Ok, I forgot to keep track of this for a few sessions, but I know I worked on it during a Biggest Loser evening, say 1.5 hours, about another 1.5 hours watching TV at home, (3) 25-minute bus rides, and half an hour today on my lunch break. I am happy to find that I can do all but about 4″ of a single row during one bus ride from my home to my office (or vice versa).

Running stats: total time: 8 hours; current width: 8″. 6 colors (12 rows) completed.

Hey y’all! Just a quick update on the look. I lost 20 lbs since September and now fit back into my skinny jeans, so I am rocking them today with these boots that I can’t stop wearing, and a fun nautical hoodie tee. Hope you’re all having a kick-ass Thursday!

xo!

{hoodie no longer available – ann taylor loft} {jeans from ross forever ago; similar} {shoes} {similar earrings from etsy}

Hey folks! I was *thisclose* to blogging on Saturday, but instead I sat on the couch for a good portion of the day, and then frosted a ginormous cake and went to a party! Maybe next week.

For today, I give you this luxury: naps. I shall have Kitty demonstrate.

Yesterday was a pretty great day- I got up early, worked on my Pecha Kucha presentation for this Thursday, had some French toast (made from my own challah), and then took a nap on the couch while listening to the radio. I woke up from a dream just as a song was being introduced – turned out to be written by my friend Ryan Shea Smith, who is an extremely talented musician. Awesome! Then while I was still cozily ensconced on the couch, Monica called to see if I wanted to meet her for a little shopping. Why, yes, that will be lovely, thank you!

After shopping I went home to put on workout clothes, and then went over to Monica’s where we did the Jillian Michaels 6 week six pack (ah. maze. ing) and then had a delicious dinner and then a power walk around Madison Park. A perfectly lovely lazy Sunday.

Crazy month guys! I took a three day weekend for myself and basically sat around and did a whole lot of nothing except go to a birthday party friday night, hang with the BFF for a couple of hours yesterday afternoon, and go to a movie and dinner for my pops’ birthday. It was GREAT. So here’s today’s luxury: TIME. I took time for myself and did what I wanted to and it was awesome. I actually didn’t do much of anything at all, except sit on the couch and watch movies. I needed it.

Here’s a photo of the current progress on the ripple ‘ghan. I am pretty much done with the last afghan I crocheted and was getting overwhelmed by the amount of yarn left over… so why not start a new one? 

Hope you had a great weekend!

xo

at

p.s. was just browsing Apartment Therapy and this is the top post – I guess I’m right on the money here! http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/bedroom/adding-handmade-to-the-home-crochet-bed-coverings-137528

So I started this last night at Alex and Kori’s during our weekly Biggest Loser watching party. I got the first row (the most obnoxious part, nobody likes crocheting into the chain) and about 3/4 of the second row done before we left the party. This morning on the bus I finished the burgundy stripe and got halfway through the first row of rust, and finished that row at lunch today while gabbing with the ladies in the breakroom. Total time so far for three rows: approx. 3 hours. I’m keeping a running tally – let’s see how long it takes to make a big blanket!

The blanket is double crochet in a ripple pattern : 3 dc, 2 dc into each of next 2 stitches, 3 dc, dc2tog, dc2tog, repeat. Yarn is Vanna’s Choice acrylic (comes in great colors, doesn’t pill much, is often on sale at fred meyer/jo-ann, and is way softer than the squeaky crap your grandma used) and I’m using a size 10 crochet hook. It’s 7′ wide (I made my friends hold the chain across the couch to see if it was going to be a good width; I didn’t think about it much) and each color stripe is two rows: one out, one back. I have no color plans, but I have about 20 balls of this yarn at home and I think I’ll be doing mostly jewel tones. This is my second ripple blanket and I really like the other one too, but it’s done! and I need a portable project, so I may as well start a new one right?

Running stats, day 2: total time: 3 hours; current width: 2″

ok three weeks in a row of monday posts – but hopefully soon I’ll be able to tell you about other stuff that’s happening!

I had a pretty good weekend, there’s been a lot of stuff going on in my life but there has also been a lot of talking about it with lots of people, and that makes it so much easier. Find someone to talk to, folks! And a hug never hurts.

So capping off the weekend was two of my favorite luxuries: lovely dinner at one of my favorite Seattle restaurants, El Camino, and a fancy cocktail at a new (and new to me) restaurant in Ballard.

First up: El C. Located in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, it’s a nice little casual eatery with south of the border flair. Their dishes are authentic and really tasty. I am kind of a one trick pony here, I always get exactly the same thing, but I’m always happy with it: a house margarita (best in the city), guac with plantain chips (everything guac should be), mussels in a spicy, tomatoey cream sauce served with grilled bread (and I don’t even really like shellfish), and the carne asada tacos, served taco truck style plus rice and beans.  There is a back patio which they walled in a few years ago for year-round enjoyment; there is a fireplace for the winter and in the summer they roll up the garage doors to make it open-air. I. Love. It.

We got done with dinner really early so decided to check out a bar that neither of us had been to before, and settled on staple & fancy. (to get to their website click on the photo above)

Their tiny bar area (seats only 8-10) was full when we walked in but we were allowed to stand at the counter and order a cocktail until some seats opened up, which was fine by us. We only had to wait a few minutes standing. The interior is lovely old-ballard style with the exposed brick wall with old painted advertisements on it still, beautiful wood floors, exposed beams, and an open kitchen. The bar was not hugely diverse but well stocked with fun and fancy liqueurs and the cocktail selection was, as to be expected for Seattle, diverse and interesting. Also bonus: hooks under the bar for your coat/purse. Seriously, any bar without hooks: you suck.

Good company, good food, good drinks, good atmosphere: everyday luxe at its best.

xo

at

So it’s been MONTHS since I’ve done any quilting – I’m making a belated wedding quilt for some friends of mine, and that’s about halfway done, but you know how it goes. Life got busy. I’m trying to get back in the swing of things on the quilting front, but I have so many beautiful fabrics I have collected over the last 10 (!!!) years that I’d like to give some love to.

So here’s my 2011 challenge: make a bunch of quilts but don’t buy new fabrics. I am allowing two exceptions to this rule, and they basically only allow for solids: 1) I can buy backings and 2) I can get a solid if I need it for a cohesive background for the quilt.

I am sure I won’t be able to not buy ANY new prints, because there are so many gorgeous ones, and I still have a few lingering regrets of fabrics I never bought and still want today – BUT if I don’t let myself get, say, all the fabric for an entire quilt top that let’s face it I don’t have time to make, I can hopefully whittle down my stash. The photos here are from a small quilt that I made with all odds and ends, and I really like it. Even the back is pieced from large extras! Feels good. I’m going to try and do larger quilts this way too (maybe not the back).

wish me luck! and happy crafting.

Good morning! It’s snowing downtown in Seattle today, and my friend Kori suggested some kind of cozy cashmere scarf to feature as today’s Monday luxury. Since I’m trying to focus on sharing things I know personally, I’m going to tell you about my new favorite yarn obsession: Malabrigo (especially the Twist line). It’s a 100% merino wool and it’s seriously the softest wool I have ever felt, and comes in a rainbow of delicious hues.

I found it on a recent trip to the yarn store, when I had a direct objective that was not this. However, I absolutely CANNOT walk into any textile store without going around and touching everything, and it’s especially true in yarn shops. I’m a very tactile person. So anyway, while getting fresh with the yarn balls I found this gem in a gorgeous inky blue-black, and promptly knitted up a snuggly cowl for myself. It’s so hard to find a yarn that’s actually really soft against your neck, but this one is a total winner. When it came time to brainstorm ideas for a gift exchange for some of my besties, I knew immediately that the best present I could give was a scarf – homemade, full of love, and warm. It’s like a hug anytime! I went to the yarn store (ok, three yarn stores) and picked out a palette of bright colors, and decided to make each person’s scarf with several different colors, so they are kind of themed. Everyone’s has at least three colors in it, and all five include a sunny yellow. I tried to get a photo of everyone in their scarves but the lighting wasn’t great… but everyone said they liked them so I’m really happy! It’s kind of an expensive yarn but it’s great for smaller projects like this without too much cash outlay.

Happy Monday! And GO DUCKS!!