Felt Like Knitting

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Favorite Health and Beauty Products

1.  Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation - It is rare for me not to have this on my face.  I feel so much more confident with my rosacea hidden.  They have a mineral version that I'd like to try but I doubt I'll get enough coverage with it.

2.  Esteee Lauder Lucidity Powder - EL recently discontinued the powder I used but I've substituted this and I like it.  It has this really pleasant smell that makes me happy when I put it on.

3.  Mascara - My eyes are fairly sensitive so when I find a mascara that doesn't irritate them, I stick with it.  Right now I'm using Maybelline Define-A-Lash.  (Love the green container, too!)

4.  Eyelash curler - Let's not forget this!  Very important tool for me.

5.  Tweezers - Speaking of tools, I have to have my slant tip tweezers.  And a mirror.  And some bright sunlight.  :)

6.  Brushes - I use my makeup brushes all the time and they're very helpful.

7.  Lipstick - My favorite color is Bobbi Brown Blue Raspberry but I usually buy drugstore versions of a similar color.

8.  Lip Gloss - I buy this in a similar color and layer over my lipstick.

9.  Moisturizer - Very important!  My skin is pretty sensitive so I've switched to Cetaphil.

10.  Makeup removers - I really like the Estee Lauder products but I usually end up using baby wipes and any kind of non-oily eye makeup remover.

I could go on to talk about cleanser and shampoo and lotion and...but I'll stop.  :)  What are your ten favorite health and beauty products?  To share, head over to Carole's blog.

 

WIP - Gwen Slouchy Beret

I finished the Gwen Slouchy Beret last night and I'd like to get your opinion on blocking it. (Please excuse the bad photo.  I went to three different rooms, trying to get more light.)

I want to block out the ridge that has somehow formed around the hat.  (Look near the arrow then travel counter clockwise toward 6:00.)  I'm not sure if I've done something wrong or if it's just the nature of the stitch pattern.  Ravelry shows other hats with the same issue.

Last night I tried putting the hat around a salad plate, dinner plate, pasta bowl...nothing looked like it would stretch out that ridge.  And I'm afraid that if I find something large enough to pull out the hat by the ridge, the ribbing will be pulled too much.  Does anyone have experience blocking berets or have a creative solution?  Should I try blocking it around something big like an inflated balloon?

On a happier note, I tried on this hat and it looks okay on me.  That rarely happens!  Since this is my daughter's,  I may just have to make one for me, too.

Ten on Tuesday - 10 favorite games from your childhood

1.  Monopoly:  I have mostly fond memories about Monopoly.  But there was the time that my mom threw away our Monopoly set because none of us would pick it up.  We've told her that set would be worth something now if she hadn't tossed it.  :)

2.  Card games:  Rummy, Go Fish, Solitaire...  Once it was so hot that my mom and I couldn't sleep.  So we sat at the kitchen table and played double solitaire.

3.  Battleship:  Wow - look how fancy the game is now!

4.  Trouble:  I loved playing this game at a friend's house.  It was so much fun to make the dice pop up in the middle each time.

5.  Candy Land:  I loved this game!  I remember really wishing that all the candy was real.

6.  Chutes and Ladders:  Fun but frustrating.  I hated going back down those slides.

7.  Stratego:  I don't remember much about it, but I do remember playing it.  I think it may have been my brother's game so it was "hands off!"  :)

8.  Chess:  One year for Christmas I got my very own chess set and chess table.  

9.  Chinese Checkers:  I loved all those colorful marbles and the sound they made rolling around in the tin.

10.  Trivial Pursuit:  This was popular with us when we were teenagers.  That's when we had our Atari, too.  Remember those games?

I'm sure I've forgotten some games.  And here I thought I wouldn't be able to think of ten things!  To share your Ten on Tuesday list, stop in at Carole's blog.

WIP Wednesday - Beret

One of the things on Emma's wish list is berets.  I'm knitting the Gwen Slouchy Beret and I like how it's looking.  The yarn is Bambool and I'm enjoying knitting with it.  Let's just forget that this was supposed to be a Christmas present, okay?

Also in the photo are some lovely new stitch markers.  Mary gave me some delicate olive green markers - she chose my favorite color!  And Emma made a set of colorful turquoise markers.  She even made one different to mark the beginning of a round.  It really touched me that she made something for me that would mean a lot to me and that she knew enough about my hobby to make one of them different.

Today is Day 3 of The Storm.  Steve went to work and finally got there.  One 10-15 minute stretch of road took him an hour to travel.  His parents are trying to leave.  They called to tell me that the hill near our house is blocked by police so they're having to go around.  The interstate roads are now passable but getting to them is a problem.

I hope you are all cozy and safe with all the winter weather.  Right now Florida is the only state without snow!

Ten on Tuesday - Ten Way to Be More Organized

Today's topic is probably the topic most on my mind these days.  I will definitely be reading Carole's blog for everyone's tips.  Here's what I've been trying or think I need to try:

1.  Look ahead - Just a few weeks ago I noticed that Steve unconsciously asks himself "What's tomorrow?" when he gets up in the morning.  I've started looking ahead a few days, too.

2.  Calendar / planner - The best way for me to look ahead is to use a calendar or planner.  Google has a calendar that works well for me and I put it on my iPhone, too.  I have several different calendars (youth group, acting group, etc.) merged with mine and it all shows up together.  Now I just add something electronically instead of writing it in my planner.  I do miss holding my pretty green planner but this is a lot better system for me.

3.  Toodledo - Speaking of iPhone apps, this one is great!  Carole recommended it to me and I love it.  I add tasks as they pop into my brain, organize them into folders and assign due dates.  When I check my calendar, I check Toodledo, too.  I think there is a way to merge them but for now I don't mind them being separate.  One of the best things:  I set up a folder called "To buy" and now I check that list when I'm out.  This has helped a lot!

4.  Old fashioned to-do lists - I stopped making to-do lists when I got my phone but I'm going to go back to them.  It is more satisfying to cross things off a sheet of paper than to delete them from Toodledo.  Plus the visual reminder will help me.  If I can figure out how to link my iPhone with the Toodledo online feature, I think I should be able to print out tasks from there.

5.  Purge - There is less to organize when there is less sitting there.

6.  Find a place for everything - I think it was my grandma who always told me "A place for everything and everything in its place."  It's true.  If I don't stop and ask myself "Where is the best place to put this?" I end up having piles of stuff everywhere.

7.  Use a system - Though Getting Things Done has been around for a while, I've just recently learned of it.  Using a system like this could be the key for me to finally get things whipped into shape.  What system do you like?

8.  Do things right away when possible -  When I don't do this, I tend to put things off more.  Example:  Right after I get home from band practice, I send the practice notes out to the group.  If I don't do it right away, I find myself typing them up Saturday evening - that's a little late for our Sunday morning service!

9.  Make an appointment with yourself - Schedule in some fun time and that can help keep you on track with the things you don't want to do quite so much.

10.  Ask for divine intervention - A few years ago our pastor preached about asking God to organize our days.  He suggested praying that in the morning before you get out of bed.  When I do that, my days do go better.

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Wow!

We don't often see this much snow around Atlanta (about 4.5 inches).  It was really pretty out there this morning.  I shoveled for about an hour (which used up close to 500 calories according to my Lose It! app).  Then it was on to making vegetable soup, spaghetti sauce, playing cards with my in-laws and Steve, and doing a little bit of laundry and knitting.  

I hope that it is safe and warm wherever you are!

Edited to add the current Atlanta traffic map.  I've never seen this much yellow/orange/red before!

 

Ten on Tuesday - Ten Things You Wouldn't Want to Live Without

I really wanted to do last week's Ten on Tuesday but things were a bit hectic around here.  Two of my brothers and their families were visiting.  We had a great time!  Things have slowed down a bit so I'm playing along today and sharing Ten Things I Wouldn't Want to Live Without.  Carole says that people don't count as things so my list won't contain anything that breathes.  :)

1.  My iPhone - Okay, I am already totally relying on my new iPhone.  Steve and Emma gave it to me for Christmas.  It's now my calendar, my to-do list, my phone, my iPod, my weight loss center, my arcade, my shopping list, ...

2.  A computer - I'm not sure how people function without computers, but I know they do.  Somehow.  I wouldn't want to do it for very long.

3.  The Internet - This one goes hand in hand with #2.  How did we know anything before the Internet?!  "Oh, who is that actor?"  Look it up on the Internet!  "What was that recipe we liked so well?"  Look it up on the Internet!

4.  Music - Music is a big part of who I am.  Can you imagine life without it?

5.  Food - I'm not talking about food for sustenance.  I'm talking about food as hospitality or hobby.  I enjoy cooking and having friends over for dinner.  I'm not likely to invite someone over for a walk around the block :) but I will invite them over for a meal.

6.  Knitting supplies - No surprise here.  Knitting is a great hobby, therapy, social outlet...

7.  Books - Just like music, I can't imagine life with no books.  My favorite way to get books is through the library (free!).  If I could pick only one book to have, it would be my Bible.  Going through my current Bible study has really showed me how important God's Word is in my life.

8.  My education - My education is so important to me even though I'm not working in my field.  I appreciate all that I've learned and I wouldn't be the same person without my experiences.

9.  My house - I really do appreciate having a roof over my head!  I like where we live and the changes we've made to our home.  One of my favorite things in my house?  My fridge!

10.  My sewing machine and serger - These have helped me make costumes, sew clothes, craft gifts...

What would you not want to live without?