NotScarlett

Hat Parade

One of these days, I'm gonna stop knitting hats*.

Right now though? Hats soothe me. Hats are quick. Hats are fun. Gauge doesn't matter too much when knitting hats for charity because there are heads of all shapes and sizes that need hats.

Hats can be fancy, hats can be simple, hats can be whatever you want them to be. A hat is portable, it can be a stashbuster, and you can whip one up in an episode and a half of Burn Notice....and that time frame includes stopping to get another glass of water and let the dog out.

A hat will never let you down. It won't talk back. It won't leave dirty dishes on the coffee table. It won't call you with really bad news. Hats don't miss important deadlines, or cost $4 a gallon, or have software glitches.

Hats=happy.

I've knit a ton of hats for Afghans for Afghans over the past few months, and used up quite a bit of stash I'd been saving for...what? A rainy day? A snowy day in Tallahassee? Who knows. Anyway, my ridiculous wool stash is better off as hats for those who need them. I've also knit a few luscious Malabrigo chemo caps for my Papa as well as a lighter weight one out of some Cotton-Ease.

It's been all hats, all the time. Honestly? I don't think that is a bad thing, do you?

*Sick of hats? Stay tuned...my charity knitting spree is coming to an end in the near future, and hats will be put on the back burner for a bit while I spend some quality time with my old friend Socks.

Weekend Getaway?

It's a long shot, but I'm throwin' it out there. B and I are looking to get out of town for a few days, and I'm on a quest to find somewhere that meets these criteria:

We have to bring Sam, so it's gotta be pet friendly...he is a very, very, very good dog though. I swear.

We'd arrive on Friday August 8th and check out Sunday August 10th.

We're looking for something in the Florida Panhandle, or even as far east as the Jacksonville area, maybe south down towards Crystal River/Cedar Key. It doesn't have to be on the beach or near a beach...we do like to be near the water though, whether it be a lake, river, the ocean or the Gulf.

(I had my heart set on the wonderfully dog-friendly beaches of Gulf County, but cannot seem to find anywhere willing to rent to us for just two nights; most places are still on summer rates and want you to book a whole week.)

Uh, yeah....we don't really wanna break the bank either, so cross those $250 a night rooms of the list.

Anyone out there got any ideas, recommendations, etc? I'd appreciate any you could send our way!

Monday Loves

I've saved up a list of things that made me happy over the past week to share today. A weeks worth of Monday Loves, if you will.

Reading this book on my lunch breaks...why did I wait so long to read this??!
Super fun business trip to Jacksonville
Getting back in touch with a long-lost friend
Playing with my shiny new phone
Air conditioning
An absolutely incredible (and crazy affordable) massage
Twitter
Spending time with B and his mom
Lowfat chocolate frozen yogurt
The sweet little exhale Sampson lets out when he snuggles down into your side in bed at night
Knitting up a pile of chemo caps for my grandpa....the fact I'm having to knit him chemo caps is pretty upsetting, but being able to DO something for him makes me so happy
Artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, grilled yellow peppers, grilled zucchini, grilled red onion, all chopped and mixed with tri color rotini and a dressing of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and random spices
The way B laughs when he thinks something is REALLY funny
Long talks on the phone with my mom
Watching documentaries while walking on the treadmill in the comfort of my living room
Halter tops
Crickets enthusiasm for car rides
This sprayed on my pillowcase before bed
The sun filtering through the trees when I drive across the lake on my way to work each morning
Knowing that this adorable sweater will be worn and loved by someone who really needs it (Raveled here)

P.S. I seamed the Tomten. I know, I know, I cannot believe it either! I've decided to add button bands, the zipper is just not working for me.

Trees have LEAVES!

Where did this past week go? It was a crazy "blink and you'll miss it" week for me for many reasons, some sad, some happy, some bad, some good, and I'm not ashamed to tell you I am looking forward to napping today since I'm feeling a bit worn out. Thanks for the sweet messages regarding my last post. As always, you guys are the best.

It was literally a blink and you'll miss it week for me, since, apparently, I've needed glasses for quite some time. I picked them up yesterday, and OH MY GOD I CAN SEE. I won't have to wear them all the time, but lemme tell ya, the promise of being able to see at night, have actual depth perception, and read things on far away projector screens in meetings is quite alluring. Oh, and no more late afternoon headaches. Hooray for glasses!

I promised myself I'd seam the Tomten this weekend, sew buttons on all the projects languishing in the WIP basket for no reason other than not having buttons, and try to sweet talk B into sewing in the Tomten zipper for me. So far, I've accomplished items one and two, but have yet to think of a good way to coerce the boy into busting out his sewing skills. Wish me luck.

A finished Neckwarmer (Ravelled here) and my new glasses, in an uber-classy bathroom mirror shot.

Always loved, never forgotten.

We'll miss you, Auntie Harriett.

L-R: Uncle Les, Great-Grandma Jane, Grandpa, Aunt Harriett, approx. 1951-1952

Evening Cruise on the Wacissa

This weekend was much too short. It was an awesome three days full of movies, knitting, doggies, and all around good times. The one downside involved me and a piss poor sunblock application, which left certain parts of my anatomy well done after a day at the pool. Our lovely weekend was capped off with an evening cruise on the Wacissa River, thanks to Nina and Eric. Fortunately, the head of the river is a quick drive from our house...a little more than 30 minutes after we decided to head out, we were on the water.

A few photos:

Putting in at the boat launch

Tiny gator

Nina at the helm

Eric, fishing

Note: Eric is as passionate about fishing as I am about knitting. It's very cool. He knows his stuff, too.

Some morons

Big Blue Spring

More of Big Blue

Simply gorgeous

I've got tons of photos from tonight up on Flickr if you'd like to see more.

Tomorrow it's back to the daily grind....le sigh. Hope you all had a glorious weekend!

My day in pictures

Happy Fourth of July, or Friday, depending on what part of the world you live in!

All is well

Cricket is a lucky little dog and is resting in her crate on a pile of pillows, high as a kite on doggie painkillers and getting lots of love and affection from all of us here at Casa NotScarlett. Sampson, while a little weirded out by her Frankendog shave & stitches combo at first, is now watchfully attending to her every whimper while standing guard next to her crate.

According to the vet, the surgery was "perfect." Once they got in, they found that Ms. Little Bit's hip socket was much worse off than they saw on the x-rays, and we were told it was a good thing they went in when they did.

Hooray for a pup at home and a household breathing sighs of relief. Thanks for all the kind words and positive thoughts. Once again, you guys are the best!