40 for 40: week 2

Quietly chugging along. I love that my 40 for 40 list contains items that are not quick to be crossed off; it means I really will be at it all year. And that was certainly the point. But I do love crossing things off a list; it just feels so good! Some things did get crossed off this week, while other items progressed more slowly. Here's where it stands:

Yoga classes taken: 1

Scrapbook pages uploaded: 21

Pintrest ideas:

1. Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins - awesome
2. Eveie Peasy Legwarmers - so cute and perfect for Jack
3. Free Fonts - downloaded and ready for scrapping
4. Knitterella gift tags purchased and ready for gifting
5. Sutter's Mill Throw - in progress 
6. Vintage Circus Party Printables - being printed and used for Jack's 1st birthday
7. Pots and Pans Storage - purchased and awaiting install
8. New book downloaded and ready for reading

I am still researching retreats for ARK and me. We are thinking New Mexico.

Still no word from the contractor on the closet space...need to bid it out again.

We went to a FANTASTIC restaurant last night, Room Four, which I had never been to before. The seasonal menu is just perfect and the place is not pretentious. Thanks Mugeles, it was so worth the trip.

New Tradition?

I hope so. I got this wild, crazy, amazing idea to knit Jack a new sweater every year for his birthday. Let's face it, the kid is growing like a weed, and when your birthday is in February, a sweater can come in mighty handy. And I'd have an entire month after the Christmas knitting to pull something together. Plus, at least for now, knitting a sweater for a baby is, well, not that intimidating. Especially when you can do it with no seams. I know! I give you the Basic Seamless Raglan Pullover pattern by Leisure Arts. For this sweater I used a number of yarns that I'd been collecting because I just couldn't help myself. (For those who need to know, it's Plymouth Encore Worsted.) I'm very pleased with the result, and it only took me a week to whip it up. Not too shabby. At that rate, I can at least keep up the tradition for a couple more years, right?

40 for 40: week 1

So I'm really geeked about my 40 for 40 list. I've already been working on several of my goals. I've completed 2 pintrest projects and have 3 more in the works. You can follow my 40 for 40 pintrest board here if you have any interest. I've gotten back into the scrapbooking I put down last fall; it looks like I have about a quarter of scrapbook ready to print. And we have a contractor getting us an estimate for the closet project. I'd say I'm off to a good start. It's gonna be a great year!

40 for 40

Wow, I haven't posted since September?? Yikes! I guess I have a baby around here!

As the calendar year is coming to an end, I have been contemplating this next year a bit more than usual. It's gonna be a biggie. In fact, I'm so looking forward to it, I feel like a kid about to become a teenager, or get my driver's license, or move into my own apartment. I'm gonna be 40 next year. I feel so lucky. It's a privilege that so many people don't get. And I want to be intentional about how I celebrate this fortieth year of my life. It's special.

Inspired by ESPN's 30 for 30 series, I decided to make a 40 for 40 list: 40 things I want to accomplish in my fortieth year. Some are small, some not so small. Some will be easy, some will take time. But I believe this is a reasonable list for a girl like me. And I honestly can't wait to get started! Once I made my list, I realized it fit into 4 categories: Go, Enjoy, Create & Reclaim. I didn't intend for that to be the case, it just happened. But I think that's a perfect mantra for the year. It suits me.

I toyed with how public I wanted this list to be, but then realized that if any of my friends and family wanted to participate with me in any of these adventures, that would make them even better. (And if you're struggling to find a birthday gift this year, why not choose something on the list and we'll do it together? I'd LOVE it.)

So here it is, Amy's 40 for 40 list:

Get ready, 40; here I come!

I Loved The Summit

Sock summit was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. I loved my 3 hour class in casting-on. I know. I'm a knitting geek of the highest magnitude. But there was (& is) so much to learn.

And for the record, I was not the only person there with pink hair. Not even close. And this particular group of people, the sock knitters, are big sci-fi fans. BIG. There was an actual "sockgate" to walk through. If you know what I'm talking about, you might be a sock knitter too. I really have found my people.

While in the land of the sock people, I found the most beautiful sock yarns. I even found one with real silver running through it. It was the yarn I had been waiting for, exactly the thing I needed to cast-on my first pair of viper pilot socks. And you know what the best part of that is? I actually met the author of the pattern, and she let me make a cameo appearance on her blog! Over the moon, I was.

So without further gushing, I give you my viper pilot socks!



These were definitely the hardest thing I've done to date. And most definitely in my top 5 favorite knits. I'm not used to having to pay such close attention to a pattern. But when the stars align there's nothing to be done but to start knitting.

Here are a few more shots from Portland (my new favorite city).














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On Finding Calpurnia

I may have mentioned that my favorite book of all time is To Kill A Mocking Bird. The characters are sublime. And Calpurnia is there with the best of them. She handles the children and the home for a widower who knows he needs her help. Who wouldn't want a Cal of her own?

For me, it seems, there just isn't one person who can take care of it all. And it most certainly is not me. I try, but honestly, I cannot do it. (I have the utmost respect for my grandmothers.) In light of this, we have hired a couple people to make it all happen. First, we upgraded our cleaning lady to an every week situation. And it feels so much better around here with just that change! And then, after a long search, and too many interviews, I finally found someone reliable, who connects to the baby (and whom I love), to watch him a bit during the week so I can get some of those other things taken care of. In fact, I've been able to can San Marzano Sauce, make our own baby food, do some sewing, and get to the grocery all in one week. A-MA-ZING!

So while Calpurnia remains a fictional character, I have found a way to have my own Cal too. And I love having the assurance that I will be able to get more accomplished, so I can enjoy my family even more. I feel so lucky.

The Help (the novel)

I just finished reading The Help, by Katherine Stokette. The movie is coming out and I confess, it was the tipping point for me to pick up the book (even though I have a strict rule about not seeing movies made from books I've read, as they are always disappointing). I'd been hearing about this book for some time. Diane Rehm had a Readers Review of it last February, and I remember thinking then, "I should read that."

Well, I finally did. And I just loved it. So much of it is what I love reading about: the civil rights movement, the south, relationships among women, "the rules" of living. I think the best part of reading it was getting swept up in their world. I felt like I was there, living in Jackson, Mississippi. I felt like I knew these women and their struggles, their reasons, their lives. I kept thinking about the women in my life and how the different characters reminded me of them (Minnie seems to be well represented). I am always fascinated by those who can write about the universalities of friendship among women; how we make rules about things and think very little about them sometimes; about how we remember the wrongs done to us for forever, even when we wish we didn't; and about how we find a way, even in the worst of circumstances.

And the ending was just right, believable. I won't spoil it for those who have not read it, but it was hopeful, and I always like that. This book will go on the shelf next to The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, and Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe; my go to reading when life gets to be too much. Thank you, Katherine Stockette, for such a beautiful piece of writing.

The Penultimate Day

"Penultimate" is one of my favorite words. We tend to use the more common phrase "next to last" here in the midwest, but "penultimate" conveys so much more I think. There's a sense of the impending end. Today is the penultimate day before travel. Tomorrow, I shall do a final load of laundry ("can you say baby?"), pack the last minute items (such as toiletries, et. al.), and get my hair done (that will have to be a whole different blog post). And then bright and early Wednesday, Jack and I will be on our way to see a dear, dear friend in Portland.

I love to travel and I have never been to Oregon. I can't wait to see it! Oh, and there's this little gathering I'll be attending as well: Sock Summit 2011. And while I won't be participating in the sheep-to-sock contest, I am thrilled to be in a building full of people with a passion for knitting that far out-knits my own. And that's saying something! In fact, the city of Portland has declared this Sock Knitting Week. Seriously - I think I'm in love.

So the blog will likely be dark for a while as I experience sock-love and everlasting-friendship (and perhaps a jet-lagged baby). But at least you'll know where I am & what I'm up to. If I get the chance, I'll try to post some pictures of the Summit while I'm there. Can't wait!