Tuesday, February 21, 2012

I Am So Depressed...

Why? Because my computer crashed on Saturday :(  I didn't realize  how much I used my computer until I didn't have it anymore.  I am writing this post on hubby's laptop, which I hate, because I am not used to this small keyboard and I much prefer my computer.

Thank goodness we bought the extended warranty, but who knows how long it will be until it gets fixed or replaced. I really  hope they can fix it, because I will just be sick if I can't get any of my pictures and files back. Guess this will teach me to back-up my computer on a regular basis, huh?

Other than that, all is well. We took Lulu to her first puppy class on Saturday and she did really well.   She can now walk on a short lease, sit, wait and is pretty good at sit/stay. The instructor is awesome (he wrote the training program for Petco!) and really knows his stuff, so I know Lulu will learn a lot the next six weeks.

Keep your fingers crossed that they get my computer back up and running!   :)

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Pattern Correction and Stuff

If you read my post last Friday, I shared a link to a pattern called Quick Blocks Baby Afghan. I started and frogged the thing FOUR times before I called it quits and asked the author of the pattern for help.

Turns out it wasn't me (thank goodness, thought I was going crazy!) and there were errors in the pattern. If you printed out the original pattern, please go back and re-print it, as the corrections are there now and it works just fine! Here is a link to it:  Quick Blocks Baby Afghan


Hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day. I made dinner for Mr. S. using a recipe Pammy Sue posted for Sesame Noodles (the one she got from Kate) and it was delicious. I made him a Spice Cake with homemade Cream Cheese Frosting for dessert. It turned out okay, but I think the frosting is a little too cream cheesey for my taste; next time I will add more powdered sugar. Mr. S. did not complain; he had two pieces!  He is taking me out for dinner tonight, since he had class last night.

It has been cold and windy the past two days, which means Lulu and I have been stuck in the house. She was not very happy with that, as she loves to go for walks. Thank goodness I woke up to no wind this morning and it is supposed to be in the low 60's today. Maybe I will take her over to the dog park today after running to the grocery store.


That's all for now.. bye  :)

Saturday, February 11, 2012

I'm Honored!

Not one, but two people were kind enough to award me the Versatile Blogger Award!


I have added it to my sidebar. Thank you so much to Cheryl from Textile Design and Pattas from Hooks and Books for nominating me.

The rules are as follows:

1. Add the award to your blog.


2. Thank the blogger who gave it to you.

3. Mention 7 random things about yourself.

4. List the rules.

5. Award to 15 bloggers.

6. Inform each of those 15 by leaving a comment on their blog.
 
I'm gonna cheat and only do 1-4 ... I'm afraid we have a lot going on this weekend, so don't have much time to be on the computer. Here are my 7 random things about myself:
 
1.  My favorite color changes all the time. Right now I am loving pink!
 
2.  I was never creative when I was younger, and did not start crocheting until I was over 40.
 
3.  I have 3 sisters, 2 older and 1 younger.
 
4.  I love Mexican food, and could eat it every day of the week and never tire of it. Thank goodness I live in the Southwest, where good Mexican food abounds!
 
5.  I strongly believe that chocolate should be one of the 4 major food groups :)
 
6.  Hawaii is my favorite place to vacation.
 
7.  I love to go camping and fishing with my husband.
 
Thanks again ladies, I am honored!

Friday, February 10, 2012

Friday Finds and a Lulu Update

Hello everyone!

Thank you all for your lovely comments about the projects in my last post. My friend absolutely loved all the baby stuff I made her. I can't wait to see pictures of baby April lying on her blanket(s) or wearing one of her hats.

I found a couple of crochet patterns I want to try, so I thought I'd share them with you.  The first one is a baby blanket called Quick Blocks Baby Afghan. I found the free pattern here.   I got some Red Heart Soft Baby Steps yarn in Baby Blue while at Joanns the other day, as this will be for a boy. Here is what it (hopefully) will look like:

(Picture from Ambassador Crochet)

I love how it really does look like different blocks! I can't wait to get started on this one.

While perusing Pinterest, I came across this square, which I thought was so pretty:



It is a 12 inch square called the Yarn Clouds Square. I found the free pattern here but I think it can also be found on Ravelry.

I wanted to see what it looked like in color, and I was happy to come across this photo:



Isn't it gorgeous in color? I got this photo from a neat blog called A Granny a Day.  If you like Granny Squares, you simply must go check it out. As the name implies, she is making a Granny Square a day for 365 days!  She has links on her page to tons of patterns for squares too, in all different sizes.

The pattern uses two stitches I have never done before; Back Post Double Crochet and Back Post Single Crochet. I have decided I need to challenge myself and start learning some new stitches that I have previously shied away from.



Several of you have asked about our new puppy, Lulu.  I took her for her first grooming visit yesterday; doesn't she look pretty?



That bow lasted about 30 minutes, max!  She does not like bows in her hair, but happily wears sweaters. I took this picture this morning:



She always looks so sad in pictures, but I promise you she is not a sad dog. :)  We are still working on potty training - she is great when she is in her playpen area and uses her wee wee pads every time. However, when we take her out of there and have her with us, she wants to pee on any carpet, rug or pillow she can find! Yesterday she peed on a pillow and her wee wee pad was right next to her.  :(   So we still have a ways to go with potty training.

Someone asked about how she was doing with the cats, and the answer is, not good. Being a puppy, she barks at them and lunges at them, and they of course are not happy about that at all. We just figure that eventually they will all work it out. The cats have adjusted to her being here, and none of them seem upset about it anymore, so that is a good thing!

Other than that, she is doing really well. She has been to the local dog park a couple of times and seems to really like it. She is also great in the car, and loves going for car rides. We signed her up for a Basic Manners class, which starts on the 18th of this month and runs for 6 weeks. She will learn how to walk on a loose leash, and will learn several commands, including sit, down, etc. She already knows how to sit, so I am looking forward to her learning new things.

That's about it for now. Have a great weekend all!