Easing My Way into 2014!

Hey Y’all!
I hope so far 2014  is finding you well! 2014 so far has been a bit bumpy for me! After being on a strong antibiotic for the sinus thing I could not shake, then another antibiotic and then another steroid…I have found myself in the midst of a Crohn’s flare from the antibiotics. At least it is not my tummy… just my esophagus. Sometimes when I have to take an antibiotic or two, my esophagus will rebel a little and decide to throw a hissy fit. Boo. So I have ulcers that have decided to line the lining of my esophagus. So. NOT. Fun. And a wee bit painful. So I am back on prednisone as of yesterday. But as of today, it has helped tremendously and I hope to be back to myself in the next few days. It just has thrown a wrench in the whole swallowing and eating thing! Today has been much better and I have been able to eat mushy food and drink some tea. I actually had to take Wednesday off from school because I was feeling so yucky. I should have known this was coming! Anyhoo… Life with Crohn’s. You never know what you’re going to get!

This past week I was able to get our New Year’s Cards in the mail! They were delayed shipping slightly by the big winter storm last week, so the day they arrived, back in the mail they went! Here is this year’s card… I think it is one of my favorites! Of course I had to add a turtle too!





For the past few years I have used Snapfish. I have been very pleased with my cards and with coupons they are much less expensive than Walgreens. Also, the choice of card templates that you have are just fantastic! I really like the letter cut outs of “happy” this year.


Since I have been feeling under the weather, I have been hanging out at home with Mr. Paddington. This weekend between rounds of medicine, antispasmodics and trying to eat and drink, we hooked ourselves up with a 30 day free trial of Amazon Prime. I love it because I can stream shows like Downton Abby through my roku. Since I fell behind Downton Abby in season 1.. we are working our way through the seasons. It has been so nice to catch up. And you know anything English, I just love! We also had a free preview of Cinemax and HBO this weekend, so I have been restocking my DVR. I had to turn my old one in back in December and I was just crushed. But considering it overheated, I guess I was more than willing to give up all of the episodes of Castle, The Blacklist and my hoarded collection of Knitty Gritty. Not to mention all of the Christmas movies I had recorded from Hallmark. Also, I have been able to catch up on all of my network shows because of On Demand. So, it has all ended well.


I have done some sporadic knitting over the past week. I am back in a dishcloth phase right now. Dishcloths are the perfect knitting project because they are portable and you can finish one in just a few hours! And an added bonus is that dishcloth yarn/cotton yarn is cheap. And it comes in many, many, many colors. I have knitted dishcloths forever, but I felt like branching out a bit. So, here is the Lacy Round Dishcloth. She is just adorable! This cloth took a little under an hour to make.



I think my love of dishcloth knitting has come around again because often times the prednisone keeps me up and/or will wake me up at 3 a.m. During one of those nights I stumbled upon a great website with some great patterns. I am slowly making my way through all of the patterns on this blog. Check it out! I am currently working on the Into the Wind dishcloth.


Today I had to run a quick errand to Dollar General. I mean, come on… it wouldn’t be a day without a visit! I discovered that they had all of their Christmas ornaments on 70% off clearance. I had my eye on a few before Christmas. And even though they were originally just a $1.. I never made a purchase. I just love cardinal ornaments.. and low and behold.. they had a bunch of cardinals left. I stocked up and for $2.40 I have some new ornaments.



That is about all that is going on here! I am very sleepy, so I think I am going to head off to bed and sleep as long as I can. This week is a short one for us.. the kiddies have a half day on Thursday and we have a workday on Friday. Then school is closed next Monday. Ahh.. a three day weekend! I’ll be back soon… I did some crockpot cooking today… it was a two crockpot day at Casa de Pitty Pat! I have some yummy new recipes to share on the blog! I had the need for some mushy but yummy and fulfilling meals this week, so I can’t wait to share.

Have a great Monday everyone! Tootles!

JKP

Ringing Out the Year... With A Cowl and a Recipe!

Hey Y'all!

Well. Luckily the dentist was able to see me at 11 this morning. After a few x-rays it was determined that I have some nerve issues going on from clenching and grinding my teeth at night. I also have some Crohns issues going on with my gums. So the good news is that it is not a tooth, but something that is not easily fixable. Today I went and purchased a new night guard (since I chewed through my last one) and I have a few tricks up my sleeve from my dentist to help with  my gum issues. I also visited the natural health food store and stocked up on sulfate free, everything else free toothpaste as well. Drastic times call for drastic measures! So. There we are!

Today I wanted to share a quick recipe and an easy to make cowl accessory with y'all just in case you had big New Year's Eve plans! I have never been a big NYE party gal, but I do like to go out to dinner and then get home before all of the crazy folks get on the roads. NYE is one of those nights where I like to be in my house still admiring my Christmas tree lights.

First up... a Yummy Recipe! I don't know about y'all... but here in South Carolina we take our New Year's Day meal very seriously. You must have black eyed peas and some sort of greens. You also have a few other sides as well. With the peanut/nut allergy that I have had to face over the past few years, I have to be very careful about what I make. One of my favorite things to eat is a fruit salad or fruit ambrosia. But some folks put nuts in that and then I can't eat it! I found this great fruit salad recipe on Pinterest right before Christmas and Mom and I took it to a brunch we were invited to on Christmas day. It. Was. So. Good! Also. I didn't take any pictures when I made this!

For Cherry Fruit Salad you will need...
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed (Bonus points if you use the Extra Creamy version!)
1 (16 ounce) can cherry pie filling
1 (15 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained
2/3 bag of  miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional.. obviously I DID NOT INCLUDE THIS!)
Directions
First, completely drain the pineapple.Really get all of the juice out. You can save it and drink it later or add to New Year's Day drinks!

Then,  combine all the ingredients except the cool whip and the cherry pie filling. Make sure to mix well. Finally, fold in the cherry pie filling and then fold in the Cool Whip. Be careful not to over mix so the Cool Whip will not fall. Place in the fridge and let the Cherry Fruit Salad chill overnight.
Trust me, it will be hard not to taste this before it is chilled.... but OMG if you wait it is so DELICIOUS!

Note.. this is not my picture... it is from Pinterest. I had my spoon so deep in this concoction that I did not get any pictures!

And... finally a quick cowl for a night out on the town! As I mentioned in my last post, I was very, ahem, creative this Christmas and found a lot of quick to make, great looking presents for friends and family. And this one I promise, even if you are not crafty, you can make!

You will need one ball of Starbella Strata yarn. I found mine at AC Moore. It runs about $6.99 and I had a 50% off coupon and a 15% off teacher discount. This is the Raspberry Jam colorway.

Remove the wrapper from the yarn and pull out three lengths from your nose to the end of your arm extended all the way out. Cut the yarn tube.

Put your hand through the end of the tube like you are stretching out socks or a pair of panty hose.

Stretch the yarn fabric long wise and width wise. Place over your head. INSTANT COWL!

You can make the lengths you measure longer and get a longer cowl. You can get at least 2 to 3 cowls out of one skein of this yarn tube. Nifty!

If you need more help making this cowl... because trust me, I didn't get it at first either... check out this nifty two minute video!

This yarn comes in a few different colorways. I made another one out of the Shipwreck colorway and gave it to my Mom for Christmas.

My Mom promptly went online and ordered ALL of the colors to make cowls for all of her friends!

So that's it for tonight. Go forth and craft and cook! I might hop on tomorrow to do a best of 2013... we'll see!
Tootles!
:) JKP

Busy Times!

Hey Y’all!

Wow. This month has dragged by in some ways and flown by in others! Let’s just say that I am happy, happy, happy that this coming Friday is November 1st!

School has kept me busy this month with all sorts of things. Parent teacher conferences, report cards and a ton of work have kept me on my toes. I am also trying to keep up with my 10,000 steps a day. Some days it is easier than others. I have  few more days to go to make my 300,000 steps for the month of October. It helps that everyday or most everyday afterschool I come home and walk two miles around my neighborhood. Although, the weather has cooled down this week and my ears are freezing. It looks like I will be knitting my self some  hats this weekend!

Speaking of knitting, my needles have surprisingly been clacking away. I have had several baby hats to knit up for friends. Last Saturday, I put these cuties in the mail to Columbia. There is a girl explosion right now!

 

I have also fallen in love with knitting fabric scarves. These are so easy to do and I use a crochet hook. I can make one of these scarves in about 30 minutes.

I have sold several already for holiday gifts! I just love all of the different patterns that they come in! Also, they are light and airy and not as heavy as traditional yarn scarves. With our beach weather that is a plus!

Also, here is some news that made beyond happy. Remember all of the classes I have been taking to gain my Online Teaching Certification? Well, the State Department of Ed finally got around to adding it to my certificate. I am official!

Of course, I celebrated with a cupcake!

Well, I am off to run some errands, catch up with laundry and maybe switch out my closet today.  I also have some knitting to do. Good thing there is a Good Witch movie marathon on the Hallmark Channel today!

Tootles!

JKP

Dollar Tree Spree

Hey Y’all!

Well, today was our first day back after spring break. It was a pretty good day and overall we are getting back into the swing of things. Pitty Pat was not happy that I left for work today, but I think he enjoyed having “his” house back for the time being!

Last week I had to make a stop at my local Dollar Tree. I love the Dollar Tree because it has so much stuff! That I NEED! :) I really only stopped in there to buy doggie poopy bags. They were out.. so here’s a tip.. buy the pink scented diaper disposal bags instead! There are 75 in a box. Now they are pink, but they are also scented which makes up for the pink! They fit perfectly in your pocket and they are not as bulky as a plastic garbage bag.

While I was in the Dollar Tree I also picked up some great knitting tools! You can never have enough post it notes, especially when you use them to mark your place in a pattern. I found some cute floral ones that found their way into my basket! I also go through stitch markers by the dozen since so many of my projects are in the round these days. I found some very springy colored elastic bands that work perfectly as stitch makers. 500 for a buck. Yes please! Lastly, I picked up these fabulous multipurpose clips! I am knitting several hats and cowls right now and keeping track of the patterns can be a pain. I slide each pattern into a clear plastic sleeve. Then I attach all of my current patterns in work in a binder ring. I have found that these big clips mark what pattern I am on and they also keep the patterns from spilling open while I am working. Bonus! They come in cute colors too!

                                                  Never underestimate your Dollar Tree!

Tonight as Pitty Pat and I were walking out the door for a walk, I looked up in the sky. I saw this brilliant cross  right in front of my house. I ran back into the house so I could grab a quick picture. What do you see?

Well, I am tired after today. I am off to take a bath and get in the bed. I hope y’all have a great day tomorrow!
Tootles!
JKP

43 More!

Hey Y’all!

Tonight marks the end of Spring Break. I was sad about it for a few minutes, until I realized that we only have 43 more days of school left. That is a very do-able number. So, as of right now, I am ready to knock those days out of the park and dive into SUMMER! Besides, unlike our spring break, the weather is getting ready to warm up . And. That means weekend beach visits. Oh yes. 43 is do-able.

I am not sure how the furry baby is going to handle us getting back onto our schedule tomorrow. I have been with him almost 24/7. He has had 4 walks a day. And. We have really enjoyed our afternoon naps. Here’s a shot from today’s nap! Pitty Pat is a blanket hog!

 

Yesterday, I started working on and finished the cutest baby hat. I call it Buzzy due to the flowers and the bees. I think it is one of my favorite hats that I have ever done. I bought the pattern off of Etsy.

I made a stop at the Dollar Tree this week to pick up some poopy bags for Pitty Pat. I found those great clips in the first picture holding my patterns together. I also found some other great knitting tools. I plan to post about those tomorrow!

I haven’t posted a lot about my trip to Charleston on Thursday. It was such a rainy and nasty day that I was very glad to get home. The doc made me have more bloodwork (which I did on Friday) and I have to have a Cat Scan of my belly done on Wednesday. He thinks I am having a Crohn’s flare and just wants to make sure I don’t have a blockage or other issue. So, I had to put in for a sub on Wednesday. I have to drink some really yucky stuff and then they take pictures of my belly as it goes through. The last time I had this done it took 4 hours. So. You better believe I am going to have a good book. I don’t take my knitting with me. I having this done in the hospital and it is so germy. I could never take my knitting there!

Well, let me log off. I have to resume “school time” bed time tonight. That is going to be so hard, I have been staying up until midnight and then sleeping until 8:30. 43 more days people. 43 more days!

Tootles!

JKP

Happy, Happy, Happy!

Hey Y'all!

Whooo, heee! It's Spring Break y'all! :) I had a serious moment on Monday night where I thought I was not going to make it through the rest of the week, but luckily some Edy's ice cream helped that moment! I am off for the next 10 days. No alarm needed. Well, except for Pitty Pat! This morning I have a house to straighten and clean a bit because Mom is coming for a visit. After I straighten up a bit today, I have a few errands to run. Then I am hunkering down for a nap. I am tired people!

Although I may be on spring break.. the weather doesn't know it. It has only been in the 50's all week. It is supposed to warm up into the 60's Sunday and Monday. Then we are plunging back down into the cold again. I am not a fan. But, I am off, so I am not going to complain! During our last cold snap, I casted on a couple of knit hats to keep my ears warm while I walk the Pitty Padster. I have had to frog one of them 3 times, so I am not sure if it is actually going to make it to hatdom or not! Here's what is on the needles....

It appears that I am going through a blue phase right now! The bright blue yarn is trying to become the cabled hat that is on the yarn label. The other piece of knitting is a dropstitch cowl that is going to be quite warm. I found the pattern on Etsy. Also tucked in there you can see the 9th Maggie Sefton book in the Kelly Flynn mystery series. I actually finshed it this week. I am putting off reading the 10th one because the 11th book doesn't come out until June. So I am trying to savor the last book!

One other thing that has really made me happy, happy, happy are these Cafe Cups! Y'all they fit perfectly into the Keurig. I picked mine up at CVS for about $9.  But if you have Extra Care Rewards you can pick them up for even less. In the package you get four Cafe Cups plus a scoop. I really love them because it makes it REALLY easy to use your own coffee in the Keurig. And. Y'all know I still have a ton of my Christmas coffee left! I have the Keurig version of the Cafe Cup, but it is really hard to use. These Cafe Cups are a snap and the coffee grounds don't leak into your cup! This is a true find! Also, it saves you money. One box of K Cups usually runs about $9 to $11. This way, you save all the way around by not having to constantly buy K Cups. This is a great find!



This shows you that the Cafe Cup is the same size as a regular K Cup!

Anyhoo, that is what is going on here! I am off to straighten and run some errands. Have a great day!

Tootles!

:) JKP 

Currently and Movie Reviews!

Hey Y'all!

Two posts this week! I am on a roll! Hee, hee!

This past weekend I got a nice surprise in my mailbox. Every now and then my cable company sends out coupons for free movies to watch On Demand. This is a really nice treat. This past weekend I ran some errands, caught up on the laundry, finished a few knitting projects and then snuggled up with Pitty Pat and caught up on some movies that I haven't had a chance to see. The first movie I watched was the remake of Red Dawn. This movie was very entertaining and a wee bit hard to watch, given the current situation with North Korea. Overall, it was a very entertaining movie, but I am glad that I watched it for free. I give it a B-. The first Red Dawn will always remain a favorite with me! The second movie I watched was Playing for Keeps. This was an entertaining movie as well, but it was not very deep or funny for that matter. I am just glad that I didn't spend that hour in a half in a movie theatre. I give that one a C+. It wasn't terrible, but it could have been a little better. I am really looking forward to this weekend because it looks as if the really good movies are getting ready to hit the big screen. I can't wait to check out Olympus Has Fallen (SQUEEE! Action! Adventure!) and Admission with Tina Fey. They both look great and they are on the agenda for this weekend's entertainment! :) I'll do a review on both when I see them!

On the knitting front I am working on a cowl and trying to get it finished before the weekend. Our warm, balmy weather has disappeared and we are back to the cold, dreary winter. The next few nights are supposed to be BELOW freezing. That is not what I want to hear or feel. I really want to swap out my winter clothes for my colorful spring and summer clothes! I guess I will have to wait a few weeks on that! Also. I am currently obsessed with wanting to knit this sweater. I am not sure if I am brave enough to do it. But, I am pondering it! I bought the pattern..... :)

I also finished the 8th book in Maggie Sefton's knitting series. I need to slow down! I only have two more left. :)

And finally, only 20 days late.. here is this month's Currently thanks to Farley.

Yes, you read that right. I have lost my mind and signed up for a graduate class this summer. I have another one I need to take, but I am not sure that is in the budget for this summer. But. I will be taking a class in Summer 1. Lord. Help. Me! Also the last three... what do you like right now... I have an awesome new pair of Orthaheel flippies for the Spring/Summer... I am loving my LIME GREEN new Adirondack chair I got for my back patio on Sunday AND I am HATING that the COLD weather has come back for a visit.

So that is what is going on here. I am off to take a bath and chillax with some hot cocoa. Thank goodness tomorrow is Thursday!

Tootles!
:) JKP

March Madness

Hey Y'all!

Do you remember me? I hope so! Things have been pretty hectic in my part of the world and I have also been fighting with some SERIOUS exhaustion. So most of the time, a nap wins out over updating the blog! I am eight days shy of my spring break and I am so ready for it! The warm weather is visiting us for a wee bit and I have enjoyed getting out in the sun and taking Pitty Pat for plenty of walks. He likes it too! I don't do well in cold weather and this winter has been lots and lots of cold weather. Over the next few days we are supposed to go back to cold weather and I am not looking forward to it. I am ready to pull out my spring clothes and shorts!

I have also been doing quite a bit of reading since it has been so chilly. Right after Christmas I got addicted to Maggie Sefton's knitting mysteries that take place around a knitting store. In each new book there is a murder mystery and lots of knitting talk too. I am on the 8th book in the 10 book series. I am not sure what I am going to do when I finish them. It has taken up many nights! But they are great little reads and I can read one in two or three days.

In health news, I met with my general doctor last Friday. I had some bloodwork done recently and he wanted to go over it with me. I was really worried about my results. It turns out my cholesterol is looking good and I am in good shape overall. I am still very anemic, but that is never going to change. My SED rate is high, but with Crohn's that is to be expected. I am going to have to make a trip to Charleston soon because I am having some issues. I am just thankful I don't have to change the way I eat! That would be really hard for me since there is so much I can't eat! I am very relieved that waiting for those results is over! I still have to come home and take at least an hour or two nap every afternoon after school. But, if that what helps, then I am going to stick with it!

I have been very busy on the knitting front. Since the beginning of the year I have made several hats, cowls and I am even starting a sweater! Right now, big, fat, fluffy yarns are holding my attention because they are so quick to knit with. I just love casting on for a cowl one night and wearing it the next day. That's my kind of knitting! Here's a cute little hat that I like to call "Pom, Pom Goodness!"

One exciting thing that has happened since my last post was WE SAW SNOW! Pitty Pat and I were very excited! I love snow. The last time we had a good snow here at the beach was when Pitty Pat was a puppy. This time he really enjoyed getting out in it! It was so relaxing to watch the big, fat snow flakes fall. I wish I lived part of the year where it snowed, just a little bit!

The other exciting thing that happened is PITTY PAT TURNED FOUR! My baby is four. He had a great birthday. I gave him a squeaky cupcake for one of his prezzies. It lasted all of 5 minutes. But, at least it was a cute photo op!

Over Pitty Pat's birthday weekend, we had our annual Girl's Weekend Spring Palooza. This year was very different in that one of my friends could not make it AND since I had really been feeling run down, I didn't cook. But, we still shopped until we dropped! While we were out I stumbled upon a WALL OF PITTY PATS!!! Take a look....

It was quite a sight! I had to pick one up to make sure it wasn't the REAL thing!

I am still doing my thrifting thing and I have found lots of cute stuff. Since the weather is *hopefully* about to change I am kind of taking a break from it. I have really enjoyed spending our few warm Saturday's outside with a good book or knitting. I can't wait until it is warm enough to go to the beach!

One last cool thing.... in my last post in February  I was attending a technology workshop. During the workshop I learned about a free website builder and hosting service. Weebly is a very easy site that helps you build a professional looking website and hosting is free. I am in the process of building a website of all of my knits. I can't wait until it is ready to publish.. maybe in the next few weeks. I hope over spring break I can get it up and running.

Well, let me run. My Monday night shows are getting ready to come on. I have a feeling I won't make it through Castle tonight... tomorrow is my early morning duty day. Come on spring break!

Tootles!
:) JKP

I Wanna Be a Cowl Girl.....

Hey Y'all!

Wow. These past few weeks have been a HUMDINGER. How about for y'all? Let's just say I am more than ready for summer breezes, flip flops on my feet and summer freedom. Yes. I know it is only the beginning of February. But, sometimes you need a little light at the end of the tunnel!

To help me get through the doldrums until Spring, I have been knitting. Mainly cowls, because they are easy mindless TV and movie knitting. In my last post I showed you a picture of the Three Hour Cowl. I enjoyed making that one so much, that as soon as it was off of the needles, I casted on for another one! This new cowl was knitted in cotton yarn too. The colorway is Moondance. I just love that name. It made me feel very calm while I was knitting it! I made this one a little bit longer than my first one.

Recently I have come across a few new knitting blogs that I have enjoyed reading. One of them is by Fiber Flux. She has a great blog and I just love her free and easy knit patterns. Most of the the yarns she uses in her patterns I already have somewhere in my stash. Friday night during Blue Bloods I casted on the Spice Cowl. After knitting a few rounds I called it a night. Then during an encore presentation of Necessary Roughness on Saturday morning I finished the cowl. It was such an easy and fast knit. It is really just a four row repeat. Add in a chunky yarn and size 15 needles and BAM. You have a cowl!

Yesterday I visited some of my favorite thrifting spots and scored some cute things! Today I lucked out at Goodwill and came across a precious set of Correlle Ware. I'll post some pics tomorrow of my finds.

I have some Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos in the Crockpot and it's dinner time. I am not much of a Super Bowl person unless I like a team in the game. This year Pitty Pat and I are going to watch a movie instead of the game. Although, we did catch the Puppy Bowl earlier today! It was precious!

I hope y'all have a good Monday!
Tootles!
:) JKP

3 Hour Cowl... YAY For Knitting!

Hey Y'all!

For most of this morning I was glued to the Inauguration coverage. The pomp and circumstance was neat, but I kept thinking about how all of that money could have gone to such better use. I bet a lot of hungry and cold people could have been fed and kept warm with that expense. But. That is just my thought!  I mean, it is his SECOND Inauguration. They could have scaled back a bit. Anyhoo.

Today I finally finished the 3 Hour Cowl that I have been working on since Friday. My back felt much better today and I was able to finish the cowl quickly this afternoon. Today was our last sunny and warm day for a while, so I tried to make sure Pitty Pat and I went on as many walks as possible. That is why I didn't finish up until late this afternoon!

Here it is!

This was all of the yarn that I had left after binding off... YUP. I kind of cut it close! I used a ball of cotton yarn with 95 yards and I think I used at least 93 yards! I made a quick trip to the evil empire today to get another ball just to make sure I would have enough at the end. Turns out I did, by the hair of my chinny, chin, chin! :) Now I can make another. These colors just looked so pretty and springy together. Believe it or not, I have already casted on to make another on in another color way. These are just too cute!

Well, let me run. It is a school night AND tomorrow is my early morning duty day, so I need to get ready to go to sleep. I so enjoyed having a long weekend! I won't have another one until March, which is spring break. Oh my.

Have a great Tuesday everyone!
Tootles!
:) JKP

Lazy Daisy Weekend.. And Movie Reviews!

Hey Y'all!

I have really been taking it easy this weekend! I am worn out from trying to get report cards finished and just generally keeping up with school. My tummy pain is back, which has now caused some back pain. So since I have a long weekend this weekend,  I thought taking it as easy as I can should be the game plan. We had a work day at school on Friday, so I got a lot done. I had dinner with a good friend mine Friday night and I have been taking it easy ever since!

Yesterday, I ran a few quick errands and then stocked up on DVD's. I haven't watched or even gone to the movies a lot lately, so I had some catching up to do. And y'all know how much I love to watch movies! A few weeks ago, I became a beta tester for Redbox for their new streaming service. For my trouble, they gave me 4 credits to rent free movies. Since I am ending my free trail this week (it can't compare to Netflix) I thought I would use my credits to check out some movies. So far I have watched Hope Springs.. cute. Trouble With the Curve- really good. 2016: Obama's America ... VERY thought provoking. Next up for tonight is Battleship and then The Best Exoitic Marigold Hotel.

I also casted on for a new knitting project. With my back hurting it is hard to knit for too long, but this is a quick project. It is called The 3 Hour Cowl and it is a free download from Ravelry. Whenever I start a new knitting project, I always like to peruse Ravelry and see what yarns folks have used. I am on a yarn budget and can't always use a fancy yarn. I saw one of the cowls made from cotton yarn, which is perfect since I live at the beach. I am using Lily Sugar 'n Cream's Country Stripes to work on this cowl. I love the beachy colors and I think I will get some great wear out of this cowl.

The stitch pattern is just three rows, and once you have knit it once you have it memorized. It does knit up fast! Pitty Pat is still waking up at 3 a.m. and wanting to have a party. This morning I just got up and started knitting. I should be able to cast this off tonight. I am sure if I could sit for 3 hours this would already be finished, but I have had to move around today to keep my back happy!

That's about all that is going on here! I am about to watch Once Upon a Time... one of my favorite shows and then watch another movie. We do not have school tomorrow due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, so I am going to stay up a little later tonight.

What are you up to this weekend?

p.s. Have you made your own Pinteresting Lotion yet? YOU NEED TO! My feet feel like I just had a pedicure. And folks. That is a January miracle! This lotion is great!

Tootles!
:) JKP

What's Up Buttercup?

Hey Y'all!

So. Are you settling into your January routine yet? I am, slowly but surely. We have had fantastic weather in the 70's and 80's here at the beach so that has helped with the January Blues quite a bit. This past weekend was so beautiful! After taking care of some school work, I happily sat out on my back patio with my Kindle and read to my heart's content. Lemonade by my side! And, flip flops on my feet. That makes everything better! :)

I have continued to work on a few New Year's additions. I feel like if I call them "additions" I will more than likely stick with them! I have started back with trying to fit in my 10,000 steps a day. I have shared this "addition" with my students and I have logged back onto America On the Move to track my progress. Since it is January, I have chosen to walk the Iditarod Trail. My students love for me to log on everyday and show them where I am on my trail. It also holds me accountable too! I have also been entering my data on Walker Tracker and that appears on the left side bar of the blog. So y'all can stay updated too! I have been doing really well. The weekends are hard but I am working on it. Today I am under the weather, so I have only gotten in 8,000 or so steps. I am really achy today and my tummy pain is bothering me. So. I am taking it easy and not pushing things tonight! Another "addition" I am working on is cutting out soft drinks. I have noticed a big difference in the way I feel. I am still drinking tea and coffee. I can't cut those out and teach! :) But I am adding more water and juice everyday. Lemonade is also becoming a favorite of mine!

A couple of weekends ago, instead of hitting the after Christmas sales, I hit my favorite consignment stores and found some really cute things. One of my best deals so far has been this sweater that I found. It is a Talbots sweater and it is BRAND NEW! The Talbots tags were still on! And. You know of my love of pink. Add the argyle and I am in heaven! I paid $8 for this $65 dollar sweater. YIPPEE!!!

I also picked up a few things for my Mom. Like me, she loves Correllware too. I happen to find some cute plates for her and a cute top too! I paid $2 for the set of four plates and $3 for her cute Van Huesen shirt.

This weekend I made a few quick stops and found some more cute tops. I love three quarter length tops because they are perfect to wear to school. Since I usually end up pushing up my sleeves anyway, three quarter length sleeves are the best for me!

One of the things that I was REALLY late with this year was Christmas Cards. I decided that a New Year's Card would work for this year, so I placed those in the mail last weekend. They turned out very cute. I used Snapfish and I was very pleased! I happened to end up with a half off coupon and free shipping. :)

Last but not least, I have picked up the knitting needles for a wee bit in 2013. I found this pattern that was so cute! Is it a purse?

NOOOOO! It's a Slipper! The name of this patter is Pocketbook Slippers. So cute! And, sorry if the yarn offends y'all. You know me and my BRIGHT colors! Actually, I am probably going to end up giving these away. I am a loose knitter and I used the size 7 needle called for in the pattern. These slippers turned out big for my feet, so I am going to pass them along and knit myself another pair with size 6 needles. Perfect fit! Also. This slipper is a little reminiscent of a Mary Jane. So. Of course I had to knit them! :)

That's about all that is going on here. I had some hope of a snow event next week in the long range forecast, but that has since changed. Hey. A girl can dream!

Have a fantastic night y'all!
Tootles!
:) JKP

So I Once Took a Sabbatical From Blogging....

Hey Y'all!

I am alive and I am somewhat kicking. But I know I have been gone for TWO LONG MONTHS! Right after my last post on Sept. 2... I got really, really, really sick.

This kind of sick.

Then, the next weekend, I got this kind of sick.

Morphine people. The pain and exhaustion that I had been having really did a number on me. And for me to end up in an ER TWICE. Ugh. It was not fun. I was put on a week of bed rest, which finally helped. I am still having some pain, but if I can sit during the day I feel better. My pain is abdominal and there are 1,000 causes for it, but the sneaking cause of mine is my Crohn's. So. I hope you will forgive the absence. I just didn't want to moan and groan about how sucky I have been feeling. Besides, you go to a blog to get away from your life, not be bored with mine! :)

While I took my blogging sabbatical lots of things happened. There has been some knitting!

I finally finished my Crescent Moon Shawlette! So pretty! Pitty Pat thinks so too!!

I made a ladybug hat for my University of South Carolina roommate Jill. She has a new daughter named Caroline. This hat was so fun to make!

This is a sweet pea hat for my friend Marie. She had a daughter too.... Miss Ellie!

The weather has turned chilly here at the beach, so I needed a new pair of Orthaheels to keep my toes warm! Mom and Pitty Pat gave these to me for my BIG Birthday!

This past weekend I TURNED 40!!! My best friends rented a house at the beach for me for the night. We had a big slumber party and had lots of fun!



Of course, before the fun, I had to get my fingers and toes done! This is OPI Kennebunk-Port!

One of the highlights of the past few weeks has been FINDING MY FAVORITE COFFEE IN THE WORLD!! It is in different packaging this year, but still so YUMMY! I also found a cute mug too!

And, there has been a wee bit of cooking. Not a lot. But I did do some baking this past weekend. I plan on posting this recipe tomorrow. It was a big hit at my slumber party and they are so easy to make!

Peppermint Dipped Chocolate Cookies

Anyhoo, that is what has been going on with me! I am so sorry if you have been faithfully checking the blog for an update and there wasn't one. I hope you will come back soon! I have some big Turkey Day plans for my crockpot that I can't wait to share!

Tootles!

:) JKP