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July 31, 2005
Welcome to Scissorina!
Well, it's finally done!
Okay... semi-done....
I'm going to keep tweeking here and there, but I think it's good enough to start posting! I'm really happy with the way everything is looking so far - I hope you all like it here! For a gal with zero HTML knowledge before this experience, this took some time... and patience. Hee.
Typepad was an excellent way to start out - I would reccommend the service to any new blogger. Fan-freakin-tastic! After about 16 months with that site, though... I was ready to tackle Movable Type!
Take a look around and let me know what you think :)
If I could ask a favor of anyone who had their site linked to Stitch, would you please update the link to this site, please? Thanks!
Posted by Sarah at 4:43 PM | Comments (8)
I've been hit!
Tagged again! This time by Kaitlyn!
5 things i miss from childhood.
If you want to participate the chain-letter part works like this: remove the blog at #1 from the following list and bump every one up one place; add your blog’s name in the #5 spot; just check to make sure the links are still attached if you copy n’ paste.
1. Playing Being one of four sisters in a very ...ummm... "creative" house, I feel I have a different outlook on playing than a lot of people do.... Sure, we played a lot of the regular stuff kids did - school, library, yadda yadda yadda... But I have yet to meet others who played out the sagas that we did with our Barbies and Cabbage Patch kids. We once had a story that played out over the course of 4 years.... By the time that one story was wrapping up (just to change into another story of course), I was at the age that I shouldn't have been playing with dolls anymore. We had heroes, villains, tramps, power hungry monsters, and your good ol' sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll. I shit you not. My sisters Mary and heather shared a room that was absolutely taken over by this. My poor Mom would try to clean and we would all FREAK out. You can't move that, Mom! That's Gilles' throne room! Don't you know anything??? I'm kind of giddy with the idea that my kids (and their cousins I would presume) will most likely be playing in the same, ridiculously elaborate way that we did..... I can't wait - despite the knowledge that their messy rooms will be the end of me.....
2. The Beach When we were kids ( M, H and I that is - sorry Caitlin - you missed the boat!) we would spend a couple of weeks in a tiny one room beachouse in Newport, RI. Our days were filled with sand castles and tidal pool trekking. We would go out during low tide and find starfish and snails - and mussels by the ton it seemed! We would bodysurf and take hikes up to the nearby lighthouse. On rainy days, we'd stay inside and color and pretend that the dolls we were able to bring were on a vacation of their own in a far off place.... We'd have a special day when we'd go down into town with our Mom and visit our favorite seashell shop, get some cookies and fudge at The Cookie Jar (they had EVERY flavor of Jelly Belly, I swear!) and make our annual stop at The Bear Necessities where we'd each get a teddy. I loooooove the beach. I can still go, but it's not the same. I'm just not a beach-goer in the traditional sense. I want to live in a tiny space right on the beach for a couple of weeks.... I want my sheets filled with sand and I want my hair to be in a constant french braid that smells like the ocean. A stop in Fairfield to sit on some sand in front of the Long Island Sound for 3 hours just doesn't do it for me, I guess.... Yet another thing that I am giddy to do with my kids. (Luckily, the Bune looks forward to this, too.... he hearts bonfires and surfing! The beach is a definite on our family vacation list.)
3. Sidewalks. For the 4 years that we lived in New York with my Great Grandfather, we lived on a dead end street. With sidewalks, no less! Having moved to Connecticut, where sidewalks can only be found in the downtown area of your town (if you are lucky!) I truly appreciate the memory of riding my bike down that sidewalk, playing hopscotch on that sidewalk, concentrating like crazy in every attempt to avoid stepping on the cracks of that sidewalk. (What? My Mother's back was in danger, people!) Now having a dog and wanting to go for long walks, with and without her, I would love to have a sidewalk again!
4. Camping. Along the same lines as #2. Same deal - a couple of weeks vacation for M, H and I but this time in a big old tent with our Mom and Dad and yellow lab on The Lake in Maine. The same exact spot, as a matter of fact, that my Uncle Andy and Aunt Missy built their beautiful home and we have continued to visit every summer! So, I do not miss the lake, as I have luckily had that as a constant in my life. What I do miss is that feeling of camping out in the wilderness with adventure lurking around every corner! That place is a serious playground for a child - let alone three with big imaginations. Our time spent in the woods - quite often with just our Mom (she's a tough broad) - really developed a real love of the outdoors in me. I can't get enough! I love to hike and to sleep in a tent and I don't get to do either one enough! (mental note: make some damn TIME to do these things.) We spent hours in the water and in the sailboat with our Pop. Water was definitely a theme for us growing up, huh?
5. My Paternal Grandmother. My Dad's Mom passed away when I was pretty young - almost 7. But, I guess there was just something about her that I clicked with. Being old enough now to do a little self examination, I can appreciate even more the connection I felt I had with her. Mary Jane French was a badass, a rebel, and one stylish lady. She was very young when she had my Dad - and he was her only child. My Dad, in turn, was pretty young when he had me, so she was a very young Grandmother! (Something I don't think she ever really got used to!) She loved fashion and would take me to Saks, Lord & Taylor and Bloomie's. She was an executive assistant at United Features Syndicate in the City and worked with Charles Schultz (Peantus) and Jim Davis (Garfield). I cannot begin to tell you how much cool stuff we got. I remember a blue snowsuit covered in Peanuts comic strips... Anyways, she had an air of sophistication and intelligence about her and I just about worshipped the ground she walked on. I was pretty devastated when she died. But - that was when our family moved form Maine to Yonkers to live with Poppy (my Great Grandfather) - all three of us (again - sorry Caitlin... why'd they wait so damn long to have you??) got to have a relationship with him that we otherwise might have missed out on due to distance. So, I guess everything happens for a reason, hm?
Okay - that was a nice trip down Memory Lane! And who should I tag? hmmm... Okay - The Other Christine, Mary (will yours be the same as mine?), and Karen!
Posted by Sarah at 3:25 PM | Comments (1)
July 27, 2005
I got tagged!
Karen tagged me!
id·i·o·syn·cra·sy
Pronunciation Key
n. pl. id·i·o·syn·cra·sies
A structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group.
Write down five of your own personal idiosyncracies. Then, if you wish, tag five people from your live gerbil or friendslist to do the same.
Here we go... Prepare yourself.
1. I won't eat any candy that will change my tongue colors. No Green Apple Blow Pops, no Blue Raspberry Air Heads, no Grape Jolly Ranchers. If it's not red or pink, I just won't have anything to do with it (unless it's candy that won't dye my mouth...). Somewhere along the line, I decided I didn't want attention drawn to my tongue and that was that. Suits me just fine now, since I ended up having a preference for cherry and strawberry flavored things anyway, but I deinitely remember it being quite a concious decision when I was younger. It stuck.
2. I need to chew food evenly. For some reason, I can't deal with the feeling that one side of my mouth has been doing all the chewing... Therefore, I find myself actually making an effort to distribute my dinner equally between both sides of my mouth.
*Sarah pauses for a moment to take in the realization that she will need some serious therapy after completing this exercise.*
Moving on...
3. I am constantly writing nonsensical notes on scraps of paper... Lists, numbers, thoughts. Anything that is on my mind that I decide must be written down so I can remember later. My purse is constantly filled with these scraps of paper covered in words and numbers that I never seem to read again before throwing in the recycling bin once a week.
4. I get incredibly ill tempered when I am hungry. And we're not talking a little on the grumpy side - I get mean. I make a serious attempt to snack on little bits of food and candy throughout the day at work so I can keep my job. It's so commonplace that if I snap at the Bune, he immediately asks me if I'm hungry rather than engaging in an argument with me. 9 times out of 10, the answer is yes.
5. I don't "high five". I think it is dumb and I just won't do it. When faced with someone attempting to high five me, I decline. They insist. I refuse. They demand an explanation. I've discovered that people get very defensive about the high five. I'm convinced that something about the feeling of being "left hangin' " causes an individual to regress to the age of 8 when these actions had a very significant meaning.
Okay - cat's out of the bag, people. I'm crazy! Yipes. Only thing left to do is ride my bike over to the loony bin. But, before I go, I gotta tag some people:
Christine, Sandra, Anne, Gina, Heather - you're it!
I'll admit that I am secretly hoping that these tags will result in more neurotic and strange behaviors than those I just listed so I might feel a little less insane.
Posted by Sarah at 1:34 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
July 26, 2005
It's too darn hot.
Ack.
It's days like these, I wish I was indepentently wealthy and in which case, I could afford air conditioning.
Anyhoo.... I've been a bad little blogger lately on accounta I've been workingon my new site that I *hope* to have up and running in a week or two.... I know, I know - I am SLOOOOOW!
But, I really want to set up a photo album page, as well as have most of my graphics done before moving everything from this site over.... so it's taking me a while. Mostly because until now, I had no real knowledge of what goes into making a website go. Hee.
In knitting knews, I've finished the first half of the cabled shrug! It looks a bit big, but I'll reserve judgment for blocking and seaming. It is cotton after all, so it might just need a toss in the dryer :)
I decided to focus on Orangina this week and I'm about 10 inches into the front.... it is also moving sloooowly.
Maybe it's just the heat talking, but slow seems to be the theme 'round here....
Posted by Sarah at 6:33 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
July 21, 2005
We need to talk.
Dear Gypsy Mesh Pullover,
Something's changed. We never talk anymore.
I try to knit you, and you just sit there like a lump, staring off into the distance..... What's the matter?
You looked so happy in your photo shoot for the Spring '04 issue of Interweave Knits. Now, you just look so sad.
Is it me? I know I haven't been spending much time with you lately, but I've been under a lot of stress! But, I do have to admit, when I pick you up to knit a couple of rows.... it's just to make you feel better. I don't really want to do it.
I suppose I've had a wandering eye.... I'ts just that Orangina's so sassy and bright! And the Cabled Shrug is sophisticated and soooo soft in that Blue Sky Cotton.... And yes, I bought more of that yarn to knit an Hourglass Sweater. And I did start drawing up designs for a new sweater for the Bune... I even swatched a bit.
I admit it. I want to knit them. I want to knit them ALL.
I just haven't been able to stay interested in you. Look, I know that sounds harsh, but it's the truth. And you wouldn't want me to lie to you - would you? Not after all we've been through together.
I know it's been a tough time for you, Gyps - sitting at the bottom of my bag..... spending sleepless nights in the basket....... I was hoping that our trip to Maine would save our relationship. I think we both know it only made our problems more apparent.
I think we need a break. It's best for both of us.
Now Gypsy, there's no need to freak out - no one is getting unraveled. Not yet. We'll just wait and see. I want to do what's best for you. When you're ready, you just tell me what you want to be and we'll do our best - together - to make it happen.
I'll always love you.... just not in that way.
let's stay friends,
Sarah
Posted by Sarah at 1:52 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
July 19, 2005
1. Put the hurt on that bulging fabric stash I have.
I felt I needed a break from knitting, so I whipped up this big sack style tote to haul my many WIP's around in!
Here's a better look at the cutest handles ever! Purchased at Joann....
And a peek at the lining and two pockets inside!
What's that you say? What is the purple blob at the bottom of my sack?
Why, it's my progress on the Cabled Shrug from Interweave Knits!
OH! I'm late to meet up with the Squad - check ya latah.
Posted by Sarah at 6:58 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
July 14, 2005
Le Lelah
Here's my saucy French Lelah! Ooooh I heart Phildar.
Pattern: Lelah by the Lovely Christine
Yarn: Phildar Onde in Volcan (you discontinued Onde! you bastards!)
Needles: US8 &US9 circulars
Modifications: Added a couple of lace repeats to lengthen the ol' gal a bit. Sewed in small pieces of hem tape onto the wrong side of the fabric at the bind off edge and attached ribbon straps to them.
Comments: J'aime Le Lelah! Long live Christine! This pattern rocks everyone's world! Keep up the good work, lady. I will surely be knitting some of these booby toobies for gifts! Brava!
Posted by Sarah at 8:12 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
July 12, 2005
O.F.O.
Old Finished Object
While I was in Maine, I had a chance to take a pic of those socks I knit for my Dad for Dad Day!
Dad's big comfy socks
Pattern: Wiseneedle's Firefighter Socks
Yarn: Classic Elite Inca Alpaca (2 skeins)
Needles: US8 Babmoo circ's
Comments: I lerv alpaca. I mean seriously. I think if I could marry one, I would. Okay... maybe not. But, I'd like some for children at least. Fuzzy beatle haircut children...... I upped the needle size for this pattern in order to make my Dad some bunky house socks. He lives in Florida, so I knew these would be more for kicking around on slightly chilly evenings... Of course, he has told me they've already come in quite handy for battling the icy chill of the A.C.
I'm off to see the Scissor Squad! Later, gator.
Posted by Sarah at 6:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 11, 2005
I'm back, bay-bee!
Wow. Sunny days and relatives sure can distract you from the internet!
We are back from Maine and had an amazing time. The weather for the first few days was nothing short of spectacular! We canoed, swam, snorkeled and hiked. We slept in our little blue tent and ate a lot of lobstah! And even the couple of dreary days turned out to be quite nice for beach walks....
I took a lot of pictures. :) Here's a taste... I'll post again mid-week with some more details. My 'rents and the littlest of sisters are still in the area until Wednesday, so time is short!
My Pop and my cousin Mark flying a kite from canoes in the lake!
The pup and her Poppa.
The troops atop Little Chick Mountain! (From the left: Uncle Andy, Pop, Bune, Kyra, Heather.... a bit tired after what it took to get here...)
Littlest sister Caitlin! On her first hike.... (aww... she's growing up!!!)
A pic I snapped on the beach during our hike in the wildnerness refuge at Petit Mannan.
The waves crashin it up at Schoodic Point in Acadia National Park.
Posted by Sarah at 8:00 PM | Comments (2)
July 1, 2005
TTFN!
We're off! The Bune, Kyra, and I will be piling into the car tomorrow morning for a 7.5 hour car ride up to this glorious lake in Maine! Yip yip YIPEE! We'll get to visit with the fam, it should be sweet.
I'll be back Thursday or Friday with a full report! (Hopefully consisting of sunshine, hiking, and some new additions to my freckle collection.)
Ta Ta For Now!
Posted by Sarah at 7:58 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack