Brief Goal Update

Ok.....as stated a few weeks ago, I stated that since I refuse to do have a RESOLUTION for the new year I would go ahead and have a GOAL for the new year. My goal has been to have a scarf and/or hat made out of my stash yarn every month.

Well.....the January scarf got done on the 30th of January! Barely by the skin of my teeth! I think I still want to add some fringe to the ends, because it is just a long double crochet rectangle at the moment. We'll see.

On the 30th, I did splurge a little. That was payday, and I did get a little bonus from work, so I whooped it up and spent $5 and bought a hairpin lace loom. By the night of the 31st, I had another single column hairpin lace scarf done! Using the hairpin loom is so much easier than I thought and it is SOOOO fast! Not to mention is looks beautiful!

Well, it is now the middle of February. This month I have 2 birthdays to complete gifts for (half done now) and so I am not sure about being able to get a scarf done out of the stash this month. I am going to be so disappointed if I drop the ball on my goal only 2 months into the year! EEEEK!

My plan, I think, is going to be to complete a childs scarf this month. That way it can be far shorter, and yet still use the stash. That's my story. :-)

I will try to add some pictures a bit later. I have really slacked off too much on getting pictures of my projects and getting them posted.....so this holiday weekend I may try to step it up a little.

Have a fantastic Valentines Day! It is a Hallmark Holiday......but lovely just the same!

Smooches to you all!

Nuurdy Impulses

I don't know what came over me.....or why I am so excited. On a complete impulse yesterday, I joined Twitter and Plurk. I have never even been to these sites before, but had heard them mentioned on a couple podcasts (ok I had heard of Twitter) and so I just went to the sites and joined. It is complete GEEK!!! But it just seems like fun!

Remember the days when MySpace was fun....like all these people to meet and greet and find? New "friends" to be made? But then there was all the pressure for posting blogs on there and talking lots in messages or bulletins? And then it became completely creepy? Well it seems like people who just want to chat and meet other friendly people and avoid the creepy have found a better way. Both of these sites function with shorter messages, simpler interfaces, and more accessibility.

Now.....I have NO friends or contacts on either of these sites. HA! I am totally floating in the ether alone. And somehow I don't care! I get such a kick out of being able to send a text message and just say "work is sucking!"

Maybe I will meet all kinds of new and fun people. Hope so. Maybe not......but at least I am not a TOTAL hermit!

So come find me! I am Nuurdygirl on both Plurk and Twitter.
(also Ravely, but that is a WHOLE 'nother story!)

Simple Things Make Me So Happy

So.....I have to share my joy. It is just too great to keep bottled up and all to myself. Over the past week, I have discovered 3 little things that have provided me with my own little nirvana.

First......I discovered my milk frother. Yes....I said FROTHER. My mother had gotten me this "thing" that is a glass carafe with a mesh insert in side; it looks exactly like my french press. However, a while ago I grabbed it out of the cupboard for some reason (I never use my french press, so I must have been looking for something else) and discovered that it was a MILK FROTHER. The idea is to put warm milk into the bottom, no more than about an inch deep, and then pump air into the milk by using the mesh insert that is attached to a knob in the lid. I tried this.....and while it did take a little bit of time, it was sooooo worth it. If you are a fan of a really good latte, then you know what I mean. Since then, I have found a hand-held type that is like a very small single beater that is battery powered. It works faster than the "hand churn" model, and it does work much better on chocolate milk than the hand churn, but I do like them both. This little bit of effort makes my weekend mornings seem so much more "luxurious". It's a silly little thing that is spoiling myself.....and every time I drink my frothy coffee, I smile and bask in the spoiling.

Second......new headphones. I have had ear-bud style plugs for my ears for ages. The headphones that wrapped around the ear were too loose and large for my ears, and ear-buds are too large to sit inside my ear. Apparently, I have small ears. So over the weekend I got a pair of obnoxious silver-pink, headband, old school, style headphones. I love them! Oh my heavens....do I love them! They fit around my ears, the sound is exceptional, and I just love being able to listen to my mp3 player so much more easily. I am really looking forward to my next business trip, and being able to comfortably listed to music and podcasts in peace and comfort. Ahhhh.......

Third.....the biggest of all. An electric blanket. When I was younger, everyone in my house had an electric blanket on his or her bed. I think this is because the winters in Utah get SO COLD, and everyone liked the house or each room to be a different. Also, it wasn't as popular to have comforters/quilts/duvets/dinas (whatever you want to call those toasty fluffy things) and so the electric blanket was just the bomb. In any case....I have not had one since I moved into my basement bedroom in 1990. Well.....my townhouse is pretty chilly; I keep it this way on purpose because I am gone so much and because it can be expensive to heat this place. On top of my place being chilly.....I am just cold quite often these days. When I would go to bed, it would be freezing against the sheets, until I had been under there for about 10 minutes. I just got fed up with it. On Saturday I went to Target, and found a full size electric blanket on clearance. It now lays across my bed (just barely covering the top) between my flat sheet and my comforter (of which I actually have two). I crank that puppy up on HIGH when I get into the shower, and let hit cook until I actually climb into bed - which is usually an hour or two later. My bed is so warm and so cozy and so comfortable.....and it is SO hard to get out in the morning. It was so comfy....that over the weekend my kids slept in with me, and even my son who is the early riser did not want to get out of bed; we all stayed curled up until 9.

It's funny how very simple changes can bring so much peace. We don't notice the little things that add up to give us grief....but I think that if we are willing to take care of those little things that we deserve, then we are more available to tackle the really big problems.

Ok......utopia and the blanket are calling me.......have a great TOASTY night!!!