My first attempt at designing a knitting pattern

I bought a new dress awhile ago and looked everywhere for a little shrug to go with it. The dress is a super cute striped dress with an Empire waist. I need a sweater with it just for comfort sake but all I had were regular sweaters that hit mid-hip. Super cute in my regular life, but not so much in fancy life.

I searched for a shrug that would work, but couldn't find anything in the colours I wanted. I'm a knitter, so I thought "I'll just make one!" I looked for yarn I thought would work and ordered.

When it arrived, I loved it and thought that it would be close enough to work. I couldn't find any pattern that fit exactly what I needed, so I thought "I'll just make one!"

I even used my fancy Tardis notebook!

I drew up what was in my imagination of the perfect little shrug and then looked for ideas on how to bring it into life.

I should be stopped.

I went to the magical internet, and found a lovely site with all the math needed to make the sweater I wanted. I wrote all the instructions down (for posterity) and then set about measuring myself and doing math.

The one spelling correction still bothers me

There was a lot of cursing and crying. That was just while I did the math!!

Once it was all ready, I went to town. I started it hoping I would be able to wear it while we were in Hawaii (that was November). However, I never thought about the fact I was using a 3.75mm needle (that's pretty small for non-knitter-folk) and it would end up being over 200 stitches per row.

So, after I threw a fit and didn't want to look at it for a few months, I picked it up again. I had 4 days of meetings to go to and figured I should have something to do so I didn't fall asleep.

I finished it in record time.

Pretty, pretty.

There was just one small problem.

It didn't fit.

It was okay right up until the band under my boobs.

You know, the most important part. The part that holds everything in place and makes sure the sweater does not end up under my armpits.

That band. Right there.

So, I ripped it out.

I had a co-worker once who banned me from knitting in front of her because she could not bear to see me work for 4 hours and then rip it all out to the beginning. I thought of her as I ripped out over 700 stitches.

I redid the math of measurements and stitches and all that noise and started over. I decreased the sweater band down to what I thought was a perfect size.

I finished it. I put the buttons on it. I thought I had it.

I know better.

It didn't fit.

So, rather than cry and burn the entire thing, I calmly set it down on a chair for a few days. I thought about it, grabbed some sewing elastic I had on hand and set myself down to tack it on.

ALL. HAND. STITCHED.

It is all complete now and I can wear it.

It just doesn't match the dress.

Quilted wall hanging: the tutorial for those who don't know better

Many years ago, I wanted to make a wall hanging for a friend of mine. Yesterday, I found the pictures for the project, so thought I would make a little mini tutorial.

I decided I wanted to do the family's initials in a row. We had often joked combined they spelled KBAM! making them sound like a superhero fight scene. We had KB for the mom, A for The Boy, and M for The Girl.

It always made me laugh because it suited them all so much.

I started with colours I thought suited each one of them. (That, and I had these colours on hand!)

Red for the passionate and life-loving KB, blue for the creeping-nearer-manhood A, and purple with a little flower detail for the sunshine and giggles M.

I cut three 6X6 inch squares out of the material. I intended for the final product to measure approximately 5 inches of colour and then edging, so I gave myself some room. I wasn't particularly concerned about being exact.

That is usually my biggest problem.

I used a chalk to draw the pattern I wanted on each piece. I lined the back of each piece with a thick silver cotton and sandwiched a pick of quilting batting in the middle. Then I took to the sewing machine.

I'm pretty sure in order to do quilting in real life you are supposed to use pins and patterns and... you know, thought.

That's just not me.

I sat down at the sewing machine and went to town.  I'm very lucky it all worked out. Lazy waves for KB, straight lines for A, and a tree branch motif for M.

I am still alternatively pleased and shocked at the way they turned out.

Then, I moved on to the fonts.

I went old school and used Word to choose a font that suited the personality and the style I was going for. I blew the font size up to giant (that's the technical term) and printed it off. It was about 6 years ago or so, so there is likely some fancy way to do this now.

I am not that fancy.

I cut the letters out, laid them on the fabric where I wanted them and pinned them within an inch of their lives. I sewed the paper directly onto the fabric and then picked out all the little pieces with a stitch ripper.

DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS AT HOME.

It's not dangerous, but you will lose your mind.

I think if I had it to do all over again, I would trace the initials with chalk, but hey! Live and learn.

Please note my tidy and professional work station.

I then sewed the 3 squares together and realized I'd buggered up, so used the silver cotton material to make separations between the letters.

I love making things up as I go along.  A lesser person would cry. I'm just like - Now I will do this!!!

Who am I kidding? I probably cried.

I used the backing material to make an edging all around the outside and finish off everything. I then added a silver ribbon to hang it from.

It wasn't perfect, but neither is family. I think it pretty accurately described them, their personality, and the different ways they approached the world.

When KB moved into her "getting life back on track" apartment, she hung it front and centre on the entrance door.

I could not have been more honoured.

Foyer plans - so many options, no coherent ideas

Though it seems ages away, we are only about 4 or 5 weeks away from moving in to our new house. Walls are primed, plumbing ready, electrical putting in the lights and switches this week. I'm getting antsy and weary and weepy -- partially because it's been so long, it's now so close, and it will still be a long time yet.

As the time comes, I realize how much I have yet to do, how much crap we have, and how much more we need once we get in the house.

I've been thinking more and more about what I want to do with the front entry. Or, foyer, as it is known. For those who do not know, it's called FOY-yay. Not foy-YER. It's French.

So anyway, our front entry is enormous. It is the common entry area for both the main living suite upstairs and the rental suite downstairs. If you look at the drawing below, you will see the basic layout.

Front door (left) Garage door (right)

Now, we already have a bench. The Guy bought it when we were still living in the other house. I haven't seen it in about 9 months, so I have no idea what it looks like any more. If its ugly, we will return it and I have an old bench I will recover, so either way, we have it under control.

Above the bench, I plan to put a mirror.

Mirror from Lowe's

In front of the door, I want to put a large area rug. This will be to catch dirt and pull the room together.  These are the two rugs I like, but neither will look good with the picture I want to put over top of the closet on the 5 foot ledge that is there.

I have a phenomenal painting my Dad brought back from Ukraine one of his first trips there. Long before he got married and ended up settling there. It is a watercolour nature scene of a tree and is in a wooden frame that leans towards being burgundy in colour. I have no picture of this picture at all. 

So, in retrospect, neither of these rugs will really suit it at all.

Do you see my dilemma?

On the wall behind the main door (so directly across from the bench) I want to put this show cabinet. I have become the crazy person who likes everything to be neat and orderly and put away.  (Side note: What has this marriage done to me????) The idea is that The Guy and I will share this with the tenants downstairs so that winter boots or 45 pairs of flip flops are left by the front door (I'm totally talking about me with the flip flops) and yet we will all have access to the shoes we need.

Ikea STALL shoe cabinet

My conundrum aside from the rug choice is the picture choices. There are 5 spots that could be places for paintings, photos, knick knacks, statues, etc. The ledge over the closet (centred green swirl) I wanted to put the painting from Ukraine, two large vases, and a statue of two people entwined.

Over the shoe cabinet, I plan to do something like a small photo gallery.

Do not judge my Paint art gallery.

 The trouble will be the GIANT empty space further along that same wall.  The ceilings are about 10 feet give or take. The space in the top left green swirl is about 4 feet wide. Over the stairs going down  (not swirled) is another 3 foot space where I plan to put some sort of saying in sticky letters.

Going along the wall heading upstairs (top right green swirl) is room for 3 or 4 photos "walking" up along the stairs.  There is NOTHING BUT WALL SPACE in this foyer.

Seriously. SO MANY OPTIONS.

So, I am calling upon the designers, the artists, the nosey, the opinionated to share with me their thoughts. I don't want to overwhelm the space. I don't want it to be so busy no one can stand to be there.  However, I also don't want it so empty it looks like an entryway to an apartment building.

And yet, if it meant I could move in tomorrow, I would paint it all orange and hang whips on the walls.

Little pieces of paper: Why scissors were banned in our house

For my Dad: today I made a lot of little pieces of paper.

On Thursday night, I posted this picture as my Day 35 of #100happydays.  Since only my siblings understood why it was funny and would make my Dad crazy, I thought I would provide a backstory.

My dad hates little pieces of paper.

It began innocently enough: we were children and my mother was trying to keep us occupied and out of trouble by giving us crafts to do. Being that until I was a teen I was in a LOT of trouble ALL the time, this was no small feat.

Mom's version of keeping us busy involved handing us the Sears catalogue, a handful of blank paper, Lepage's glue (with the awesome rubber tip), and the largest scissors in the house.

Sears catalogue delivery was my favourite day. We rifled through the thick pages looking at all the pretty things we would never have and ooh-ing and aah-ing over the stylish models.

Did I mention we were poor and sheltered? Stylish models, indeed.

Once we had thoroughly scoured all the things we wanted, the catalogue would go to the side to wait for craft day. I feel like craft day was a lot of the time, but it's possible my memory has expanded the experience as I cannot believe we really had that many catalogues.  We did deliver them to the neighbourhood though, so it's possible we snagged extras.

Mom sat each of us around the table and set us to work. Heads down, elbows up, silence and concentration the words.

Armed with my dangerous scissors and a dream, I scoured the catalogue for people and things. I chose beautiful women and cut them out. I picked the perfect bedroom suite (with ruffled edged pillows) and couches with plaid.  I glued the furniture onto a piece of paper and then used the cut-out woman to enact glorious scenes of utmost importance.

I also had one entire page of toys I wanted.  You know, just in case it happened someone was interested in what I liked.

By the end of the day, my Dad would come home from his magical world of the office where he went to escape the children. We were content in our creations and, I am sure, anxious to share this with him.

He would take one look around, shake his head, and jokingly ask "What? Were we out of little pieces of paper?"

The floor beneath us was covered with the (slightly sticky) bits of paper we had discarded in our artistic process. Even cleaning them up, we would find them days later stuck to the bottom of our socks or in the living room carpet.

It became a life long joke in our family. Each of us continue to be crafty (well, maybe less so my brother. He does MANLY things) so there is always a chance someone will come home and ask if we had run out.

Now it's The Guy's turn.

Science, safety, and seat covers: Thankful Thursday

Things I am thankful for this week.

1. I had a wonderful day at the Science Centre with Sarah, Skylar, and Laura. It was just the fun I needed. I learned all sorts of stuff about butterflies and saw animated fake maggots.  It was a full day. The only disappointment was the picture I took of a dead mouse and her babies didn't work out. I was really looking forward to making my sister hurl.
   
   

   

   Floating planet of swirls

   
   
2. Though he was in Maiden the day of the trouble, my Dad, my step-Mom, and her family are all safe. Ukraine is in turmoil and it is hard to know how close people I love are to the chaos.
   
   

   

   No matter how long it's been since USSR,
   Ukraine still has the memories ever present.

   
   
3. I had time to sit down and write yesterday. It was wonderful. I flew through an essay (is that the right word?) on what I think about aging, and finished another excerpt in my Memory short story. (That's coming tomorrow!!)
4. I finished a great car seat cover/ poncho for a friend who commissioned me. It turned out so well, I think I will have to add it to my regular rotation and gift basket!
   
   

   

   Chocolate and pink poncho/car seat cover

5. The sun and warm has been beautiful this week - even though it did lead to more snow. At least the dog's booties fit well and he only puts up minimal passive-agressive fuss when I put them on him.

What are you thankful for this week?

Most thankfullest of days: Organization, acts of kindness, and colours

I am so busy these days I can hardly keep up, but I haven't been this happy and fulfilled in a long time.  There are still things to work on, but on the whole, life is good. REALLY GOOD.  And, I want to share it with you.

Lake Ontario (pic circa 2012)

1. I am loving my new position at work. I have organized, shredded, written, re-written, and cleaned. I'm in 7th heaven. I'm excited to go to work and have trouble leaving at the end of the night. 
2. This weekend The Guy and I are going to finalize all our paint choices for the house. The basement is framed, electrical is done, plumbing is started, and choice time is coming! It's like Christmas for my inner-interior decorator. Check back for updates on colours next week!!!
   





KB and kids from long ago



3. My good friend, Chris, has started a wonderful project in the name of his late wife and my dear friend, KB.  KB was the kindest person I knew and often went out of her way to be kind for no reason. He has harnessed that in the website: Kindness by KB where he writes of her kindness and encourages all of us to be kind to ourselves, to our people, and to complete strangers. He also started a Facebook page where he (and myself and Wynn Anne) will have daily kindness challenges and reminders. I'm proud of how he is using his love of all things KB to make the world a better place.
4. I finally finished the shawl I started in November. Now on to gloves for The Guy and a hat I promised a co-worker in Dec! (If only I had time to knit!!)
5. I did a silly quiz on Zimbio.com about which HIMYM character I was. I got Lily. This tickled me pink because The Guy got Marshall. I knew we were great together, but being a sitcom couple only solidified it! Over the head high five!!
6. This week (and last weekend) has been wrought with visits of good friends. Here's to more coffees, lunches, and Skype calls!

Keeping me warm: Winter Solstice Wrap

I began knitting 4 years ago this weekend. I flew out to Victoria to visit my sister and was determined I was going to learn to knit. I needed a craft I could do in front of the TV while I spent time with The Guy. We love to spend time together, but I often need something to do with my hands and it's difficult to hear a movie over the whir of the sewing machine.

I went from a simple scarf to a dog sweater and beyond. I sampled different kinds of yarn and needles and acted like a kid in a candy store around anything knitted. 

I'm still like that.

For my birthday that year, my friend KB bought me 3 large skeins of the most wonderful yarn imaginable. It was llama wool from a local farm outside the city. She had been in the area, thought llamas were cool, and went out of her way to get me that yarn.

I fell in love with it and knew it had to be something special.

Close up of the pattern detail

I'm sure she thought I hated it because 4 years went by and I made nothing.  Bupkis.

I searched patterns high and low. I knew I wanted to keep whatever I made, so it had to be right. I'm always thinking I will keep something and then end up hating it and never wearing it.

Fast forward to this November. I had a tough fall of career stress and disappointment after disappointment. I needed a project to work on that was challenging and beautiful. I stumbled upon this Winter Solstice Wrap pattern off Ravelry.

It was just what I wanted. 

I started knitting, but had to set it aside in order to finish Christmas presents. I meant to tell KB I had started using the yarn and why I had waited so dang long.

The night she was dying, I was knitting that shawl and thinking about her.

I worked on the shawl that week of her funeral. 

Today, I finished it. It is exactly what I wanted. It's perfect. I only notice the two rows I missed of them pattern if I look really close. It's warm and unique and smells oddly like livestock. 

The finished product 

I think KB would like that most of all.

Not a toilet seat cover! -- Post from the past

This story of my knitting adventure was posted Jan 17, 2011 when I had my site Buggering Knit Monkies. 

Since I was on a roll with other hats, as soon as I completed the last rainbow hat, I started on a green uber slouchy hat I had seen a pattern for.  I thought it was cute and something I hadn't done before, so I'd give it a whirl.

By the end of the meeting the second day, I had a fair amount done.  It was rapidly growing into something.  And growing.  And growing.  It was the hat that just kept getting BIGGER.

When I pulled out the hat in progress in front of The Guy he jumped back in surprise because it took up THE ENTIRE ROOM.  Not really, but it was quite large considering what I normally work on.  He laughed when I stretched it out the full length and said, "It could be a toilet seat cover!"

It stuck.  Every time I looked at it, I started laughing as I imagined our house covered in knitted doily type things including toilet seat covers of the 70s (but hand made so it's cool!)

Once I neared the end of the project though, it started looking like a real hat.  I'm happy with the end results, but will not be keeping it.  It belongs with someone else!

Side shot.  Ignore me.

Back shot.
This was difficult considering I had my camera over my head.
But look at how small my bum looks!
And it shows my back cleavage.  HOT.

Update: 2014
I sold it to someone who loved it. I'm glad they did. Their toilet must be very warm.

I live an exciting life: dog toys, laundry, and knitting -- Thankful Thursday

1. My first week back at work in 2 months has been great. I'm feeling really positive and had a fun time. Today at noon, I may hear more good things about work. 
2. I went to bed and woke up with in a pile of toys Monty had amassed during the night. 



Monty's toys

3. I'm almost done our laundry after a week away
4. I've had a lot of knitting time and am almost done a pair of fingerless gloves for a relative and I've got an order from my husband for a pair. The Guy WANTS something I knitted!?!





knitting tweed



5. I made a page to keep all my #100happydays pictures in one place.

Spiral twist stitch beret

Sometimes I get to make things up. It's not often, but I love when I have an idea and it can come to fruition.  A few weeks ago, a friend was pinning red berets and talking about how much she'd like one. I offered to get right on that! And I did.

Here it is completed (from the back).

Here is a side view.  I love how it is slightly slouchy but not too much.

The top view is my favourite. This pic is the closest to the right colour of what I have.

Finally, a pattern!

Materials
I used KnitPicks CotLin yarn in DK Weight with the Pomegranate colour. (I fell in love with this colour.)
Needles: 4mm circular needle or DPNs 

Instructions

Cast on 8 stitches
You can do this in magic loop version for a circular needle or regularly for DPNs if you prefer - cast on options here 
Place marker at the beginning

Increases

Row 1 - k1 m1 all around (16)
Row 2 - knit all around
Row 3 - k2 m1 to end (24)
Row 4 (Introducing left twist) - leaving 1st stitch on left needle, ktbl of 2nd stitch, k 1st stitch and slip both stitches off the left needle, k1, repeat left twist and k1 to end
Row 5 - k2 m1 k1 - repeat to end (32)
Row 6 - left twist, k2 to end
Row 7 - k2 m1 k2 (40)
Row 8 - left twist, k3 to end
Row 9 - k2 m1 k3 (48)
Row 10 - left twist, k4 to end
Row 11 - k2 m1 k4 (56)
Row 12 - left twist, k5 to end

Continue in this manner until there are 20 stitches in each section (160) ending with an even row.
Once increases are complete, you can decide how slouchy you want your hat. For not very slouchy, go immediately to the decrease section. For slouchier repeat the last even row (left twist, k18) for another inch.

Decreases
Row 1 - k2tg k18 repeat to end (152)
Row 2 - left twist, k18 to end
Row 3 - k2tg k17 repeat to end (144)
Row 4 - left twist, k17 to end
Row 5 - k2tg k16 repeat to end (136)
Row 6 - left twist, k16 to end
Row 7 - k2tg k15 repeat to end (128)
Row 8 - left twist, k15 to end
Row 9 - k2tg k14 repeat to end (120)
Row 10 - left twist, k14 to end

Continue in this manner until you reach 88 stitches

Hat band
Rows 1-10 - k2 p2 repeat to end
Bind off in a stretchy stitch. I prefer the Zimmerman method of sewn bind off.

Voila, you have a hat.

Master bedroom: Inspiration Board

I didn't sleep well the other night. Why, you might ask? I was busy planning my master bedroom for a house that doesn't have heat yet. We went and met our contractor on Saturday and it got my planning mind going again. I love planning. It makes me happy and keeps me from remembering I have a crappy ass bathtub and no dishwasher. Also, it's like shopping but without spending the money.

I'm a bit of a nerd.

I thought I would share with you what I have planned so far. Here's the room layout planned so far.  The room is 12x12. We wanted it relatively small because the rest of the space is the bathroom and walk in closet! You know.... the important stuff.

via my fave room planner

Mainly I've picked a wall colour and everything else is already decided. But colour is very important!

Colour: Bedford blue

I wanted a blue. I love blue bedrooms. I went through 100 different blues, narrowed it down to 4, and then made The Guy pick two of his favourites. It's the only way we can agree on anything. I pick a bunch I like and he picks what he can live with.

It's hard to decorate when both spouses think the other has terrible taste. In all things except spouses, of course.

My inspiration for the blue is due to two pictures we have that I want to decorate around. One is a beautiful painting by Wilf Perreault a Regina artist who was friends with my mother. I inherited it when Mom died (read: I took it and my siblings can suck it!) and I love having it in my bedroom.

Here it is in our last master bedroom over The Guy's grandpa's rocking chair. It was my favourite corner.

I loved the blue in this room, but wanted something a little more cornflower than grey this time.

I wish I could show you the furniture we bought, but it's currently in storage. That will be for the big reveal, I guess. It's a king sized sleigh bed in a dark brown with a matching dresser and two side tables. I love it. Can I find it on the internet at all so I can show you? No. Of course not.

My plan is for the room to be calming, inviting, and a good balance of masculine and feminine.  The baseboards and things will be white (like in the above picture) and the floor is a gorgeous laminate The Guy bought from Costco on sale. It is also in storage. Someday I will get pictures of that too.

My favourite find of the day is the rug. I love this rug. Next is to convince The Guy!

via Ikea

OOOH, and here's the light fixture!

via Home Depot

So, now I've got the furniture, the colour, the drapes (The Guy bought those already too), the lighting, and the plan... I'm pretty excited. Now just to have the house finished.

Keep warm giveaway!

I live in a ridiculous province. It is currently -33 degrees Celsius with a windchill that makes it feel like -55. If you're using Fahrenheit as a scale, I believe it is similar. If you're using my temp gauge outside my house, you can't actually get that low. Apparently, whoever built it did not think Saskatchewan existed.

But, alas, it does.

And, because it does, I'm going to help you keep warmer. Well, your coffee anyway.



Since my last giveaway was such a success, I thought I would do it again! Enter below and you might be the lucky winner of this coffee cozy. As a added bonus, there is an additional prize as well. If you look in the sidebar >> over there at the top >> and sign up for I MayB emails, you will be entered into a separate prize altogether!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The best of me: What readers liked most in 2013

Tis the time of year again where bloggers around the world make lists of their accomplishments in writing. I'm no different. Mostly because I'm lazy and I follow the crowd.

The following list tells of the times I bitched about sex, showed you my ability to craft, wrote some fiction, told stories about my Grandma, shared our experience with infertility, and how I fared on a polygraph (spoiler alert: it didn't go well).

I hope you enjoy the read and stick around for the new year. I have goals in 2014 and the main one is to kick it's butt.

I, MayB's greatest hits:

The over-sexualization of EVERYTHING

Slap a pair of boobs on something and you will sell way more items than you might have otherwise.  You'll get more attention for whatever you're pushing.  Selling more, getting more attention is good.  I get it. 

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of it.

Ivory Hawk fingerless mitts

Since I learned how to knit almost 4 years ago, I have adapted many a pattern to suit my needs. 

It wasn't until I had a handful of gorgeous yarn and a friend requesting some fingerless gloves that I decided I just needed to do my own thing. 

These gloves were the result.

Anna's last year - Fiction Friday

Anna smiled and turned back to the kitchen. She started the kettle for tea and went back to the entry way to retrieve her purse. On the way, she looked about the house which was half unpacked and still a mess of opened boxes. Though she was starting to feel more settled here - in The Spinster House, she thought wryly - she was instantly reminded of the reason she came back.

Childless by chance, childless by choice

Almost 2 years ago, The Guy and I learned we couldn't have children.  This was after months and month of doctor's visits, needles, probings, stadiums filled with spectators of my lady bits, and finally the ultimate disappointment. 

We aren't going to have children and I'm okay with that.

A list of things I like to do 

You would think it would be simple. Write a list of 20 things you like to do and when the last time you did them was. Easy, right? Well... not for me. 

Problem is? I don't really like to DO anything. I'm lazy and unmotivated. 

But it's one of my favourite things about me!

Liar Liar: My experience with a polygraph

The procedure for this test is to fill in a 31 page questionnaire prior to attending. It questions everything you have ever done that is wrong, illegal, immoral, or a mix of all three. Then, you stew about and remember even more. 

When you enter the polygraph area, you then sit down with the administrator and go over it all again. In detail. With examples. And you spill. EVERY. LITTLE. THING. All those things you wanted to keep secret? You don't. All those things you are embarrassed about? You tell. All those things you didn't realize were actually crimes? You admit to doing all the time. 

You talk and talk and talk. AND TALK.

Tales of Grandma: Stubborn runs in the family

I wrote it in November of 2009, when Grandma moved from her apartment of 40 years to a smaller apartment down the road. Now almost 5 years later, after 2 years at an independent senior's lodge, Grandma is moving in with my Uncle Dean as she is requiring more and more care due to her failing memory. 

This post makes me both happy and sad - happy she was always such a tough old lady and sad that she has changed so much even in the last few years. 

As Gram says "It is a terrible thing to get old."

Anchor - Four Years of Love

I thought this post was fitting for this week. Today is our 4 year anniversary.  I wrote this 2 1/2 years ago on March 29, 2011. 

Since then, The Guy has become more to me than I could have even imagined.  Four years of marriage has been an adventure.  I'm thankful he came into my life every day.

Customer Service: How to do it right

Now, I know, you're thinking I don't work in customer service; I work in a crisis centre.  However, being a crisis worker is all about customer service -- in the worst way.  People who come to see me (or who have me show up on their doorstep) are either: 1) embarrassed to be there, or 2) furious and full of hatred.  But I have a service that I am there to provide and that is that.

Me in a shell of a nut: Now with pictures!

I thought I would take you on a tour of my week. It's been a busy one of no consequence. 

You seem to like that.

I hope you stick around for the upcoming year. I have more in store for you!

Planning for the future: my sewing room

You may have noticed, I haven't mentioned our house build in awhile. It took awhile to get up and running.  Then it took awhile to get walls. And so on. For every one thing done to the house, it then sits empty for another 2 weeks. I haven't talked about it much because I don't want to scream.

However, this week as I was trying to do some work at the kitchen table (read: fold out table from Costco) I started thinking about how I wanted to set up my sewing room when I get it going.

It's a complicated room as it has the task of fulfilling many roles: spare room, sewing room, and my workspace for writing. It will be the room that can sing, dance, AND act. It's not a huge room. Just a normal size. So I've been planning where I will put all my furniture.

This normally means I would map it all out on a piece of grid paper and then cut out tiny grid paper furniture and move them all around. (I used to get mocked for this, but then those same mockers asked me to do it for their rooms. So ha!) However, this time, I found an app for that.

The Urban Barn room planner. It's my dream come true.  (No, they aren't sponsoring me, but I do heart them.) Now, I do kind of miss my little pieces of paper and the hands on approach, but I think The Guy is happy he doesn't have a miniature couch stuck to his foot this time.

See Monty sleeping on the bed? Totally accurate.

Here is the room layout as far as I have figured out. The wall and door aren't quite right and the two swingy doors leads into the closet. Everything is already in our storage and waiting to be placed.

Except the desk.

The desk needs to be versatile as well. A desk for writing, research, and sewing. One that is clutter free but has lots of space for when I need clutter. Something streamlined and clean, but with storage options for a tidy look.

Of course I headed to Pinterest and set up a Sewing Room board for inspiration. My first bit of vision came from Ordinary Mom's office. It's clean and sleek and pretty. (Though, she says it's only like that for the pictures, but I think that's just so I will still like her.)

via Ordinary Mom

I also looked at a desk made at the base of a bunch of interworking shelving. I like that idea too.

via (Thanks Wynn Anne!)

In all reality, I have at least 6 months before I get to this stage. That means writing while hanging out on my sofa using a TV tray as a work station. Until then, I will plan and redecorate in my head so I don't lose my mind!

How Letterman became our family's Christmas symbol

For the first time in 10 Christmases, David Letterman will not be making an appearance in my house for the holidays. Why, you might ask, would David Letterman be in my house at Christmas? Well, I will tell you.

It all started 10 years ago Christmas eve. Our family was all home for the holidays and most had headed to bed for the night. My brother and one of my sisters were up into the wee hours as they often do. The later the evening got, the funnier everything was.

Suddenly, they saw the copy of the TV Times on the table. (It was 10 years ago, this was before the guide became extinct for all but my friend Susan's parents.) The cover of the guide was a picture of David Letterman.  Why? I don't know. Go with it.

The two trouble makers got an idea and ran to the kitchen for scissors and string. They cut out David's head, put a hole through his forehead (five-head) and hid him amidst the decorations on the tree. They wanted to know who would notice the disembodied head of David Letterman floating on the Christmas tree.  They went to bed, not with sugar plums, but with mischievousness dancing in their heads.

A sampling of David decorating

The next day they giggled to themselves as we had our Christmas celebrations. We had pictures taken of the family opening presents and enjoying the day. No one noticed the head. Once it was pointed out, we all laughed our faces off. It was the last Christmas we had with our mother and there was a David Letterman head in every picture we took.

We loved it and vowed to make it a tradition.

Since then, I have put David's head on every tree we've had. Last year, I copied the original, laminated it, and sent one to each sibling. It must have been fortuitous because this year, with all our belongings in storage, we aren't decorating for Christmas.

The tradition of the floating head of David will have to carry on somewhere else.

Until next year.

Pinterest things I would give: The sister edition

I have loved Pinterest since the fateful day I started scrolling through it's glorious pages of recipes, home decor, and purchasey goodness.  Last week I showed you what I would buy everyone for Christmas if I had the time, money, and - well - inclination.

Today, I'm showing you what I would buy my sisters (including my sister-in-laws). I am forever sending my sisters (the 2 on Pinterest) links to cool things I wish I could actually buy them in real life, but totally never would. It's like I'm saying "See this? I want you to have it. Except... not really! ENJOY!!"

For my sister LynnieC, I would get this necklace. Which is on sale for $0.01 and $5 shipping. You would think I would get it for her, but you would be wrong. Suck it, Lynnie! Of course, my other SiL Melanie will be so choked this isn't for her. She and Lyn fight over who gets the owls.

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For my SiL Kelly, I would buy this necklace or anything this woman makes. Kelly always has the greatest statement jewellery and I always want to see what she finds next.

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For my sister Ky, I would get these earrings. She is always a sucker for putting a bird on it, so I want to help her do just that.

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Finally, for my other SiL, Melanie, I would get her this scarf. She has such a love affair with mustard and she's one of the few people who looks phenomenal in it.

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I love how Pinterest lets me shop for all my family without ever leaving the comfort of my couch and without actually spending any money. What would I buy for you? Stay tuned to find out.

Follow me on Pinterest! Bronwyn_MayB

Pinterest gift ideas: Things I would give

As promised, I have been scouring Pinterest looking for things I would give my family and friends.  Now, don't get me wrong, I have no intention of actually giving these gifts, but I totally would. Like I said, it's the thought that counts.

I would like to get one of each of these adorable animal coffee cups for everyone I know. I could also do a DIY version of these if I had the gumption.

via

I would give all my Scrabble friends a set of these ornaments by Winterberry Originals.

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And then, I would give everyone one of these brightly coloured cell phone pouches. I love them!!

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What would you like to get from me for Christmas? It's not going to happen, but you can dream! Follow me on my Pinterest page. You won't be disappointed. I mean, unless you actually want the stuff.