A Christmas Video Song from the boo & friends

The boo and his classmates in Mrs. Peterson's room as well as his friends in Mrs. Musone's third grade class wish you all a 

VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

The boo is in the front row, first seat on your left in the pink shirt 

(sorry daddy, see what happens when you are in Virginia!)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Holy crap! I'm renovating!

I am so tired, I can barely type.  On Monday night I started a bathroom renovation.  I watch enough HGTV that I figured in 30 minutes, 60 tops, I would have a fabulous new space.  Something that buyers could take a cue as to the potential that laid beneath my 1960's Brady-fabulous home.


HA


So I have slaved, literally nearly every waking moment this week, in order to surprise my husband.  I haven't blogged, haven't made it in to the office, and honestly, haven't even showered in 2 days (because the plaster was curing, the paint was drying and I need a new shower curtain.


But at last, I am clean, the room is renovated and WOW -- it is amazing!!!  I do not


have a before photo, it was hideous and I was embarassed.  I do have a few "in progress" photos on my phone, but since getting my phone would involve moving and moving isn't on my agenda ever again, you will have to wait to see those later.


So, before I go all fetal position or my hands cramp up and refuse to work, I give you.....

MY NEW BATHROOM...

It's not 100% finished.  Alex is still doing some finishing of hanging towel racks & such, but at least my portion is completed.  I am incredibly thrilled.  


I stripped 40 year old wallpaper, applied an artistic plaster layer over all the walls, primed, painted, retextured & repainted the ceiling, filled about a million holes, sanded till I couldn't move, painted the mirror, hung a new picture, installed new towel holders, fixed the light fixture, removed and spackled the old towel holder places, took apart my toilet and cleaned every single piece and put it back together, hacksawed bolts, covered said bolts with appropriate bolt covers, installed a door bumper and basically scrubbed everything cleaner than it has ever been in the 14 years we've lived here.  


Yes, I am excited.  Now, off to go curl up in a ball for a few minutes before the boo gets home and terrorizes the rest of the house.

FS: STAR WARS COLLECTIBLE PROMO-POSTERS

I got these when I worked at Borders.  They are approx. 12" x 12" square on heavy poster board.

I have two complete sets, although the one Jar-Jar may be a little scruffy on the edges.

$40 per set OBO

DESTASH: Coney Island -- part II

Same rules apply as on the first post.  Forgotten already? Refresher!

LOT 6: HALLOWEEN IN NOVEMBER!

In all seriousness, this orange color is stunning.  It is a deep rust that is hard to capture; it just glows.  As you can see, there is some fringies; I would think that is just on the very outside in that one spot, but I cannot guarantee the quality of this cone.  As you can see, the two black companions are in great condition.  Price: $20

LOT 7: BRIGHTER & BRIGHT

The green color chenille is simply stunning.  The bright one is, well, bright.  True story, one time I wrapped a package up with a bit of the bright one.  Customer wrote to me asking how much of the bright chenille I might have in the stash & would I sell it to her.  She wanted to make a sweater out of it.  I will sell it to you, but only if you PROMISE to NEVER make a sweater out of either of these.  Price: $17

LOT 8: LIKE A VEGAS SHOWGIRL

Three more super sparkly cones of wonder.  A beautiful gold, not a scary lame gold, but a rich, warm glowing gold.  In the middle, a true electric blue and finally, a sparkly black evening number.  Again about a bajillionty yards here.  You could weave or knit along with this for a year and not use it all up.  Price: $45

LOT 9: HOWS THAT FEEL???

Three cones with amazing texture.  I have no idea what the blue one is made of, but I love it lots & if no one buys it I will secretly be very happy.  The middle one doesn't have a ton of yardage but it is rich, vibrant & nice and squishy soft.  The tan has tons and tons of character with a very nice hand.  It's much more fluid than it looks in this photo.  I always imagined this as a summer crochet cover-up or a woven sunhat or bag.  The possibilities are endless!  Price $22

LOT 10: BEATS ME

Two gigantic cones.  The white stuff is, well, odd.  But in a good way, like Aunt Gerturde after her second cosmo at thanksgiving.  It reminds me of cording for jewelry.  It looks like it should be elastic & stretchy, but it's not at all.  I have crocheted with it before and it looks great worked up.  The brown is, well, like Uncle Frank, Aunty G's reliable husband.  You can count on him to dd her home and even though he isn't flashy, he has a soft side when you get up close.  Price: $13

LOT 11:  CLOWN CAR

Three cones (ignore the others on the edges, I was running out of room)  I love, love, love the orange cone. Hmmm, when I say "orange cone" that makes me think of a highway cone.  Trust me, this is nothing like that at all.  This is a slinky, sexy, shimmery orange that would be amazing as a lace wrap.  The other two, well, that's where the clowns are, I suppose.  The one of the left is bright and sparkly & loads of fun.  Back in my spinning days This was one of my favorites & it was used often as a base for core spinning or as a ply for fun stuff.  And then there is the big tall asparagus looking cone.  It is a gorgeous color.  I bought it online and about peed myself over the color.  But it is NOT next to the skin soft.  I've only ever used it once, in a skein of yarn that also contained mood rings crocheted in at various intervals.  Yeah, it's that kind of cone.  Price: $24

LOT 12: BEACH BEAUTIES

Three more stunners.  All have a boucle type texture to them.  The blue and cream are very soft.  The gold is rich and vibrant.  There is a bit of dirt on the very outside few wraps of the golden cone.  I could just unwrap those few yards and you would never know, but depending on how you are using it, you might not care & it might wash off, so I leave it to you to decide.  Price: $23

Okay, that's it for tonight.  Need to go watch some Monday Night Football; apparently the Eagles are already up 14-0 in the first few minutes.  

MORE STUFF I THOUGHT OF;  If you see it here, it's still available.  Cross-outs will happen when stuff is sold.  Everything is sold AS IS, but if you are truly, deeply unhappy with something let me know and we will work something out.  I really don't want returns, given that I am moving, but I absolutely wouldn't want anyone to be unhappy.  However, I can't imagine you not loving these as much as I do.  It is killing me to give them up, but really, how much can one girl use?

Now, go shop & when you are done shopping, spread the word so your friends can join in the fun too!  

 Oh, and most of all, THANK YOU!!!

DESTASH: Coney Island -- part I

Let the massive destashing begin!!!

I already sold my Lendrum DT. That one never even made it to the blog -- follow me on twitter for the early announcements:  twitter.com/happyneedle

Also, twitter sales get a really nice discount since I don't need to do the work of listing it here.

Okay, on to the good stuff....

Today we have more cones than you can shake a stick at.  Not that you would shake a stick at the cones, but.... nevermind....

FLAT RATE SHIPPING $5 PER LOT -- and these are heavy cones in most cases, so that is a HUGE savings for you most likely.  FREE SHIPPING for orders over $100!!!

Prices are for the entire lot, NOT per cone.  Yes, I am selling these crazy cheap but I just won't have room for them in my new home.

For reference I have included a six inch ruler/needle sizer in each photo.  I have not taken the time to figure out fiber content, weight, ypp, etc on any of these.  If you are seriously considering making a purchase but need that info, comment me & I will do my best to answer your questions.

LOT 1: SISTER GOLDEN HAIR

4 cones of chenille in golden colors.  First cone is thicker than the other 3.  That one also seems to have a few loose ends.  Price: $28

LOT 2: SING ME THE BLUES

2 cones of blue chenille.  Similar gauge and would look amazing woven together.  Price $15

LOT 3: SILVER BELLES 

4 cones of 4 slightly different types of yummy, dazzling silver sparkle.  Literally thousands and thousands and thousands of yards here.  Price: $60

LOT 4: FLOWER FIELD

Two of my favorites; I used these a lot when I was spinning designer yarns.  Both are identical save for the color.  I think they are a cotton-ish blend and they are very soft with great texture.  Price: $18

LOT 5: BOUCLE SKIES

Three very different and yet harmonious cones in this lot.  The gray is light & lofty but not a lot of yardage there.  The silvery purple has about a billionty yards and has an amazing sheen that shows through in the photo.  The pastel blend has great texture and stunning colors.  Price: $16

BE SURE TO CHECK BACK OFTEN.  

More lots coming

SOON!!!!!

Seven Things That Make Me Happy

Since I am officially done my month  -- okay, six weeks, but whose counting -- of mourning for the passing of my grandmother I have decided I will devote today's blog post to sharing a few things that make me happy.

1) I am an eternal optimist.  I always see the glass half full.  Sometimes even 3/4 full.  My husband's favorite phrase is "Murphy Says" as in Murphy's Law.  This obviously puts us constantly at odds.  But you know what, I LIKE being an optimist.  I like believing the best in people; that my team will come from 21 down to win (WE ARE......); that most people are intrinsically good; that the toast will land jelly side up and that the tickle on my upper lip won't turn into a cold sore.  I want to look through my rose colored glasses and see the world as a pretty place.  And I don't ever think that will change.

2) I like twitter.  Using the fun page, How Long Have You Been Tweeting, I discovered that I've been tweeting since March 6, 2008.  That's 977 days.  Wow.

3) Baubles make me happy.  Shiny, sparkly, blingy things make me smile.  So much so that I started making my own jewelry.  Like for real this time, not just a one and done thing.  I'm starting my own line, to be called, "BIG GIRL BAUBLES".... primarily bracelets, the bane of every big girl's existence.  You know, the cute stretchy kind that, if not large enough, will cut off the circulation in your hand or leave really attractive squeeze marks on your arm, or worst of all pop scattering all your pretty bling to the four winds.  Links to the new store coming soon!  Meanwhile, here is a tiny sneak peak....

4) I like when the clocks change and it gets dark early.  Makes me feel all snuggly inside.  And candles with autumn scents; pumpkin, spice, cranberry, sage and all those other warm earthy scents.  Yum!

5) My job makes me happy.  I have the most amazing job in the entire world.  If someone told me to write down my dream job description I would  say "Social Media & Marketing for a Yarn Company".  How many people get to live their dream? Seriously?  I am incredibly lucky to have the opportunity I have been given and I hate the fact that sometimes I take it for granted.  Bad, bad me.



6) My Zune makes me happy.  I like that I don't have an iPod.  That I am not one of the pod people.  That being said, I do have serious iPad envy.  But I am especially happy that The Mighty Mighty Bosstones "The Impression That I Get" is playing right now as I type this.  I LOVE that song!




7) And last, but never least, my family makes me happy.  My husband is the most amazing provider in the world.  My kids make me smile, make me laugh and make me feel loved.  Even when I want to strangle them on occasion, they fill me with an indescribable joy and I am incredibly proud to be their momma.

So, what makes YOU happy?

p.s. Counting Crows "Round Here" just started -- my absolute favorite song ever.  See, happy.

Careful, wouldn't want to knock yourself out now, would you?

I found out something incredibly interesting yesterday.  It is possible to accidentally make your own chloroform.  Guess how I figured that one out???  Word of warning, when cleaning the grime off an old brass table lamp with acetone, should you find yourself in need of a little brush to get into the crevices, be certain that it is NOT the toothbrush you last dipped in bleach to clean the crevices in the bathroom sink.  Just sayin.

I got all woozy and loopy and then had a mother of a headache for the rest of the day.  Not fun.

Although it is fun to tell people you accidentally choloformed yourself and then watch their reactions.

I also learned a great way to get out really, really stubborn carpet stains. Spot Shot and a scrub brush (and no, again, NOT the bleach brush).  While the directions advise you to wait sixty-seconds for tough set in stains, they obviously do not have carpet in a house with four men, five if you include the cat.  I also disregard the advice to not saturate the carpet.  I soak the hell out of it, wait about 2 minutes and then attack with my hand-dandy scrub brush.  Nary a stain in sight, even those that may have been on the carpet a scary long time.

All this cleaning and prepping to sell the house has left very little time for crafting.  I will give you a quick glimpse though of some of what has been happening...

 My laundry room got a much needed cleaning & makeover.  See, we don't have a basement or a garage (just outbuildings) but we do have a HUGE laundry room.  Like 8 x 12 huge.  So I took one entire wall and Man-Caved it.  It turned out awesome!

I also cleaned out the boys game closet, which was affectionately referred to as The Cupboard Under The Stairs.  The allocation of games will begin shortly.  I cannot fathom we had so much junk wholesome family fun stuffed down there.  

 Speaking of "junk", Chumley (nee Luna) got his junk chopped off this week.  He is still a bit ginger, but he is recovering.

I did manage to get a bit into the harvest spirit.  One very inexpensive autumn wreath was made using nothing but a wicker woven wreath from the dollar store, 3 strands of dollar store wreath garland and 2 bunches of dollar store flowers.  No glue, no wire, no nothing else.  All that for just $6 and about 4 minutes of work.  Amazing.

 Oh, and Chum helped.

 And on a final purging note I am offering 20 xbox games for $100 or best offer.  You can see them all here (there are a few not in cases) as well as a memory card.  If you are interested, please let me know.

Happy Wednesday!

GIVEAWAY: "All I Can Handle" by Kim Stagliano

I don't read "autism books".  Having spent every day of the past five years dealing with autism, thinking about autism, living with autism, the last thing I want to do in my free time is read about autism.  However, as with everything in life, there are a few exceptions.  I do take the time to read medically based books if they come with strong recommendations from my fellow moms dealing with the A word.  The other exception is books with a sense of humor.  First and foremost among those was Jenny McCarthy's Louder than Words.  It blew me away and when I passed it on to my in-laws in completely changed our relationship.  They suddenly understood better what I was dealing with on a day to day basis.  The challenges and fears that accompany parenting  a child you can never begin to understand.

But then there are those people who I can't even begin to fathom what they have to deal with on a day to day basis.  Those that whenever I feel sorry for myself I say, "Hey, at least it's as bad as ___________"  Today, I want to introduce you to one of those amazing warrior moms who I fill in the blank with.  Kim Stagliano has not one, not two, but THREE kids with autism.  And three girls to boot.  Normally when someone tells me they have three daughters, me, mother of 3 sons, jokingly says, "I'm so sorry."  But can you imagine?  Three sets of raging girl hormones.  And autism to boot.  Good Lord!




Kim has shared her journey in a fantastic new book, All I Can Handle: I'm No Mother Teresa (A Life Raising Three Daughters With Autism).  I've often flirted with idea of doing a talk or presentation on "The Lighter Side of Autism" or something along those lines.  Kim does something similar in her new book.  You will laugh along as she describes her dirty little Howard Stern secret.  You will cringe as you travel the painful path with her of missed signs.  You will experience the frustration of "normal" test results, well-meaning but clueless friends & families, undertrained teachers and a myriad of other experiences.  


If you are an autism parent like me, a parent of 3 kids (also like me), someone who is dealing with job insecurities and relocations (yup, we are three for three) or just someone who enjoys a slice of life look at a life less typical, you are sure to enjoy All I Can Handle.


I just realized I keep calling Ms. Stagliano by her first name, Kim, but that's because after reading her book, her blog, her website and being facebook friends for the last few months I feel as if I know her.  Not only do I know her, but I like her too.  And apparently she likes me a bit as well.  Why?  Because she gave me a copy of her book to give away to one of you!


Just leave a comment to this post, be sure to give me a way to get in touch with you, and on November 13th (Sparky's 40th birthday!) I will announce a winner.  No special requirements, but I would love it if you would hit up one of Kim's sites and give her some love.  Because she is no Mother Teresa, but she is a fellow autism mom and we could all use a little more love in our lives.

The past month...

It has been a month of grieving.  I didn't even realize I was grieving, but apparently I was.  I stopped cooking, stopped blogging, stopped working, stopped knitting, stopped spinning (because my drive band snapped, but still....), pretty much stopped everything.

I haven't seen my friends, I haven't gone to the library or grocery store, haven't hit my favorite happy hour spot, haven't put any new music on my mp3 player or visited my local coffee shop.  Haven't. Done. Anything.

All I could do was put one foot in front of the other & get through the day.  But today that is officially over.  I have to get my life back to where it was.  To the happy place that I have made my world.

And that all starts by getting back into my routine.  And a huge part of that routine is blogging.  So I am back -- not better then ever, but back at least.

Our regularly scheduled program will resume tomorrow. Thank you for your patience.

moving forward...

So I am mostly back on my feet after the mind shattering pain that was my grandmother's death & funeral.  She died a week ago today.  We buried her on Friday.  I now understand the saying "wracked with grief".  I didn't know it was possible to cry so hard or have my body shake so badly.  I've never experienced a headache like the one the day after her funeral.  My clinical husband diagnosed me with severe dehydration from crying so much.  Things I didn't know were possible.

I am so glad it is over.  Not grams' life, but her death & funeral.  I can go back to just being her granddaughter.  I don't need to be strong or in charge any longer.  I don't have to make decisions any more.  And most of all, I don't have to worry.  That is the most liberating feeling of all.

Her death was much like the last 16 years of her life -- on her own terms.  While she had cancer for the past 9 months -- check that, we have KNOWN about it for the last 9 months, but she probably had cancer for years -- she only suffered for the final weekend.  And she really only suffered for a few hours before we started plying her with morphine.

At any rate, she is gone.  I will never be the same.  But I have to move forward.  I am actually looking forward to moving forward.

So when I have times like this and all else fails, I go back to my zen.  The thing that brings me the most comfort.  I break out my spinning wheel.  The flow of the fiber through my fingers is a hypnotic, tranquil experience.  It helps me to find my center.  It brings me peace.

Linkie Love

I'm not feeling particularly great today.  I am filled with the owies.

I am learning all about nerve blocks.  Apparently one is in my near future.  I just hope it helps.

Since I don't have a ton to say, I'll hit you with some links of some of the people I love...

UnixSage - my husband

For the Love of Cooking - my oldest son's girlfriend

Painted Spring - my boss

Adventures of the Rock Star Dyer - my co-worker

New Horizons - my favorite college freshman

The Fix My Friend Project - me & my bestie


and last but not least, my work blog - Paca-Blog


Go give them some love.

Today's Boo photos...

medium son giving the boo his morning goodbye hug

boo in full sprint, delighting in the day

Still alive & somewhat kicking

A week with no posts -- gasp!
What happened to that new leaf thing I promised you?

Well, I have a good excuse, a really good excuse, actually.

I spent most of last week in the hospital.

Apparently my body doesn't like me very much.  Or I should say parts of my body, namely my anti-bodies and nerve endings don't like the rest of my body.

So I didn't put the boo on the bus last week.  The ever-amazing O & A took over all parenting duties as I got poked & prodded, injected & had blood draws, laid on tables & inside big thumping machines.  And spent a lot of time just sleeping in a hospital bed.  I watched more TV last week then I have probably watched in the past 3 months.  And daytime TV really sucks.  Now I know why I don't watch!

So anyway, enough about all that.  I am home, I am recovering.  I am a big fan of pain patches.  I now have 3 new doctors; a new surgeon, a new rheumatologist & a new pain specialist. I will go spend quality time with all of them this week.  Oh and I need to go have a sleep study done because they are pretty sure I have sleep apnea too.  fun.

I did not manage to get a good boo waiting for the bus photo today.  Which was a shame because he is quite cute today in his rolled up clam digger pants.  I did snap a pic while he was sitting in the bus.  Yes, that is peanut butter smudged on his face.  All 7 year old boys are allowed to be covered in peanut butter -- it's a rule.

Here is the boo's van, pulling away.  His afternoon van is a more traditional yellow special needs van.  This one is his morning van.  He gets both vans all to himself.  Joys of living in the middle of nowhere -- private chauffeur service to school.

Wanted to share a pic of the beautiful flowers my pseudo-daughter, Randi, brought me while I was in the hospital.  There were more flowers, but Lunos & the boo enjoy dissecting flowers.  Lot's of "she loves me, she loves me not" going on at my house, apparently.  Oh, and the cat is not allowed on the table.  Not that it matters at all to him, but for the record, this is a forbidden activity.

Remember those lovely Waverly printed dish towels I shared with you the other day?  Turns out they are kinda on the tiny side.  Too small to hang traditionally.  So I hung three of the 4 on my kitchen cabinets.  I'm not sure if I like them or not.  

Here is a shot from more of a distance.  Ignoring the stuff on the counter, what do you think?  Oh, and you will notice the cat in the window.  Where he is also not allowed to be.  Because it involves climbing on the table to get there.  As you can see, Lunos completely respects my authority.

Kakuro, Pear Butter & an attitude

I have a dirty little secret. 
I am obsessed with Kakuro.  For those of you who don't know, Kakuro is somewhat similar to Soduku, in that it is a Japanese logic puzzle involving numbers.  However it is much more math based, involving what combinations of numbers can be filled into a grid in order to make a complete puzzle.  I do Kakuro puzzles every night before I fall asleep.  I recently picked up a copy of The Little Book of Bathroom Kakuro: 200 Original Cross-Sums Puzzles for Brain-Sharpening Entertainment.  Kakuro puzzles are SO addictive.  Last night I was up until nearly 1:00am working on these little gems.

There are several websites devoted to the art of Kakuro, however I am a purist who much prefers to work with a pencil.  And an eraser; a BIG eraser.  If you like logic problems and enjoy making your brain do mental gymnastics in your down time, I highly recommend Kakuro.  Just don't blame me if you don't get enough sleep!








Remember the other day when I shared with you the bountiful harvest of pears that Miss Jural shared with us?  Well the pears have been well & truly buttered! And wow, is it amazing!!!


I cannot fathom that I MADE THIS.  And it was SO easy!!! Of course, in true Angela fashion I have no measurements, but I think this would actually be hard to screw up.  












SLOW COOKER PEAR BUTTER


Ingredients: 
Enough Juicy Pears to fill your slow cooker, cut into 1" chunks, with skin on. (If your pears aren't juicy, mix them with sugar in your slow cooker and allow to sit at room temp for 8-12 hours to bring out the juice)


approx. 2 cups sugar


approx. 1 T. ground ginger


approx. 1 T. ground cinnamon


Cooking:
Mix all ingredients together.  Cook on Low for 12-18 hours.
Allow to cool (this may not be necessary, but it's how I did it)
Puree in food processor or blender.


Serve & swoon!




And finally, we reach the "attitude" portion of this blog post.  And of course, it is in respect to the boo.  Boo had a fair morning this morning.  Not great, not bad, just average.  

And then we went outside to wait for the bus.

And some little boy decided that listening to mom was overrated.


And it would be much more fun to run around in the wet grass like a maniac.




And then roll around in the grass.





And get soaked.



As the van was pulling up.


Ah yes, Mother-Of-The-Year Award, here I come!