And the delayed winnah is!

I know,I know...


I'm finally getting to the giveaway. Trust me, I've been crazy busy.

So let's get down to it.

Jason picked a random number between 1 and 28 and then since I deleted a random jack ass comment - This person ended up being number 23 and she said this:

Bimbo Baggins said...
Wait, can we only enter twice, or as many times as we want? Cause if it's the latter, then this is entry number 3. I really want the friggen bow.

On November 18, 2009 10:24 AM

Which this makes me happy because nobody commented as many times as she did.

Email me the address you want your bow sent to!

Betseybooms@gmail.com

Congrats BimboBaggins. That's a catchy name, where ever did you get it?

Also, I had some requests for the bow pattern. There was no pattern, I made it up on the fly. So look for a tutorial soon.

Loves,
Her

Crazy busy is good news for you...

I have been so insanely busy that I have entirely neglected anything referred to as "blog".

I have tons of knitting projects that I have finished and need to share with you. Seeing as how I don't have any of the pictures downloaded, I'm going to do this instead.

A giveaway.

I've made several of these super fun bows that I absolutely love:



Would you like to have one? Leave a comment on this post and a winner will be chosen at random. The winner will get to choose one of the colors that I have in my yarn collection.

You can comment as many times as you like and the winner will be chosen next weekend!

Good luck! If enough people are interested I'll give two away and each winner will also get another "surprise"!

A whole heap of good came my way. Can I please put some good back out there for someone else?

You know how the other day I was all whine, whine whine, my job doesn't want to hang with me, new bosses, sob, boohoo, why does everyone hate me so much? And in my mind I threw in a side of, "You don't even know me! Or understand me! I'm complex and maybe you're all a-holes". It wasn't directed at you (I would never, ever call you that), it was probably directed at my parents when I was 16 and my peers from the same period, but it is still hanging around inside of me, dressed in black and rolling it's eyes... a lot!

Anyway, so I did that, I whined, I felt better. I put my angst out there for the Universe to have its way with it, and it did and then something weird happened.

The very next day I was promoted. Like that. Like my boss went to lunch and came back and was all, "Can I see you in my office for a minute?" and then I was all, "Whut? Huh, so soon?"

So there you go.

I'm insanely, and I do mean INSANELY, busy in this transition stage of my working life that is going to be performed in steps until I return from a long holiday break and start a whole new era on January 4th. In the meantime, it's really comforting and reassuring to know that there are people out there, people who have worked with me for three and a half years and have this sense that I can be successful in more than I am now. And that I can be more than I have been.

And here is where I want to give those good vibes back if anyone at all is interested.

I'm thinking of a giveaway.

A giveaway of something I've made with my own two hands, because right now, I actually feel like someone might actually appreciate something that I am able to create.

I really, rarely feel like that.

So tell me? Would you be interested in one of my knitted goods?

Halloween is over and now I have to ask myself, do I feel lucky? Well, do I, punk?

I have had pictures and things sitting here ready to post for almost a week and I've just been so insane with work and the oh my gah, will I have a job in a monthness of it all. Because I don't know if you are aware, but having a job is pretty darn important.

If it says anything at all about my state of mind, I just downed two of the small funsize KitKat's while writing that run on sentence and I don't even remember the taste of them or how I broke off all four pieces and didn't even notice myself cramming and chewing them. Evidently, I shoved them in my mouth and performed acts of poor grammar with nary a wink of my eye. Which actually twitches more than winks these days, because did you hear? I've been wondering if I have a job!

As it turns out, I probably have a job, I mean, that's what I was told and the probablyness of that is what is killing me. So please excuse my tardiness around here, my twitching, the swollen lower lip I have which is an evident allergic reaction to life, and all of my "AH, JOB! NOW!".

To make it up to you, I thought I might share my favorite shots from this Halloween weekend. The weekend that found me Christmas shopping at the end of it because, again, Christmas is coming up and I've been unsure if I HAVE A JOB!

This is my insanely beautiful family that I can just go ahead and brag about because, look at them, they really are pretty:




I'm mostly positive that all of you have things to be proud of, and I hope you know what those are and wave your pride around like a flag. Because this me, waving my pride around and it's because I made these! I made them, can you believe it?




And, he wore that suit the entire day, every where we went. Even to Wal-mart, which made us the coolest people in Wal-mart (please, just marvel with me).

At the end of his day as Batman, Ian owned trick or treating. He's pretty much a professional now and the best trick or treater you could ever meet. Ever.




He learned it all from another who actually has a PhD in trick or treating. She's very accomplished in this area, complete with a "team trick or treating" on her resume:



And finally? When we were at Wal-mart, they had a huge bag of candy corn and pumpkins by the register and I eyed it until Jason threw it in the cart. And I said, "No, really, I don't need all of that." but I kept looking at it like I really, really wanted it. Mostly because I did and he saw that and ignored me, even though he despises those little kernels of sweet goodness.

When we got home, I realized I didn't have a candy dish big enough for all of it, because, seriously, no one needs a candy dish THAT big. Pretty much, just me. So I improvised and it turned out awesome. And delicious. It turned out delicious and awesome, even with Jason singing "I don't like Candy Corn" at me all weekend long.

New and Dark Beginnings...

Sneak Peek:

The Ghosts of Christmas Past

Today I am stuffed full of Kansas City barbecue goodness and it feels like the kick off to the holiday season for me, because I'm THAT full. In arranging to feed my office, I may have also picked up a huge pumpkin pie and chocolate cake to get a jump start on the over-eating that is up ahead us. Combine that with the pumpkin bread I made last night and I'm almost ready to jump into the spirit of the season head first.

Almost.

All of this leads me to our annual holiday card. I started thinking of ideas for our card this year and realized we didn't do a picture card last year. In looking through the pictures I took for the card last year I see why. I really had little to work with.

First? Fail.



Then? Double fail.



Oooh, look. Half-way there.



And, um, no.



Thinking back to the year before that, I did pictures of the kids as gifts and it took about 50 shots to get one workable shot.

Jason is going to dig out the Christmas stuff this weekend so we can have our photo shoot.

Wish me luck. Because, as you can see, I need it. Bad.

In the meantime, I'm in love with this video. Researching hair colors brought me to it.

Don't ask. Just enjoy.

We kind of felt like we should have left them with their own kind

Last month, Jason and I took the kids to the zoo where first thing in the morning we got to see the cheetah's run. While it was a very cool experience it lead to us being regaled with tale's of "cheetah poop" from Ian. Many, many cheetah poop tales. We even had a baby cheetah named Cheetah Poop. Sorry, I haven't gotten the birth announcements in the mail yet. Cheetah Poop is just so hard to draw. It looks very close to tiger poop. Which is a totally different subject. Trust me. Also? Ian will tell you what a horse's butt says, which let me help you out here, it says "poop".

We're very poop oriented in our house.

Most of us are forced to be.

But back to the zoo, which smelled a lot like, you guessed it, poop. Sigh.

Anyway, I thought I'd share a couple of pictures from our day with you. Like this gorilla that was also very tired of hearing the baby gorilla say the word "poop":



Jason and the kids. Looking at some sort of "poop". Well they just got done looking at poop. In this shot they are looking at me, I'm not poop. Mostly:



And a shot of me and the kids with the creepy conductor bear. He was sans poop:



And finally a shot of Ian being overrun by ravenous sheep. Also? There was lots of poop to be stepped on:



You might also like to know that we were informed by another zoo patron that not only do sheep give us Ian's beloved poop but and I quote "that is a sheep, it gives us cotton."

It was a mostly great day. However, Jason and I were in bed by 9:00 that night because we were, you guessed it, pooped. Much to Ian's delight.

The Treasure Trove That Is Grandma's House

Being a collector of vintage Pyrex, I love treasure hunting. Usually this means combing thrift stores, which is something I've recently introduced my daughter to and now Jason is mostly wondering what we will ever do with all the "old stuff" we find together.

Just this weekend I scored some fantastic pink Pyrex for $2.50. That's for two pieces. It's okay, Jason didn't really understand my reason for the happiness jig either. But he smiled and said, "Don't you already have that one?"

Which I did. Pictures to come.

Recently, my grandma has been inviting me over to her house to dig through her treasures. Which is mega because grandma's house is always the right price. So I thought I'd share some of my thrift and grandma's house finds.

My last trip to grandma's was fruitful with the aforementioned birdcage (I'll show it soon), a beautiful quilt and this vintage Lusterware bird wall pocket that I love (Jason hates):



and a clearer shot:



Isn't it beautiful?

*I also wanted to answer a question that I was asked by Le Meems, I never use pre-made stencils or molds in any of my projects. All of my designs are done freehand. If I do use some kind of stencil it is one I created myself by drawing freehand first.

I like to live dangerously, you know.

***

Have any of you found any mega treasure scores lately?

PS - I totally bragged about being mega knitter way too early. Last night I had knitter's block and couldn't even manage the most janky of simple cast on's. Knit fail.

Proving To {him} that "Purl" does not mean something kinky

A little over a year ago, I decided to teach myself to sew. What that meant was I sat down with the instruction manual to my sewing machine and read it cover to cover. I then went online and found a tutorial and went to work making aprons. Which I was fairly successful at and actually sold quite a few.

When my co-worker asked me if I'd like to learn to knit, given my recent blogging hiatus, I jumped all over the opportunity. So one day over a half hour lunch she showed me the most basic knit stitch and sent me on my way with my needles and two balls of yarn.

Over the next two weeks I knitted mega rectangles of dropped stitch goodness. I picked around the internet for videos and taught myself to cast-on, bind off, purl and other basic knitting goodness.

And then I found it. My first masterpiece. I felt comfortable enough in my new found skills to add a little more complicated stitching to this project. I'm an ego-maniac like that.

My daughter has a fascination with fingerless gloves (I blame myself) and was looking a tad hobo in the ratty ones I bought her two years ago. So this was an instant love connection.



Seriously, I only had to restart them like five times. That makes me "mega-knitter". I promise.

While I was practicing knitting until my fingers bled, almost literally, the kid and I spent a night watching the best movies ever. Juno, Darjeeling Limited and Napoleon Dynamite (I said ever, hmmm). So keeping in the spirit, I made her do a Napoleon Dynamite glamour shot photo session to show off her new gear. She eased her fist up under her chin and tilted her chin like a champ. We were only sad that we didn't have like a vest or some gold bracelets to make her look official.



Next knitting project is a matching neck warmer. Her arms and neck will never be cold again.

Also? I used the word mega twice.

Living Room Redo - Eight Hours, Bachelor Pad Furniture and Spray Paint

Jason and I moved into our house three years ago. We moved in, we put everything in its place and with the exception of some painting, we haven't changed things around much.

This wild "everything needs to be new" hair that I recently got meant that I needed to change that and as soon a possible. So I took the day off work, picked up a couple cans of spray paint, dug out his old bachelor pad furniture and went to work.

Eight hours and a shower later, I fell exhausted into my big ol' chair.

Some before shots:





Notice how I show the room at its worst for the "before"? Like the before beauty shots where she never has any make-up on, bed head and the worst break out ever. I should probably be ashamed of this picture, but you see, this is truly what the room looked like moments before I started the project. And besides, it just means that I have this cuteness running around my house:



It was that very mess maker and that very mess that prompted me to make this painting that would set the color palette for the room:



So I cleaned up the mess and did a little rearranging (the worst part of the whole day):



The good news is that the entire project cost me less than thirty bucks because I had these bachelor pad beauties hidden away:





There is nothing like Target's Mission Style cheapness to bring out my creativity. And my Krylon.

So much Krylon, in fact, that every time I blew my nose it was a rainbow of awesome for days following. But totally worth it.

Note my little love birds left in wood grain. I love wood grain:



And the whole deal:







This is where my knitting magic happens:





You might also notice the new TV. Jason was so wowed he thought the room needed a new TV. Or he needed a new TV, I'm unsure.

Stay tuned for a few more additions including a great birdcage that is in the process of the Krylon makeover as we speak. Or maybe the saga of the $4 thrift store dresser turned media cabinet.

In The Begininning There Were Pumpkins

The Fall always feels like new beginnings to me. After a summer that felt like it would never end and was wrought with strangeness, I stepped away from the internet, from my two years of blogging and all that went along with that.

I needed a fresh start.

I needed to feel the things I was creating in my hands again.

To pick up needles, thread, fabric and paint brushes.

To create with more than a mouse and a keyboard.

So I did. And I'm happy.

I put away the daily dish of snark and just focused on creating new things and feeding my soul. So let me greet you the very way you are greeted as you enter my home:



The mister and I are always and I do mean always working on something around the house. Whether it be the actual house or his love of house music.

This is our blog. This is our front walk-way with Jason's annual pumpkin display.



Both of these lousy pictures were taken at night with our lousy camera.

And this is what it looks like when you drive the parts of your annual display home in your Honda Pilot:




Jason won't give into a truck. He's just not "that" rural.

Welcome to our blog.

Love,
{her}