A couple of project "off my hook" this weekend! I finished (finally) the Blue Heaven doily for Gathering Threads. I don't think I would do another one by choice, but it is a beautiful pattern. I also didn't have the patience to wait until I had good light to take a picture, so it is a little fuzzy. I also finished the Jar Topper from my Flakey Group, and I know I wouldn't do this one again! I do like the "embellishments" and may make those to go on presents or something, but not the jar topper. Too much work for me! Maybe for a display or something, but not as part of a present. The pattern has several different "toppers" to make, so we will see. First on my Christmas list is about 100 snowflakes!

AJ is in Michigan now - he flew out on Thursday (night at 8:00 pm) They landed in Detroit at 6:00 am and hit the ground running. They went to the Henry Ford Museum and to part of the Ford plant I think and took in a ball game as well. (AAA game I think between two teams I never heard of!) Saturday was one big meeting, according to AJ, talking about what they will be doing this week. The humidity is already getting to him - he is sweating all the time and everything itches! Poor boy! Hopefully he survives this week. (Part of this is his fault - instructions said to bring Gold Bond Powder and I asked him several times if he had everything on the list, and he said he did! Hopefully the NOAC "store" will stock something for him.)

Alli is becoming a pest with the refrigerator. She has started to "graze" out of it when I am not watching her. The other day it was a carton of chocolate yogurt (which looks like something else entirely when spread all over her and her chair, let me tell you!) Yesterday it was a carton of sour cream - not that she likes sour cream even! We will have to come up with a "Allison proof" solution pretty quick or else take everything out of the frig that she can open (and spill!).

I think I can just repeat the "We are going to be hot today" again and again. It is supposed to be 109 today, but that is what is was supposed to be yesterday, and and it was 113. We've got a fire up in Shasta Lake City area that started yesterday afternoon too. Summer is here!

I finished my thread angel that was project #3 in my Yahoo Group - Gathering Threads (GT). I ended up putting her on the pool fence to take a picture, so you all can see how brown our grass is right now! I also have a doily on the hook for GT, and am on round 11 of 14. It always sounds so good to say you are on the last few rows, it sounds like you are almost done. NOT! The last 4 rows will take three times as long to make as the rest of the doily. It will be very nice when it is done - I like the pattern. I don't think I will do it again though! I think I will make a few more angels - this one was very quick to make up, and I have a few other patterns I just haven't tried yet.

Another project finished! It took most of yesterday to finish this doily - but mainly because I had to frog (rip it!) each row at least once! After I finished this doily, I started a "challenge" project - a flying angel ornament. It went a lot faster than I thought it would. I got all of the "parts" done last night, and now need to stiffen it and put it together. It was so much easier than I thought it would be, I might make some that I bought patterns for last year, but never even tried! (They may not be so easy though!)

Another hot day here! It was 114 yesterday, and expected to be that high again today. AJ went sailing on Whiskeytown Lake yesterday (part of Boy Scouts) and had to be in town at 7:00, so Alli and I did our shopping early, came home and stayed there! I watched movies and crocheted. I am almost done with the doily I am working on (challenge from Yahoo Group - Gathering Threads) and have a crocheted flying angel to complete next (challenge from Yahoo Group - A Little Flakey) Each of the "Challenges" have been fun to do, and I have d(I hope!) Christmas presents for people done already! I don't know that I will give the doilies away for Christmas, but the other projects are all Christmas ornaments, and will be perfect!

It's Friday! This has been a very long week - and I don't know why! Maybe just because I have been busy! AJ had his regular Boy Scout's meeting on Tuesday, and they are working on their Sailing Merit Badge. On Wednesday, I had to go pick him up from his Day Camp and take him to the Sailing Counselor's house for more instruction, and then go back before I got off work and go pick him up. Tomorrow, he has to be in town by 7:15 to actually go up to Whiskeytown Lake and go sailing. That should be fun! Tonight is a Jet Boat excursion / BBQ with the bank. I may regret it, but I am taking Alli and AJ (and Ralph) to the BBQ! The Jet Boat Excursion company is a new customer of the bank's, and we get to take some rides down the river! I am hoping Alli enjoys it, and I know AJ and Ralph will. I worry about the noise factor for Alli.

I completed another project for my Yahoo Group. It turned out very cute, and I learned some new techniques to do it too! It might be overstating it to say I "learned" new techniques, but more correct to say I had to use techniques I don't usually do! It is a potpourri/sachet Christmas ornament, with almost a stained glass effect. Very nice! If I keep this up, I can make a different ornament for everyone at the office (in my "group") for Christmas! I think the next project up is an angel. I also has started a "critter" along, of which I have the body and head done, and a doily named Texas Star. I have the first 9 (of 25) rows done. Someone else has finished it and posted a picture, and it is very nice, so I will try to get it finished soon!


AJ took this picture last night - the clouds were gorgeous! Not bad for a digital picture!

We have AJ back! He was gone for a week, but it seemed longer, probably because he was gone for a week, home for a day & a half, and gone again for a week. We have him home for a week and a few days again, and then he is off to Michigan for a week! That should be the end of his summer travels. This last week was spent up by Crater Lake in Oregon, and the temps were a lot cooler than he expected - not over 70 degrees. He also forgot to pack his long pants, so only had shorts with him. He had the pants out, they just didn't make it into his backpack. (I found them on the floor of his room when I cleaned it!) He said he could deal with shorts and the weather, but they went spelunking, and all he had was shorts on. Poor baby (not!) Maybe one of these days......

Alli was being a pill yesterday! She was acting up for me like she usually does for her dad! I was trying to finish a project, so wasn't paying too much attention to her (she was watching TV). The next think I know, she is outside, playing in the dogs water (standing in the bucket to be more precise) with a carton of yogurt all over her, her shirt, shorts, hair, face, etc., and the refrigerator door wide open. I got yogurt all over me trying to get her out of her clothes and dry enough to come inside and wash her up. I just threw her into the tub - which was no punishment at all for her - maybe even a reward! She was very pleased with herself - fun, food and a bath too! I need to either pay more attention to her or tie a bell on her to I can hear when she is getting into trouble. Added to this little adventure, after I put her in bed last night, she got up and played in the bathroom (I was watching TV and didn't hear her.) I finally heard water running and ran in to check on her, and the bathroom is almost flooded. She had stopped up the sink and was running water into it and then splashing in the water (which was all over the floor, counter top, etc.) No telling how long she had been in there. It took AJ and I three or four towels to clean it up, so she had been having fun for a while! Bless this child! Thank goodness she went to sleep without too many more problems!

Finished! I finished the peppermint man! I don't know that he is even that cute, but I did have to look at a couple of new (to me) techniques to do it. I am glad I did it, but...now what do I do with it? I will probably save it for Christmas, and find a home for it then!.

Here are pictures of the finished pillow. I used a different stitch and yarn color on each side, and crocheted the together. It turned out pretty nice, and as I said, Alli loves it!

Just trying to get back into the swing of things! It takes the first day back to work to get caught up with just the e-mails I get during a week of vacation! I did finish up my pillow while I was on vacation. I just need to get pictures taken and posted. It turned out very nice! The best part is Alli seems to love it. I am constantly having to track it down and put it back on the couch after she goes to bed. It is very soft and fluffy - her favorite kind of pillow!

I recently joined a new Yahoo group that is focused on thread crochet, and am participating in a "challenge" project - which is interesting. You get one project a t a time, and you have to finish it and post a picture of it before you get the next project. I have to admit, the first project is not one I would have chosen to do, but it has already "pushed the envelope" of what I usually do, so it is probably a good thing!

One of the people in the office yesterday commented on my shawl I keep there (Seraphina's Shawl pattern, done in black with Caron's Simply Soft). Anyone in my office can use it when they get cold from the air conditioner, and S. was using it constantly while I was on vacation. She said that everyone now thought of it as hers! I offered to make her her own, and she seemed to like that idea. I am taking in a couple of other shawls I have made to give her ideas for what she wants. She wants "fluffy" yarn, and the Seraphina Shawl is better with a smooth thread. We shall see!

I'm back from vacation! I didn't really even go anywhere until Wednesday, the 5th, but I still didn't seem to update my blog while I wasn't "working". It was a good vacation - lots of time to do things around the house, and I still got a way for a few days, even away without kids! AJ spent the week with a friend in Roseville, and Alli had summer school, so she could go either.

Crescent City was gorgeous! No rain, no fog (or barely any!). Just sunshine and not even a lot of wind. Mom and I went over on Wednesday, and came back on Friday. We spent quite a bit of time with Donna Gastineau, and it seems like a lot of time spent eating! I love the ocean, and I am glad I get a chance to get my "ocean fix" once in a while. Coming back to my 100+ degree weather was a shocker though. I could get used to the weather we had in CC. (I know, it isn't usually like that, especially in the summer!)

Finished! I got the tissue cover for AJ done last night - I stayed up too late, but I was so close - I just wanted to get it done! It turned out pretty nice. It has been a while since I did any Plastic Canvas. I still prefer my crochet though!

I found a pattern I want to try for a top for me, I just have to decide what yarn I want to use. Too many choices! I also have been looking at another "picture afghan" to do. I am tempted to start it, but it is about 600 squares, and I don't know that I am ready to commit to that!

Vacation is here! And the temps have dropped to a manageable 104-105! If it was 117 again, I was going back to work where they pay for the air conditioning! I am headed over to the coast for part of the week, so I can cool out there too!