Womens Lifestyle Show

On March 23 & 24, 2013, the London Convention Centre is hosting the Annual Womens Lifestyle Show.

"The Womens Lifestyle Show is the fun event of the year for women of all ages in Southwestern Ontario. Shop in the vibrant marketplace which features unique and artisan products. Sample delicious locally sourced culinary bites from the top regional restaurants. Be entertained. Learn the latest trends in fashion, fitness and well-being. Take a day with your friends, daughter, mother or neighbour. Or come on your own to escape in our own world of that is fun for females!"

~ from the Womens Lifestyle Show homepage, http://womenslifestyle.ca/

Now I don't know about you, but this sort of thing usually does not rock my socks off. However, I will be there on the Sunday. Reason? Because Gail Vaz -Oxlade will be there! She's scheduled to speak at 2 pm, and I will not pass up an opportunity to see here, especially here in London, Ontario.

There is no freaking way I'm going to lined up with 2000 other women at 9 am trying to get one of the 200 swag bags that they are offering to the early birds. But hey, if morning is your thing, you might want to try for one. I hear that they are pretty awesome!

I know lots of you ladies in our area would love the opportunity to see Gail - in person - and here is your chance.I doubt she'll be autographing anything, and may not even have the typical 'meet & greet' that her book signings have, but one never knows.

If you have never heard Gail speak publicly before, I strongly suggest you make your way down to the London Convention Centre March 24, 2013 way before 2 pm. I know from past experience that the seats will fill up fast! There is a $10 charge to gain entrance to the Womens Lifestyle Show, but seeing Gail live is so worth the price of admission.

I know I'll be there!

How I Wish To Do This!

As a knitter, I am very reluctant to join a Knit-Along because usually they entail fancy patterns that are a little out of my league, or the end product is just too ambitious for the basic knitting techniques that I know. However, this one, the Temperature Scarf Crochet-Along and Knit-Along could just be the thing for me!

Using these eight colours only might be a bit tricky, as here, sometimes our temperatures vary widely from day to day. I'll have to take a look through the stash to see what I can come up with that will be close to these colours. I like the idea of using the 'feels like' temperature to determine the days colour.
(Using my idea, I need to have 16 differing colours and a border colour.)

One other great thing about this is that I only have to knit two rows per day, on average. Some days it will be 6 rows, as one should add four rows of the border colour when the month changes. I could take pictures and upload how the scarf looks every month. :) How's that for ambitious? LOL.

The idea was inspired by this blog posting and now there are lots of folks around the world knitting and crocheting the same thing. Well, sort of. Anyhoo...I'm off to dig through the stash to see what I can find. I have to at least cast on today. I'm already behind in the pattern. Good thing I only have to make up 9 little rows.

On My Needles

One of my Christmas gifts this year was a set of Knit Picks Harmony Multi-Coloured interchangeable round knitting needles. What a beautiful set of wooden needles. I didn't want to wait any longer to make something that would be equally beautiful, in pattern, colour and fibre.

I returned to the scene of the crime where DH purchased these beauties; The Little Red Mitten in St. Thomas, Ontario. I arrived this morning a few minutes before store opening, and took in the view from the porch of the establishment. To my left, I could see the statue of Jumbo the Elephant (you do know the story of Jumbo, right?) and looking down Talbot Hill, I could see countryside covered in snow. What a beautiful sight to see. One of the ladies came to open the door, and I was in pure, sweet heaven!

My eyes were treated to skeins and skeins of yarn, all sorted by fibre content, colour, and manufacturer. I didn't even know where to start. I was allowed to wander for a few minutes before I was asked if I was looking for anything in particular. The nice lady (I'm sorry that I can't remember her name) was the same person who assisted my husband with his purchase a few weeks earlier. I mentioned that I wanted to knit something special for myself, a cowl that would be suitable for work and casual occasions as well.

She offered several different types of yarn, focusing first on softness and colour. When she mentioned a tweed, my eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, I'm sure. I have a soft spot for tweed yarns. The Charcoal was exactly what I was looking for. This yarn is 40% Wool, 30% Llama, and 30% Silk. It is so soft, I can't wait until I am wearing this beautiful cowl.

I was given a pattern that she had written up for this cowl, along with some handwritten notes to try one of two different sized needles, as well as the number of stitches to cast on. She carefully explained to me how to cast off using the pattern sequence to make the final product look nicer.

The yarn certainly was not a frugal purchase. It was quite expensive, as a matter of fact. When you add in the cost of the yarn, and the cost of the amount of time it will take to knit up, it will likely be the most expensive neck warmer on the face of the planet. But I don't regret this purchase. No, not one bit. I wanted my first project on my new needles to be something special; something special for me.

Women's Money Week, 2013

Attention Bloggers!

Remember last year when Women's Money Week posted the Ultimate List of Women Money Bloggers?

Some of us had to send them an email, or something to get added to that list, and others were just automatically on it. I still use that list to find good things to read on the Interwebs, written by fabulous women who write about money. To see my wee blog on the same list with Gail Vaz - Oxlade and Krystal of Give Me Back My Five Bucks was certainly exciting to say the least.

How many of you have stayed with Women's Money Week and been following the Weekly Resource designed to help you take action each week? Did you even know that there are weekly articles and way to hold yourself accountable for the week's action item? The whole blog/site is geared to help those who want to reshape their financial future, and will hold you accountable should you need that too.

You can also sign up now to be a part of Women's Money Week 2013 which will run from March 4 - 8, 2013. Their site says, "It will be a great chance to connect with other bloggers and get incoming links." More information will be available in January.

I like the idea of having some new people popping in to read my wee blog, so I signed up. Perhaps, given a bit of time to write, I'll be able to write a marvy-fab article that will get featured during WMW2013.

Anyone else interested in taking part in this?

Knitting Top Ten

Top Ten Ways Knitting has changed my life:

1.      The constant exercise of my fingers and hands while knitting has staved off the effects of arthritis. I have less pain in my hands and therefore can knit more.

2.      I am able to make handmade gifts for loved ones and friends from the practical (dishcloths) to the frivolous (superhero cape).

3.      Recognising that I am a lifelong learner, knitting will provide me with years of education ahead. There are so many stitches to learn, projects to accomplish and yarns to work with that I will still be knitting and learning well into my retirement years.

4.      A project on the needles becomes a conversation starter. I am painfully shy at times, and am usually unable to approach someone I don’t know to begin a conversation. Whatever I am knitting usually attracts attention so that they will ask what I am making.

5.      Knitting has deepened the appreciation I have for my mother and grandmother and their respective fibre arts (Grandma was a quilter).  My love for knitting has opened my eyes to other forms of fibre art and textiles and wanting to learn more about them all.

6.      While I am knitting, I am able to let the continuous movement of the yarn and needles put me in a Zen-like state, giving my mind the freedom to wander and subconsciously tackle problems.

7.      Yarn stores. I love walking into a yarn section or yarn store to marvel at the array of colours, pattern books and needles.

8.      I have made many friends who share similar interests and have been welcomed into a ‘group’ of other yarn/knitting/fibre lovers. Their friendship and guidance means the world to me.

9.      I am a procrastinator by nature. Knitting helps me to avoid housework and other unpleasant tasks and provides me with the quiet time needed to build up my courage to tackle the realities of life.

10.   Through knitting, I am able to give back to my community. Keeping Kids Warm is a local charitable organization that provides handmade outer garments to homeless youth. Working with this group gives me immense satisfaction.

 

Updated

Hi all.

I've updated my blog list. I removed some blogs that have sadly come to an end, deleted some that I no longer follow (sorry) and added some new-er ones that I have found in my searches. Some blogs won't be to your tastes at all but I enjoy reading them.

If you would like me to add you to my list, leave a comment with a link to your blog.

Coupon Swap Night

If you listen to BX 93 here in London, you may have heard of Coupon Christine , a local saving guru. Her website is full of freebies, deals, and printable coupons as well as a listing of places you can contact to get coupons for products. She hosts a Facebook group page that swaps coupons and deal info. And she's super nice!

Once per month, the group meets for a coupon swap, and typically a local group becomes their 'charity' for the month, getting donations of whatever it is that group needs.

Tonight is the June 2012 swap (held in the food court of Galleria/Citiplaza mall) and Keeping Kids Warm is the recipient of the generosity of this wonderful group of people.

Here is a compilation of items that I personally am donating to help make up the survivor bags:

gum, razors, hair products, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deoderants, q-tips, combs, lady products, candy, healthy snack bar, shmpoo/conditioner samples.

Keeping Kids Warm is also gearing up to become a collector for Terracycle. We keep garbage out of the landfill, products are recycled or upcycled, and charities get cash! What a win-win-win situation!

I gotta run. Tons to do today. Have a great day everyone!





My Hands Have Not Been Idle

Cub modeling a 'hat'. It isn't a hat really, but it sure looked like it at the time.

Shortly after our trip to visit with Gail Vaz-Oxlade , she posted about her love for knitting. This is something that we definitely have in common. Gail doesn't use patterns, instead changing up the yarns and needle sizes to create as she goes along.

I, too, am a renegade knitter at heart. I despise following even the simplest pattern. But I will use one until I am understanding how a piece is put together (like the Swiffer cloths) and then recreate it with my own imagination and creativity.

2012 is the year I decided to work through my enormous stash of yarn and crafting supplies. I promised Hubby I would not buy any more yarn until I got rid of what I already have. (This may have been a mistake, but oh well.) I got the idea from Creating A Family Home who is, for various reasons, trying to work down her stash.

The 'hat' that Cub is wearing above, is one of those stash busting projects. The charity I work with, Keeping Kids Warm is often gifted the stashes of family members of the donors. This often includes lots of little balls of leftovers from long ago finished projects. Not wanting these little bits to go to waste, I have gathered bags and bags of them to make something with. Some of it will be for using with plastic canvas. Some bits are so small though, it's difficult to figure out the perfect project for them.

Enter the "Rainbow Snake' idea.

Some time ago, the volunteer knitters at KKW used several balls of yarn in varying colours and textures, knitting in the round, to create a yarn snake that grew several feet long. To complete it, it was stuffed with batting, and sealed on both ends. The flexible finished product called the Rainbow Snake, was then donated to a children's facility where it has been laid upon, jumped on, sat on, twisted into varying configurations and loved fiercely by many a baby and toddler. So much so that the facility has requested another one as it is getting worn from so much love.

I started working on a new snake, when DD2 took a keen interest in what I was making. I explained how it would be stuffed and sewn up as a plaything for some babies. She mentioned that if it was the appropriate size, even a young lady such as herself would like a 'pillow' made in a similar manner. She thought that lots of folks might like to have such a creation as well. My biggest worry was what to call it. A Pillow-something? Rainbow something?

We went to the park during some really nice weather the other day. I was thinking about our family, and all of the great-nieces and great-nephews I have. I've tried to give them all a special nickname from Auntie, and I started thinking about those nicknames. One jumped out at me....Inchworm. That's the special name I have for my great-niece whose name is Alaska. Her and Cub are only a few months apart in age. Inchworm Pillows. They grow inch by inch on my needles, made with only a few inches of yarn at a time. How fitting.

I'll post pics when I have one or two finished. I think the first one should go to DD2 and the second to Inchworm - as thank you for their inspiration.

Are your hands creating anything these days?

Ignore Me, I'm Just Knitting

I'm not exactly a senior knit-i-zen, but I am a Grandmother, and I do love to knit.

I have gobs and gobs of yarn around this place. There are bags full of yarn and half finished projects stuck under tables and in closets. There are boxes and totes full of yarn for future projects stacked in the corner of our bedroom. Those little ends of yarn that I snip off when I switch balls, or when I've finished something? Those are all over the place, because Cub loves laying them on the floor to drive his cars on them. He calls them roads, lol. My stash is beautiful.

Hubby doesn't think so. He thinks it's a waste of money, all that yarn just sitting there with me not making it into something useful. He's forbidden me from bringing any more yarn into the house until I have used up what I already have. I'm also not allowed to spend another cent on yarn until the other stuff is gone. What's a gal to do?

Mostly everyone who knows me, knows that I knit. I knit almost everywhere, as I take a knitting project with me almost everywhere I go. I can knit while I'm waiting for my turn at the doctor's office. I can knit while watching Cub play at playgroup. I can knit while watching television or a movie at home. I knit at the library too. It's amazing how many conversations I have had with people who have approached while I was knitting. Usually they ask what I am making, and then they usually tell me that they have no idea how to knit and would love to learn or that a family member taught them years ago, but they haven't done any knitting in a long time. This is usually my intro to telling them about the charity I knit for and the free classes that happen every week.

I figure if I can get two rows of knitting done while I'm waiting for the doctor or dentist, thats two rows closer to getting the project finished. Finishing knitting something is what it should be all about, right? (OK, not always, but that's another post in itself.) Seeing as I have a ton of things I would like to make, I have to finish the ones I'm already working on. In order to get to be able to buy the Hemp/Cotton blend and knit myself a tank top, I have to get rid of all the yarn in my house first. To use it all up, I have to knit.

See Eboo knit. Knit Eboo, knit!

Happy weekend everybody!

Some Autumn Cemetery Pics

I didn't have a lot of time yesterday to take pictures, but I did manage to take a few while walking through the cemetery.

I'm not sure what type of plant this is, but there are several planted along a hedge. The sharp leaves were a bit wilty yesterday from the frosty night we had.

I chose this image because of where it lays. In this area of the cemetery, there are many old upright monuments, and this gem was laying in/on the ground among them.

Many of the monuments in the older section have this fungus/moss growing on them. After some time, it starts to crumble the stone beneath. All I could think was, "Out of death comes new life."

A couple of full sized cover slab monuments placed directly over the entire grave/lot.

The huge uprights in the background are wonderful pieces of work, with beautifully carved urn shaped tops. Both of these types of monuments are rarely made anymore because they would be cost prohibitive.

Here is a close look at the larger slab monument, placed in 1901.

Another old beauty.

This beauty is slowly sinking into the earth. I wanted desperately to peel away the grass and earth that will eventually cover it, and bring it back up to a level where it can be seen by all. Truthfully though, trying to level this with the ground again would probably break it.

They just don't make behemoths like these anymore. Way too expensive.

This monument was one of three hiding behind some bushes that were likely lovingly planted eons ago. The bushes are now bigger than the monuments, perhaps shielding them from some of the weather.

Just look at the intricate work on this piece. How beautiful!

Same with this one. Such craftsmanship.

This is a style that isn't seen much anymore. A whole piece of stone carved to look like it was formed from several field stones put together.

See what I mean?

A larger example of this style.

From the front. You can just make out the delicate carving of the information.

That's it folks. Just a teeny, tiny glimpse of the beauty I saw in the cemetery.

Go for a walk, while the weather is still reasonably nice. There is so much beauty to behold.













 











My Top 10 Checklist

Thanks to Carla over at My Half Dozen Daily ( who attributes her post to Momof2 at Abundance: Frugality, Food, Fitness and Fun ), I have also decided to make my own Top 10 Checklist.

The idea is to make a list of ten things that are important for you to do every day. Write them down, and then check them off as you go along.

At first I thought, "Oh, I'll just write down the top ten things I need to do today" and then I realised after rereading both articles, that the list should be things you need or want to do everyday. Thinking about it while writing my list really shows what I value and where my priorities are.

My Top Ten Checklist

1. Write a blog post, a letter, a thank you note, or a section of my story. Writing everyday is something I love doing.
2. Have my 5-A-Day. Smoothies make this much easier but I need to keep this a priority if I ever expect to lose any weight.
3. Clean for 1/2 hour. I can break this into two fifteen minute intervals if need be.
4. Do 1 load of laundry. We go through lots of clothing, and the mountain never seems to get any smaller. I have to keep up on this, and this is a good way to do so.
5. Spend 1 hour a day making or creating something. (Knitting, plastic canvas, candles, etc.)
6. Spend 1 hour daily on business paperwork. This should keep me caught up.
7. Make dinner from scratch.
8. Exercise for 1/2 hour; Walking outside in nice weather or doing at least one circuit of my DVD.
9. Spend 1/2 hour on budget/spending or finances. Must. keep. costs. down.
10. Spend time with members of my family, either individually or together. I love spending time with these people, so I will continue to show them that they are a huge priority in my life.

So, that's my 10.

And this post means I can cross off one thing on that list today. ;)

The Hundred Dollar Store and Yarn

A couple of night ago, Hubby and I went to our local mall for dinner. There's an Abblebee's inside the mall, and I just lurve their eats. Anyway, after dinner, we decided to walk through the mall to the other side and cruise around WalMart for awhile. I wanted to check out their back-to-school deals.

My deal of the day was Hilroy 200 pack of lined refill paper for 25 cents. I bought 4. We also bought a replacement vacuum for a mere $49! Then things went all wonky. :(

We call WalMart the 'hundred dollar store' because we rarely get out of there without spending $100. Last night was no exception. We bought pull-ups and wipes for Cub, a lock for DD2 for school, and 1 pack of large and 1 pack of medium sized freezer bags. Juice boxes were on sale as well.

And then I went to look at yarn. Bad Eboo.

I wanted to look at some worsted weight variegated coloured yarn for a gift that I am planning on knitting for Christmas. The afghan that I am would like to make calls for the use of several of these, so I started throwing them into the cart. After about eight of them, I stopped and looked at what I was doing. Priced at nearly $9 each, I would have way overspent on yarn. I took them all back out, and set them side by side on an empty shelf. I mixed up the order, added newer yarns, took some away, and tried really hard to keep the number of balls down to something more respectable.  I ended up still purchasing 5 large and 1 small balls of yarn. Total, about $50. Bad, bad Eboo.

Even more dangerous is the upcoming Mary Maxim Tent Sale , from August 18th to September 5th in Paris, Ontario. I would love to go, but without a chaperone I know I will spend money I can't afford, on things I don't need, but would love to have. If you are a knitter, crocheter, quilter, cross-stitcher, sewer, scrapbooker, or do any type of craft or art, I'm sure they will have something for you.

I'm hoping to be able to knit some gifts this year for Christmas without spending my whole budget at a yarn store.

Welcome!

Last night, I got to thinking that perhaps if I ever want to accomplish something in the field of writing, then I have to start somewhere. I have some writings in a folder on my desktop, but no one other than me has ever seen them. I started writing a story sometime ago and let a couple of people see it, but it hasn't gone any farther. In order to think of myself as a writer, I must write. I think that right now the easiest way to do that would be to blog.

Let me tell you a bit about myself. I am a 37 year old mother of 3 wonderful children; a 19 year old daughter, a 10 year old daughter and a 1 year old son. I am in a commom-law relationship with a wonderful man who has shown me that life is for enjoying.

I have many interests including reading, writing, personal finance, simpler living, knitting, creating, and travelling.

I have so many ideas floating around in my head that I want to talk about, discuss, and expand on that I feel some days that I will never run out of things to say.

In the next few days, our little family is leaving on vacation (or is it stay-cation as we are not leaving the country) for two weeks. We will be driving from London, Ontario to Edmonton, Alberta to visit family, and seeing a bit of our wonderful country along the way.

until next time...