The Versatile Blogger Award

Linda over at alottastitches nominated me for The Versatile Blogger Award!!!  Thanks Linda!!!!!

Okay this award requires that I tell you 7 things about me:

1.  I play soccer on a weekly basis and for most of that I'm playing goalie.  I'm not great, but I try really hard and I'm not afraid to dive at peoples feet.  I had a broken thumb as a result a couple years ago.  I didn't think it was broken at first.  I just thought it was really bruised.

After 3 weeks, I went to the doctor and realized, yes, it was broken.

2.  I really really really really love Sarris Chocolate, especially their Creamy Caramel bar.  I eat a lot of them.  Women sell them here at work for their daughters' dance stuff.

3.  Here's my dog George.  I'm really scared now that he's old.  He still acts like a pup sometimes, but he doesn't hear very well anymore.  He's 13.  He still lives at my parents, but I try to go see him as much as possible.

Here's how we used to lay on the couch.  I'm either in high school or college when this photo was taken.  My parents don't have that couch anymore so it might be high school.  I think I just woke up.

4.  I need to learn how to be a selfish crocheter.  I've completed 3 blankets since I started crocheting last February and not one of them is for me.  I started one for myself, but it never seems to be a priority.  I have plenty of ideas for myself, but again, never seem to be a priority.

5.  I don't think my sister, Missy, and I look alike.  What do you think?

From a professional shoot we did for our mom for Mother's Day.

Watching a Steeler game at a sports bar

I believe this was at a Goo Goo Dolls concert

6.  I am an engineer.  Its hard to turn off the engineer while being creative.  I just end up with finding ways to keep things in order.

7.  Despite being an engineer and slightly OCD with certain things, I still manage to be somewhat of a slob.  I'm trying REALLY HARD at this though.  I think I have made some progress!

Next up the award requires me to nominate 15 other blogs, so here's my list of nominees:

1.    It's Just Jennifer...
2.    L is for Love
3.    Coco Rose Diaries
4.    Teresa Kasner
5.    Baxtersrest
6.    Yarn Round Hook
7.    Crafts from the Cwtch
8.    Gingerbread Girl
9.    22 Threads
10.  Little Tin Bird
11.  MeMe Rose
12.  Home Bird
13.  Tarekices
14.  Country Rose
15.  Lia Creates Pretty Things

Thanks again to Linda over at alottastitches for nominating me!!!!!

Sam :-D

Put-In Bay with the Girls

Last weekend (9/16 - 9/18) I went to Put-In Bay, Ohio with some soccer girls/soccer wives.  It took me over a week to post about it because yet again I took practically zero photos and I had to wait for my sister to upload hers.  So here's the photos I stole from other people on the trip!

I've had a bit of writers block when it came to this post. I think I'm going to just let the pictures do the talking!

Our Ferry to the island.

Waiting

Waiting and looking at the camera!

My sister's hair flying everywhere!

It was cold and windy but fun!

There was something historical about this, but I couldn't hear the announcer because we were on the top of the ferry and again it was windy.

Apparently golf carts are the main mode of transportation on the island.

So we got our own!

Who doesn't love mini-golf?

:-)

Brandy at the chocolate shop

It was a fun weekend.  Missy (my sister) will probably yell at me for not writing more :-)

Sam <3

ps.  Someone gave me a blog award!!!  More on that soon!

Granny Stripe Reveal!

Hi Everyone!

I told you I had a huge finished item that I was getting ready to show you and it is my Granny Stripe blanket!  I've showed it to you as a WIP here and here.  Now it is finally finished!!!

This blanket was a labor of love.  I started it in June and finished it this past Thursday, so that means it took me about 3 months.  That's the longest I've spent on a blanket.  I really let myself take my time and work on smaller things as I went this time.  It ended up a lot bigger than I expected.  I didn't measure it, but I think it is about 65"x58" or so (165x147cm).  It was really hard getting a picture of it all spread out.  I was standing on my couch and I still didn't get it all in.

The pattern as most of you probably already know is Granny Stripes by Lucy of Attic24.  I made a slight change and did alternating stripes of 3 and 2 instead of all stripes of 2 rows.  I used 26 colors of Stylecraft Special DK yarn.

The colors from left to right are as follows:

Row 1 (top row):  Claret, Sherbet, Teal, Bluebell, Shrimp, Cloud Blue, Saffron, Aster

Row 2 (middle row):  Pomegranate, Clematis, Spring Green, Lavender, Magenta, Bright Pink, Grape, Apricot, Royal

Row 3 (bottom row):  Plum, Meadow, Turquoise, Fondant, Lipstick, Wisteria, Denim, Raspberry, and Aspen

The border was a round of granny clusters in Plum, then hdc in Turquoise, sc in Grape, and finally reverse sc in Clematis.

I have to give a BIG thanks to Cindy from Baxtersrest for sending me more Plum when I needed it.  I like to start and end a striped blanket on the same color and then I had the bright idea to do the first round in Plum also.  I ran out and Cindy quickly sent me the half she had leftover!  Thanks again!!!

I love the feeling when you finish a big project!  This is a present for someone and I'll reveal that later.  I'm 99% sure she doesn't read my blog, but just in case I'll wait to tell you!

Sam <3

Some of My WIPs

So I know today is Friday and many of you out there show your Finished Objects on Fridays, but today I'm going to show you some of my WIPs (Work-In-Progress).

First up is my Midnight Scarf:

This is a pattern that I found on a label of new yarn, Sophisticated Scarf.  The yarn is Red Heart Boutique Midnight yarn in the color of Serenade.  It has sparkles in it!  I love this yarn and it is very soft and the pink and purple tones are right up my alley.

Next up is my Double Ruffles Scarf:

It doesn't look like much right now, but it'll get there.  Each row gets so long because you are doing multiple stitches into each stitch to make it ruffle.  The pattern is another Red Heart Pattern, Double Your Ruffles and the yarn it calls for is Red Heart Super Soft.  I'm not sure if that's what I'm using or not.  I think I'm just using Red Heart Soft.

Next up is a hat!  I just call it Slouchy Hat:

I actually have a lot more of this done, its almost finished.  I wanted to show it to you, but I'll give you more info on it soon!

I have more WIPs, but they are kind of on the back burner right now.  It seems that if something is for me, it ends up getting put on the back burner.  How does that work?  Hmmmm

I just finished a huge project last night, but there aren't pictures yet, it was dark.  Also, I haven't forgotten about that sneak peak of a finished item I showed you a week or two ago.

Sam :-)

Whew!

So it has been well over a week since I posted and I usually post more often than that.  The reason I haven't is that I was in Memphis for work last week, then I was in Philadelphia for a wedding over the weekend.  Again, when I travel I am terrible at taking pictures and to top it off all of my pictures are from my phone.

Memphis is a cool city...lot's of barbeque.

This is a lot of food.  There's spinach dip to the left and a sampler at the top and my ribs, coleslaw, and beans in front of me.

My coworker and I got all of that food after our work meeting.  We went to Beale Street and we ate at BB Kings place.

Here's a couple shots of Beale Street.  I love all how each bar had a marquee and a live blues band playing.  It was amazing.

When I took these pictures, BB Kings Blues Club was directly on my right.

After my second day of meetings in Memphis I was supposed to get to Philadelphia in time to make the Rehearsal and Rehearsal Dinner of the wedding (I was a bridesmaid).  Well....it didn't really go that way.  I was in Memphis airport for 5 hrs.  We had the plane, the crew, the pilot, but air traffic control in Philly wouldn't let us take off due to weather there.  I missed the whole rehearsal and most of the dinner.  I got food though, yay!

Here are the few shots I have from the wedding day.

So, I really really really really debated about posting this picture.  I only took it because someone wanted to see how I was doing my make-up.  You can't see everything I did make-up-wise perfectly, but its a phone.  Also, you can kind of see how I got my hair done.  I wish I had a better picture of my hair, because it was beautiful.  The hair stylist used my curls and made it look like they were loosely pulled back, when in fact they were not going to move no matter how much I moved!!  Also, I'm making a funny face. :-/

This is me and Erin.  She's the other Pittsburgh bridesmaid.  I am somehow not looking at the camera right.  Oh well! haha we were having a lot of fun!

This is Erin again and her husband Brian.  This was the only picture I had in the main reception room with the blue up lighting.

I wasn't going to post this picture, but I thought it was funny.  I was trying to get a picture with Danielle, the bride, but every time I got near her someone swooped in and starting talking to her.  Brian, Erin's husband, and I were kind of making it a game.  We wanted to test a new setting on my phone and get ready to swoop in for the picture.

FINALLY!!  Me and Danielle!  She looked amazing and her wedding was a blast!

So this was my crazy hectic week that was filled with planes and programs and place cards and meetings.  I will be posting more frequently.  I have a few things to show you and I'm getting them all lined up!!

Sam :-D

I Have a FO, But You Can't See It Yet

I have a finished object to show you, but I haven't gotten any really good pictures of it yet.  Therefore you can't see it.

I'll just give you a little sneak peek....

Also, I bought some buttons for my Urban Revival Slouchy Hat.  I bought two sets.  You'll have to help my choose which ones to use. :-)

Sam <3