Happy Trails

two nine

I had a birthday on Sunday. 

So it's twenty-nine now! Sort of surprised we're there already, but it's a comfortable place. 

I've gone through a transformation of sorts in the last few months. It all started with needing some new clothes..... Now throw a major sale and some pretty awesomely gracious and supportive girlfriends into the mix, and you come out on the other side feeling great with a whole new look.

Not sure where it all started, really. Just sort of decided that I wanted to look and feel like a "woman"--I wanted to be a more grown-up me. I started with some nice clothes, then a transition haircut that I didn't realize was going to be just that until this past saturday when I decided to go all the way.

There's the transition look--which as it got a bit longer started to look a little "Paige from Trading Spaces-ish", leading me to crop it further. So many folks in my life have been incredibly supportive lately, and I can't express how grateful I've been for that.

Salmaan most of all. On my birthday Sunday he took me to Veritas Winery for a nice picnic.

Shrimp salad on croissants (is there anything more decadently wonderful than a nice, buttery croissant???), berry salad and some tasty viognier. Not only that, he drove so I could enjoy myself, and patiently took some photos to "debut" my new look.

Here's what made the final cut on the porch of one of my favorite wineries--Flying Fox.

So things have been new and fun and exciting. On the home front Jayden has transitioned to sleeping with us in the bedroom, out of his crate at night (that was a big deal as he seems to have just recently gotten the whole "dooper and pee pee OUTSIDE" concept). Yesterday Salmaan left him out of his dayroom pen for half the day, and came home at lunch to no mistakes, and no damage. I'm getting really excited to pack up his pen and crate, and reclaim those areas of the house for our own.

There's more to share, but I'll save that for another time. I'm going to try to blog more regularly--I haven't been making enough time to transition this space into a new phase/feel, which I've been meaning to do for a while. Not only that, but I'm grossly behind on reading YOUR blogs as well! My google reader queue is HUGE right now!

 

FO: Lichen Honey Cowl

Wow. It's April! And I have only one FO to show for 2011, thus far. The Honey Cowl.

I was in love with this pattern while knitting it. I mean, it really is comfort knitting at its best. Interesting enough to stick with, mindless enough to have a good conversation or watch a movie. And it kept going, and going, and going....I used two full skeins of Madelinetosh DK--colorway Lichen, on #8 needles.

I thought it was going to be a bit longer when draped as a single wrap, so next time I might just got up a needle size. The colors are fun, but the next one (yes, already planning a second!) will not be variegated. I don't have much to pair this with. But that's ok, we all need a "signature" piece every so often, don't we?

My "no new yarn" in 2011 resolution has remained in full force and effect, a fact of which I am immensely proud (and honestly, a little surprised). That being said, I haven't been knitting at all. We all go in and out of our knitting mojo, though, right? I always get worried when it happens for this long, though (it's been roundabout two months). Will it come back? What if it doesn't? What the hell am I going to do with all this yarn and these needles and this spinning wheel and this FIBER?!?!?! *sigh*

With spring around the corner (and I say that because it's been in the FORTIES this week) I think I'll be casting on (even though I shouldn't, with so many WIP's on the needles) for a two-tone shawl out of skeins I have been eyeing for months. Maybe some knitting eye candy will thrust me back into my knitting mojo. 

Time will tell.