Vanna's Choice Contest

Okay, so I told you guys that I was working on my entry for the Vanna's Choice yarn contest. Well, I got it done today and here are the pictures of it:

I'm really proud of the result. It's kind of heavy for a baby blanket, I would have preferred to use a lighter weight yarn, but was limited by the rules of the contest.

Conflicted

So, I'm not sure if I'm happy or sad today. I think it's a little of both and I'll tell you why. My big brother is here to visit. (That's happy) He is one of my bestest friends and he's about to start working for Hubby's company. I know I haven't given a whole lot of details about the company, but it involves boats and Big Brother is going to be working as a deck hand and hopefully within the next 6 months to year working his way up to captain. Captains make pretty good money! He's going to be working shifts that are 28 days long and then off for two weeks. So, when he's going offshore, he will come over here and stay a night before and after his shift. On other exciting Big Bro news, he also has gotten back together with his ex-girlfriend whom the whole family loves. She's really smart and laid-back (perfect for Big Bro). Not to say she doesn't have some issues, we all do, but we really think they are great for one another and are happy to see them back together. This means that Big Bro will be moving from our hometown in Northwest Florida down to Miami to be with her. That's a little sad for me and my parents. It's the farthest away from him I will have ever lived!

In preparation for his move (he has to do it in the two week spans in between his shifts), he has begun packing. Here come the real sad part. Several years back, Big Bro was with a different girl and they were expecting a baby. I made him a couple of baby sweaters, socks and blankets for the baby shower. Then at eight months, they lost the baby. Their relationship didn't survive (a long story, but a good thing). Anyhow, he's been holding on to those baby gifts this whole time and now that he's moving, he doesn't really have a place to keep them. So he brought them to me. It's sad for me to look at those things I made for a little girl who didn't get to know how much she was loved even before we knew her. I told Big Bro I would keep them, but they are still his for when he and his girlfriend (soon to be fiance) need them.

Now comes the question...should they have a baby, do I give him/her the items or is it weird considering they were made for a half-sister that died? Would it be better if I just made something new? Or should I give them the original gifts with something new, too?

Okay, I'm worrying way in advance. Big Bro and his love are not expecting and may not be for a while, but these are the things I'm thinking about today.

Grace in Small Things - 7 of 365

1. Devilled eggs

2. My brother now working for my husband's company, which means he will stay with us at least two nights every month or so.

3. The package I received from Blue Moon Rockin' Sock club!

4. Big hugs from a little girl.

5. The possibility of going on a trip to Disney World next month with a friend I haven't seen in 15 years.

Have I mentioned that I'm a military kid?

I know many of you out there are very opposed to how our former president used the military and the wars we are currently engaged in. I hope you can separate your feeling for President Bush from those you may have for the military and recognize how important a strong military has been for the successful evolution of our country and the freedoms we enjoy because of the sacrifices made by those who choose to serve. So, when I saw this license plate cover today, it made me smile.

I grew up next to one of the largest air force bases in the country. I grew very accustomed to the sounds of the fighter wing out training and bombs dropping out on the reservation. Sonic booms rattled our windows on a pretty regular basis. We always knew when something was up in the world because the air traffic increased. I loved living near the base. On weekends I would drive out to the flight line and watch the planes take off and land. Anyhow, my point is, I miss the sound of jet engines and the knowledge that our pilots and all of our military personnel were working hard to keep us safe and free.

Have a good day and if you get the chance, say thank you to an airman, soldier, sailor or marine. They deserve it.

Grace in Small Things - 6 of 365

I've decided to be a visual person today...

1. Silly Hubby!

2. Baby Girl wearing a dress that I made for her!

3. The ABC Blanket that I finally finished!

4. Our Dr. Suess tree! Yes, it's fake, but it's funky and fun and makes me smile!

5. My new Harmony Wood Sock Needles!

Monday Jan, 26 - Grace in Small Things 5 of 365

Okay, I think I may be too flaky to do one of these daily entry things, but I will play catch-up again today.

#1 - Being able to do my hour of cardio without feeling as though I'm going to die.

#2 - Seeing my elderly friend at the gym today that I hadn't seen in two weeks and was worried about.

#3 - The amazing imagination of my daughter and how she can turn my treadmill into "Rocket" from Little Einsteins.

#4 - A hubby who agrees to let me take Baby Girl to Disneyworld even though it makes him a little sad to miss out on it.

#5 - My Snoogle pillow.

Now I know my ABC's!

I've had a pretty good last few days. First of all, I finally finished the ABC blanket that I've been working on. It took a long time, since it required embroidery and a great deal of finishing. Neither of which are high on my list of favorite things to do. One thing that did make the blanket rather fun was that Baby Girl has been learning her letters and as I got each block done she would look at me and tell me what the letter was and what it's phonetic sound was. She's only two and knows all of them. She can't sing the alphabet song yet, but really, which is more important?

Almost immediately after finishing that afghan, I got started on my entry for this contest that the Lion Brand yarn company is sponsoring for their Vanna's Choice yarn line. The grand prize is $1000 and a trip to Hollywood to meet Ms. Vanna White herself. I'm doing an Aran-style baby blanket with the Vanna's Baby yarn. It's a worsted weight acrylic yarn, but is a bit softer than say a Red Heart yarn. I'm loving the blanket so far (I'm about halfway done), but given a choice, I would probably prefer to use a sport-weight yarn for this project. I'm doing it in a crochet for expediency sake. I know some of you out there are shaking your heads at the fact that I'm using an acrylic yarn, but I tend to do that with crochet. It takes up a lot more yarn than knitting does, so it could get really expensive to make blankets with the really great yarns that I have grown to adore with my knitting.

On a bit of a bummer note, I had my weekly weigh-in at the gym this week and I have lost not a single pound in the past 10 days! Boo! I was a bit naughty this past week, but I was hoping that I would at least have dropped one pound. I'm still doing really well with my working out. Three days a week whether I want to or not! I guess I just need to watch what I eat a bit more and I'll get where I need to be...right? God I miss the days when I could out-eat the offensive linemen at Tulane and still not gain a pound!