Updates

I just finished reading this book. I don't usually buy books without someone telling me that I have to read it or that they loved it, because I don't like to read a book tahts sad. I know thats weird but when I'm reaidng something, the book becomes a part of me and if the book is sad, I become sad too. So...a word of warning...this book is sad. There were parts that I liked and parts of it that really dragged for me. I don't necessarily recommend reading it. I thought I'd like it because it was about knitting, but it turns out, it wasn't really all about knitting.

Wedding update: I found this on etsy.com and I loved it! Obviously those aren't our names or our wedding dates, but you have your guests use a stamp pad to put their thumbprint and sign their name. you can frame it and hang it. It's fall leaves and it's very original and I LOVE it! I bought it. I think it'll look really nice on our wall.

Look at that little ring bearer pillow! Isn't it so cute?! Again it matches the fall theme and it looked really nice when ti arrived. It's another etsy.com find and I'm very happy with it.

I ordered these bags with the tree and our initials and then the wedding date. They're much smaller than I expected but they came out nice. I meet with the photographer today so that only leaves the photographer to meet with. Planning has been very fun and a lot of work but I love it! I am also looking forward to getting back to knitting when this wonderful event is over!

Wedding Planning!

I see that I am neglecting my blog and I definitely don't mean to. I got engaged and the minute he asked me I haven't knit anything since. We are having a short engagement so I have a lot to do in a little amount of time! I almost have everything done except for some of the little things. I am so excited about the wedding and can't wait until that day to see all our hard work come together. I have to say that the website Etsy.com has been awesome in all my planning. They have so many handmade original things on there to buy it's amazing. I'm not the type of person who likes to do the same old thing that everyone else does. I wanted wooden goblets instead of glass ones, I wanted a tree stump for a cake plate instead of a big silver one, I handmade all of our favors and gift tags, I knit shawls for my girls, custom wine labels as gifts for important people...all that good stuff. I like different things. i will write mor eand post pictures soon :-)

I'm back!

I'm back from vacation! I have other pictures to share but will need to upload them when I have a little more time. I haven't posted in so long I just wanted to get something up here. We got engaged on vacation!!!!! We're still working on setting a date. Let the planning begin! I have also read several books since the summer began and knit about a million washcloths. I don't quite know what my washcloth obsession is, but I think I like making them because they're easy and nice for gifts. I tried to get some of my Christmas knitting done and out of the way. I'll post some pics of those too.

Great Summer Reading!

I just finished reading the first two books in the Hunger Games Trilogy and they were amazing. The third book doesn't come out until August 24th and let me tell you that I will be dying until it comes out. If it's available at midnight I may go stand in line. I originally had absolutely not interest in these books at all and then they started popping up everywhere and people started talking and I took it as a sign that I should read them. They are well-written and I couldn't put them down. Catching Fire was equally as good as Hunger Games and I usually don't like book 2's as much as book 1's and this time I really do! Catching Fire ends in a cliff hanger and makes you crave the final book as badly as you craved the final book in the Twilight series or the Harry Potter series. I was knitting and reading and couldn't stop doing either. I found that I'm actually quite good at doing both at the same time.

When I bought the first book the cashier at Barnes and Noble told me to "believe the hype" and he couldn't have been more right. BELIEVE THE HYPE!!!!! If you're looking for a series that you can't put down and something that you really get into and enjoy reading, I highly recommend these books!

I have a few small fun things that I've been knitting and I'll have to post pictures as soon as I get a minute to take some pictures and get them posted on here. Stay tuned.....

Catching Up

I have made a few things lately, some that I can post, and others that I can't post because they're gifts...but just in case anyone was wondering what I've been up to...here are some pics of what I've been making.

This is a Little Peanut Carrier that I made for my Mom to take as a gift to a baby shower. I love the paisley material and the color combinations! The fabric to the long part of the carrier is light blue so it came out really nicely in the end. I also made a little bag for the carrier to go in because I feel like all that material gets disheveled and needs to have a nice little place to be folded and put in. I can be a little overly-neat sometimes.

Both of my brothers love to wear winter hats so this is one hat that I made for one of them for Christmas this year....I know....Christmas gifts already...I need to get a jump on my seasonal knitting because it'll take me some time to make everyone something. Hey it's summer...I'm a teacher...I have a little time right now!

I love these little booties. They knit up really quick and look adorable when they're done. There are so many different things that I can do with them and they go great with the hats!

The pumpkin hat is one of my favorites so I couldn't resist making booties with little leaves and matching them with the pumpkin hat.

I am also starting a new book today, Hunger Games. I keep hearing about it so I figured I had to give it a try. When I went to the bookstore the man behind the information desk was so happy that I was buying it, he knew right where the last copy was and went from miserable to cheery in 3 seconds telling me to "believe the hype".....so I'll let you know how that works out.

Pink Girlfriend Hat

I think that the Girlfriend hat is an adorable hat. It looks a little cute when it's actually on a head. I hadn't made one in a while and I will admit that my first attempt was ok but not great. This hat is a combination of knitting and crocheting and at the time I was just learning how to crochet. I am definitely still not a pro but I know the basic techniques and how to add edging. When my friend at school was pregnant a few months ago, I told her to pick out the hat she wanted me to make the baby when she was born and she picked the Girlfriend hat, but of course it had to be pink! So here it is, the pink Girlfriend hat for baby Jana ( I think she named her that because it sounds so much like my name). She is the most beautiful little baby and she has the world's best cheeks! I get daily pictures sent to my phone of Jana and mommy posing for pics while they're doing their daily things like taking walks and sleeping. Baby Jana, I hope you like your two pink hats that I made you! Your cheeks will look amazing in these hats!

Augie vs. Jenna

Fishing is something that I have started to really enjoy doing. I never thought that I would, and before I met Aug my fishing was limited to a Mickey Mouse pole on Canandaigua Lake when I was about 8 years old. I caught a sunfish and we put it on a way-too-small bowl. I decided later that I wanted the fish to live and by that time it was too late. I threw the fish back in the lake and it floated under the dock. I felt bad and didn't fish again after that. Aug is a huge fisherman. He has taught me a lot about fishing and besides having to wake up at 4am to go fishing, I actually enjoy it. It's like Christmas every time you catch a fish- you never know what you're going to pull out of the water. So this last time that we went fishing was like every time we go fishing- Aug catches a hog and my fish is about 4 inches long. This isn't just one time...this is every time...I mean, every fish he catches is a monster and every fish I catch is tiny. The best part is that it takes effort to reel in a fish and my fish that are 4 inches actually take some strength to reel in. I always joke with him that if I caught a fish any bigger it would pull me in the water. The other thing is, when we go fishing I always make it a competitive marathon of who can catch more fish and even though I always catch the first fish (I think he lets me do that) and I catch around 15 fish in a few hours, and sometimes I am even up on his number, he always catches up and pretty much doubles my number. I'm on to his game!
As you can see that he is holding my fish and I am not. It's not that I won't touch the fish, it's that they have a million little sharp teeth and they cut your fingers all up and then how will I knit the whole way home if I have cut up fishy fingers? As usual...on this day of fishing...Augie won.

Some of the books that I have read and loved...

1-15OMG!1-8all of themall of them

I just finished reading a book and I have 2 others that I am reading right now. I find that in the summer I read so much more than I do in the winter. I guess it's because I'm out of school and I have time to catch up. I was only going to post a few books and then started to post all the books I have read in the last several years. I got a little carried away. I like to collect books. I like to display them on shelves and talk to people about them and I love when I am reading a series and a new book comes out. I was in line with my Dad for every Harry Potter book after book 3 and my Mom and I enjoy all the Janet Evanovich books. When we lived together and I would be reading a Janet book in my room, I'd be laughing out loud and my Mom would start to laugh at me from her room because we just think that Stephanie Plum and Lula are so funny. Then my Mom would read it and laugh out loud and I would laugh and ask her what part she was at. I grew up with a library in my house. My Dad was an English teacher and my Mom always has a stack of 10 books next to her bed that she's reading or waiting to read. Books were always a big thing in my life. I think that's one reason I like to teach. I love reading stories to the kids that I enjoy hearing also. I collect books. I'm a bibliophile. I'm really struggling with the idea of getting a Kindle or an ipad or one of those electronic readers. They have a lot of benefits...but a lot of draw backs too...something to think about...

I highly recommend reading Water For Elephants. I haven't met one person who I recommended it to that hasn't fallen in love with it. It's a page-turner! You won't regret it!