Coffee Talk and Some Contests

What is the ideal setting for enjoying the perfect cup of coffee? Who would be there - or would you be alone? Inside or out? Morning or night? With food or just the steaming cup of joe?

For me, the perfect cup of coffee is enjoyed several ways. I love coffee in the morning on the weekends while reading up on the blogs and the other way would be with good company at Starbucks. Their coffee is always like dessert.

Now I have seen a few contest out and about. My friend Chan has got a contest going. To get an entry, she just wants to know what is your favorite charity and why.

My favorite charity, to just donate time would be the Jimmie Hale Mission. However, this year they had enough people at Thanksgiving to feed the homeless. I also give to this charity one of my favorite music artist, Dave Barnes supports it. I figure as many white chocolate mocha's I drink at Starbucks 2 could help the kids in Africa. I know, people in America need help too, but I figure if I can't go be a missionary than maybe I could help in another way. So, there is my charitable givings.

The other contest Anne sent me to was over at Jane's she is celebrating her 300th post. Yay Jane! She has a cute granddaughter who this week she is crocheting all white hats for her grand daughters cheerleading team, so they can wear them in the Christmas parade next Saturday. What a good grandmother. Anyway, back to the contest. Jane wants to know something you do that is weird. Well, for me I am sure I do alot of weird things, but when I eat chips, I separate them from smallest to biggest. I eat the crumbs, the small ones and then the big chips. Pretty weird, I know, just one of those OCD's I have.

Well, that does it for me tonight. Knitting projects to come this week.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey all my blogging buddies out there I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you enjoy your families. Eat lots of good food and to all who are the brave ones, Happy Shopping tomorrow. Stay safe.

Now I leave you with this...

You Are Lemon Meringue Pie

You're the perfect combo of sassy and sweet. You always know how to brighten someone's mood, but you're not overly sappy. In fact, you can be a bit too honest at times. And most people find that refreshing. While you're always true to yourself, you keep things light. That's how people are able to stomach your slightly bitter outlook. Those who like you have well refined tastes. You're complicated - and let's face it - a true enigma. You enjoy defying expectations, and there are many layers to your personality. There's not one easy way to define you.

What Kind of Pie Are You?

Coffee Talk Topic #3

Gosh, I just realized I didn't post last week and I gave the topic. Hope you don't think I am bad hosting. Well, here is this weeks.

The Thursday upcoming is Thanksgiving in the U.S., so let's all - American and not alike! - just share a post with what it is we're thankful for. A wonderful thing to do any time of year, I thought it'd be a nice thing to share for this week with the group!

I am thankful for my family. It's always fun to have them around and spend time with them.

I am thankful for my great job this year, that got me off nights and on a normal schedule.

I am thankful for all my new knitting friends and pals. I love chatting and learning from you guys.

I hope wherever everyone ends up, has a good Thanksgiving day. Gobble! Gobble!

For A Change

Ok, I have entered this yarn blah, since I got back from traveling, maybe it is because I have so much to do at home. Yes Lacey, I will get to work on Mom's present.
I haven't really wanted to pick up a hook or needle so I picked up a tiny real sewing needle and finished the paw prints on this smocking plate. I did the tigers about 5 years ago for a girl I worked with, that up and quit her job and I never heard back. I haven't known to many Auburn folks who have kids. So when I found it stuck in a drawer and all it needed was the french knots on the paws, I decided to finish it. This lovely piece of work is going to Jessi. She is for Auburn and has a little girl. She can put this in a little girls jumper or dress. Sorry Jessi it so late in the football season, if you decide to put it in a jumper, you can probably make it big enough for next year or save it til next football season. I am just glad it will be put to good use.

Goody's and FO's

I know I haven't posted any, what they call yarn porn in along time, so here you go. I came home from Baltimore from a class on Saturday and came home to two great swap packages. This was my Yellow Package from Ranee. She gave me some pastel yellow silk. I have never had silk, wonder what it can become. There was some cashmere/cotton and elastic cotton. Along with the yarney goodness she sent, there was some lemon verbena soap, a yellow candle that smells wonderful and lots of yellow kool-aid that will be put to good use for dyeing yarn.

Then David from the "Fall into Autumn" dishcloth swap sent me this package. Perfect for fall. I love the dishcloth, it is pink (love pink anytime of year). I got lots of chocolate, my favorite it's the one in the middle with Chocolate crisp in the middle and coffee flavor yum! I love every fall, candy corn and pumpkins. He sent me one of my favorite hand soaps from Bath and Body Works and some Pampered Chef lemon and rosemary lotion. The yarn is Araucania wool, in the most amazing fall colors.

Ranee and David both really spoiled me and it was so great to come home and have packages for me to open. As soon as I walked in the door, dropped the bags and sat down, the boys came running with the two boxes. They had waited so patiently to open.

I haven't posted any finish projects in a while. I finished two dishcloths you can find here and here. For JoAnn, which her pal fell through this summer, I made her the "Springtime Dishcloth" at I live on a farm. There is alot of great free patterns at that website. I made with some lavender TLC 100% pure cotton. It was so soft. I love that yarn. It would make a great cloth for washing your face it is so soft. For the Fall Dishcloth Swap, I had Kathy. Kathy was the great pal who didn't let on that I accidentally typed my name in a email, that crushed me when I did it. She was so much fun to get to know. Both of these new pals have been awesome to spoil. I will continue to be in contact with them.

Now for the long waited surprise I worked on for the last month and 1/2. I made my first bag. It is a market bag for my sisters Birthday present. Since I have learned to knit and crochet, we give eachother made items and I love it. They are so much more meaningful than the everyday gift card. However, I will take a gift card to the LYS's anytime. This bag was crocheted and made with Cotton Ease. So, taking turns and in between swaps, this is what I was working on. So, I hope all my blogging friends got their fix with this little snip bit of "Yarn porn.".

Oh, one more thing, while I was gone to Baltimore, I got my invite to RAVELRY. Don't have a clue what it is, and what I am suppose to do with it, but I will figure it out and all its greatness I hear my friends raving about. Don't remember what my name is there. When I figure it out, I will let you all know.

I Am Back

I am back from traveling. I went to Seattle to see my sister for her Birthday and I came home for 3days and left again for a work trip to Baltimore. I am catching up. My last 3 weeks have been a whirlwind. I started by being on call the weekend before I left to see my sister, I had a Birthday party for my son that same weekend, went to Seattle for 5days, came home, went Trick Treating, on Halloween and left for Baltimore the next day. I got home yesterday, and I have been doing matches for the Winter Wonderland Swap.

I have pictures to post, Spoilers to thank, and just catching up. However, it will be this evening. I am going to fix lunch for my boys now and then we are off to see Finding Nemo on Ice. See you this evening!

Winter Wonderland Coffee Swap Topic of the Week #1

Here is this week's topic of the week:When did you first start drinking coffee? What age were you? Was it about the caffeine, or do you love the taste and smell? Tell us how your passion began!

I started about 8 years ago. I was about 26 years old. I love Cinnamon and a girl at work had a Cinnamon Latte from Starbucks, and it smelled wonderful. So, I thought I would go out on a limb and try it one day when I was on my way to work. At the time I worked nights and that is all I needed to get through the night. As the holidays rolled around that year, I started trying new flavors they put out. I love Pumpkin Spice Lattes, Eggnog, Toffee Nut, Caramel Macchiato's, and just about anything with a little flavor. My husband got tired of the $4.50 drinks coming out of the monthly account, so he bought me a cappucino machine/coffee maker. I started making my own lattes (Starbucks sells their syrups) and still bought some. I started making some flavored coffees in the coffee maker. I used that machine for 5 years and it died this year. I haven't replaced it, yet. I am hoping for Christmas I will get another.

I do love to go into coffee shops, the smell is wonderful. That is how my love of coffee came about.