I say first because I am sure that there will be plenty more.  This one is not "Perfect" and will someday be replaced, now that I know where I made my mistakes.  I am still very happy with how this has turned out.  I want to thank the following for putting out YouTube videos on how to accomplish the results that turned out. 

The Cover:  Watch the following Video by Sea Lemon:  How to Make a Travelers Notebook
What a wonderful tutorial.  I love her Traveler's Notebook and wanted one just like it.  Her directions are very clear and easy to follow.  Above is the Traveler Notebook Planner I made following her directions.  I used different material so mine is not quite as sturdy.  The cover of mine is Ultra Suede instead of vinyl.  The corners are curling as I pull it in and out of my purse and it swims around in there all day but I think I am going to love the "Used" look as time goes on.  I also decided to make mine with multiple bands so I used another tutorial for that.  I love the inserts I made as well, but I think going forward I will be following a tutorial to make a dashboard and just keep changing out the pages.  Right now though, this is set up for September and I love it.  I'm sure I will be tweeking things as I go.

The Inserts:  Watch the following Video by Inspired Blush:  Easy DIY Midori Inserts on Word
This took me the longest to wrap my brain around.  I did not find this tutorial until I wasted almost an entire package of printer paper.  I just could not get the pages the right size or in the right order.  I think I spent an entire weekend just trying to go at it alone when WOW....Sunday night perusing YouTube I came across this wonderful tutorial and the pages just came together, and now they are saved on my computer for future inserts.  So I am currently using the following inserts that I created based on this tutorial.
MY MONTHLY PLANNER INSERT
*Month on 2 Pages
*Week on 2 Pages
*To Do List
*Weekly menu plan
*Extra pages in back with grid and lined notes

MY JOURNAL INSERT
*This is just multiple pages of lined paper.  I printed these on Purple for the fun of it.

MY ZENTANGLE PAD
*I created this on beige paper for when I am out and want to create zentangles in some spare time.

The last thing I have in my planner is actually a folder with Stationary that I found at B&N.  I have started to PenPal with some friends on Ravelry and I love the fact that I can keep stationary with me if I have time to write a letter while I'm out and about.  Since the stationary is inside a folder I just slipped the folder over a band and I have stationary on the go.

I have already designed my October insert, same as September.  I also have ready to print a Reading Log and a Beer/Wine tasting insert.  In the works, meaning the idea is in my head I just haven't put it to computer yet, is a travel insert to write down restaurants, museums, places of interest that I visit and want to remember and a supply insert to track markers, knitting needles, paint colors, yarns, and other craft supplies.  I might make a totally different book like a Field size notebook that will just track these things.

The Bands:  I cannot find the video on how to add multiple elastic bands.  I have no idea which one I used but the process was not hard and I have mine set up with 4 inside bands to hold 4 individual inserts or there are plenty of tutorials on how to combine inserts on one band.  There are just so many tutorials for creating a Fauxdori to fit your style.

Are you a planner?  What kind of set up are you using and what are your favorite planner pages.  I am always looking for more ideas for inserts.
My Adventures
This week was once again a whirlwind of fun.  My daughter and I took one last roadtrip before she takes off for Mexico for the semester.  In keeping with the literary theme of our summer this week took us out to Western Massachusetts for a trip to the Eric Carle museum and Emily Dickinson Museum.  We also passed the Yiddish Book Center so we just had to stop in.  Yes, all of this in one day.
THE ERIC CARLE MUSEUM
If you are a teacher or you enjoy children's books then this is a must see place to visit.  I have always enjoyed Eric Carle's stories and his artwork is spectacular that the museum was equally as inspiring and interesting.  I learned about Eric Carle's life as an artist and his journey to authoring his books as well.  It is no surprise that his books appeal to me as they remind me of the collage work that goes into Art Journaling that is another interst of mine.  The gallery is an ever changing exhibit so I look forward to going back should there be more exhibits I want to explore.  The exhibits on display when I was there can be found on the website Eric Carle Museum  The exhibit took me back to my childhood as the illustrator Fred Marcellino illustrated a version of my favorite childhood poem by Edward Lear, The Owl and the Pussycat.  I used to know that poem by heart.  I had a children's book of it as a kid and read it over and over again.  There are many other books he illustrated but that was the one that struck a chord with me.  I really want to find a copy of the old book I had but I have not had much luck finding a used copy.
THE EMILY DICKINSON MUSEUM
Boston offers a free Fun Friday program every summer that my daughter and I have been taking full advantage of.  This week the Emily Dickinson Museum was free to the public, so we stopped there as well.  I like her poems and wanted to learn more about her and her life.  Unfortunately, the museum left us under impressed.  I think most likely because of the set up.  We like to walk around and read stuff on the walls or plaques.  The set up of this museum is to walk into the rooms where someone was standing ready to talk to you and answer your questions.  We did not go in with any questions.  It just would have been nice to be able to read about things as we walked through.  I would not discourage anyone from going it just wasn't our style.  We were glad it was free.
Lunch in Amherst Massachusetts was a hit though.  When we travel on these little day trips one of our pacts is no eating at a chain restaurant or fast food place whenever possible.  Well, Amherst is a little college town and we found the cutest Asian Fusion Tea House.  If ever in Amherst you need to try it out.  We tried 2 of the little two piece tea sandwiches and a pot of tea.  It was the perfect lunch for the two of us and after walking in the rain to get there the tea hit the spot.    The restaurant was warm and welcoming, the staff very friendly and we really enjoyed our visit.

Instead of a quote this week I will leave you with the words by Edward Lear
The Owl and the Pussycat
I hope you enjoy this poem as much as I do.  
Maybe it will bring about some childhood memories to some of you as well.

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat

I
The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea
   In a beautiful pea-green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
   Wrapped up in a five-pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
   And sang to a small guitar,
"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,
    What a beautiful Pussy you are,
         You are,
         You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are!"

II
Pussy said to the Owl, "You elegant fowl!
   How charmingly sweet you sing!
O let us be married! too long we have tarried:
   But what shall we do for a ring?"
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
   To the land where the Bong-Tree grows
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
   With a ring at the end of his nose,
             His nose,
             His nose,
   With a ring at the end of his nose.

III
"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
   Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will."
So they took it away, and were married next day
   By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
   Which they ate with a runcible spoon;   
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
   They danced by the light of the moon,
             The moon,
             The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.






Sunday, August 16, 2015

The Time is Now

Today I am struggling with to blog now or to wait until later.......
I have actually scheduled my blog time into my weekly routine, because if I don't, it will be put off one week then maybe skipped another week until finally I fall out of habit and it does not get done at all.  This usually starts when I have nothing to say.
Instead of choosing a new time just so I have something to say, I will do a short post this week because I know I will have a huge post next week!

I have lots of things happening, but nothing that has happened worth reporting.  Most things in my life are right now a work in progress, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it is all going as planned, for the most part.

1.  The Basement Project:  Yes, we are finally redoing the basement.  When we moved into the house 13 years ago it was an entertainment room, play room, office, craft room.  We still have out 28in picture tube television in a big clunky entertainment center with a playstation 2 that doubles as a DVD player, our old VHS video player, turntable and tape deck all plugged into a receiver that is old and not working.  Thank you for the Massachusetts Tax Free Shopping Weekend!  We now have a nice 43" Flat Screen TV with a new TV stand that will hold the Playstation 3, that will double as a BluRay player and a new Bluetooth Home Theater receiver that will play Pandora through our upstairs speakers that have been silenced for years.  The goal of updating the basement by the end of the summer is underway.  Hopefully, the basement will be an enjoyable room to hang out in again.

2.  Organization:  Yes I am getting organized.  Just before the summer I started feeling stagnant creatively.  For the past 3 years my paints stopped flowing, my pens stopped writing and all I have been doing is clicking my needles and twisting yarn into beautiful projects.  I am not complaining, as I love my yarn and my knitting but there are other crafts I have pushed aside and I have been itching to get back to.  Little by little I have been going through my supplies, figuring out what needs to be replaced, building new collections because in September I plan on scheduling my journaling, and drawing times as well.  As part of the organizing plan I have been spending the past few weekends putting together my homemade Midori Style planner.  I am almost finished so pictures will be posted next week.  I am so pleased with its progress and how nice I am fitting everything into this one book.  I am hoping to use it on our overnight getaway next weekend.

3.  Back to the Gym:  I must say, I am pretty proud of myself for not putting back on all the weigh I had lost since starting my lifestyle change since January.  This summer put the brakes on my gym routine since I needed to make sure my daughter had transportation to and from the train station so she could work.  As sad as I am to see her go back to school in September, I will admit, my life goes back to my normal routine.  I will be scheduling my gym time back into my routine.  I've still done a lot of walking this summer with all my visits to the city.  I think that has helped, but I am even a little excited about getting back into the exercising.  It was starting to feel good.  I would be even happier if I can lose just another 10 lbs before the end of the year.

What's New?

The newest page in my Zentangle sketchbook.  Maybe someday I will actually use the Zentangle tiles I have, I just find my sketchbook is much more portable.

  I was playing around and decided to use a Tangle pattern that stared with each letter of my name.

L - Lantern-Pho
I - Inapod
S- Sanibel
A- Antidot

I am really in love with the way this one turned out.  I am really working hard on finding patterns that work well together.  I've done some others that just don't sing to me when they are finished because there is usually a pattern that is not flowing correctly or the scale or shading are just not right.

My next challenge to myself is to start coloring them in.  I love the black and white, but I've seen so many colored ones that are really pretty.

There is no real progress on the knitting front and the Fauxdori Planner will be my show and tell next week.  I am so excited about this!

I will leave you with this fun little fact I saw after taking one of those Facebook Quizzes kind of things..... .    I was born  26,735,460 minutes ago
Yes its dumb little things like this that got me thinking.  
1.  Is this accurate - so I pulled out my calculator and yes it adds up to 50.8665525 years.  Amazing.  
2.  Did I live these each of these minutes to the fullest?  Without going minute by minute throughout my life my short answer will be - YES!
3.  If I think of 50 years as middle life then I still have that many more minutes to use, how will I use them.....???

And here is where I will keep you thinking.  Use each minute wisely.  Make the most of the time you have been given.  

Sunday, August 9, 2015

The Backroads of my Life


Two weeks ago I went into Boston in the afternoon to meet my daughter for a concert that night.  I left work at my regular time and went right to the train.  When I got off the train I still had over an hour until my daughter was out of work so I shopped.  I went in and out of our regular places, Marshalls, TJMaxx etc. and then I was at the other side of the street than I usually end at, and turned down a sidestreet to get to where I needed to be.  There was was the sign above, Bromfield Pens
Being the stationary geek and pen snob that I am, I just needed to see what this store sold, well pens of course, but not your everyday Papermate (which as far as office supply pens is one of my favorite brands since childhood), but shiny, sleek, expensive pens.  They had rollerballs and fountain tips.  I was interested but my memory of expensive pens were high class attorneys and dark black shiny barrels.  Very utilitarian and masculine looking.  Fountain pen, why would I want to write with a fountain pen?  So in the back they had some sketchbooks and Microns (my choice for Zentangles) and I don't like leaving an indie store without buying anything so a little sketchbook and 2 Microns and I left to meet my daughter at the concert in the Park.  I could now Zentangle while waiting for her.
After my discovery of this "Really Cool" pen shop in Boston I decided to read the threads on Ravelry in the For the Love of Letters forum and the Planner Porn forum (Yes I discovered there is more to Ravelry than knitting) about fountain pens and decided I need to have them.  I followed some links posted and realized they are not all expensive and they come in pretty colors.  I also learned, so does the ink!  I can use one pen, clean the tips, change the cartridge and there you go, a new ink color.  I really now need to check out these fountain pens everyone is talking about.  I know I won't like them because I am a pen snob and a pen must glide perfectly across paper, like writing on air, for me to love it.  I thought with those pointy metal tips they will sound and feel scratchy and I'll have chills every time I use it.  I'll hate it!
Fast-forward to this past Thursday.  I left work at regular time and got into Boston at just before 5:00pm.  It is a few minutes to walk to the penshop from the train station and by the time I walk in the door and slowly look around and get the clerk's attention it is now 5:15 and they close at 5:30.  The clerk pulls out a few pens and tells me he will not sell me one on the spot because you need time to make a decision like this and to really try them out and they close in 15 minutes.  Great customer service!  What he was able to determine was, I love the color purple, I never used a fountain pen before, and I really should test out what it feels like to write with one, and he let me to the disposable Pilot Varsity Pens with a fountain top nib in the purple ink.  $3.47 - SOLD! along with a graph paper tablet of French paper.  I was able to write and journal the rest of the night with my new fountain pen.  I plan on heading back there to get my real one by September.
There is more to this story as to why I want one by September but I think I will make you coming back for more next week!  Stay posted.

As for my works in progress this week....I am still working on the shawl and the socks.  I am hoping to have the shawl finished to show you all next week.  I am really enjoying this pattern and loving the way it is working out.  I'm so happy with my color choices.
The sock is a sock.  Almost up to the afterthought heel rip cord on the second sock and then into the homestretch.  That will probably not be finished until September.  It is my on the run project so it gets worked at while waiting to pick up my daughter wherever she is at the time.
Honestly - there have been so many other things I have been wanting to try and do that knitting became a Knit Night activity so I can do the other stuff while I am home.  Once some of the other projects are under control, knitting will go back to center stage, as there is just so much of it I want to make, and so much stash in my house to make it with.

I did not Zentangle this much either but for those interested I am hosting some weekly Zentangle Challenges on the Zentangle Fiber Fans Ravelry Group.  I post a challenge each Saturday.  Go take a look.

So, what led me to Boston this week, as I noticed it has become a weekly occurrence?
Thursday night was supposed to be a meeting for new volunteers for the new Boston Public Market Test Kitchen.  It sounded like a fun opportunity and something else to add to my agenda of activities.  Only I guess I did not read the e-mail completely and went to the wrong place, but that was okay, since my kids were in town for a free concert I got to crash on their fun, oh, and buy them dinner!  I'm such a good mom.  So this was where I was Thursday night after the Pen Shop  :

Quote of the Week (#1):  When everything seems to wash away. I walk here with just two feet on the ground. - by Matt and Kim

Yes, I was at the free Matt and Kim concert at Copley Square.  Good music but not really my type.  It was free though and I got a chance to experience things my kids like which when it comes to music is always an eye opening experience.  These kids have very little shock value in their lives.  I'm still taken aback just by some language that is used in public, call me old fashioned.  I challenge you all to walk in the shoes of your teen to adult aged children's shoes.  I have to remind myself they are adults and accept their likes and dislikes.  Nobody invited me to this concert, I invited myself so I had no right to state my opinion.  Instead I have a blog like this for venting.

My second trip to Boston was on Friday afternoon to meet my daughter, as she only works half a day on Fridays.  Have you ever been on one end of a street for one reason, and seen the other end from another angle and never put the two parts together?  Yup, that was me on Thursday.  I took the train to a stop I don't usually get off at, Charles MGH.  We decided to walk Charles Street on Friday.  A friend at work told me about a new bakery that opened there and the area was highlighted on Chronicle (a local news magazine television show).  It sounded intriguing so we went.  We have been to Charles Street before because when we are in the neighborhood we go down 1 block to JP Licks, only the best ice cream in Boston, then we walk back to the train station.  Friday we walked to the other end of Charles Street only to realize, we were back at the Boston Commons/ Boston Gardens.  I never knew the connection.  Which leads me to quote number two this week.

So now I will leave you with my final Quote of the Week:
Still round the corner there may wait, A new road or a secret gate.
J.R.R. Tolkien

Travel on my friends until NEXT WEEK


Sunday, August 2, 2015

To Fail is to Win....

.....its when you don't try that you fail.

Once again, my days of completing challenges, KAL (Knit Alongs), and all other things that restraint my creativity have come to an end.  This is nothing new.  Every so often I over extend myself and then nothing seems fun and relaxing anymore.  I am okay with this.  It will last for a few weeks or a month or so until the next fun sounding thing comes along.  I will jump on the next bandwagon and see how far it takes me.

I will open this week with my quote from William Shakespeare, King Lear:
“Striving to better, oft we mar what's well.” 

My enjoyment of challenges are that they push me to learn more, do more, create more or just try more.  Sometimes it is just okay to enjoy the current state of being.  Maybe my head, or body are not ready for more at the moment.  When that happens I do see my projects get put aside as being stressful.  Either I know I will miss a deadline or they are not working as planned and instead of fixing or pushing I just abandon the thought of competition and just enjoy what I am doing just for doing it sake.

I don't need a challenge to be creative, what I need is to live....live a life that is full and inspiring.  It is so easy to fall into daily routine and allow life to happen around you.  It takes time, planning and a bit of spontaneity to be alive, really take part in the life you want to lead.  Here are some of the ways I chose to live my life this week.  With theater, some shopping and culture.  It was a fun filled week and this is what I aim for.

 This week was the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company performance of King Lear as part of the yearly Shakespeare in the Park program.  This is a free Shakespeare performance offered each year on the Boston Commons.  This year marked the 20th Anniversary of the program.  It's only the second year that I went.  The Shakespeare troupe does an excellent job and it is always enjoyable.  This year, due to weather, I only saw half the show.  I'm thinking of going back during the week this week to see the whole thing, but I know I probably won't.
The first City Target opens on the East Coast!  I have a love for Target as which many of you do, but mine is for other reasons.  Both of my children work for Target.  My son is a Dept Mgr at our local Target and my daughter a Starbuck's  Barista also at our local Target.  When the new Target opened in Boston we had to take a trip out there.  It's the friendliest Target I've seen.  You are greeting with HI BOSTON as you ride up the escalator into the store.  It just made me smile!  Just a small little detail like that brightened my day!  As fun as it was, really it's just another Target store.  If you live in the area it is worth checking out.
My trip to the new Target was part of an All Day Boston event.  Besides the new Target,  there is a new Marketplace in town.  The Boston Public Market at Haymarket opened this weekend.  It was crowded, busy with long lines, but fun and I'm glad we went.  There were vendors for everything.  They had fresh fruits and vegetables, cheeses, meats, eggs, homemade cider donuts, fudge, pasta, honey, vinegars, marshmallows and an ice cream stand to name a few, all in one place.  Since it is indoors it will have the ability to stay open year round.  I am interested to see how it changes with the seasons.  We had some ice cream when we were there and bought home some fudge with us.  They had a fudge flavor I had never tried....ROOTBEER!  It was really good.  The fresh fruits and vegetables looked great but due to the fact we were in Boston for the remainder of the day -into dinner, we opted to not get anything fresh this trip.  It will remain open every week Wed - Sunday.  I guess I'll have to go back specifically to shop for food.  

It's not summer in Boston without a Saint's Feast in the North End.  Last night was no exception.  Yummy Italian food and pastries.  What a fun street fair they put on.  They sell food, souvenirs and carnival games.
 Last night there was a lady from The Mad Tatter doing Henna tattoos.  My daughter and I each got one.  It's like a Zentangle on your body.  She got one on her hand and me on my upper arm/ shoulder.  They were very pretty but I guess we did not leave them on long enough, mine is barely visible.
Oh well.  It was a fun experience!

I challenge you to get out of your routine and find something this summer that will bring you fun and inspiration.  See a play, go to a city, find a fair or a carnival.  Do something that will bring a smile to your face and joy to your heart!