Monday, January 31, 2011

31/365 January 31, 2011

A New Pair of Mittens

...just in the nick of time. That's right! I have a decent stash of yarn and I really wanted a new pair of mittens for myself. So I dug through my stash. I found a ball of Patons Chunky Tweed. The ball band is gone so I can't tell you the exact color name. I cast on the required 34 stitches right away. In no time at all, I had a new pair of ice blue mittens...right before the cold snap arrived.

I have made so many pairs of these mittens that I now have the pattern for both hands committed to memory! Usually, I knit the right mitten first. Then I start on the left mitten. Once I have the left mitten started, I keep the right mitten near me. When someone sees my work in progress, they get excited and ask, "Are you knitting mittens?" I giggle a bit and answer, "Yes!" The next question is usually, "Can I try it on?"

There really is something quite magical about a hand-knit mitten. And they feel so good on your hands....even if they are made of plain ol' acrylic.

30/365 January 30, 2011

A Perfect Morning...

...a big cuppa Joe and a project on my needles!

29/365 January 29, 2011

Beautiful Bride To-Be

They grow up so darned fast. It seems like only yesterday I walked her into her Kindergarten classroom....and now she has met the man with whom she wants to spend the rest of her life. How is this possible??

We walked into the bridal gown showroom. I knew what to expect. I have been inside one or two dress shops in my time. Yes! I think it is safe to say there were MILES of satin. There were many pounds of lace, beads and sequins, too. Amanda put her name on the list to be sure she would have a fitting room where she could try on a few dresses. Amanda's future mother-in-law, Deb was there and so was Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn is going to stand as Amanda's maid of honor.

We started shuffling around the showroom looking for ideas when it hit me! My little Amanda is going to wear a dress like this and be a bride then become a wife! At that point, the tears were unstoppable. Kaitlyn teased me about it, of course.

This was truly a monumental day for me....and for my daughters.

28/365 January 28, 2011


Rose Rocks!

I met Rose a little over a year ago because of our common passion for knitting. We became good friends quickly! I love her sense of humor, her creativity and her warm personality. Every once in a while, you can hear an accent. She used to live in Bahwstun.

We did a little shopping today. Of course Michael's was the place! She and I love to craft with any medium...so this visit to Michael's makes perfect sense, right? Well that and my older daughter is getting married really soon and needed help picking out a few things. As we were perusing the scrapbooking supplies, Rose pulled this tool from the peg and said, "Hey! This is ME!"
The conversation that followed went something like this:

I asked, "What is it?"

She told me. "It's an I-Rock!"

I told her. "An Iroc?!? That's a car, Rose!"

She laughed and said, "No, I'm pretty sure it's me...cuz....I ROCK!"

Wow! Did I feel slow then!!

Yes, Rose! You DO rock! I love you!

I hope your birthday was wonderful!

27/365 January 27, 2011

The Q Train

I remember painting this little train for Quincy when he was a wee babe. I knew the caboose just had to be red. So I assigned colors to the individual letter cars in reverse order so we could have a Little Red Caboose at the end of our train. My temptation was to put it up on a shelf so it wouldn't get broken or lost. My dad advised that I needed to let Quincy play with this train so he could have memories of playing with it. I decided my dad was right. Quincy loves this toy train. I am glad there are chips in the paint and a wheel is missing. It will definitely make the story of the train much richer when Quincy is ready to share it. Good advice, Dad!

26/365 January 26, 2011

A Dozen Eggs

Thursday, January 27, 2011

25/365 January 25, 2011

Hearts Galore!

What you can't see is the handle on the pink mug is a heart, too!

Monday, January 24, 2011

24/365 January 24, 2011

Riding In The Car

We had to drive to Aurora today. Every once in a while, I surprise the kids and sit in the back seat. Usually, they laugh about Mommy sitting in the back seat.

23/365 January, 23, 2011

Jack and Jitter

...are spoiled, pampered, loved kitties.

22/365 January 22, 2011

Friday, January 21, 2011

21/365 January 21, 2011

21 Years

I have lived on this street for 21 years. It's been good. Change is on the horizon.

20/365 January 20, 2011

Mini Doughnuts

Those sprinkles are just adorable, aren't they? Even though these delightful little treats looked so tempting behind the glass, I opted for a low-fat option. At least photographing them won't cause weight issues.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

19/365 January 19, 2011

Daybreak

This is what I saw from my pillow at 6:30 this morning. The sky was that perfectly magical blue...for just a few minutes.

18/365 January 18, 2011

Adoringly

Every once in a while, I am witness to a tender moment like this. I love being their mom.

Monday, January 17, 2011

17/365 January 17, 2011

Diner Table

When I saw this table veiled in stripy shadows, I knew it would be my photo of the day! I love it!!

16/365 January 16, 2011

Peppermint Bark

This confection is so simple to make. I shared some with my sweet neighbor. She squealed with delight and told me she loves me when I handed over the baggie of treats for her and her hubby! She was thrilled! Hee hee!

Chocolate lovers of the world.....UNITE!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

15/365 January 15, 2011

Kait's Roses

Isn't it funny how you can see something one hundred seven times, but when the light hits it just right you stop in your tracks and say, "Hey! THAT is BEAUTIFUL!"

14/365 January 14, 2011

Eat Mor Chikin!

I just love when I see this kind of thing. You know who they are? Right? They are the dancing sign holders, the dancing cows, the dancing Statues of Liberty! They are the smile evokers, really! I usually smile and wave back because the just make me smile.

I have to tell you, though, there was a time once when I had taken my kids to an orthodontist appointment in Aurora. We were on our way home and had to drive past a bank that was located at a corner of a busy intersection. There was a young man dressed in a Statue of Liberty costume. I could see the white cords from the earbuds in his ears. I assumed they were pumping some wonderful array of uppity beats. He was dancing, and waving and smiling at EVERYONE. We stopped to wait for the light to change. I saw a woman sitting in the passenger seat of a red S.U.V. I figured it was her husband who was driving. HE was smiling and waving back to the costumed dancer, but the woman just stared forward with no expression on her face...well, I take that back. she had a grumpy expression on her face. Maybe she really needed to se that man dressed up and dancing his heart out. I bet his good mood would have rubbed off on her!

I bet he burns a lot of calories dancing for hours each day.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

13/365 January 13, 2011

I just love this time of year! Really! You know why? The world seems to get filled with lots of hearts! Pink ones. Red ones! White ones. Chocolate filled ones. Big ones. Little Ones. Lacy ones. Gold ones. Diamond crusted ones.

There are messages of love on end caps in all the stores...although, those are usually there to urge you to spend money buying more of these hearts! Hearts on t-shirts, hearts on cards, hearts on coffee mugs...(My personal favorite!) Hearts on jewelry, hearts on stuffed animals, hearts on boxer shorts...the list goes on!

Commercialized as it is, I really like Valentine's Day.

I know my kids and I are already talking about our traditional Valentine's Day meal of ... heart-shaped calzones!

Are you looking for a special heart?

12/365 January 12, 2011

Big Mouth!

What do you get when you cross a kid with a fun sense of humor who loves to laugh, a passenger side car window, and a silly mood? Oh! And a mom with a camera? You'd get something a lot like this.

Dear God:

Thank you for sending fun people who make me laugh and who love to laugh with me.

This was one of those moments that made me laugh so hard, I had tears in my eyes. Thank you for the choices of people you have placed in my life. Please feel free to send even more fun people!

Sincerely,
Kelly

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

11/365 January 11, 2011

jPolly put the kettle on! We'll all have tea!

10/365 January 10, 2011

It seemed as if we would not see another snowflake. Quincy and I sat at the dining room table and cut out about 20 paper snowflakes. Each one was different...just like the icy real ones. We finally did get some real snow to enjoy.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

9/365 January 9, 2011

Annoyed

Yep. He is.

8/365 January 8, 2011

J
New Mug

I needed a new mug like I needed a hole in the head. I got a new mug anyway. Just look at it! I couldn't resist!

7/365 January 7, 2011

Kait

We are off on a new adventure. She asked to try homeschooling. I was apprehensive at first, but decided she could make it work to her advantage. We met with the advisors at the new school on Friday. She is off and running!

When the meeting was over, we walked a bit of the 16th Street Mall in Denver. We ate lunch at the Paramount Cafe. We window shopped. We had a good time in each other's company.

6/365 January 6, 2011

This is THE Jack In The Box!

This little cat LOVES boxes of any shape or size. I had just loaded is one with Christmas ornaments. He hopped in and hunkered down for a little kitty siesta!

5/365 January 5, 2011

Succulent succulent! I saw it at the store and thought it was so cute. I paid the six dollar "adoption fee" and now it lives in my kitchen.

4/365 January 4, 2011

This is the first of many.

3/365 January 3, 2011

Don't worry! Be happy! Who could resist the purchase of a magazine that promises happiness in nine surprising strategies?? I couldn't.

2/365 January 2, 2011

One of our favorite places to dine in the Springs.

1/365 January 1, 2011

Long shadows in Winter. Happy first day of the year!