Happy New Year's Eve

From our house to yours, Happy New Year's Eve! Pitty Pat and I plan on taking it easy and enjoying this warm weather we are having! See you next year!
:) JKP

Keeping Busy!

Hey Y'all!

I hope you are enjoying the last few days of 2010! Pitty Pat and I have been keeping busy during my time off. We have caught up on some movie watching, some sleep, laundry, online gossip and our growing DVR queue. I have started working on a couple of knitting projects (gasp!) but I frogged them yesterday. My tension is a bit off and I wasn't happy with the result I was getting.

One thing that I have been meaning to do for months is to make a "business" card for things that I knit and give as gifts or for my custom orders . I have business cards for my fledgling Etsy business (not quite off of the ground yet) but I needed something to attach to the hats and sweaters that I give for baby shower presents or sell. I ordered my last business cards from Vistaprint and have been very happy with them. So armed with a coupon and free shipping... I made up some cards for just me. I was able to order two sets of cards! One set was for 250 for free and the next set was just 500 for $10. Needless to say, I won't run out of cards anytime soon! The cards that I paid for have a logo of owls. Ever since I knitted up a few "HOOOOT Hats" this fall, I have had this thing about owls! So I present you with card number 1! Notice, I have blanked out my cell phone number! It's not that I don't love y'all... but I don't want any collect calls from Nigeria!

Here's card number 2! This was the free set so the template options were limited. But I like these too!

I also just got an email from Vistaprint letting me know that my cards are going to be shipping early! I will have them by Monday. This is great because I have to mail out a custom order next week, so I can attach my new cards!

So that is what Pitty Pat and I have been up to. I am off to run a few quick errands, then back to the sleeping, movie watching, DVR catching up and maybe knitting portion of my break!
Tootles!
:) JKP

Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowl Girls..

Hey Y'all!

Well, South Carolina survived Snowballgeddon 2010. We only saw light flurries here in Myrtle Beach, but one little Pomeranian sure enjoyed the show!

Paddington, the SNOW DOG!

We have spent the past few days taking it easy and hiding from the cold. I ventured out yesterday to do a few errands and then I came right back home. Brrrr....!
Only in South Carolina can you start the week with snow and end it with 70 degree temps!

Right before Christmas, I took some wee steps with my knitting again. I still can't knit sitting up, it makes me dizzy. But, laying down and using a thick yarn seems to help. I came across this pattern for The Paddington Neck Warmer on Ravelry and just knew I had to knit it! One, because hello.. the name Paddington! And 2, because it is cute. I had some left over Moda Dea Tweedle Dee in Blue Heather left in my stash, so slowly knitting along I went. This turned into a Christmas present for my Mom from my Paddington.. and SHE LOVED it! I am a big fan of cowls. They are not as long as scarves and they really keep your neck warm. Also, they knit up fast and usually are knit up with really thick yarn!

Anyhoo, that's what we have been up to around these parts. Hopefully it will be a little warmer tomorrow and Pitty Pat and I can enjoy another long walk like we did today. :) Both of us haven't wanted to stray too far from the fireplace these days!
Tootles!
:) JKP

Snowballmageddon- Part Deux

Merry Christmas Y'all!!!

Well, unless you have been UNDER your Christmas tree.. you may have heard about a winter storm brewing in our parts. Whoo, hoo! I have been hooked on the Weather Channel , Intellicast and Weather.gov for the past 24 hours. Lordy. I was even receiving Twitter updates in Mass this morning!

It all comes down to timing, so we are not sure who is getting what and how much... but we are under a Winter Weather Warning. This is the latest from the Weather Channel.

They say that tomorrow will be the worst of it. Stay tuned. Y'all know me, Pitty Pat and I have the digital camera all ready to roll!!!!

I hope all of you have had a Merry Christmas!

:) JKP

Feeling Crafty My Friend?

Hey Y'all!

Well, as you can tell I am on vacation... because I can blog! Here is a very cute idea that popped up on my Twitter feed yesterday. If you are into making your own ornaments, this is just precious! I wish I would have found this BEFORE school got out because I have all of the supplies needed to make this in my classroom! I am sure this would have been an interesting hit at the Thomy Ornament Exchange on Christmas Eve!

To find the instructions to make this cute little Winter Wonderland, visit Disney Family Fun! The materials are pretty basic and this will only take an hour or two to make.

Speaking of the Thomy Ornament Exchange, I have to brave the cold today to go out and find my ornament. I have some ideas... and if Kohl's has any ornaments left, I may be in business! I have a few other errands to run then it is home to hang with Pitty Pat. At our family get together on Saturday, my Mom threw some very nice yarn at me and asked me to try knitting something up for my Grandmother for Christmas. We will see how it goes today after a long winter's nap! I'll try and post some progress tomorrow! I can only knit laying down... so let's hope that has improved!

:) JKP

AHHHH... Did Someone Say Christmas Break?

Hey Y'all,

Well. I made it to Christmas break! Even I had doubts that this was going to happen! This past week I have been so exhausted that my bedtime has literally been at 8 p.m. It has also been REALLY cold around here, so that didn't help things much either!To help my students get through the week AND to make things fun, I did several crafty things with my students to help all of us get into the Christmas spirit! I thought I would share a few here, just in case you have little ones that you need to entertain until Christmas! Many of you know that my class mascot is a penguin.. so most of our crafts had a penguin theme!

We started off last Monday by making Gingerbread Penguins.. no bake of course! To make these gingerbread ornaments, you need 1/2 cup of applesauce. 1/2 cup of cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of glue. Mix these ingredients well and then roll the dough out until it is about 1/2 inch thick. We used a penguin cookie cutter (good heavens.. talk about hard to find!) and then we used a pencil to poke a hole in the top of each penguin's head for ribbon to hang the ornament. These ornaments do not require baking, they just need about 2-3 days to dry. They smell divine and it's a fun project for kids! The above recipe makes 6 ornaments, you can double the recipe to make more.

Another project that I added to my Christmas Palooza celebration this year was candy making. I called this "Penguin Candy Making" because I lucked out at AC Moore this year and actually found penguin chocolate molds. I think out of all of the crafts we did, my kids really enjoyed this one because we got to do a little "cooking!"
All you need to do this craft is meltable chocolates, a microwave safe bowl (I just used my glass measuring cup), molds of your choice, a spoon, a microwave and a few squeeze bottles. This helps if you are working with kids!






All you need to do is melt the chocolate for 30 seconds and stir. Keep heating for 30 seconds and stirring until all of the chips are melted. Then pour into a squeeze bottle and squeeze some chocolate into each mold! It is so easy! One bag of chocolate melt chips makes about 68 pieces of candy! I used chocolate and vanilla just for variety. The last step you want to take is to drop the molds lightly on the counter several times to get out any air bubbles and to make the molds even. Then place the molds in the fridge for 15 minutes. The take the molds out, and twist the mold slightly, and they will pop out. It is so easy and fun for kids!









And, the finished product.....


I made a few test "batches" at home. That way, my students would have some penguins left over to take home in their goodie bags at the end of the week.

So that is what I have been up too! These past two days of vacation have been filled with sleeping, laundry, hanging with Pitty Pat and finally, our family Christmas luncheon yesterday in Lake City. We always meet the Saturday before Christmas to see everyone, since we are so spread apart now! I am going to leave you with this pic of me, my Mom, Aunt Gwen and Great Aunt Alice. I inherited all of my knitting talent from my Aunt Alice.



I am off to watch some cheesy Christmas movies on TV and take it easy with Pitty Pat. See y'all tomorrow!
:) JKP

Merry Elves!

Hey Y'all!

Well, if you are on the Christmas Card list, there is no doubt that you have received this little beauty in your mailbox by now!

This past weekend was my Girls Weekend Christmas Palooza Winterfest 2010 with my girls from Lexington. Our main objectives were to shop, of course, AND take the 2010 Christmas Card picture! Toni and Marie had the bright idea that both Pitty Pat and I pose in PJ's. I think that this year's card is a classic! Pitty Pat on the other hand, was NOT amused!

I have been really busy since my last post! I got the house all decorated and cleaned (with Mom's help) so the girls could come last weekend. I have been feeling ok, just really tired. We have also been having this brutally cold weather (ok, brutal for the south) and that has really taken a toll on me as well. I am still recovering from the last bout of vertigo, but as long as I drink my fluids and get plenty of rest I seem to do ok. Yesterday I went to Charleston to meet with an Neuro-opthamologist. She checked out my eyes and gave me some good news, what ever this is, it is not a pseudotumor. She said my vision looks good and that all I need are some "cutesy" reading glasses, which I already have! I am being referred to the head of ENT at MUSC for some vestibular testing. They seem to think that this vertigo may be Meniere's Disease. I have had this diagnosis thrown at me before, but now my symptoms really seem to be more Meniere's. My vertigo is so disabling and disruptive to my life that they are considered "drop" spells. Where I literally can't function until the episode is over. My episodes last about 2 or 3 days and then it takes weeks for my equilibrium to come back. All I know is, I am ready for this to STOP! I still can't knit very much, looking down seems to really make me dizzy.

Since I really can't do a lot of exercising right now, my best friend Marie told me about this awesome thing she is doing with her school in Lexington! They are all wearing pedometers and you have to walk your 10,000 steps a day. Well, this I can do! So during our Saturday outing, I bought myself a pedometer. Well, on Saturday the girls and I logged over 16,000 steps! During a regular school day, with out counting walks with Pitty Pat, I log over 11,000 steps! If you vist this website, America on the Move, you can log your daily steps and choose a trail to walk! So far I have walked 63,161 steps since Saturday which is equal to 31 miles! I have chosen to walk the Pacific Crest Trail, because it goes all the way up the west coast. Today, my stop was the San Andreas Fault. I can't wait until I reach Lake Tahoe!

Well, that's about it for now. I am hoping that it warms up over the next few days. Thank goodness for my electric fireplace, it has really come in handy on these chilly willy nights!
:) JKP

Santa's Elf is Busy, Busy, Busy!

Hey Y'all,

Well, I survived Turkey Day and I was vertical for most of it! I am still really tired, but each day I feel a little better. The exception to the rule was today, I was worn out after going back to school after our mini vacation. Here's what I have been up to.....

I finished two Santa Elf hats for friends who are getting ready to have babies, or already have them and want an elf hat for photo ops. Notice the nice electric fireplace? That is an early gift from Santa. And, let me say how in love with this thing I am! It heats my whole living room to a toasty 78 degrees. There's nothing like having the Christmas tree lights on and the fire going. Very soothing to knit by! I do have a few more things to knit up for folks who have commissioned some pieces. I do better when I knit laying down, so hopefully this trend will continue. This weekend is my annual Girls Weekend Christmas Palooza with my girls from Columbia.. so this vertigo better hit the road!

I'll be back tomorrow to post pics of my Christmas decorations. Thanks to my mom who put them up for me this year. I actually put up a little live tree and it is adorable. More on that tomorrow.

I hope y'all got all of you cyber Monday shopping done! I think Pitty Pat did!

:) JKP

It's Begining To Look A Lot Like.....

Hey Y'all,

Well, I am still Dizzy Lizzy around here, but today I felt much better. The dizziness didn't kick in until the end of the day, and that is probably because I really overdid it today. I should have stayed home and gotten some rest, BUT, I had to pick up my turkey dinner from Piggly Wiggly and a pie from Costco. Also, my grandmother and my uncle and aunt from Florida arrived today! So LOTS of excitement, not a lot of rest and fluids. Let's just hope it doesn't come back to bite me tomorrow!

Things on the knitting front have been slow going, since I can't look down for long periods of time to knit. However, I can knit laying down, so that is a bonus. Here's a few Christmas items that I am working on that I have been commissioned to do!



This is a hat for a baby shower we just had for one of our second grade teachers. She requested this Candy Cane hat for her Christmas Cards this year!

This is one of my favorites! I am calling this Gingy Girl. I just created this pattern a few weeks ago and I think it is adorable!

Finally, a WIP....

This is for another friend who is going to use this stocking cap in her Christmas photo as well.

That's about all that is going on... with family in town I am sure I will be busy over the next few days.. and let's hope... VERTICAL.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
:) JKP

Dizzy Lizzy....

Hey Y'all,

Well from my post title, you can kinda tell what I have been up to! I returned from my assessment conference on Nov. 9, had a fantastic birthday on the 10th and a great weekend. However, on Sunday I woke up to a not nice feeling. The feeling was just like I was swirling in the ocean and all I could do was go with it. I tried to brave it out Sunday and even DROVE to work on Monday. Only to be turned around by my coworkers and sent home. I visited my doc who decided that a specialist in this sort of vertigo is going to be needed. Luckily, this specialist is one who I have seen before in Charleston and I really like her. I have been home from school for the past three days. I am still dizzy, but it is getting better. I did a "test" drive to Walgreen's today and I think I can make it to school tomorrow. I am hoping to go back to school tomorrow because 1) I miss my kiddies and 2) It is our annual Thanksgiving Luncheon and all of the parents attend and 3) I am running out of lesson plans from home!

Pitty Pat has been incredibly nice to me. He keeps bringing me his tennis balls and putting his nose on my nose. Saturday night I kind of had a funny feeling in my head.... and since the Hallmark Channel is running Christmas moves 24-7 right now, I decided to move my digital cable box from my living room into my bedroom so I could watch them in bed Saturday night. It turned out to be a good move. Because since I have been unable to really leave my bed for two days, at least I have had 600 channels of entertainment and my DVR!

If you are gearing up for your holiday shopping check out this website Woot..... they post a new deal everyday! I have a friend who scored a Flip camera with HD for about $69....that regularly runs about $249.... might be a good site to check out if you are a bargain hunter!
Tootles!
:) JKP

Gone Fishing...

Hey Y'all!

Well an unexpected opportunity presented itself to me... and I am on my way to Hilton Head to attend a conference for the next few days! Since Beaufort is about 40 minutes away from Hilton Head, I am spending the weekend here with Mom and leaving Pitty Pat with her for the few days I am going to be away. A mini vacation... even if it is a conference is exactly what this birthday girl needs! I will try and blog from the conference... I am staying at a Marriott, so usually you have to pay for internet access.
We shall see!
:0) JKP

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

Hey Y'all!

Happy Halloween! Today is my favorite day of the entire year. I just LOVE Halloween! So while I am waiting on Trick or Treaters.... I thought I would update the blog!

I jinxed myself this weekend. During my last blog post I blogged about how healthy I have been this school year. Yup. Guess who ended up with a sore throat and a fever this weekend? BINGO! Luckily, my Manuka Honey arrived on Friday, so I have been sipping on tea and taking it easy this weekend. I have also been having a mini-knitting marathon. I will post pics soon!

I also wanted to share with you some of my favorite things that I have discovered this fall. If Miss O can have a favorite list, then I can too!

I made a few discoveries on a recent trip to Kroger. Y'all know of my professed LOVE for Blueberry Cheesecake ice cream. Low and behold, Kroger sells this! And y'all... it is SO yummy! I must confess, that this has really helped my sore throat too! Hee, hee! My other favorite things happen to be Bigelow teas. I have fallen in love with their Pumpkin Spice Tea and their Apple Cider Tea too. I add the Manuka Honey (making an appearance above) and drink a cup a night. Yummy! Finally.. elementary teachers rejoice! I have seen pre-sliced apples in a large bag for sale before, but someone finally got smart and has started offering sliced apples with a small dipping container of caramel all in one. I love to take these for snack and I keep them in my classroom fridge for my students who get hungry and haven't brought a snack. It also helps me get SOME fruit in my diet each day.
Well, a little someone wants to make a quick appearance on the blog. He let me know this morning, in no uncertain terms, that he is not happy about his lack of attention on the blog.

My Little Ham

With his favorite accessory!

Y'all have a good Monday! If I don't post before then, don't forget to get out and VOTE on Tuesday! Your vote does make a difference!

:) JKP

Ho Hum... Ho Hummmm...

Hey Y'all,

Well, October is wrapping up nicely. All of my parent conferences are finished, except for one I still need to have over the phone. As of Monday night all of my report cards were finished. I have a field trip coming up on Friday, Fall Field Day on Monday, followed by a day off next Tuesday for Election Day. And let's just say, HOLLA for a day off. Usually by now, I have had some kind of creeping crud and I have taken a day off from school. But this year switching to a new grade level and all that jazz I have been way too busy to even take a mental health day. But, YAY for the staying healthy bit!

I have been getting some holiday knitting in... and y'all are just going to squeal when I show you my holiday hats. I hope to have them up soon. But, I have a very fussy furry fella who deserves some extra attention these days. I am hoping we are at the tail end of this hot and humid weather around here, so Pitty Pat and I are walking towards dusk these days.

I'll post more this weekend.... I ran out of Manuka Honey this week so I am not feeling my best. Amazon says I should have my shipment by Friday, I sure hope so!
Tootles,
JKP

Soup's On!!!!!!

Hey Y'all!

Well, this semi fall weather we are having has my tummy craving some yummy Butternut Squash Soup. Last year, I fell in LOVE with the Butternut Squash Soup at Atlanta Bread Company, but they haven't started serving it yet this year. So using the magic of the Internets... I, of course, found a Paula Deen recipe to adapt! So far I have made this soup twice, and it has been yummy both times! Also, it is cheaper to make than to run to the Atlanta Bread Company every night!

For this recipe you will need the following:



1 Butternut Squash that is at least 2 pounds. The second time I made this soup, I got smart and got the pre-cut version at Costco! If you don't have the pre-cut option, skin the squash and cut it into 1 inch cubes
3 cans of Chicken Broth
2 full size carrots cut up.. all I had at the time were the mini ones
Dash of salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg
2 teaspoons of butter
1/2 cup of whipping cream, you can use light or even milk if you prefer

Bring the squash, carrots and chicken broth to a boil on the stove. Let it simmer uncovered for about 40 minutes, stirring it occasionally.

After simmering, add 2 teaspoons of butter. I used margarine. Also add your dash of nutmeg, cinnamon and salt and pepper. I also added a pinch of sugar too! Then ladle spoonfuls into your blender and select the puree option.

After you blend your first half, add a couple of tablespoons of the soup mixture to your waiting cream. That way, when you whip in the cream at the end, it won't curdle.



When you are completely done with the blending, whip in your cream.

Add a dollop of sour cream and some warm french bead... and yumo!!!!!!

I freeze the remaining soup. Believe it or not, the soup is actually BETTER the day after you make it! I promise, you will get addicted to this soup!

Enjoy!
:) JKP

And We're Back!

Hey Y'all,

Just keep in mind that it is October and I am being pulled every which way! I am 2/3rds of the way through my parent conferences with one more afternoon left! I have had PTA performances, faculty meetings and in the middle of it my stomach and Crohn's related arthritis kicked in. Uggh! No typing or knitting for me!

I wanted to take a moment and tell y'all about something that has really been helping me. My stomach has been throwing a fit for a while now, and then my arthritis kicked in. Also, I have been so exhausted, that as soon as I would walk in the door from work, I would walk Pitty Pat and then "recover" on the sofa for the rest of the night. A little while ago, while researching digestive help for doggies, I came across an article about Manuka Honey and it's healing properties for animals and people. Also included in this article was a link to a study done in the UK that was about people with Crohn's and the various conditions that come with it. It turns out that Manuka Honey helped heal these folks and got them back to feeling like their old selves. Fast forward a few months and my Mom hears about Manuka Honey and thinks about all of the problems I am having. So, on a lark she went to the nearest health food store and picked some up for me and brought it to me last weekend. Well, I started putting a tablespoon in a cup of hot herbal tea before I go to bed. It has now been 5 days, and y'all, I am so much better! My hands no longer hurt, I can type, knit and write again! My tummy has calmed down and I am sleeping better. If you want to try this for yourself, make sure you get the Manuka Honey that has the 15+ factor in it. Here's a link to the honey I am using from Amazon. Try your health food store first, if you prefer. Even if you think it is hokey pokey, I am here to tell you this stuff works! I would rather spend $20 on this than some medication that would make me feel terrible! I add a tablespoon to my Bigelow Sweet Dreams Herbal tea and drink it right before I go to bed.

The other exciting news going on is that Mom officially closed on her house here last weekend. So she is now property free in Horry County! We enjoyed a visit from her and Miss Zoe Bowie last weekend. They should be back to see us around Turkey Day!

I am also very excited that my two best friends from Lexington are coming the first weekend in December for us to have our Girls Weekend ChristmasPalooza Shop to You Drop annual weekend. The beach won't be the same!

Well, let me run... I have early morning duty tomorrow and I need to get some sleep!
Pitty Pat says hi!
:) JKP

Baby Cakes

Hey Y'all!


Remember those camo hats that I made a few weekends ago? Well, here's another shot of one of them... on a cutie pie baby!

I made the 0 to 6 months size so he could "grow" into it. Sweet baby cakes!

On a lighter note, things have been a lot cooler around here at the beach. Pitty Pat and I have enjoyed having the windows open in the afternoon. Although, for different reasons. I enjoy the cool air and he enjoys starting neighborhood barking riots. Oh well. To each his own!

I sat down today and came up with my parent/teacher conference schedule. I am going to start them next week to get them finished! I love meeting with my parents, but it makes for a long day to have 7 conferences a day for 3 days after being at school since 6:45 and teaching all day. October is a long month for teachers in my school district. We used to get paid for the extra conference time, but not anymore. Oh well. :)

Well, Pitty Pat has ALL of the dogs barking in the 'hood right now. I better go feed him so everyone can have a few moments of peace!

:) JKP

It's a HOOOOOOOOOT!

Hey Y'all!

Last week I was asked by someone at school if I could knit up an owl hat. After looking around on the Internets.... I came up with my own pattern. This one was fun to knit and I think it turned out really cute. This is based on Susan B. Anderson's "Hoot Hat." Since I live on the coast of SC... you can forget me walking into a yarn shop and finding this pattern. I made this one up on my own, but I have ordered the actual pattern from an online shop.




Not to be outdone on the cuteness factor.... Pitty Pat had to get in on the action. Bless his heart, he is worn out from barking at all of the rain and our "flood." Luckily the waters receded this morning and I did not need a kayak to get to work. Other neighborhoods were not as lucky.

Alrighty, I am off! The Big Bang Theory is coming on and I can't miss my weekly dose of Sheldon!

:) JKP

Houston... We are Going to Need an ARK!

Hey Y'all,

This is the current status of my house......an island. Between all of the rain we have been getting plus tropical storm Nicole.....

Please send an ark!!!!!!!

:) JKP

Goin' Hunting!

Hey Y'all!

Here a two new baby hats I have been working on! One is actually a requested item from our school secretary and the other one I thought I would turn into a girl version!

Have you ever tried to find camouflage yarn? I started out with Bernat Camouflage.. but it just didn't work out right. It wanted to stripe and not camouflage. I completely understand why they discontinued that yarn now. So, I switched over to Red Heart Camo. Even though it is a rougher yarn, the camo pattern was better. I also lined each one of these hats on the inside with fleece so they are more comfy for the baby.

This is just a basic hat recipie that I used. I started the girl one last Wednesday and the boy one last night. Today I lined both of them with fleece and added the fleece on top for the girl version.

Alrighty, off to spend some time with my furry child. He is mad at me because I have been knitting away!

:) JKP

A Girl Walks Into a Dentist's Office.....

Hey Y'all!

Sorry no posting over the weekend, but whew. Saturday night I was munching on a snack and all of the sudden... one of my back teeth just did not feel right. Of course it had broken and I was in a dilemma. I do not like to go to the dentist at all. AT ALL. So all of Sunday I put up with broken tooth, which was painful, until finally Monday morning I could call an office that would take a new patient with a broken tooth. Now I have been down this road before, and it usually leads to oral surgery. However, I hit the jackpot with my new dentist! Monday after school, I sat in his chair and 45 minutes later I was good as new, back in business with all of my teeth! And, let me just add this for good measure... I was STILL numb at 9:00 last night! Since this dentist was very nice to me and did not fuss at me about my teeth, I actually made an appointment to get my teeth cleaned next week. I KNOW. Me! This is terrible, but I don't think I have had my teeth cleaned in about 7 years. Maybe longer. But my last dentist was very mean. And wanted to rob my 401k of its entire contents just to pay him. I know I have some (ok, maybe more than some) cavities, but my new dentist assures me he can take care of me, pain free. He also accepts my Dental Plus plan which pays more than the standard plan, so that is nice.

And while all of this drama was going on.. who should make an appearance, but HURRICANE JULIA! And, not where we thought she would go. That is very typical of a Julia, I promise. So far she seems content in the ocean and is supposed to make a turn and go out to sea. I guess we will have to wait and see! Check out my storm tracker on the right hand side of the blog. You can see Julia's projected forecast there!

Later gators! After being pain free last night, I fell asleep and missed the season finales of The Closer and Rizzoli and Isles. So, I must go and spend some quality time with my DVR tonight.

;) JKP

Is This Baby JULIA????????

Hey Y'all!

Well, lookie loo at what's floating out in the Caribbean. Yup. They think this little storm that formed out of no where.. .with VERY WARM water could possible be the next named storm... which of course is a "J" and the name is JULIA!

This is what the Internets are saying........
"This storm is going to be very scary. It has formed out of nowhere AND there are no obstacles in this forming storms path. The storm looks like it will go straight through the Caribbean Sea, cross over areas of Mexico and or the Panama Canal and eventually end up in the Pacific. It looks like Hurricane Julia is screaming to be let out of her cage. Some of the strongest hurricanes in history have started out on this path."

I guess we will have to wait and see. I am just glad that she is not going to terrorize the East Coast!
:)
JKP

FREE STUFFS!

Hey Y'all,

Can you believe it? THREE posts in one weekend. I may be sick with fever. We will have to check on that!

I wanted to let you guys in on a fun little thing I have been doing over the summer. Like most folks, I have several Yahoo email accounts to send spam to and one for my knitting business. Pitty Pat also has his own email too... well, he needed one for his Facebook page. Yes, my dog is on Facebook. But, enough about that!

When you have a Yahoo account you can "customize" your page with many different things. Horoscopes, TV times, weather, gossip, etc. One of the applications that I use on my page is called Free Stuff Times. I thought it was time to share with y'all, because I have racked up on the free stuff this summer! So far, I have had awesome samples from philosophy, Origins, and great coupons too. I have also scored magazine subscriptions to Family Circle, Soap Opera Weekly, Harper's Bazzar and Vogue. The best part about it, is that it is totally FREE!

So if you like getting free stuff... check out Free Stuff Times. You can go to their website too. They update with free stuff every few hours. Sometimes it is limited to certain states, but not always. Lots of times it is for free samples and magazine subscriptions. Check it out! You won't be sorry!
:)
JKP

Ready for Fall TV!!!

Hey Y'all,

I spent a great afternoon at the beach today and feel so much better having some exposure to some Vitamin D! On this last Sunday of summer.. I got to thinking how I am looking forward to the fall shows coming back on TV! I don't watch a lot of shows, and y'all know me, if it is a new show, I won't watch it unless it is a "hit." I hate wasting my time on a show that ends after 7 episodes! I have two exceptions to that rule. I have watched Castle from the beginning and it is my favorite show. It is the one that I have to stay up and watch! And, that is a sacrifice, because it comes on at 10 p.m.! The other show I am looking forward to is Blue Bloods... because well, y'all, Tom Selleck. Need I say more. Here's some clips from the first episode of Castle and Blue Bloods... we all know what I will be watching this fall!

Things don't look so great for Castle!

Tom Selleck is back on TV. All is right in my world. It is the little things that make me happy!

Ok, I am off to do some knitting and to take Pitty Pat for his last walk of the night! Enjoy Labor Day!

Everybody LOVES a Three Day Weekend!

Hey Y'all!

Well, I hope where ever you are, it is nice and sunny! Luckily this week, Myrtle Beach was spared the wrath of Hurricane Earl, and by the looks of it, most folks on the East Coast were spared as well! It was kind of creepy to look at the satellite images on Thursday because EARL was very close to coastal South Carolina. And of course, all of my teacher friends have theories about that is why all of our children were so crazy this week. It was WORSE than a full moon! Pitty Pat was even sillier than normal this week too!

To kick off my three day weekend of peace (as I am calling it) I headed up to the Tanger Outlets in NMB last night. Our school district has changed our dress code a bit, so I am still trying to find "comfortable" but "Julia-ish" shoes AND we are strongly encouraged wear camisoles under our shirts so that we do not show our "cleavage." I have actually enjoyed wearing my camisoles, and I have found that Old Navy has some great ones. I checked out the Old Navy Outlet last night, only to find out that the entire store was 40 percent off! I scored two white camisoles and some PJ bottoms for under 10 bucks. Now, that's my kind of deal! I wandered around the other stores for a bit, but I was really too tired to look for anything other than what I needed.

Here is where I need to insert a confession! This past week I haven't been great about staying on schedule with my medicine for my dizziness and drinking enough water. It is really hard when you are a teacher, because this medicine makes you have to go to the bathroom A LOT. It's a diuretic folks! When you teach 7 year olds... you just can't leave the room and go. So this has made me extra tired this week and boy, pure exhaustion hit me today. I woke up with one of my headaches I get right before the dizziness hits. So, I took my medicine and made a run to the evil empire and Costco to stock up on lots of juice and water. With some help of Tylenol, lots of fluids and lots of rest, I am feeling much better this afternoon. Lesson learned! Pitty Pat has enjoyed having me around the house today as well. He hasn't adjusted to the school schedule yet!

For the rest of the weekend, I hope to get to the beach, but if not I have plenty of books, movies and some knitting to keep me entertained. I have reactiviated my Netflix account, so I just got some new movies yesterday. Besides, I think rest is just what Dr. Pitty Pat ordered!

Tootles!
:) JKP

Yummy Knitty Goodness

Hey Y'all...

Well, as an effort not to scratch this weekend, I have been knitting up a storm and finishing some knits that I started this summer. Let's take a peek, shall we!

This is a great baby shower gift! It's a duck cake! It is made up of two knitted dishcloths and one long knitted burp cloth. Very useful!

This is pattern that I made up myself for an ice cream hat. We all scream for ice cream!

This is a watermelon hat that while I was knitting it, all I could think about was eating yummy watermelon!
Finally, this is what I made this weekend. This is for one of our first grade teachers who is expecting a girl in October. I am going to make some finger mitts and booties to complete the gift, but I couldn't wait to show you the hat!

Anyhoo, that is what I have been up to! I am off to grab some lunch and chill out for the rest of the afternoon!
:) JKP

With an Itch, Itch here and an Itch, Itch There...

Hey Y'all,

Well I have survived my first 5 days of school. And just guess what happened to pop up on day 5? HIVES. Again. I don't know if it is something in the school building or what, but I have been hive free ALL summer. 5 days back and I am covered. I am taking lots for the hives, but they are still spreading. I am covered. Oh. MY.

To keep myself from scratching all of my itchy, itchy spots I am actually doing some knitting! That keeps my hands busy and takes my mind of being itchy. We have several teachers on my hall who are expecting in the next few months, so I thought I would get their baby shower gifts out of the way. The worst time with my hives really is at night. I woke up today at 3 a.m. itching. So. Not. Fun. I haven't changed anything that I have been eating and I am using the same box of detergent that I have had all summer. Nothing has changed but school. So there you go.

Have you been keeping up with the tropics? I have and boy are they busy! They keep saying that Earl is going to leave us alone, and I sure hope that is true! I would kind of like to make it to the "J" name this year. Just to have a tropical storm Julia. Although, if she takes after her namesake, we better batten down the hatches. :)

Pitty Pat is doing great and I have had a fun week telling my second graders all about Pitty Pat and his daily antics. I even shared the story Paddington Bear with them so they know how I came up with Pitty Pat's name. He's not entirely happy that I am not home all day anymore, but on days like today, it makes up for it.

Alrighty, I am going to try and partake in a Saturday afternoon nap. Itch. Itch.
:) JKP

Hey, Hey, Hey!!!

Howdy Y'all!

Well, I took a mini vacay... and ended up taking a longer one from the blog too! At the end of July Pitty Pat and I took off on an "off the grid" vacay and just took it easy. When we came back, I had to return to work... and I have literally been working 12 to 15 hour days getting my classroom ready. I had to attend so many meetings, that I never really got a full day just to work in my room. This past Thursday we had our Open House and I met my 23 munchkins. They are just adorable and I think that this is going to be a fun year in second grade.

Tonight I am full of first day of school butterflies.. which always ends up with me not sleeping the night before the first big day! I have my plans ready to roll for all of next week and I am organized and ready to go. My clothes are laid out and my lunch is packed. Cross your fingers for a stress free day tomorrow!
:) Julia

From the Land Where the Free Sweet Tea Flows...

Hey Y'all!!!

Just in case you missed it... today was free tea day at McAlister's Deli. I stopped by there this afternoon to pick up my free treat along with a sandwhich for supper. Which, was probably their plan all along!!! :)

Pitty Pat and I had a very busy morning. Paddington had his 1 year checkup at the vet this morning. I was very nervous, but Pitty Pat passed with flying colors. He is healthy from snout to tail! My vet recommended cutting back on his food a bit (whoops!) and adding a teaspoon of plain yogurt to his food twice a day. They say that yogurt helps the immune system and fights off all kinds of bad stuff later on. So. Guess what Pitty Pat is getting on his food starting tomorrow?? He received all of his shots today and was finally old enough to get a 3 year rabies shot. Pitty Pat was a champ and didn't bite any one once! He is zonked out on the bed right now recovering from our day out.

Tomorrow I check in with the ENT to see what or if anything the MRI showed that I had done last week. I am expecting nothing out of the ordinary. I did have a dizzy day yesterday and the medicine, even after adjusting it, is still making me very tired. So, I hope he at least has an idea of where to go from here. My appointment isn't until tomorrow afternoon, so I will post after that.

I am really looking forward to this weekend! My best friend Marie and her husband Johnny are coming to the beach for a few days. I can't wait to see them! It is hard to believe that this summer is almost over!

Alrighty, I am one tired chica. I am going to climb in the bed with Pitty Pat and get ready to watch Royal Pains.
Tootles!
:) JKP

Rain Drops Keep Falling on My Head....

Hey Y'all....

Well, all of this heat has brought something else with it... afternoon thunderstorms! Today we had one hit about 2:30 or so, and Paddington and I hunkered down in our napping positions. Ahhhh. I am going to miss these afternoon naps when school starts!

I have been feeling really like myself over the past few days and I have had a few adventures! Yesterday, I got out of the house and went and looked at living room furniture. Not that I can afford any. But, I did want to get out and take a peek. My current living room is made up of a ten (!) year old couch, a hand me down chair with a slip cover with an ottoman that Pitty Pat ate the slip cover off of last summer. Also, I have a recliner that I bought about 5 years ago when I bought this house. My coffee table is a $40 find at a re-sell store and my end tables were my mom's when I was a baby. Yup. I found some things that I liked, but in no way have the budget for. That's the bad thing about furniture shopping, when you come home your furniture looks really shabby! :)

Today I headed up to North Myrtle Beach to hit the Evil Empire to stock up on school supplies for my classroom. Believe it or not, the Evil Empire down here in Myrtle gets picked over very quickly and if you wait too long, you find nothing. So today, I finished up my back to school shopping. I even found some cool stuff at the Dollar Tree. While I was up on the north end, I stopped in at Knitting Up a Storm and found some fabulous patterns. When I have been there before, the customer service was not great. But today I had a wonderful experience! I haven't tried knitting yet, I am kind of scared to. I am doing so well not having the vertigo, I am kind of scared to look down or up for too long of a time. So hopefully soon I will be back to doing what I love!

Over the past weekend I had a girls night with dinner and a movie. We went to see Salt. Y'all, it was good! If I was Brad Pitt, I would never pick a fight with Angelina. No way. So if you are looking for a way to stay out of the heat, catch Salt. It's good entertainment.

Well, I am going to sign off and turn in for the night. I have to start training for early bed times. Work will be here before I know it!
Tootles!
:) JKP

My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean, My Bonnie Lies Over the Sea

Hey Y'all,

Well. Is is hot where y'all are? It is terrible here. Not to mention the humidity stays at about 100 percent in Myrtle Beach at all times! We have been under a "heat advisory" for the past few days, so that means that Pitty Pat and I have been hanging out inside. The heat makes things really worse for me, so I try to stay of of it during the day, and then do any errands I have in the evenings when it is cooler. I have adjusted the way I am taking one of my medicines and that is helping with how I feel while I am on it. This medicine makes you REALLY tired, so I am taking a light dose during the day and a heavy dose at night. I had my MRI yesterday and y'all that was not fun. I do not like enclosed spaces AND then they put this cage thing over your head. That was not cool. I basically just closed my eyes the whole time. It took about an hour and a half. My ENT ordered an extra test-a vein study to see how my veins worked in my brain with a contrast. It was crazy. I was so happy to get home yesterday! I figure everything is fine, they would have called me if it wasn't and I go back to see the ENT next Friday to see what our next step is.

I am sure y'all have heard about "Bonnie" the tropical storm that is currently tormenting Florida and then the Gulf. I think this year's storm pattern has been set.. it looks like the Gulf is the target... just like 2005! I have been watching The Weather Channel this morning and they are broadcasting from Key West, Florida, one of my favorite places on earth. It looks like they are just going to get a lot of rain.

Alrighty, I am off to actually shower and get dressed. When I have to go back to work, I am going to miss the lazy mornings! So is Pitty Pat!
:) JKP

When Life Hands You Lemons......

Hey Y'all!

Well, I am working hard on trying to feel like my old self again. Since one of the medicines I am on makes things that are carbonated taste wonky.. I have had to change a lot of what I drink. Water gets boring after a while, and let's face it, so does tea. Since it is summertime.. I thought that homemade lemonade would hit the spot! I thought I would share with y'all my recipe!! This is adapted from an old Martha Stewart recipe.

You will need:
Lemons (DUH) at least 5, as many as 10 if you like your lemonade tart. See recipe for details.
An eclectic juicer if you have one, it just makes life easier
Water
2 and1/2 cups of sugar (I am sure you could substitute Splenda here. I can't have Splenda, but I am sure that it would work just fine.)

First, bring 2 and 1/2 cups of water and 2 and 1/2 cups of sugar to a boil on the stove. I watch over mine carefully and stir it a few times.

When it has boiled, it will look a little like a syrup. Take it off of the burner and let it cool. While your mixture is cooling, go ahead and juice your lemons. I do not like tart lemonade, so I use about 1 to 2 cups of lemon juice, which turns out to be about 6 lemons. If you LIKE tart lemonade then I would use about 3 cups of lemon juice... which would probably be a whole bag.

Then take your lemon juice, combine it with your sugar/water syrup you made in step one.
Then add 4 to 6 cups of COLD water. I say 4 to 6 because it is personal taste. Personally I like my lemonade to not be overwhelmingly lemon, so I add 6 cups of water. Start with 4 and then keep adding. :)
Now add some ice, and ENJOY!!!!!!!!
Pitty Pat is not impressed. He thinks I interrupted his summer nap.

Tootles!

:) JKP