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.