Yipee!!  I am nearly at 2000 Etsy sales!  That wouldn't be possible without loyal customers and lots of help in the studio!

To celebrate customers, I am announcing a HUGE SALE!

Until I hit 2000 sales (less than 80 sales away), I am offering 20% off on ALL sales $20 or more.

To qualify, simply purchase any item or combo of items (yes, patterns count too), and if the total is over $20, I will refund you 20% via PayPal!

Take advantage!!!  Stock up for Mothers Day, Showers, Summer Birthdays . . . no limit to how much can be refunded!

Thanks to all who have helped make my shop and designs a success!  Looking forward to the next thousand!

The toughest part is when you realize that until the closing on your house, you are in total limbo.  You are now living in someone else's house, not wanting to do any work to the house, and eventually you even stop cleaning.  I have spent the last few weeks purging of furtniture on Craigs List and sorting storage stuff from aparment essentials.  It's really hard to determine the 10 bins of stuff that will a) fit in the cramped living quarters and b) actually be needed.  As a person who loves to throw, I find myself wanting to just dump it all and start over; if we ever do get to that next "permanent" location.

So...instead of making tough decisions or boxing up a house full of baby firsts and memories, I have resorted to knitting and guitar sing alongs.

Axel has resorted to taking advantage of my knitting concentration, and has fallen in LOVE with jelly beans or as he calls them "birthday beans".  I caught him on the kitchen chair (which is a bar height chair) eating just the black beans ("they're hot mommy").

Knitting has brought peace like it always promises to do and even though winter is another 9 months away, 2 color wool hats are on my mind.  I found this AWESOME pattern, modeled after the US Olympic hats by Polo.  Since the Olympic hats were selling online for over $400, I decided to knit them for under $10.  Here is a link to the pattern.  CLICK HERE

* If you do wish to try this hat, I will warn you of a couple things.  It makes a HUGE hat if you follow the directions exactly.  I would use smaller needles (4's and 5's) and would possibly take out a couple of the solid white rows.  Also, make sure to tie-in often (if you are a 2 stranded knitter you know what I mean).  Watch the charts closely, they are a little off towards the bottom.

Below are pictures of my first olympic hat.  In my own classic style I stitched a name on the inside.  I am not revealing the name in the photos so as not to ruin the birthday surprise!!

Also this week I decided to put an end to YEARS of brainstorming.  I have always been wondering what to do with the bibs from the countless running races Jahred and I have done.  I snagged a couple of his running bibs from his childhood room wall, and a wallet is what I came up with!  I plan to give it to him for fathers day (completely a safe announcement since he wouldn't read my blog if I paid him).

Well, enough procrastinating.  With 2 weeks until apartment access, I have to collect myself, my crap and my family for one of the final steps in our "5 year plan".

Finding myself nearly homeless, I am now completely internet-less.  This is proving to be quite a challenge since half of our family income essentially comes from the internet.

Trying to save a few dollars before the big move, I called to cancel the internet and the lady said that the end of my billing cycle was this week, and it would be easiest to cancel it now.  eeeeeek.  Luckily, we are within walking distance from several FREE wifi zones, including the library.

Yesterday was Day 1 of my disconnect.  We visited the library twice yesterday.  It is now noon and I am checking in for the first time today.  Eventually I hope to be on an every-other-day type schedule, but weaning is a little tough.

Honestly, I probably spend a total of 20 minutes a day on the computer at home, but not having it...those 20 minutes seem VITAL!

Hence, this is my first public blog.  No pictures, because I forgot my thumb drive (I don't have a laptop, so I now carry my pattern files around my neck).

One more thing...along with the internet went the TV.  See here in Mankato, you have to purchase cable to get ANY channels; a HUGE scam!  So, since I had "bundled" my services, Sesame Street is gone as well.

I wonder how quickly I can get the MediaCom guy to visit my apartment?!  By the end of this month I may seem desperate eto get him there on move-in day!

Although I've always seen the world through an artistic lens, I've never slept with actual art on my sheets!

Trying to let Axel exhibit some independence while I clean, pack and purge, I never realized that my bed would erupt into a canvas.  On the loose with a green crayon, he made a few nice drawings on the largest blank slate he's ever had access to.  Must have been amazing for the 5 minutes before I caught him.

I was happily cleaning out the linen closet, ridding the bathroom of old product; literally I was just inches from him.  Trying to avoid eye contact...he was playing so quietly...should have been a sign.

My tip off was when he came in search of paper towels to "wipe".  He had attempted to clean the crayon with Windex off my night stand, and realized after soaking my pillow in Windex that he had gone too far.

Well, I've found out that although I claim to be a "professional re-locator", this is my first experience with child.  hmmmm, really takes the enjoyment out of the process.

Between the kid and the craptastic apartment we are not "moving into", but only "staying at for a short time", this is bound to be the most interesting move yet.

The move is sensed by all.  The dog especially.  I found him yesterday afternoon staking out the roof of his dog house ("This better be coming with us!").  Axel decided it best to hide with the one thing I am sure to not leave behind, my china.

Today we celebrated our last birthday in this house, Jahred's.  I'm secretly jealous that everyone got to spend one last birthday here...while I will be spending mine in a less desirable place.

I'm back from my travels, back to a birthday, family and a laundry list of chores.  (Use of laundry list is here dedicated to a professor from my college days who in our eyes could do nothing right.  She could however find several uses for "laundry list" every lecture and by some tongue spasm add about 4 unnecessary syllables to the word "laundry").

Despite having 2 wishes for my vacation: to come home to NO SNOW and a SOLD house.  I only got 1 of my wishes.  THE HOUSE IS SOLD!!  Not to jinx it of course, but the final purchase agreement was signed yesterday we are free to go in just 6 weeks.

Similar to a caged bird, the fears are now setting in that I will not remember how to fly...or rather build a new home yet again.  After I stretch my legs for a few months in a "lovely" apartment, Jahred will finish school and we can officially start our lives as being "not-self-employed".  

With all the house hullabaloo, it was easy for me to forget that Axel has actually turned 2.  Most people probably celebrate their child's birthday, but for me it's a difficult milestone.  At 2 it's official that you can no longer use the excuse "I just had a baby".

Well, more to post eventually, but a few pics to tide you over.