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December 27, 2004
He has arrived...
Here he is in all of his ridiculous cuteness....
May I please present Julian Benjamin (JB) Saucier.....
This handsome lad weighed in at a whopping 8 lbs, 10 oz. and has feet the size of Delaware. Mom and Pop are doing well - better than well, really. Despite the lack of sleep they are absolutely beaming! Michelle is the first one of our friends to ...umm... reproduce! So this is a super big deal for all of us! She is my sister Mary's best friend from High School... so it is crazy to see someone we have all been around for so long... have a BABY! I mean - wow. I can't believe this stuff is actually starting to happen.... deep breaths... deep breaths.....
Mary has created a blog for Michelle and hubby Todd to post pics and stories about the little pooper. You can find it here with lots of super gooey baby pics!
All I can say is Way to go, Michelle! You have instantly become very impressive to all of us who cannot imagine doing what you just did. Wow.
Here I am being put under the little man's spell.
Welcome to the world, little JB! We've all fallen in love with you - you just gave us a reason to work even harder at making this world a nicer place. :)
Posted by Sarah at 12:13 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
December 22, 2004
Busy Busy Bee
Apologies for the lack of posts... I think all crafting bloggers out there are in hyperdrive right now due to You Know What right around the corner!
At least I know I am in good company and that you all understand! ;) I am finishing up arm #2 on Bobbie Bear #2 - this one is for my wee niece who is ever so delightfully cute. This bear is swank. I heart him. I have a feeling this will become a standard gift-knit. As soon as he is finished I'll post a pic....
Other news on the crafty front - Bath Day with the Hat City Scissor Squad was a big success! My sister has created a blog for our Squad - check out our Bath Goodie Makin Bad Ass Selves here.
As you can see from some of the pics there, my friend Michelle is ready to POP! She failed to appear for our weekly craft night last evening due to ...get ready, folks... CONTRACTIONS! The day is drawing ever closer.... Maybe it will be TODAY! Yee! Here she is with her belly fulla baby... and there I am making a silly face - I swear it is impossible for me to have my picture take without having a ridiculous expression captured.
Mitch makes a super beautiful pregnant lady - props to her for also being the most CALM pregnant lady I have ever met. She's way mellow - I will be a freak show compared to this girl. Jamie's scared. I believe he has a right to be. :)
Skully is almost finished - I had to order one more skein of yarn (dammit) to finish the sleeve - I need to knit like an inch and a half more.... ugh. But it's okay because it forced me to take break from that and finish up the Xmas projects I had going. I also took the opportunity to purchase a skein of Lamb's Pride in worsted weight of the main color. I think it might make seaming a lot easier and neater if I sew up in a lighter yarn.... we'll see - at least now I'll have the option!
I'm still trying to decide if I should seam and then block or block and then seam.... Skully is designed so by the end it is one big piece - you use 3 needle bind off to attach the front and back pieces and then you pick up stitches for the sleeves.... So I only have to sew up the sleeves and sides (yippee!). Any thoughts on which method would work best in this case? I always block then seam...but the directions say to do the opposite. I need advice. :)
Posted by Sarah at 11:47 AM | Comments (1)
December 10, 2004
Gotta Make a Move to a Town that's Right For Me
1. My name is Sarah Jayn McNally.2. I was born Sarah McNally Stupple.
3. When I was very little, my Dad decided to take his step-father’s last name as our family name (because he was the greatest Dad/Grampa ever!) For a short period of time, no one could think of a middle name for me so my name was actually Sarah McNally McNally.
4. As a result, some of my family still calls me Sarah Mac-Mac.
5. I am the oldest of 4 girls. We range from 27 to 14 years old….
6. The 4 of us are ridiculously close, even though we now live semi-all over the place.
7. My Mom and Dad are still young – only 48!
8. They are still married and I am glad.
9. I live in Connecticut in a badass little apartment with some animals and an enormous amount of craft supplies.
10. I speak some French and some Spanish.
11. I would like to become fluent in both.
12. I'm very competitive.
13. I am a very cautious person. I think about everything before I do it…. but I love it when I take a chance.
14. I am a terrible liar.
15. I am happy that I am a terrible liar.
16. I hate clutter.
17. I have a dog (Kyra) and two cats (Mr. T and Flane) – they pretty much run my life.
18. I grew up with lots of animals – my family is a sucker for a stray anything.
19. I vowed I wouldn’t have a lot of animals until I owned my own home.
20. My sister and I found Flane living under the house we used to rent together.
21. I found Mr. T living in the sideyard of the apartment I live in now. Apparently, the Universe has a real nice sense of humor.
22. I went to college for 3 semesters.
23. I majored in Art History and minored in Music.
24. I left because I ran out of money and my scholarship wouldn’t cover everything. I decided not to take out loans since I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with myself.
25. I have a lot of other reasons why I left, but that would be another list….
26. When I left school, I was 19 years old. I took a job (through the company my Dad worked for at the time) taking inventory of parts on an AT&T Trans-Oceanic Cable Ship. I worked on the ship for 6 weeks – 12 hours days with only one afternoon off.
27. The afternoon off was in Oahu, Hawaii. So it was worth it.
28. That job was one of my greatest adventures to date. I got to sail from Hawaii to Victoria, B.C.
29. I LOVE THE OCEAN!
30. The girl I worked with and I were the only women on an all male crew. That was the first time I really understood what it felt like to be in the minority. The guys were nice but they were hesitant and quiet around us….. They’d stop talking when we’d walk into a room….
31. When we got to Victoria, I bought a used pair of coveralls with the name “Dave” painted on the pocket. That broke the ice. My name was Dave for the rest of my time on the ship and they didn’t quiet down anymore when I walked in a room.
32. My first car was a 1979 VW Bus that I bought from the girl I worked with on that trip.
33. She lived in Seattle so I had to drive it back to Connecticut.
34. It was a stickshift and I had never driven a stick before.
35. Numbers 33 and 34 are a good way to sum up my personality.
36. The trip back to Connecticut would also be another list…..
37. I still have the Bus - I can't seem to bring myself to let it go....
38. I am only the second owner. He is super great.
39. I work as a secretary now to pay my bills. It’s ok but I want to do something more creative.
40. My Mom is an amazing seamstress and can master any craft as far as I can see.
41. She has encouraged all 4 of her daughters to find a creative outlet and do something with their hands.
42. I sew, quilt, bead, do paper crafts, and am a decent photographer.
43. I learned to knit during the Winter of 2003 - it has since consumed my life.
44. I was going to go to school for Fashion Design…..but had a change of heart.
45. My Dad plays piano and guitar and writes short stories.
46. He has encouraged all of his 4 daughters to appreciate music and develop logic and debate skills.
47. I loooove music, but can’t play any instruments (a little piano but that’s it). But, I can sing and used to be a pretty good sight reader.
48. I love to converse, discuss and especially ARGUE! What? It’s fun!
49. I tend to be very sarcastic....
50. My Great Grandfather on my father’s side was an amazing cook and owned two restaurants.
51. I love to cook and bake – and I am pretty darn good at it too, if I do say so myself.
52. My favorite chefs are Sara Moulton and Ina Garten.
53. I love to watch the Iron Chef on Food Network.
54. My Grandfather on my mother’s side played in the Minor Leagues and rubbed elbows with some pretty famous Red Sox players in his day.
55. I inherited absolutely no athletic abilities from my Grandfather the baseball player. I throw like a girl. And run like one, too.
56. But, I did dance for 9 years and that takes muscle, bay-bee!
57. I also love hiking, canoeing, and yoga. (Sweating is good for you!)
58. I was born in Maine and lived there until I was 6.
59. My Mom is from Maine originally and her brother and a bunch of family still live up there.
60. Every summer we meet up at The Lake. It’s land that belonged to my Grandfather that was passed on to my Mom and her brother Andy. The land is now just Andy’s (and his awesome wife Missy’s) and they have built a beautiful house there.
61. They live on the best part of The Lake – hands down!
62. The Lake is my happy thought and my very favorite place in the world.
63. It is also my dog’s happy thought and her very favorite place in the world as she runs around like a maniac with no leash jumping in the water every 5 seconds.
64. Another one of my favorite places is Paris.
65. When I was 15, we had a French exchange student stay with us for the better part of a year… She was supposed to only stay one month and then stay with another family each month for the year – but she didn’t want to leave and we didn’t want her to go!!!
66. That Summer, I went back to France with her and got travel all around the country meeting her family!
67. It was my first trip on my own….sans parents! It was one of the best things I ever did.
68. We had one night in Paris at the end of the trip and it was amazing.
69. I’ve since been back to Paris once….with my family! It was equally amazing.
70. I really want to go back again……
71. I’ve been to Graceland.
72. I took a week long road trip to get there.
73. It was cool, but the trip as a whole was better than Graceland on it’s own.
74. I love to travel and am feeling restless lately because I have no dollars to take a trip!
75. I am a Liberal. A really liberal Liberal.
76. I believe in a lady’s right to choose.
77. I think you should be able to marry who you love – even if who you love has the same reproductive equipment you do.
78. I don’t believe in the death penalty – my best reason is that our legal system is so full of flaws that it is rare that you know for a fact that the individual is even guilty. That and I think we should be past killing people at this point….. one can dream…
79. I really really really hate George Bush. Both of ‘em.
80. I believe in some conspiracies but it takes a lot to convince me of one.
81. I believe in God….but I don’t believe in God. Yeah – tricky, huh?
82. I have baby dreams from time to time. It’s always twins. Yikes!
83. I think I'd like to have 2 kids. Maybe not at the same time…..but either way, it’s cool.
84. If I do ever have twins, I'm gonna name them Luke and Leia.
85. Yes, I AM that big of a Star Wars geek.
86. I love the Muppets.
87. And York Peppermint Patties.
88. I am a huge sports fan. I like that it’s really happening and isn’t a scripted sitcom or some junk.
89. My favorite is football – the strategy that goes into the game is amazing. It’s one giant physical chess match.
90. I root for the New York Jets. I heart them. I heart them very much.
91. I also watch basketball and have become a Knicks fan.
92. I don’t really care for baseball, but if I had to pick a team it would be the Red Sox for sentimental reasons – refer to number 54.
93. I have a gigantic sticker collection.
94. I like to write letters. I have a thing for cool stationery.
95. When I die, I want a Viking funeral….you know the kind…. I want to be placed on a wooden raft and set out to sea….when I’m out a little ways, I want flaming arrows shot on to my raft. Then someone hits play on the boombox for my funeral anthem….”Funkytown” by Lipps, Inc.
96. If for some reason this doesn’t happen… I’d like to be stuffed and handed down to the oldest child of each generation. And I want to be dressed up for holidays.
97. I run a crafty group in my area and have met some great craft buddies We’re called the Hat City Scissor Squad and we’re hardcore.
98. I started a blog because I was so inspired by the ones I had been reading – I really wanted to meet some more online knitting and crafting buds! So far, so good!
99. I’d like to do something crafty for a career…..I’m working on the details…..
100. #100 already? The pressure’s on…how to close this out? I need something flashy…something impressive…. Something that sums me up in just a line or two…. Hmmm… actually, I think that just did it quite nicely. *updated January 2006
Posted by Sarah at 5:06 PM | Comments (2)
Christmastime is here.....
And it is kicking my bee-hind! Have you noticed the severe lack of posts?!
Busy, friends, busy...... Ugh. Well the Xmas shopping is done short of 3 small items I will pick up tonight and tomorrow morning. YES! I feel very accomplished as I have made almost all of my gifts and been very reasonable in my spending for the gifts that I have bought. Absolootly Faboo Xmas stockings shall be had! Weeeeee!
I am working on Bobbi Bear #2 at the moment and feverishly kitting up Skully's second sleeve..... I am hoping to get that done this weekend so it can get a-blockin'. Mr. Skully doe not have a holiday deadline, but I would like him complete in time for our anniversary. Of course, if he is complete by Xmas.... how can I resist giving the Bune something more to unwrap??? Hmmm..... We'll see.
I'd have to say that I am getting quite antsy with all this knitting for others.... I have to admit that I am feeling a little ... jealous. There I said it. Does this happe to anyone else? I feel awful admitting it, but I have so many patterns I want to work on for little ol' moi that I am DYING to get going. I have a feeling that my post-Xmas month will include absolutely NO knitting for others.
Mwah Ha Ha Ha Ha...ha....
I am so mean. I can't help it. Knitting for others is so fun at first. But when you have knit for others for 6 weeks solid? Maybe I am just a selfish knitter, but I feel I've been neglected at that point. By myself... hmph.
Anyhoo, I will have some updated pics sometime this weekend - I just wanted to post to say I am still alive, even if I am buried under a pile of other people's knitted gifts.
I'll feel more accomplished after this weekend when I send out a few of my first prezzies.... Let's get this stuff out of my house, I say!!!!!
Posted by Sarah at 12:49 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
December 1, 2004
Any ideas?
I received a call for help in an email from someone who visited my blog. She writes:
My husband has a knit christmas stocking. His whole family has one. Our daughter has one. You get the point. But our 9 month old son does not. The lady who used to make them passed away 3 months ago. Our local knitting shops are of no help. I am trying to find a knitter who can recreate a stocking from a sample. I live in California and NEED SOME HELP! Any ideas?
Amy
So.... do we have any advice for Amy? Do any of you think you can reverse engineer a Christmas stocking? I doubt that I have that skill yet....but I am sure that someone out there can do it! Let me know and I can put you in touch with Amy the Stocking Searcher. :)
Posted by Sarah at 12:58 PM | Comments (3)