One Thing

For the past three new years, I've debated with myself over whether or not to go all digital calender wise. And with each year I get a little closer to ditching the paper calender altogether, but I can't quite commit to it. I love the fact that it dings at me, sends me alerts and otherwise shakes into realizing that I have to be somewhere that day. I like that I can enter something once and have it repeat every 1,2 or 4 weeks, which saves me a lot of work entering things over and over. I like that it's on my phone, which means it's always with me, instead of lying forgotten on my desk. I love all of that. But when it comes down to it, I'm a list girl. And not a digital list girl. I'm a jot things down, sketch them out, physically cross them off the list kind of girl.
About halfway through last year I ditched my paper calender for everything except my chores list and started toting around blank books for all my to-dos, reminders and ideas and left the rest to the digital calender. And it worked, mostly. But after looking through the pages of my various blank books from the year I realized that I've been writing the same basic lists every week. Work to-do, home to-do, the week's menu and a slap dash little calender so that I could look at the whole week at once and know what the plan was. Other than the fact that I spent a chuck of every Monday rewriting all of this, I liked it, but having something ready for me would have been nicer.

So now it's time to make that "what calender" decision again. Ok, that time was a few weeks ago, but I can't find anything that's right for me. Maybe my brain works differently than most people because there is nothing out there for the "just need a little weekly calender and then have lots of room for lists" crowd. I was tempted by an Orla Kiely one because, well, because it was beautiful, but when will pointed out that it was tiny and had no space whatsoever for lists, I decided against. It was pretty though...

For now my notebook is holding up but it's pages are numbered and I have a feeling that it's not going to seem like 2011 until I go though my annual ritual of divvying up annual and monthly chores through the weeks and transferring birthdays and special dates in the hopes that this year I will get it together to send cards.

This is my mission for the week. To get my calender ready, which means I need to get myself a calendar, pronto. And unless something magically appears while I'm downtown this morning, well, I think I might just have to make one, if I can figure out templates on that program that used to be called Pagemaker when I was in college but has a different name now which I can't seem to remember. Oh, InDesign. That's it. I just looked on Will's computer. So, yes, if I can figure that out, then I guess I can just make one that fills all my requirements and have it printed and bound. Part of me wants to try out a DIY leather calender that arrived in my inbox via good old Martha, but for sanity sake and because I'm not sure where I could find some nice leather that wouldn't break the bank, I'm thinking of letting the good folks at Lulu.com do the job.

What do you do? Are you all digital or are you still a paper person? Have you found the perfect calender? Any recommendations before I spend my day in template land?

One Thing
A Monday habit. Share the one thing that you want to do this week, just for you. Tell us what you are working on in the comments and link back to your blog so we can see all the fun things you do!

So, what will you be up to this week?

Oops! Is it Monday Night Already?

We have had an, ahem, slow start back to normalcy today. The bus was missed (for which I'd like to blame the Apple alarm issue except I can't because actually Evelyn turned the volume off on my phone when she came in at 5 am asking for toast and then promptly fell back asleep, but it's comforting to know that we still wouldn't have woken up) Lunches were tossed together and children were rushed to school. And since then...well, I'm not sure where the day went. After school went smoothly and then suddenly it was bedtime and I realized that I'd spent the whole day offline. Ooops, and ahhhh as well. It was kind of nice.
My grandmother is in town for a few day (yes that grandmother, the one who taught me to sew and craft and tried to teach me to knit except I was too stubborn or clueless to manage it) and we spent the afternoon browsing Ravelry (which she'd never seen but I think I may have gotten her a little hooked on) and new knitting and sewing book acquisitions, checking out her needle felting (I smell a new hobby) and just generally having fun together, eeking out one more stolen day for the holidays.

Tomorrow we'll be more organized. Lunches will be packed before bed, children will be woken up at a decent hour instead of 15 minutes before they have to be at school. And life will be normal again. Or normalish. I hope. My big project of the week will be to get my 2011 calendar sorted. So far I haven't found anything quite right and so I'm thinking of just making my own, but that will be a who different post. Hopefully soon, because I'm feeling a little lost without one!

Hope you are all having a much less discombobulated (but fun!) start to the new year.

One Thing

It's a little bit strange, to look down at my workbasket, tucked under my desk where it has been (when it wasn't following me around the house) for the past few months, stuffed to the gills with things to be made. It's almost empty. A scrap of fabric from dresses for the doll, Will's slipper socks that, sadly, need to be re-knit. I planned on his long feet but forgot to add a little width for his wide ankles and alas, they are too tights. And that's it. There are other knitting projects that need to be finished. I gave up on trying to get Evelyn's sweater done when I realized i needed yet another skein of yarn and didn't have time to go get it and instead knit her (and then a boy version for her brother when he loved hers) the elf hat from More Last Minute Knitted Gifts for a solstice gift. I have a hat in progress for myself as well but now nothing is pressing. Nothing has to be done by this day or that event. And I can't decide if it feels refreshing or desolate. Both at the same time I expect.
There are still lots of projects, as there always are. Work to be done, bathrooms to be finished (the bead board is up!) classes to teach, a new sewing pattern on my desk, siding on the mudroom to decide on because wow would it be nice to have a mudroom right about now but what I really want to do this week is read. Last night I curled up in bed with a book for the first time in I don't know how long. Over the past few months I've done most of my reading (what I can squeeze in, that is) on my phone. And I love that. I really do. It means that I can read anywhere without having to wonder if I have my book with me. It's certainly made my purse a lot lighter since I used to have at least one book in there all the time, just in case. But I miss books. I've been so flat out busy for the past six months that I almost didn't notice that I barely read anymore. Once upon a time I thought I would keel over if I didn't get a good chuck of reading time in every single day. And Pinkalicious for the thousandth time didn't count.

And now I consider myself lucky if I can eek enough here and there moments with my Kindle App to finish my book club book each month. So this week my One Thing is going to be something a little different, an early New Year's Resolution. I'm not usually a big resolution girl, but this year I have a few, and this one, reading more, is starting now. Today.

How about you? Are you feeling lost without Christmas preparations? Are you making New Year's Resolutions yet?What are you up to in this last week of the year?

One Thing
A Monday habit. Share the one thing that you want to do this week, just for you. Tell us what you are working on in the comments and link back to your blog so we can see all the fun things you do!

So, what will you be up to this week?

One Thing

Five Days. Oh Dear. I'm usually closer to ready at this point. In fact, I'm usually done at this point other than some cookie baking and delivering to putter through in these last days. But this homemade gifts goal, well, whew, it's taking longer than I had thought. This year my eyes were too big for my fingers I think as I still have three knitted gifts to finish knitting, one sewing projects and two sets of slippers that still need bottoms sewn on. And four of those items need to be finished before tomorrow night when we do our Solstice Celebration. The funny thing is that I'm not stressed about it. It just means that there will be a lot of knitting and sewing and cozying up in my warm office where the heater vents seem to be the most efficient in the house. And that sounds a little divine.
Evelyn and I spent Thursday and Friday morning making English Toffee and Peppermint Bark to jar up out as gifts while Briton wandered around the neighborhood with his friends, sledding and staging snowball fights and who knows what else, returning home only reluctantly for food. Miss "I don't eat anything with any color or flavor in it" decided that she could make an exception for peppermint candies and I think she may have eaten more than she crushed for the candies. She also "Tested" the chocolate for the toffee while I was outside trying to coax Briton in for some lunch. Because, hey, what if it wasn't as good melted as it was solid?
There are still a few cookie type items to make and a glorious Christmas Eve Dinner to plan with some of our best friends. So even though this week is looking pretty busy, it's also looking pretty fun. Plus, it's going to snow again....
How about you? What is on your to-do list in these last days before Christmas? Something fun I hope!

One Thing
A Monday habit. Share the one thing that you want to do this week, just for you. Tell us what you are working on in the comments and link back to your blog so we can see all the fun things you do!

So, what will you be up to this week?

One Thing

Well, progress has been made on the various knitting, sewing and crafting projects to give, but I can't say that I would call any of them done. Evelyn and I did make a start on food related gifts over the weekend while the boys were out basketballing on Saturday morning. Specifically we made a test batch of this chai concentrate (yum! My new morning favorite!) and tried out this cashew brittle recipe. Both were winners and both will have a place in our holiday baskets for friends.

Because we have lots of school activities this week AND a bathroom that is stripped down to the walls, needed to be put back together (Tiffany blue walls and all!) I'm going to set my goals small this week and just hope to finish a few little projects that need to go into my last to-be-mailed Christmas box. But next week...oh I have plans for next week. baking, baking and more baking! (Eek! And Christmas Cards...)
How about you? What are you up to this week?

One Thing
A Monday habit. Share the one thing that you want to do this week, just for you. Tell us what you are working on in the comments and link back to your blog so we can see all the fun things you do!

So, what will you be up to this week?

One Thing

I just looked at my calender for the week and realized that I have something going on, somewhere to be, something to do, every single night this week. All week. Even the weekends. Must be December! Really, my One Thing this week should be just to keep myself sane, but the truth is I kinda love this time of year, with all the parties and activities and things to do and see, so instead I'm going to give myself some project deadlines. Gifts to finish so they can be mailed off by the weekend. Which is really just an excuse to knit and sew during my free time :).
I am 3/4 of the way through a pair of mittens and have another pair to go (they are really, really quick and I love the yarn, so soft it's crazy!)
One Mobius scarf down, one to go (also quick and so pretty!)

And one sewing project that my boy has cooked up that needs to get done (but I wont say what it is yet because Poppa might read this!)

That might be stretching it a little, but after the coat, it seems like small beans.
Yes the coat! It's done! Well, almost. The only things left are a final pressing and the buttons. Due to the fact that someone forced the window down on our car (looking for who knows what? They Might Be Giant's CDs? Stale Goldfish? Come on people, there is nothing there to steal!! Stop breaking into our car!) and broke the little clips that hold the window up which meant that Will spent Saturday with the door disassembled in pieces, I didn't get to go to the fabric store to find the perfect buttons. And while I have buttons a-plenty, it's a pretty simple coat and I think it needs some special buttons to spice it up.

So in lieu of buttons she has been wearing it with a big flower pin to hold it closed, which is fine by her. It's warm and soft and was actually not difficult at all to sew, just time consuming. Although the lining fabric was a nightmare, I'm still covered with pink fuzz from cut edges that frayed like mad. I broke out the walking foot on my sewing machine which I have never used before but now love (perfect for thick fabric and multiple layers) and I also (I'm a dork!) discovered that having multiple sewing machines comes in handy when you want to top stitch in a different color that the one you are putting something together with. Yep, duel machines. One with gray thread, one with pink. (The multiple machines are for my classes, which, BTW, if you are a Charlottesville resident and you have a girl at the Village school, I'm teaching an after-school class there starting in January! Email me!)
Sadly, not photo of her wearing it as she came down with a first year of school always sick with something virus yesterday and has been dozing on the couch ever since. Poor thing.

So what about you? What are you up to this week?

One Thing
A Monday habit. Share the one thing that you want to do this week, just for you. Tell us what you are working on in the comments and link back to your blog so we can see all the fun things you do!
So, what will you be up to this week?

One Thing

Tomorrow December is here. Ack! December! If October seemed fast then November was just a blink! I love the bustle of December, the parties and activities and tree decorating (tonight!) but I'm a little intimidated this year. While my list of things to make for my little clan are finally well in hand. (not done, but almost) my list of things to make for others has grown longer and there are several that have to get finished in the next week or so in order to be mailed in time. Lots of things to sew and knit and bake over the next 25 days, something I'm so looking forward to even if it will be a squeeze to get it all done. But first, I have a coat to make. And that is my one this this week (a day late!)
Evelyn isn't a fan of "poofy" coats. I can understand that. For one thing, I didn't really like "poofy" coats either, they made me feel like that kid in A Christmas Story who couldn't put his arms down. But also, she is so bitty that she looks a little like a marshmallow with two toothpicks sticking out when she tries them on.

Up to now we've always found heavy wool coats for her and she loves them. They go right along with her love of muffs over gloves and her flower hats. This year I had a hard time finding something that was really warm enough without being "poofy" and while fitting the criteria of "pink" or at least "girly". Not a lot out there. At least not when I was looking. So I got it into my head to make her a coat. OK, I've been pondering making the kids coats for a while. Mostly because my beloved Oliver + S has this pattern which is just so darn sweet. The pattern was bought, soft gray wool and hot pink quilted lining (to go with the hot pink piping and buttons) was found and now all I have to do is make it. I've been teetering on this. On the one hand I have so many projects started or ready to start right now that need to get done, but at the same time, it's cold! My girl needs a coat! Yes, I could go buy one but where's the fun in that?

Hence my One Thing of the week. Make a coat. Or at the very least, get the pattern ironed, pinned and cut out and make a good start on the sewing so that I can finish next week.

What about you? What projects are you up to? Getting Christmas gifts started? Finished? I can't wait to see!

One Thing
A Monday (oops! It's Tuesday!) habit. Share the one thing that you want to do this week, just for you. Tell us what you are working on in the comments and link back to your blog so we can see all the fun things you do!
So, what will you be up to this week?

One Thing

Somehow the month of November has passed me by. I mean, wasn't it just Halloween? Because it feels like it was just Halloween. And now it's time to make fruitcake. Actually, it's kind of late to make fruitcake, I probably should have made them last month but I couldn't get my head around Christmas baking when there were Halloween costumes to figure out. So this is my week, which is good because it also coincides with a week at my parents. Lots of knitting, lots of cooking, lots of turkey and fruitcake baking with people who actually like fruitcake, instead of being the only fruitcake eater in the house.
I still have more work to do on my placemats, but I do have two done, so I'll count it as making progress. And since I'm not in charge of dinner and housekeeping and kid taking to school duties, I might just get them, and some of those lingering knitting for Christmas projects done. this week my One Thing is pretty easy, to make fruitcake, with my dad. Something we haven't done together in a long long time. Although we may have to go pick up some more pans, because I could only find three in my cupboards. I think the dishwasher ate them. Or maybe it was Will throwing them out in the hopes that I wouldn't be able to fill up the freezer with fruitcake this year...

What about you? Any holiday plans in the work? Giant turkey soaking in brine?

One Thing
A Monday habit. Share the one thing that you want to do this week, just for you. Tell us what you are working on in the comments and link back to your blog so we can see all the fun things you do!
So, what will you be up to this week?

One Thing

This weekend we had one of those wonderful cozy weekends that I love. A spontanious supper party with friends involving a delicious sausage soup that I must get the recipe for, a roaring fire in the fireplace, lots of cuddles and naps on the couch for every member of the family, a new knitting project (using the teeniest needles I've ever seen, I'm not sure if my eyesight is good enough for this one, we shall see) some quiet sewing while kids played and daddy snoozed, a morning excursion to see Evelyn sing in her first concert. Perfect.Perfect. Perfect.
I started working on some placemats for our table during that lovely quiet sewing time. We have some, a set of the hard English variety that are very practical but not very warm and homey feeling. And ever since reading this excellent book I've been determined to make our dinners feel special more often. Our table is long and substantial and great for buffets, but it's not very cozy. I'm hoping that adding some nice fabric placemats will help in that department so that is my project for the week. Placemats. And maybe cloth napkins as well if I have time. I'd like to make a set of eight so that we have extras for guests and spilled milk incidents, but I'd be happy with just four for now.
What about you? What projects would you like to finish this week? Or even start this week? Anyone working on holiday baking yet?

One Thing
A new Monday habit. Share the one thing that you want to do this week, just for you. Tell us what you are working on in the comments and link back to your blog so we can see all the fun things you do!
So, what will you be up to this week?

One Thing

Well, I did not paint the bedroom. I wanted to, but the cold that will not go away coupled with lots of kid projects over the weekend meant that it wasn't in the cards. I did, however, rearrange things in there which made it a little better. Not peacock blue on the walls better (fun, right?) but better. I did, however, get myself started on another project to keep me busy until I can get to the paint. Or until I can convince Will of my color choice :).

Shortly after Evelyn was born, I drove across Portland, where we were living at the time, and out into the suburbs to buy a rocking chair that I'd found on Craigslist. Actually, I drove all the way out to this suburb and then all the way back to our house and then all the way back out again because in my new mommy fog I'd forgotten my wallet, checkbook and even my phone at home. But it was worth it, because the chair was just what I'd been looking for. In fact, it was just the chair I'd been looking for since before Briton was born.
Back then, before Pottery Barn Kids and Land of Nod were in every mall and catalouge basket, I fell in love with a rocking armchair at a relatives house and knew that it was just the thing to rock my soon to be born son in. Except we couldn't find one for love or money. Not that we had much money, but even if we had, a overstuffed rocker was nowhere to be found. So when, four years later, I found a petite (our house was very, very small, so it had to be too) armchair rocker for $20, I was sold, even taking into account the long drive, forgotten wallet, and the fact that one of the rockers fell off as we loaded it into the car.

The rocker sat in her room, much used for naptime and night time soothing, and then later it sat in our room as a place to pull on and off shoes, somewhat forgotten. Last winter we brought it down for an extra seat while my parents were visiting and I remembered how very much I loved sitting in a rocking chair. It probably goes back to when I was a baby. I've been told often that I loved to be rocked. And rocked. And rocked. So recently we ditched our loveseat to make some room in the living room and brought the rocker back down where it will get a little more love.

There is just one problem with my rocker. The fabric is ugly. UUUGGGLY. I made a brown cord slipcover for it a few years ago but our living room has been feeling a little dark to lately so the brown slipcover on the couch has been replaced with a white one and the rocker needed a similar treatment, except different.

I've made a start on the new cover, now I just have to finish. Well I have to decide what I want it to look like in the end and then I have to finish it. So that's my one thing for the week. For me, that is. That and to get over this dang cold! Oh, and the pie is still in the making since I forgot (bad wife!) that Will was going out of town and didn't get it done before he left. So that will be waiting when he gets home on Tuesday. Yay!

How about you? Any projects in the queue?

One Thing
A new Monday habit. Share the one thing that you want to do this week, just for you. Click to enter below and link back to your blog so we can see all the fun things you do!
So, what will you be up to this week?

One Thing

My husband is a pretty good natured guy. Especially when it comes to Halloween. I can't even tell you all the things I've made him dress up as over the years, even on Halloween's when I didn't dress up. Even on Halloween's when we didn't have children! So when I came trotting down the stairs yesterday to tell him that I'd had a hilarious idea about his costume, I knew he'd do it, even before asking. Behold the Bearded Lady.
Now to fully understand this you have to know that our neighborhood has a huge parade every Halloween where the families with kids gather and march around the streets before stopping at the house of my lovely friend Stephanie for a pre-trick or treating pizza party. Which means that my husband wore that get-up for half the day and in front of pretty much everyone we know.

So this week my One Thing is simple and sweet, quite literally. I'm going to bake him his favorite dessert - a pumpkin pie. Just because he wore eyeliner and a bra (about which he kept saying - "Why do you women wear these things! They're awful!" - all the while "adjusting" the girls) and tights and an anklet around his wrist because none of my bracelets fit and was a good sport about all of it. It made my week.

The kids were pretty cute too if I do say so myself!
So what about you? What are you up to this week?

One Thing
A new Monday habit. Share the one thing that you want to do this week, just for you. Click to enter below and link back to your blog so we can see all the fun things you do!
So, what will you be up to this week?

One Thing

Happy Monday my friends! I hope everyone had a lovely and relaxing weekend. I didn't quite get that weekend of nothing, but I did get some nice cozy cuddles from my kiddos, a preview into next weekend with our downtown Halloween Festival (too much candy already!), some good knitting time in and a quiet Sunday evening with a cup of tea and Mystery on TV so, you know, not bad. Not bad at all.
This Friday we are hosting our annual pumpkin carving party. It started as a way to get to know a few neighbors shortly after we moved in four years ago and has grown to, um, king of a big old shindig. I love it. It's probably one of my favorite days of the year. I get to make all sorts of foods, often from recipes I've had bookmarked for a while and have just been looking for a reason to try. (Like this or this or this - because I have an ice cream maker now - wheee! Or maybe something totally different). Pumpkins get carved, although generally ours get forgotten, friends we haven't seen for a while stop by, kids run around screaming. It's my kind of evening.

It's also the only time during the year that I buy Velveeta (because everyone loves grilled Velveeta sandwiches, even people who would never admit to it :))

I'm sure that later in the week I'll get into a dither about the party. Worry about having enough food or drinks or knives (interesting combination, I know, but it works for us) decide that something or other must be done before people come, despite the fact that most of the people who are coming have been here plenty of times, clean too much, sleep too little. But for now I'm just enjoying looking through recipes, thinking about the fun ahead. So this week my one thing is to continue that. To enjoy the week ahead pick the recipes to make, decorate for Halloween just a little more and finish Briton's costume, (er, I mean start and finish Briton's costume).
How about you? What are you up to this week? Doing anything special for Halloween?

**P.S. Can I just say my boy is a chip off the old crafty block! Since we didn't have his costume ready when we realized the festival was already underway he came up with that golfer get-up all on his own and in a matter of minutes. That's my boy!

One Thing
A new Monday habit. Share the one thing that you want to do this week, just for you. Click to enter below and link back to your blog so we can see all the fun things you do!
So, what will you be up to this week?

One Thing

Well howdy! The house tour is done (yay!) the upper parts of the house (the bits where we were too scared to get to on a ladder) are being painted by a professional, the car is back and the stomach flu is gone (fingers crossed) It's a good kind of day. In fact, it's a day to start digging out Halloween decorations.

With all that we've had going on the past month, I hadn't really woken up to the fact that it's OCTOBER. Which means that my second favorite holiday is coming up fast. Time to get the pumpkin party invites out to the neighbors, sew up some costumes (Briton is debating between a character from Harry Potter and Frankenstien at the moment, Evie has already decided on being a tutu wearing ladybug - who knows) and woo-hoo, get the Halloween decorations out of the basement.

One of the best parts of being a craft writer is that I get to make things like Halloween decorations for work. Of course, the flip side is that I was making most of them in August, so I have to dredge up what I did, what I wanted to do but didn't get to and what I have from last year to get my Halloween spirit on. But since I do so love Halloween I'm going to drag my brain away from Christmas and New Years (which is what I'm working on now) and shift back into spooky time.

So this week my one thing is to get my house Halloweened up. This little project is already out because it was my favorite craft in the past few months, so fun and so simple.... which is how all the best project are, really.

What are YOU up to this week? Anything fun?


One Thing
A new Monday habit. Share the one thing that you want to do this week, just for you. Click to enter below and link back to your blog so we can see all the fun things you do!
So, what will you be up to this week?

One Thing

One of the reasons I began One Thing is that I was starting to feel that the fun little things I want to do were getting lost in the grind of life and work and renovation and parenthood, and I needed a reminder to do those things. Because if you don't do things for yourself, how can you be happy doing things for others, right? Sometimes I find myself in need of a recharge. For me, personally, the easiest way to get my head back on straight is to go off for a long walk somewhere where I can't see houses or power lines or roads or cars. Something about being swallowed up by trees and long damp grass and crunching underfoot revives me. Will and I have tried to make it a habit to go for these long walks on Saturday mornings and I can't tell you how much we all enjoy them, and how much nicer they make our weekends. But as our car has been in the shop for, basically, four weeks (where it is once again despite the fact that it was supposed to be all fixed as of Friday, grrrrr.....) we haven't gotten to go one one of our little escapes for a while. I know this sounds sappy, but I can feel the lack of these walks in my bones. Like I'm missing some vital nutrient.

Luckily next weekend we are spending two days at a cabin with some of our dearest friends with nothing on the agenda other than card games, good food and beautiful walks. I can't wait, but until then, and fully expecting that our car will remain in the shop for at least another few days, I've decided that I'm going to have to find another way to refill my soul a little. How, you ask. I'm thinking puzzles, tea and some good old fashioned kid time.

Briton is a big fan of puzzles, and not just the basic, 100 piece puzzles. He like them complicated. Actually, he just likes puzzles in general. He even does puzzles online when he has computer time. It's that little engineering brain. Evie is a little young to actually figure out the bigger puzzles, but she enjoys watching and occasionally helping put pieces together. And over the past few weeks, all of the things that have come down on our head have meant that we haven't had a lot of time to spend with the kids just being mom and dad. They've done brilliantly through the whole thing. Thankfully they play well together (most of the time) and can keep themselves entertained, but it's time for some snuggle on the couch with a big mug of tea and do a puzzle time. I have to say, I'm really looking forward to it.

So there it is, my One Thing for this week. What's yours? What are you planning to do this week to put the bounce back in your step?

One Thing
A new Monday habit. Share the one thing that you want to do this week, just for you. Click to enter below and link back to your blog so we can see all the fun things you do!
So, what will you be up to this week?

One Thing

How did we do last week? I saw in comments that people made progress and hey! that's the name of the game, right?

So here is the sweater. Although it was hot in the days after I finished, it's cooled down now, especially in the mornings, and so it's nice to have something cozy to pull on when I head out to wait for the bus. It is way to big however. Kind of hard to keep on my shoulders at times. When I read through the notes on Ravelry I was worried about it not being long enough, I didn't think about it being too wide. I may try to block it again but I think it's just going to be a way to big cozy sweater. We all need one of those anyway. I may actually try making another one, taking a few inches out of the width. We'll see. Knitting may be like sewing for me, I never like to make the same thing twice.

How did your projects go? Any pictures? What is your One Thing for this week?

My goal is to get out and winterize the vegetable beds. We've been working so hard at painting the house that it's gotten neglected a little. Time to shut down most of the beds and plant a few winter crops in the one I'll leave open a little longer. I have discovered that, much as I enjoy a beautifully landscaped yard, I still prefer vegetable gardens to flower gardens. I can't seem to feel much interest in keeping my yard and flower beds weeded and tidy. I do it the same way I clean windows or bathrooms, because I must. But I love digging in the vegetable patch. It's cathartic and rewarding and now that it's cooler, my fingers itch to get out there and dig and weed and rip out overgrown plants. I'm already plotting over what to plant next year if I want even more beds or longer ones or if what we have is enough (never!). Hopefully the weather will hold and I can take a morning that isn't filled with work or projects or a visit to the apple orchard with Evie's class and get digging.

One Thing
A new Monday habit. Share the one thing that you want to do this week, just for you. Click to enter below and link back to your blog so we can see all the fun things you do!
So, what will you be up to this week?

One Thing

I've been thinking a lot about this little old blog o'mine. When I started, I just wanted somewhere to chatter about my projects. In fact, I wasn't even sure I wanted people to see it. But then I began reading, and being inspired by, other bloggers. It's an amazing thing, this blogosphere. Ideas are everywhere, just waiting to be discovered. Thoughts abound, waiting to be read. Stories whip and curl and weave their way through our lives, connecting people we would never have known if not for this thing called the blog.

So starting this week I'd like to try something new. I want to know what you are up to. What you want to be up to. Even what you would be up to if you didn't have a pile of dishes or a deadline or a potluck that you have to make Aunt Bessie's casserole for. Every Monday I'm going to ask you to tell me One Thing that you would like to do or create or dream about that week. It doesn't matter if you really get around to doing it, although, I hope you do. I know I'm forever making list of things I'd like to create, or sew or make. Because I want to. Not because it's on someone else's to-do list or because I should. But because I want to. And maybe if we tell each other what we'd like to be doing, we'll really do it.

If you've been lurking around here, now is the time to speak up. Link your blog so I can go read about what you're up to, or if your don't have a blog, that's cool too! Just tell me what little spark is floating around your head this week. I really do want to know.

So here goes, I'll start folks, because well, I guess I better do it to, if I'm asking you!

One Thing
This week, the one thing I'd like to get done, for me, is my sweater. I've been farting around with it all summer when it was really too hot to knit, thinking I'd get it done by the time it was cool enough to wear it and what do you know, it's starting to get just a little nippy in the mornings (thank you weather gods!) but instead of having it ready to pull on when I dash out to take Briton to the bus, it's still languishing in my workbasket. Time to finish it!

What One Thing do YOU want to do this week?