The Meandering Stories

Interviews

2010-10-23T19:00:00.002-04:00

Interviews. Love them or hate them, they are the no-way-to-avoid it step between you and a job. So here I am facing another round of interviews. I don't practice for interviews. I don't know about you, but I have not been asked the "typical" interview questions. What is your greatest weakness? Where do you see yourself in five years? No, I don't get those questions.

I remember when I was in college and interviewing for a part time job at The Picture People. It was a mix of experience questions and personality type questions, but my favorite was when they gave me some thematic words and told me to make up a story off the top of my head. Yup, a story. They needed to see that I could think quick on my feet so as to keep the kids' attention on me and make them smile. So, I made up a story. In like two seconds, I created a story about knights and dragons - my very own fairy tale. I must have done well since the manager interviewing me said she'd never seen anyone able to do that so quickly.

But this past week I think takes the take. I interviewed for a membership coordinator position at a scientific association. It started at 12:30 p.m. and ended at 3:00 p.m. It included an Excel test, an hour and a half conversation about my role in the organization and actual duties (no typical interview questions) and ended with an essay on what I thought the position was and how I could perform it. It was one of the most intense interviews I've ever had and I left feeling drained and kind of brain dead. (Thankfully, Hello Cupcake was on my way back to the metro!)

So what kind of interview stories do you have? Any tips for the unemployed girl? I could use all of the help I can get!

Lousy Weeks

2010-10-16T20:42:00.002-04:00

I'm not going to lie. This week has SUCKED! On Tuesday I wore my new favorite black dress. Did my hair and makeup - wore jewelry. I was feeling very pretty and smart. I was at my desk and working away on the weekly newsletter when my boss asked me if I had a minute. I walked with him into the CFO/COO's office - when I made the off-the-cuff remark of "Oh my god, you're firing me!". Sure enough, the CFO/COO looks at me with a very grave expression and says, "This has not been an easy decision, but we no longer have a need for your services." My position was no longer necessary. Yup, I was laid off.

Silver lining. I was given a six week severance package as well as my health benefits through the end of November. The severance pay will allow me to look for a job that I really WANT rather than just one that I NEED. Although, this rational will likely change the closer I get to the end of the six weeks and I haven't landed a job. But I'm not going to stay on that thought for very long. I'm going to be positive and believe that I'll find one in plenty of time.

There is one small problem though. The computer that I use is the one my office issued me for telecommuting. I now have to give this back, which means that I won't have ready access to a computer. Most unfortunate, but I'll figure something out. In the mean time, if you're in the DC metro area and no of anyone looking for a very bright and organized individual to help them with their project management, let me know. Thanks! :)

Strange Dreams Indeed

2010-10-09T20:10:00.003-04:00

I don't nap. As a general that is. I've never been very good at it. I never wake up feeling refreshed and I ALWAYS have the strangest dreams. Like my stepbrother plays a video game in a cave and is all of a sudden turned into a warewolf (I've had that one twice!). So, after my carb-a-holic lunch, I shouldn't have been surprised when about an hour later I felt pretty tired (damn you blood sugar spike!). So I caved and took the nap. But this time - no strange dreams, no waking up more tired than when I fell asleep. That's right folks... I successfully napped!

In other news, I'm still trying to finish my sister's baby blanket. I'm so close, but just have no interest in it. Instead, I've started on a little baby sweater for a coworker. I'm also working on putting together some swap packages. I always have such a great time trying to figure out what a person would like. Picking out just the right gift is one of my favorite challenges.

Not much else to report. Hope you've had a great week!

Week 3 Blog Assignment

2010-10-01T09:06:00.002-04:00

Time for a little word association. Write down the first word that comes to mind when I say....

Pumpkin - juice
Owl - knowledge
Leaf - crunch
Weasley - Ron
Quaffle - Quidditch
Hallow - deathly
Mad - rage
Dragon - skin
Crystal - doyle
Trees - climb
Hermione - smart
Hogwarts - school
Burrow - hide
Dobby - ears
Horcrux - pieces
Ministry - magic
Magic - wands
Sirius - dog
Apple - pie
Juice - power
Candle - flame
Ghost - haunted
Snake - slither
Wand - cast
Invisibility - cloak
Tent - camping
Spell - bind
Umbridge - witch (with a b!)
Dursely - muggles
Prophet - futurist

Top 10 Things from Vegas Trip

2010-09-25T10:22:00.002-04:00

I spent the past week in Las Vegas working at the 2010 ERA D2C Convention. I worked 12-14 hour days and at the end of them all my feet were KILLING me. BUT, there were some good things about being there.

The Wynn - OMG was this hotel FABULOUS!
My bed - SERIOUSLY wanted to take it home with me!
Criss Angel - this guy was amazing - still don't know how he does it!
Our members - lots of really fun and kind people
Food - I only ate at places at The Wynn, but it was really good eats!
My bed - REALLY never wanted to leave it!
My co-workers - we make such a good team!
The cha-cha slide - thanks for reminding me of it guys!
My bed - so good I have to mention it three times
Coming home - ALWAYS the best part!

Getting to Know... Many

2010-09-18T08:45:00.000-04:00

I love HSKS. I love getting to know so many new people and getting to know friends even better. This round, I've seen beautiful knitted projects by those who've only just started knitting. Found MANY more mmmalabrigo lovers, those with a fan for the blues and greens as well as other December babies. Everyone in this swap is great source of inspiration and I'm so excited to be a part of this group again!

New Leaf

2010-09-17T19:27:00.004-04:00

I'm turning over a new leaf - kind of like the design/layout of blog. Get it? It's fall... new leaf... yeah, it's a reach, but I had to stretch just a bit!

But seriously things are feeling much better! I'm not going to lie, I've been in a bit of funk all summer and now that fall is coming I'm starting to perk way up. The temps are going down, the foliage is going all red, gold and orange and I soon will be able to pull out my fave blue sweater! Pumpkins and Halloween will soon be here (and Leigh Anne's wedding is only two weeks away!), my baby sister's baby will be here before I know it (which reminds me, MUST get that blanket done!) AND I'm back in the HSKS fold. So many things to be happy about.

And, with the return of HSKS, is the return of the "getting to know you" list. See below for what I've learned of my new family members.

Someone with the same craft as you (either those listed above or another one). Clara Clovenhoof - knitter
Someone who was born in the same month as you. Perenelle Tejedora - December
Someone from a different country. Emma Wigworthy - England
A new HSKS Family member. Schmutzerella Oglethorpe
Someone who has been in 3 or more HSKS swaps. Fleur Sweeting
Someone who has a bigger stash than you! Bella Shacklebolt - 110 to my 55
Someone who both knits and crochets. Hermione Bagnold
Someone who has the same favorite color as you. Vevina McFey - Blues
Someone who has the same favorite season/holiday as you. Lexi Lovegood - Christmas
Someone who has the same favorite fiber as you. Delantrophy Grey - wool - even better is our shared love for Mmmmalabrigo! :)

P.S. A few more great things going on - made my last payment to my former land lady, have a GREAT coffee table (which I look forward to carving my pumpkin and then putting my little Christmas tree on), have a good line on a GREAT loveseat! Oh and of course, the first part of the last HP movie comes out in exactly two months!

Focus People!

2010-06-05T14:19:00.003-04:00

Or rather, "focus ASHLEY!" That's right, I admit it, I have been so lost in my own little world lately. Barely keeping up with what needs doing that I'm fearful of losing my job. Not only that, but my lack of focus has begun to effect other things. For instance the HSKS 10 swap that I'm a member of. I got everything done (for the most part), have done the homework (always at the last minute) and got my kit out, but I have NOT been the good little swap participant that I usually am. Everything has been JUST enough and that makes me very sad. It also makes me realize that I think I need to stop doing swaps until I can be more focused.

So back to my lack of focus. How can I get it back? I remember that when I was really good at what I do it was when I created daily to-do lists. I sadly let myself get out of that habit and now am paying the price. So, this one thing I promise myself - I start/end everyday with a to-do list. Ok... I'm feeling better already!

Arithmancy HW

2010-05-27T09:00:00.004-04:00

It's Thursday and I can not WAIT until 5pm Friday! It's the start of a long weekend during which I will be heading up to Amish Country, PA to visit my grandparents. This will be the fourth Memorial Day weekend that I will spend with my grandparents - I think I'm just going to start claiming this weekend as my own. There is nothing better than visiting with grandma and grandpa. They're very relaxing people to be around and I love spending time with them, visiting and chatting. Definitely can't wait!

But before I go, a bit of homework to tickle your fancy. I must say that I think this has been my favorite assignment. I LOVE me some SUDOKU puzzles! And Fleur was really nice and gave us really easy ones. Yay!

Who's Who of HSKS 10

2010-05-22T20:30:00.000-04:00

PART 1: Find one person for each of these questions. No repeats!

Who is new to HSKS this Term? Mystry Moonbleu, Gryffindor
Who has played Quidditch for their House this Term? Allitrya Spelling, Chaser
Who is working on the same project (WIP) as you? Andromeda Finch-Fletchley, February Lady's Sweater
Who has more items in their Queue than you? Fleur Sweeting, 80 items
Who has donated to SPEW this Term? Elladora Madley
Who has participated in Dueling Club this Term? Rowan Dragonsinger
Who lives within 100 miles of you? Winifred Hornswaggle, Baltimore, MD
Who is from a different country than you? Cel'eena Cree, England

PART 2: Comment on at least one blog from each of the other houses. List their names here and something you learned about them from their blog post.

Clara Clovenhoof made 22 hats in one evening for a charity project. Most were made out of acrylic - which she's allergic to. She's such a trooper!

Perfect Day

2010-05-15T21:40:00.002-04:00

I know, from time to time, we like to describe our "perfect day", but what do you do when you have one? Is it exactly as you've always described it, or is it just a day filled with all of the things that make you happy? Well, let me take a few moments to tell you about mine because it's just the kind of day that I've always imagined having, but like nothing I ever have put together.

It started with breakfast (made in my very own kitchen) and Anastasia (I'm having a pseudo-John Cusack film fest). Then I did some cleaning. I know, not something that's usually included in a perfect day, but when it's your very first apartment (that's only yours), it can be kind of perfect!

After reading a bit it was time for the afternoon portion of the day. This included a pedicure with my bestie, Penny. Followed by lunch served by a great character of a waiter. Penny then came by to see my new place and left soon after. So, left to my own devices, I decided to take myself to see Iron Man 2. I also REALLY wanted to see Letters to Juliet, but I was trying to be good - then I decided, what the hell and went to see it anyway.

Let me just say that Letter's to Juliet is WAY better than it should have been. After a very romantic movie (which took place in TUSCANY - the best place EVER!) I really wanted to sit outside with some wine and my book. I lucked out and got the last outdoor table available at Cheestique. I had a lovely glass of wine with some great cheese and bread - all enjoyed in the beautiful spring night with a fun book.

So there you have it. A perfect day consisting of good friends, some pampering, good food and good entertainment. What more could I ask for? What about you? What would today's answer be for a perfect day?

Potions... el fin!

2010-05-08T09:27:00.006-04:00

Part 3:
Take a picture of and list the ingredients and/or instructions to make one of your favorite potions that you have created.

This potion must have at the minimum, two ingredients to make it. Be sure to include you originality marker to prove it's yours!!!

For example it could be something as simple as your favorite coffee (with sugar or creme), or it could be an alcoholic mixed drink concoction that you have created. Your potion could also be an actual potion, oil, salve, or something else that you use as well.

Take one part dark, caffeinated brew, to one packet sparkly sweetener and 1/4 part creamy sweetness and what do you get?

The powerful potion that keeps me sane and perky... COFFEE!

Potions... cont!

2010-05-08T09:20:00.002-04:00

Part 2:
Answer the following potions questions:

1. Sneezewort, scurvy grass, and lovage are used to make what?
A: Allergen Solution
B:Confusing Draught
C: Babbling Befuddlement
D: Wandering Agent

2. Porcupine quills are to be added when to a Boil Cure Potion?
A: It is the second ingredient you add
B: Before it is removed from the fire
C: You don't add them, they aren't part of the potion
D: After it is removed from the fire

3. What potion, if brewed correctly, should change color numerous times throughout brewing including deep purple, lilac, and finishing clear?
A: The Draught of Living Death
B: Amortentia
C: Calming Draft
D: Elixir to Induce Euphoria

4. This ingredient in the Draught of Peace, would likely bring you permanent peace since it is poisonous, what is it?
A: Murlap
B: Belladonna
C: Mugwort
D: Hellebore

5. Chopped daisy roots, skinned shrivel-fig, sliced caterpillar, one rat spleen, dash of leech juice are all ingredients to what?
A: Swelling Solution
B: Deflating Draught
C: Shrinking Solution
D: Sleeping Draught

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble...

2010-05-08T09:02:00.009-04:00

AKA, Potions Homework!

Part 1:
Go around your house, outdoors, for a hike, or wherever and take pictures of 5 different plants, herbs, or flowers that might be used in potions. Make sure to remember your originality marker for these. Also, include the names of these (if you don't know their name feel free to make one up) and the description of potential use(s) for each.

Here we have mint leaves... great for making the potent potion called a Mojito!

Ahh... a row of lavender. Great for relaxing potions/lotions.

I know this looks like a daisy, but it's actually chamomile. Great for putting restless mind to sleep!

Lemongrass, great for adding a bright note to a marinade.

Here we have a dandelion. I know, you're thinking, "it's just a weed!" However, did you know that it also makes a very fun and yummy wine?!

First Week

2010-05-01T06:55:00.005-04:00

I have now completed the first week in my new place and it has been AWESOME! I love having my own space to my stamp on. There's a lot that still needs to be done - namely, I need a little sofa, a dining romm table and a coffee table.

The walls could also use some life, but I have a thought for one thing I could do. I have this great picture that I took while I was in Michigan last summer. It was taken at about 10pm on the longest day of the year. I'm thinking of making this into a long and skinny picture that I can hang above my couch. Here's hoping the resolution is such that it can be stretched like I want!

So, yeah, the first week has been really good. Still very exciting!

Moving On!

2010-04-22T20:35:00.002-04:00

Well folks, as of tomorrow, I will have a new address! I know, I know - this is my FIFTH home in as many years, but this one I KNOW will be for the long term. If all goes well, I really think this will be my home until I'm ready to either move in with someone or buy my own place.

I'm reallly excited about this move. My new home will be at The Calvert, back in Del Ray. I'll be on the tippy top floor and though it's an efficiency, it has a kind of hidden bump out where I can put my bed so I can kind of "hide" it away. It has a lot of light, pretty new kitchen appliances and built-ins in the walk-in closet.

The best part is that it's MINE! I won't be sharing with anybody, I won't have to worry about any roommates or unwanted guests. I can decorate it how I want it, too. I'm really excited about all of these things. (Although, I think my mom is MORE excited!) This time around I've hired movers to move the majority of my stuff - which my mom, stepdad and little brother are VERY greatful for!

So, this all means that I will be away from the internets for the next few days as I move and get set up in my new home. Wish me luck and I'll talk to you soon!

Care of Magical Creatures - HW #2

2010-04-17T07:49:00.002-04:00

What are a few supplies that you'd need to take care of magical creatures? Better yet, are there any around the house or easily gotten a hold of? Let's ponder this for a moment.... ok, here we go.

Football helmet - must protect the face from claws and teeth (well, to a certain extent).
A bottle of water - working around dragons can be a bit dehydrating!
Snorkle - to help with breathing under water (b/c I haven't mastered the Bubble-head Spell)
A CD of soothing, classical music - because they say music soothes the savage beast
Wellies - caring for magical creatures is messy business, better to have footwear that can handle it

Ok, pop quiz, hot shot! How well do you know House Elves (or rather, how well do I know House Elves)?! Yikes!

Please describe the physical appearance of a house elf.
A house-elf is short of stature. They have large bat-like ears and enormous eyes.
Kreacher is the house elf of which wizarding family?
The Black family
What is Hermione Granger making for the house elves?
Hats
How do you free a house elf?
By giving them a piece of clothing.
What does S.P.E.W. stand for?
Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare

Transfiguration...

2010-04-10T20:04:00.009-04:00

... otherwise known as "Homework Assignment #1." Below we have a list of items from the magical world of Harry Potter. You can fulfill the assignment in one of two ways. One way - the way that earns you the most points - is to create the objects yourself from ordinary things. Be arts and craftsy as they say. The other way is to find the objects online. Not being too terribly artsy craftsy and VERY short on time (I know, pitiful excuse that) I have opted for door number two. So, without further ado, I present Homework Assignment #1, aka, Transfiguration!

Bowtruckle

Remembrall

Golden Snitch

Hagrid's Rock Cakes

Decoy Detonator

Nose-Biting Teacup

Spectrespecs

Time Turner

Who would YOU be?!

2010-04-02T19:11:00.002-04:00

For this new semester at Hogwarts, we're choosing characters that we'd like to have kits based on. Such an INTERESTING idea - and so hard to choose! One of the great things about the Harry Potter world are all of the rich and unique characters. A kit based on any of them would prove fun, but since I'm limited to only three, three it shall be.

The three that I've chosen are Ginny Weasley, Fleur Delacour and Nypmphadora Tonks. All three a strong and intelligent women - two characteristics that I strive to emulate. But each has unique characteristics as well.

Ginny Weasley: I love Ginny. Growing the only girl with six older brothers can only make you a stronger person, I just know it. She's clever - and is subtle about it. People are always surprised by the things she can do and I like that about her. She is way smarter than her brothers, but doesn't rub it in their faces. She's courageous and stands up for herself. All good things!

Fleur Delacour: Fleur has such great style! She's elegant and sophisticated and I want to be like that. While she's a bit of a snob and very arrogant, she's also extremely loyal and can see the beauty underneath. I love how she stays by Bill's side after his bite from the werewolf. Shows true stength of character.

Nymphadora Tonks: Now Nymphadora has to be one of my all-time faves! She's not afraid to be herself (hello, constantly changing faces and hair!) and relishes being a black sheep in the Black family. She also has a bit of a stubborn streak and isn't afraid to voice her opinion.

So, there you go. Three strong characters from the Harry Potter world. So hard to pick only three, I know! Who would YOU pick?!

Winnie's Final Clue

2009-12-19T13:06:00.002-05:00

Winnie has sent Wisty and Siobhan one final clue. It's a box with the item that she's been hunting down this entire time. The only bit that was seen by Olive giving a clue to what was inside was a piece of paper with a series of numbers on it.

5 Words: 6, 9, 5, 3, 6

Ok, so throughout all of Winnie's letters, certain letters have been highlighted. My guess is to take these letters and arrange them into five different words. These are the letters we have to work with.

IRHPUHWPYIQDOTEOUDOTDNTCLRCLS

The first word I see is QUIDDITCH. It's nine letters long and the whole reason we're for this round of HSKS.

Next, I see WORLD. A five letter word that goes well with QUIDDITCH. That leaves us with:

RHPPYEOUOTNTCLS

Now it gets a little harder. Lets try the three letter word first. Thinking back to The Goblet of Fire makes me think it might be CUP. This leaves these letters:

HRPYEOOTNTLS

Ok, so now we have QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP. Now I'm kind of stuck again. Time to seek some help from those who are good with anagrams and word problems. My grandma!

Yes! Grandma came through for me again! She sees STOLEN and TROPHY as the last two words. So what is the five word phrase for what is in the box from Winnie? The item she's been off searching all term?!

STOLEN QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP TROPHY!

Wow! What an adventure and great find! Way to go Winnie!

My Kit Came!

2009-12-19T12:42:00.014-05:00

Long before the snows arrived to the DC area, Clara Clovenhoof's owl dropped off my fabulous package. I kept waiting for time and good light to take some pictures, but those two things just didn't want to come together. So, Clara, I apologize for not photographing your lovely kit to it's true potential.

First we have a lovely little notions box (which I've been trying to find myself!) that tells me to "Look Inside!"

Inside were GREAT stitch markers. Really lovely!

Next, some "Jingles for the wrist!"

This has to be my fave part. House socks in Pride colors. They are definitely "keeping my feet warm!" today as the blizzard comes down!

Some great washcloths (also in Pride colors). One has a star (our symbol) and one has a 7 (my number). She's so clever!

"Something to keep my ears warm". The Bobble Headband

A cute little snitch and a star ornament.

GREAT slippers!

Yarn, needles and a pattern a day calendar.

Finally, knitting patterns for socks, a hat and gloves - all based on Cookie A's Pomatomous pattern.

Thank you so, so much, Clara! This kit definitely went so far above and beyond my expectations and I love ALL of it!

Thankful

2009-11-21T08:01:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, so before the craziness that is the end-of-the-year holiday season begins, I wanted to take a moment to list the things that I'm thankful for.

Friends and family who love me
A job that challenges me every day
New days and new opportunities
Quiet mornings spent reading in bed
Beautiful days at the end of long weeks
Coffee... and the other little things that get you through the day
Vacation days
Fun evenings out... and in.
Good books
Friends and family who love me (I'm that thankful for you!)

Thank you to everyone who has listened to me and needed me as well. It's good to have a balance of both. :)

Shakabuku

2009-11-14T21:12:00.007-05:00

One of my favorite movies is Grosse Point Blank. (I'm a huge John Cusack fan!) Well, there's a line from the movie that I've been pondering on recently...

Debi: You know what you need?

Marty: What?

Debi: Shakabuku.

Marty: You wanna tell me what that means?

Debi: It's a swift, spiritual kick to the head that alters your reality forever.

Marty: Oh, that'd be good. I think.

I really think I'm in need of some Shakabuku. I've had this feeling for a while that I can't really describe other than it has me feeling anxious, self conscience and insecure. I think I need a change and maybe Shakabuku is just the change I need.

What about you? Do you now or have you had need of Shakabuku?

P.S. I don't know how she does it, but Winnie has gone from the wilds of South America to the ancient world of Cairo, Egypt. Must be nice to travel like that. :)

Lessons Learned

2009-11-07T17:22:00.002-05:00

So, yeah... October has been over for a week and I only posted for about half of the month. But, I learned a few things in my attempt to post every day.

1. My life is seriously uninteresting.
2. Ergo, really hard to think of what to write.
3. People who DO blog on a consistent basis are awe inspiring.
4. I need to find a purpose for my blog (I think I have for 2010 though!).
5. Next time, I'm shooting for three days a week rather than every day.

Oh, and while I WANTED to participate in the Mal Stockpile, I couldn't even finish one scarf. I've lost my focus, people! Did you take it?!

P.S. I have not been participating as I should, but I have been following WWW and I believe she started the week in Mexico City for the Day of the Dead celebrations, then made her way to Chile for some kite flying and then onto Brazil for some Carnival!

Just keep driving!

2009-10-19T20:38:00.000-04:00

So, as I was driving to work this morning, I noticed something about my car...

That's right! My car is about to hit 100K miles! Any bets as to when it will actually happen?!

We are family!

2009-10-18T13:11:00.001-04:00

This title is super appropriate because I not only spent today with my family, I spent it with my mom and all three of her sister's (see, the song was done by Sister Sledge... cute huh?!). My aunt Sandy was in town from CA for her 25th high school reunion and since we don't get to see her very much we all make every effort to come and visit with her. My aunt Connie was kind enough to host a lunch for all of us and that's where we congregated today. My mom and her sisters can be VERY loud when they're all in the same room. They talk over each other and pick on each other and it's great. However, it wasn't as loud as it usually is since Sandy was still recovering from the reunion weekend (too many late nights!). Good times were still had though!

Here we have all four of the Snyder girls. Down in front are my mom and Aunt Margaret (my mom is the blond) and in back are my Aunt Connie and Aunt Sandy.

Here's a close-up of my Aunt Sandy... aww, she's so cute (see, I come by the cuteness naturally!)

Here's my purty mom! They say look to your mom to see how you'll age... I think I'm going to be ok!

This is now my new fave picture of me! Nicely done, Aunt Connie!

Here's my sweet corgi, Matilda! She was just FASCINATED by Aunt Connie's love bird, Widget. But she never barked at her or tried to tackle the cage. She's a VERY well behaved dog! Love her!

The cold and the wet

2009-10-17T18:49:00.000-04:00

I love the fall... it is definitely my favorite of the seasons. The cooler temperatures, the fall foliage, the smell of burning leaves... it all just sends me to the moon! Now that we're half way through October, we should be in the height of the best part of the season. However, this past week has proven that theory WRONG! It has been cold, grey and wet! And I for one have had enough! Where's my crisp, blue sky? Where are my vibrant trees? And where by gum is my scent of burning leaves? Oh yeah... their hiding behind the grey, wet and dankness that is the BAD part of fall. The part that makes you think you're in for a VERY nasty winter. Well, I've had enough! I want the REAL fall back please!

No place like home!

2009-10-16T14:47:00.001-04:00

So I fully inteded to go out tonight. My aunt was in town for her high school reunion and she was meeting a group at a bar in DC. It was going to be fun and laid back and there was going to be punkin beer. Good times were going to be had, gosh darnit! The best laid plans or whatever the saying is. As you know, this week's weather (in the DC area) has been gray and wet and cold and tonight was no different. I got home and just could NOT bring myself to go. Found all sorts of reasons NOT to go... I could get punkin beer from the store, I could see my aunt on Sunday, etc., etc. And sure enough, I talked myself out of it! I stayed in and enjoyed pizza, beer, movies and knitting with Kate. What's wrong with me? Why can't I ever just go out and have a good time? Why do I have to be such a homebody? I need help. Well, next Friday, I'm going out and doing SOMETHING! I've got to put myself out there, dammit! Now I just have to figure out what that something will be. Man, there's always something!

Talk to you tomorrow!

Comedy of Errors

2009-10-15T14:39:00.000-04:00

Recently, I got into an argument with my friend about some plans we had made that she was cancelling in favor of something else. Well, after getting over my disappointment, I talked with the third person we were meeting up with and talked about changing the plans to late Saturday/all day Sunday. She was up for that and I thought we are all back on track - or so I thought. Turns out the second girl had already MADE plans for Sunday! Sheesh! I was mad at her all over again - and then she starts chatting with me and lets me know that she switched her Saturday plans to Sunday so we could go back to the original plans. Double sheesh! This is really turning into some kind of farce. But wait, it gets a little more insane! Girl the second gets SICK! So, our plans are in limbo to see if she's feeling up to it.

Seriously... talk about your Comedy of Errors!

Addictions

2009-10-14T14:23:00.000-04:00

I don't have many addictions. I tend to be a fairly balanced person (or at least I like to believe I am!). However, I've discovered that I am not immune to the seduction that is Facebooks apps. Yes, I cannot resist their siren call. Particularly the ones from Farmtown, Yoville and Farmville. I don't know what it is about them. There's really nothing terribly exciting or challenging, but there is just something about harvesting your crops or decorating your apartment that I just can't resist. Oh, and earning all of the coins. I mean, in no other place than in a Facebook app will I have close to $3 million! They also kind of bring out this competitive edge in me. I'm always trying to be the tops amongst my friends/neighbors. I remember when I was really into Green Patch I was THRILLED when I finally passed my friend Leigh Anne in the amount of rain forrest I had "saved". So, yeah... hello, my name is Ashley and I'm Facebook app-aholic!

Getting to know you...

2009-10-13T20:18:00.001-04:00

Getting to know all about you, and you and you and you... are we sensing a pattern here? Yes, it's HSKS swap time again and the first assignment is to get to know a few of my fellow quidditch players. First, we'll start with finding a few people that meet the requirements below. Then, I'll introduce myself, leave a brief note saying howdy! So you can get to know them to, follow the link to their blogs! Are you having fun yet?!

1. Someone with the same craft as you (either those listed above or another one). Captain Wisteria Lovegood
2. Someone who was born in the same month. Captain Siobhan Mooney
3. Someone from a different country. Emma Gorodock
4. A new HSKS Quidditch player. Stellwa Quinn
5. A player who has been in 3 or more HSKS swaps. Lizzie Wychwood
6. A player who has a bigger stash than you! (And if your stash is the biggest, proudly say so!) Stuart Cauldwell
7. A player who both knits and crochets. Hermione Bagnold
8. Someone who has the same favorite color as you. Eugene Nigeno

It was fun to go around and visit all of these wonderful quidditch players. Both old and new, they all offered inspiration and new ideas. Stuart has an AMAZING Rosamund's Cardigan (Rav link). Really makes me want to make one for myself. It was so great to read more of Eugene's witty poetry. We should all be lucky to have a talent such as that! Hermione's an inspiration... knitting is still a new thing for her, yet she's already making her first sweater. Have no fear as they say! If you're new to HSKS, you can easily look to Lizzie for kit inspiration. A two-time Best Kits winner, she always treats her spoilee's right! Bevin's sister Siobhan is joining us and is even a team captain and co-administrator... way to go just diving right in! Emma, my spoiler from last round, dyes some fantastic yarn you should check it out! And we can't forget to say hello to one of our newest recruits, Stellwa Quinn, got to love the name - reminds me of the priest from The Princess Bride. And last, but certainly not least is my captain extraordinaire -- Wisty Lovegood. I'm proud to fly under her guidance! Go PoP!

An almost perfect day

2009-10-12T22:37:00.000-04:00

Ahh... the beauty that is the three day weekend! A day off of work without having to use a vacation day is a gift indeed and I appreciate everyone that I get! For this day I even had the pleasure of having the place to myself. Control of the tv and the couch are both things that you should never take for granted... I know I never will!

The best thing was that the day was kind of gray and cold so it was VERY easy to talk myself into staying inside. I watched many movies (including Mr. Holland's Opus, which still has the power to make me BAWL!) and knitted the 10" I needed to add to the traveling scarf it was my turn to knit to. I loved it!

Which brings me to my next question (see, I love learning all about you!) what makes a perfect day for you? We have two things that I need for mine. Add in some hot chocolate, a REALLY cold and bleak day and a fire place and you'd have ALL of the makings for a PERFECT day! What about you?

Talk to you tomorrow!

What happened?

2009-10-11T22:23:00.000-04:00

Ok, so it's Sunday. I know I did laundry and I had Chinese for dinner (after not having breakfast or lunch), but other than that I can't remember what I did today. Have you ever had a day like that? Seriously, I'm sitting here and can't remember a damn thing I did. Or maybe it's more that I can't remember a damn thing I did that is worth writing about. Hmm...

I can say that today is great because I know that when I go to bed that I won't have to wake up early the next morning. Lord how I love three day weekends. Woo hoo!

It's a start!

2009-10-10T22:14:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned at the beginning of the month, I am participating in Stockpile 2009 in an effort to get ahead of my Christmas gift knitting (and to use my fave yarn, mmmmMal). However, so far, I have started a hat (that has since been ripped out) and a scarf (that I barely have 12" of). I have two pairs of mittens, a hat and three pairs of fingerless mitts to make. At this point, I'm not sure if I'm going to make it. Especially with the mitts. Which brings me to a really good question. Should I have ASKED everyone if they wanted a knitted item before starting one? I asked my mom and my sister (oh, which reminds me, add a purse to that list) and they said yes, but I didn't ask anyone else. But hey, half a hat (that's now nothing) and 1/6th of a scarf IS a start!

P.S. But what has me worried are the two knitted items I'm making for the two swaps I'm in oh, and the bi-weekly 5" I have to make on the traveling scarf swap I'm in. Yeah, I think I might be in over my head!

Friday Night's Alright for Fighting

2009-10-09T19:00:00.001-04:00

Ok, so there was no fighting, but I didn't really want to just title the post Friday and it was one of my favorite episodes of Gilmore Girls.

But let me say, Friday night WAS alright! (Ok, so it was more than alright, but I'm going with a theme here!) I must say, that it is great to know that the cool people you hung out with in high school are STILL cool (if not cooler) outside of it and all growed up. Makes you feel even better for having been friends with them. That didn't sound as bad as I think it did, does it? Ok, but you get my point, right? I loved seeing everyone and catching up... better than any 10 year reunion my class could have planned. Even though I was the only one there in my graduating class. I know, weird!

Oh, and I must say that punkin beer can make ANY day alright. I am also most excited to report that I will be having it again this Friday. I might have to make it a weekly thing... at least until its no longer the seasonal option. What comes in winter? Anyone know?

Talk to you tommorow! :)

Anticipation

2009-10-08T20:53:00.002-04:00

This might seem a bit sick, but I LOVE anticipation. I love the excitement you feel before a fun/great/thrilling moment. The problem with anticipation though is that so often, it's so much better than the event itself. Something that's notorious for that is New Year's Eve. Whatever you might have planned is NEVER as good as what you hope it will be.

So, at the beginning at the month, I was anticipating all of my plans for the month and sure enough, I've been confronted with disappointment. But, we move on. Make other plans. And enjoy the ones that you already have. Like tomorrow. Very excited about tomorrow. Going to Winchester and meeting up with a lot of people I haven't seen since I graduated from high school over 10 years ago. It's the closest I'm going to get to a reunion and it's exactly the kind of reunion I was looking for. But I'm not going to get too excited... that way, I won't be too disappointed.

What about you? Do you know of what I speak?

Talk to you tomorrow! :)

Wind & Sails

2009-10-07T21:30:00.002-04:00

I have definitely had the wind taken out of my sails. While I was super excited a week ago about the things I had planned for this month, today was a bit of a downer. My plans for next weekend fell apart all while I was on a horrendous call with my Education Committee and it led to a really bad afternoon.

The worst part though was the argument I got into with my best friend. I hate fighting with my friends, but this time I just got so frustrated. I'm tired of people thinking that just because I don't have kids or pets or own a home that I don't have a life. That I don't have responsibilities. It's like when my old roommates said I was adult light... all the fun with none of the responsibilities. That always made me so mad. I just don't understand how I am any less of an adult because I dont' have those things. I have bills, I have a job, I have people who count on me to do things or be places. So, I'm at a cross roads with my friend. I am constantly having to reschedule or having plans canceled all together because she has these responsibilities. And I'm an inflexible friend because I've gotten tired of it. *Sigh* It sometimes really sucks being a grown up!

Talk to you tomorrow! :)

All by myself...

2009-10-06T20:34:00.004-04:00

Lately, my roommate has been working some REALLY late hours. Which means that I have the house to myself in the evening. I've been using it as an opportunity to see what it would be like to ACTUALLY live by myself. Would I be lonely? Could I keep up with the little bit of tidying around the house? Would I actually cook for myself or just order out all of the time? And so far, I'm kind of impressed.

To keep the loneliness at bay, I've kept the TV on -- whether I was watching it or not, it's nice to have the noise in the background. To keep busy, I've focused on my knitting more -- which is good since I have Christmas gifts to get out! I've also stopped by the library and gotten a couple of books. I'm a loner by nature, so as long as I have things to occupy my mind and time, I'm not too worried about being lonely.

As for the tidying, that one I'm still not so sure on. I'm a pile maker. I don't necessarily make everything spick and span and put it in its own place. Instead, I make piles. Now, I've tried to be more dilligent of taking my things to my room and making fewer piles, but they're still there. I'm not sure if I will be as dilligent if I have no one who is going to be looking at my mess on a regular basis. This especially becomes a problem if I end up in a studio. There just isn't enough space in a studio for excess clutter and mess. So, I'll continue on working that.

As for the cooking, I've been doing fairly well. I've been going online and finding a recipe for dinner, shopping for it on Monday night and then eating if for the rest of the week. I don't mind leftovers so this works for me. I might make a few more things once I have a fridge that I'm not sharing. It's amazing how limited you are when you don't have your own space.

So, all in all, I think I'm ready to live on my own. I'm not sure when that will be, but I feel ready for when the moment comes. What do you think? When did you realize you were ready? Anyone really not like living without a roommate? I'd love to know!

Talk to you later!

Monday, Monday!

2009-10-05T20:54:00.002-04:00

I go back and forth on whether I like Mondays or not. Like so many people in this world, I'm not a fan because it means the end of my weekend and the start of another work week. On the other hand, it's interesting to see what the week holds and there's nothing but possibilities at the start of the work week.

My mother is a big fan of cycles. She would see Monday as just the start of another cycle. Not one to like or disklike, but to just appreciate for what it is. I don't think that this helps... at all, but it's a special thought. I'm just grateful for coffee and it's magical ability to put a happy glow on any day.

So, what about you? What gets you through Mondays?

Sundays were made for Shopping!

2009-10-04T22:00:00.003-04:00

I recently received a really nice bonus from work and after putting half of it towards my credit card bill I was ready to buy myself a little special something. My first big purchase was some yarn from both Fibre Space and then Eat.Sleep.Knit. If you haven't gone yet, you MUST check out Fibre Space. It has a great selection of yarn (including my fave - Malabrigto), very knowledgable and friendly staff and a funky and fun decor. LOVE it! Oh, and my recent Eat.Sleep.Knit put me to my first 5 mile post in my Yarnathon, so I got a great little knitting bag with a mini-sweater kit, a tape measure and some very handy dandy yarn reference cards. They are now DEFINITELY my favorite online yarn source!

Then today Leigh and I went to the mall and I bought two new cardigans and two camis to go underneath. The camis go with each of the sweaters, which makes for four combos. Each combo can go with both black AND brown pants/skirts, which equals out to about 8 potential outfits. My total was about $80 for the four pieces, so this comes out to about $10 per new outfit. I feel really good about that! Anywho, it's time to settle down and get to bed. Tomorrow's Monday so it's back to work for me!

Talk to you later! :)

For the love of Crafts!

2009-10-03T21:48:00.001-04:00

Saturday was a bright and beautiful day, just perfect for walking around a craft fair -- or at least it seemed that way from inside my house. Turns out my crisp fall day was more like a summer day. This was a little disappointing, but I was not going to let it stop me from enjoying Crafty Bastards. This is the second time that I've gone to this particular craft fair and I have to admit, I wasn't as impressed as I was last year. Probably because it was the same vendors with the same things. No worries, I still had Meg and the bonus of Diana and Corey to make it fun. Oh and I DID buy a wallet from This Chickadee.

Later that evening I went over to my friend Leigh Anne's and we had dinner, drank some wine, watched a movie and gabbed about life in general. She has two crazy dogs (well, one is her mom's) who made things interesting (or irritating, depends on how you look at it). I love the fact that Leigh Anne is now back in this part of Virginia. She is definitely one of my favorite people and I've missed being able hang out with her. Even better, she's just accepted a job in Sterling, so she isn't going anywhere any time soon. Woo hoo!

Talk to you later! :)

Excitement

2009-10-02T15:24:00.000-04:00

So, as I was sitting in my office today I all of a sudden had this huge surge of happiness and excitement. I don't know where it came from, but it was suddenly just there. My best guess was that it was a combination of having so many fun things to look forward to this month, plus reconnecting with some old friends plus planning all of my Stockpile 2009 projects that just got me so happy and excited. I'm generally a happy person, so it doesn't take TOO much to send me over, but I must say that I was glad to feel it.

It's been a while since I've had that kind of happy surge. Between getting ready for the meeting, the meeting itself and then the withdrawl effect when it was over, not much room for being happy. There have been other tense areas of my life, but I'm trying to find a kind of zen attitude about that. All in all, I am just very happy to have something to be excited about. Makes going into the cold months that much easier.

Talk to you later! :)

Blogtober

2009-10-01T18:20:00.002-04:00

Greetings! I write to you from the other side (the finished side) of my association's annual meeting. We came back successful and gleeful... and EXHAUSTED! Now that I've recovered I can turn my attentions back to my blog. I know you must be as excited as I am!

First, a small (ok, rather large) housekeeping issue. I got my second SP 14 package close to two weeks ago and have yet to say a proper thank you to my Secret Pal. Even worse, I have serious camera issues and so can't show it off properly. She sent me some lovely baby blue cotton yarn - even better, she sent me enough for a February Lady Sweater! She included the pattern with it, so I'm guessing that's what it's for. I also got a little notebook to take notes in. Thanks Pal for another great package!

So, in case you hadn't noticed, today is October 1 - the beginning of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (remember to do self-checks ladies!), Sock-tober (if you knit socks you're excited right about now), Stockpile 2009 (for Malabrigo Junkies a way to create a pile of gifties for the holidays in the best yarn around!). It is also BLOGtober, a chance to challenge yourself to write one blog post. And I'm gonna do it! I know, you must be shocked! It's been about six weeks since my last post and now I'm going to write one every day for 31 days?! I know it's crazy, but I'm gearing up for a very special project and thought this would be a good kick in the butt! So, wish me luck and I hope you don't get sick of me!

One last thing. I'm also going to do participate in Stockpile 2009. Mainly because I have knitted gifts I want to get done, but also because it gave me an excuse to buy more lovely Malabrigo. My plan is to do a few hats, a scarf or two and my first shawl. So, wish me luck on this endeavor as well!

Talk to you tomorrow! :)

The Bestest Kit EVER!

2009-08-19T20:18:00.012-04:00

Ok, I know I've said this before, but this has to be the best swap package EVER! I was very lucky and had Prendolyn the Weird as my spoiler. She always adds these great creative touches and this package did not fail to impress! Just look at all the goodies she sent me. :)

First is the FABULOUS bag that I just know was handmade. She opted to go with Ravenclaw colors (film version). Also, if you look in the bottom right hand corner, you'll see a cute little owl as well! So cute!

Next we have some fun silver, fluffy and glittery yarn. But the coolest part? Check out that hand made label! It's a Hinkypunk label... my cabin! Such great attention to detail. :)

Here we have a little goody... tasty blood pops (strawberry for the squeemish).

Plus some stitch markers...

.... and look! More Hinkypunks!

But what is in this box?!...

It's full of beads! Not only that, but they're all in their own little containers (instant organization!) She even included the top ring and a few shrinky-dink charms with the house crests on them. How neat is that?! Homemade stitchmarkers for my next swap kit for sure!

Here is the whole kit all together. Pren also included some tools and wire as well instructions on how to make stitch markers. Super excited!

Thank you SO much Pren! You rock!

Pardon the Delay!

2009-08-12T20:05:00.008-04:00

I owe a big apology to a most wonderful spoiler! I got my first package in the SP 14 swap and have yet to properly thank and blog about it. As you can see, my spoiler was most generous!

Oh it's a box! Just for me!

It was chock full of goodies! See them all? I'm most excited about those Knit Picks stitch markers. Oh and the candle smells heavenly! Oh how I LOVE me some clean cotton!

And this gorgeous bit of fabric turned out to be a needle roll. Woo hoo! A real home for my needles! :)

And finally, look at this oh so pretty light blue yarn! I'm not sure what kind it is, so if you could let me know, dear spoiler I would be most grateful!

Suffice it to say that I am a VERY happy SP participant! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

P.S. I promise to do better with the next package!

For the Love of Mal

2009-08-02T19:13:00.009-04:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I love swaps? I really do. I love creating fun and exciting packages for my spoilee and meeting all the great people. I love getting things in the mail -- whether it be some crafty goodness from Etsy or some yummy yarn (say from Eat.Sleep.Knit), I love getting mail! Finally, I love getting the package that someone took such care to put together. Even better is getting it from someone who has a BRAND new infant at home and STILL took the time to put together a great package! That's right, I was most fortunate to have Michelle (lazystitch) as a spoiler. And as you can see from the pictures below, she did NOT let a bouncing new baby boy stop her from being a great one!

Here's the pretty blue bag that was waiting in the box!

First we have some edible goodies. A tin of lovely earl grey tea and a bag full of chocolatey goodness! There was (yes, that's past tense, it's already gone) Godiva, Lindor and Dove. Mmm Mmm good!

Next we have some GREAT little tins that I've been eyeing on Etsy. THey're in one of my fav color combos, too.

Then we have some recipes that all have one thing in common -- peanut butter! She noticed that I love the stuff and was looking to do some cooking so she kindly found a few recipes to satisfy both desires

There were also THREE different hat patterns. Two were color work (Rav links). There was also the pattern for a Harry Potter themed hat. The best part is she provided yarn for these patterns... it's coming up next!

Ok, I think you've waited long enough for the best part... the MAL! Michelle was VERY generous. She gave me three skeins. There's Polar Morn for the Harry Potter hat and Sapphire Green and Cuarzo for either of the colorwork patterns. They're all GROGEOUS (as usual!) and I can't wait to get started. (But first I have to finish my Mal spoilee's hat!)

Finally, here we have all of the goodies together. Thank you SO very much, Michelle! I love all of it! You rock!

Life

2009-07-25T11:59:00.003-04:00

So, I've been letting things get away from me. Everything from my friends and family to my spoiler/spoilee duties. And all because of a little thing called the 2009 ERA Awards Program. That's right folks, and awards program has come between me and all of you.

You see, there's only one of me and close to 300 entries. All of these entries have to be entered into the database and the nominators have to be charged. I have to arrange for volunteer judges, make sure that all of the materials (commercials, questionnaires and ballots) get to the judges and then make sure the ballots get tabulated. I have the help of a Task Force, but that task force is more bent on getting their own agenda across than helping me. So, this week was the week to get all the materials out -- and I did it, but the skin of my teeth! Well, I got the long form judging materials out. Monday (or Sunday if I can drag myself into the office!) I'll email the short form materials to the judges. Suffice it to say all of my other duties have kind of fallen down on the priority list! I think that I can get back to it though now that the materials have gone out. At least that's what I'm hoping.

So, now you know why it is that I've been so neglectful and absent minded lately. I hope you understand! I hope you're all enjoying your summer... I want to hear all about it!

Talk to you soon!

Walloon Lake, MI

2009-07-18T22:02:00.017-04:00

My dad's family has a cabin on a lake in northern Michigan. We have been on Walloon Lake for 75 years now - which of course called for a big family celebration. So, June 19, I made my way up there and began a week of rest and relaxation on the prettiest lake you'll ever see! The best part? Seeing all of my uncles, aunts and cousins. I hope this will become a tradition!

Most mornings began like this. Kind of eerie isn't it?

But they always ended up like this. This is how most days went... reading and getting sun on the dock! Oh the good life!

But first we had a little party to celebrate our diamond anniversary. This is Uncle Stu, my grandpa George's brother and the unofficial head of the family.

We went out to dinner one night as well. Here's my dad and me.

And dad with Elizabeth.

I also had a chance to meet the newest member of the family, Aaron Leo. Here is with Susan, my stepmom. So cute, right?

There was also a bit of cornhole being played.

But it all comes back to the lake. This has to be my favorite shot I think. It was taken around 10pm on the Summer Solstice. God how I love this lake!

All in all it was a fantastic trip. Lots of fun, food and frevolity. Just what I needed right before work got crazy busy. Can't wait for next year!

What's your greatest fear?

2009-07-10T20:40:00.006-04:00

So, for the the 3rd game at HSKS8 Camp, we have to depict how a boggart would change for us and then how the spell to get rid of it would change the fear.

First, we have my fear... falling!

Next, we have the change. Instead of plunging to my death, I'm now falling onto a water trampoline. Nothing makes me smile and laugh more than playing in the water and jumping up and down!

HSKS8 Game 2, Part 2

2009-07-03T09:42:00.002-04:00

So, the second part of the game was to solve the quote below using the answers from the first part. The idea is that the first number cooresponds to the numbered answer and (I assumed) the second number was the letter in that answer, i.e. 14-1 is H. Well, when you do that, the quote you get is "Phen gn doubt, go to the lgbrary." Which SHOULD read, "When in doubt, go to the library." One easy fix would be the 18-1, it should be 18-2. The 20-1 though, I don't know what that is. The only other explanation I can come up with is maybe something was wrong with Ron Weasley when he said it? I can't quite recall what was going on that prompted that quote. Maybe it's SUPPOSED to read like that then?! Anyone remember?

20-1, 14-1, 9-6, 3-3
P-H-E-N

18-1, 3-3
G-N

19-4, 11-2, 9-3, 8-5, 15-9
D-O-U-B-T

7-1, 11-2
G-O

15-9, 11-2
T-O

15-9, 14-1, 9-6
T-H-E

13-8, 18-1, 8-5, 16-3, 6-5, 16-3, 5-3!
L-G-B-R-A-R-Y

Secret Pal 14 Questionnaire

2009-07-03T08:01:00.004-04:00

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? My fav yarn is probably Malabrigo, but I like just about everything. Ella Rae Classic and Cascade 220 are my go-to yarns. I'm not a big fan of acrylic and novelty yarns though.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? Right now I'm using a small LYS
bag... I really need to get something better.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I learned about 4 years ago, but only recently started really getting into it. I would put my skill level at advanced beginner.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? I have a very old and outdated Amazon wish list under my email address: ashley dot cavell at gmail dot com. I also have an etsy favorites list and there's a small list on my blog.

5. What's your favorite scent? My fav perfume is Happy by Clinique. I really like light and citrusy scents.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? I do have a sweet tooth. I like chocolate, but I'm trying to eat more fruity/chewy candies, like twizzlers, starbursts and skittles. My favorite candy though are Peanut Butter M&Ms. :)

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I scrapbook occasionally and am getting into making my own cards and stitch markers

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD). I like singer/songwriters like Jason Mraz, KT Tunstall, Duffy, James Morrison and the like. Andy yes, I am MP3 ready.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? My favs are blues/greens/greys. But I really cannot STAND oranges and some yellows.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I'm a single lady with no animals. Wow... that sounds a little sad.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I am more inclined to wear hats and scarves. I do not wear ponchos at all.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I love to knit hats, dishcloths, and bags/purses. I'm really into felting right now.

13. What are you knitting right now? I'm working on a February Lady sweater and my CPH. A lot of things are in my queue and I don't know what to start first.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? I love receiving handmade gifts.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I prefer circulars and LOVE my Denise Interchangables! So, plastic is favorable, but I also like bamboo.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? I do not, but my roommate does so I'm fortunate enough to be able to use hers.

17. How old is your oldest UFO? My oldest UFO is the basic sweater I started in September of 2005.

18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe? My fav holiday is 4th of July because I LOVE fireworks. I celebrate Christmas.

19. Is there anything that you collect? Do books count? I really can't say no to books.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I have bought Knit Picks Harmony needles for others, but have not yet tried them myself, so would LOVE that. I have only recently REALLY gotten into knitting, so don't own any books or subscribe to any magazines.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I would LOVE to learn Magic Loop!

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? I am in the learning stage still of sock knitting. I wear a size 8.5 shoe.

23. When is your birthday? December 22

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? dramaqt99

Summer Camp Game #2

2009-06-30T11:20:00.002-04:00

In the second volume of the HP books by JK Rowling, The (#1)Chrome Cab Festers, we continue to learn the incredible adventures of Hogwarts student (#2) Parry He Trot and his friends (#3) Oral Weensy and (#4) Angering Her More. Belonging to the house of (#5) Dry Off Grin, they attend Defense Against the (#6) Ark Darts taught by Wizarding celebrity (#7) Oracle Dorky Light, a none-too-bright fellow who cannot even handle pixies!

In The (#8) Chrome Cab Festers, we also meet Dobby a (#9)See Flu Oh for the first time. Determined Dobby seeks to sabotage the return of (#10) Parry He Trot to Hogwarts and is pretty persistent but is unsuccessful. After a few weeks at school, the deceased Ravenclaw student who haunts the girls lavatory, also known as (#11) My Molten Grain, shows (#12) Parry He Trot and (#13) Oral Weensy an old empty diary that dropped through her ghostly form out of thin air!

Many nifty things continue to happen for the next several months… we won’t go into all the juicy details right now… however, the ending is prime reading indeed!! (#14) Parry He Trot finally kills Tom Riddle’s (a.k.a #15 Mold Voter) sneaky diary (which we now know is a #16 Crux Rho) and saves the sister of (#17) Oral Weensy, (#18) Gayly Nine Sew!!!
Oh! Of course, we must mention that the thickheaded (#19) Oracle Dorky Light unintentionally erased his own memory, so he won’t be back for book three, The (#20) Snob In A Froze Parka…

Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter
Ron Weasley
Hermione Granger
Gryffindor
Dark Arts
Gilderoy Lockhart
Chamber of Secrets
House Elf
Harry Potter
Moaning Myrtle
Harry Potter
Ron Weasley
Harry Potter
Voldemort
Horcrux
Ron Weasley
Ginny Weasley
Gilderoy Lockhart
Prisoner of Azkaban

Vacation

2009-06-26T21:05:00.002-04:00

Right now I'm just giving a brief update of my vacation in Northern Michigan. I have some great pictures that I want to include and will give you a more in depth update when I have those ready. However, I CAN tell you that I WAY over packed. I would have been just fine with my swimsuit, a cover-up, two pairs of shirts, a few t-shirts and a simple dress. Also, I brought knitting (I was going to start Rusted Root (Rav Link)), but got caught up in a GREAT book (yet another post to write). Also, Walloon Lake is the most beautiful place on earth and I have the pictures to prove it. Finally, my family is amazing, funny and the best a girl can ask for. Seriously... couldn't have asked for a better week and I can't WAIT to tell you all about it!

3 Truths & 1 Lie

2009-06-17T12:42:00.000-04:00

In order to get to know my bunkmates better and to give them a little insite into me, I'm listing three truths and one lie. They'll guess the lie and I'll guess theirs. Should be fun!

I can touch my tongue to my nose.
I am one of eight kids... mixed, not all related though!
I have been to almost every continent.
I have lived in VA my entire life.

So, which one is the lie???? Can you figure it out?

HSKS Summer Camp 09 - Week 1 Games

2009-06-16T11:40:00.003-04:00

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you... The theme for this week's games are to help us get to know our fellow campers and for them to get to know you.

Part 1: "What's in your trunk?" List 10 items beginning with the same letter as your first name that you brought with you to camp.

Cassie C is bringing....
Chairs
Croissants
Candles
Candy
A Cat
Camphor Oil
Cheese
Camomile tea
Calamine lotion
Cookies

Part 2: WINGO! Wizard Bingo

Get WINGO! by finding fellow campers with these unique attributes all in one row or column of the WINGO board. **I have gotten all of the O's so far, but will add the other columns as I get them.**

O1: Emma Gorodok
O2: Emma Scamander
O3: Pandora Phelps (antique glass)
O4: Cassandra Grubbly-Plank
O5: Bevin Rae Mooney

Part 3: Get to know your Spoiler & Spoilee

Go through your spoiler AND spoilee’s projects on Ravelry (I think everyone has at least 1 thing I’d hope!) and comment on or favorite something you like. This is another way to get to know them better.

My spoilee is Selena Starfire. She has over 100 projects... so many lovely things to choose from. I'm going to with her Hey Teach (Rav link), because she worked especially hard on it and it came out BEAUTIFULLY! Way to go, Selena!
My spoiler is Prendolyn the Weird. She is both a knitter and a crocheter, wich I find super cool. I have tried and tried to learn how to crochet, but just can't get it. My fav project of hers is the Chinese Chomping Cabbage (Rav link) since it's just so gosh darn cute!

15 Books in 15 Minutes

2009-06-05T10:42:00.005-04:00

Saw this question on another blog that I read and thought it would be great to answer.

“This can be a quick one. Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.”

1. A Swiftly Tilting Planet - Madeleine L'Engle

2. Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban - JK Rowling

3. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

4. House of the Spirits - Isabele Allende

5. Just as Long as We're Together - Judy Blume

6. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

7. The Eight - Katherine Neville

8. The Boxcar Children - Gertrude Chandler Warner

9. Starring Sally J. Friedman as Herself - Judy Blume

10. Labyrinth - Kate Mosse

11. The Velveteen Rabbit - Margery Williams

12. Sophie's World - Jostein Gaarder

13. The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

14. Nickle & Dimed - Barbara Ehrenreich

15. Herland - Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Down River Review

2009-05-26T11:18:00.002-04:00

Down River by John Hart

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

After two of the bookstore emails I get recommended this author, I decided to pick up his first book. Unfortunately, I couldn't find it at the store I was at, so I opted for this one instead. And let me tell you, I'm not sorry I did! This book definitely lived up to its Edgar Allen Award worthiness. The characters were flawed and passionate and the plot kept you from putting the book down. I am a fan of mysteries and can, from time to time, figure out who did it before the story is over. With this book though, that was definitely NOT the case. I love a good twist at the end (as long as its not TOO out of left field!) and this was a great one. Even better was the fact that not everything was completely resolved at the end. You knew that these people's lives were still evolving and I really like that.

View all my reviews.

Vision in White Review

2009-05-26T11:10:00.002-04:00

Vision In White by Nora Roberts

Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Surprise, surprise... Nora Roberts got back into the swing of things! I wouldn't go so far as to say she's back to her old level of excellence, but she has CERTAINLY improved upon her last two trilogies. The two main characters were well developed and extrememly charming. The plot was well thought out and went at a good pace and I'm actually really looking forward to what will happen next. I'm still not sure if it was worth the trade paper price, but I'm not feeling like I want my money back! Thanks, Nora! :)

View all my reviews.

What a difference a day makes!

2009-05-06T10:35:00.008-04:00

I have a beautiful dogwood tree in my front yard. It's in bloom right now, so I snapped some pictures to show my mom. You see, her tree is a little sickly and never quite looks like it's going to make it. Well, as many of you may know, the DC area (and beyond) has been showered upon for days and, well, the tree has taken a hit. So, here you have it...

Before:

After:

So, there you have it. In less than a week, my tree went from being lush and lovely to... well, not so lush and lovely. Ahh... Spring is here!

I'm Number One! I'm Number One!

2009-05-01T07:38:00.000-04:00

Lucky you! You can be Number 1, too!

Mad Lib Time

2009-04-27T09:47:00.002-04:00

Ok... here's the story to go with the list.

I have to tell you about the pretty time I had in Diagon Alley last weekend! My friend Agatha Vablatsky and I decided that we really needed some new stitchmarkers and had to get over to Diagon Alley immediately. Agatha put on their belt because it was huge and did not want to get a cold. I grabbed my keys and we headed to the trains.

While waiting for our train to Diagon Alley, we chatted with Callisto Verity and Thalia Tinkwych who were planning to visit Gringott’s. Thalia did not want to go alone because she was collecting a hydrangea bush and that was very purple and brought Callisto along for their excellence in protecting spells.

The train arrived and off we went. Our seats were very comfortable and the train sped along towards Diagon Alley and we were there in a flash! Before heading to the Yrsa’s Yarn Shoppe, we went into a house that sells the mean cakes!!! As we neared the house, we noticed quite a lot of commotion! The house owner had set the cake-making machine and it had gotten stuck! Cakes were boring everywhere! I ducked as a cream-filled cake came boring right at me and it fascinated into Professor Flitwick’s hat just as they walked through the door! A buttery cake did a nose dive and splattered all over the window most elaborately! We made it out of the store just as a cake frog and a kettle of Bertie Bott’s every flavor beans collided in a rainstorm of goo!

Since we were still blank, we walked the 28 blocks over to Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor! I decided on a cone with sour ice cream and Agatha got the hot fudge sundae with extra fudge! Yummy! Professor Flitwick had made his way over there as well after the incident at the cake shoppe and had chosen a butterbeer float.

After that, we passed Gringott’s and headed to Yrsa’s Yarn Shoppe! I tried not to look at the beautiful skeins of silk and bamboo and wool and instead, headed toward the stitchmarkers while Agatha stopped to swim the stitch markers. I found a silly stitchmarker made out of steel and made my purchase. Agatha kept hedging between the stitchmarkers she came for and a pattern for a scarf. She chose the scarf pattern and we walked the back towards the train station just in time to make the 12:30 train.

After sitting down, we noticed Callisto and Thalia were on the train as well. Thalia looked quite smart to have the hydrangea bush with them. Callisto however did not look smart at all. While waiting to go into the vault, a baby goblin waiting in line with his Mommy, had drank on Callisto getting chocolate all over their clean robes! The smell really was just horrendous! Apparently, Callisto’s protecting spells don’t work well against chocolate!! We made our way to a less smelly compartment and talked about how we were going explain missing Professor McGonagall’s lecture on the valuable ways thestral’s are working with the Department of Mysteries in solving unsolvable Londons!

More Homework

2009-04-21T11:27:00.002-04:00

1- Pretty
2- Agatha Vablatsky
3- A stitchmarker
4- A belt
5- Huge
6- Keys
7- Callisto Verity
8- Thalia Tinkwych
9- Hydranga bush
10- Purple
11- House
12- Mean
13- Cake
14- Boring
15- Fascinated
16- Professor Flitwick
17- A hat
18- Buttery
19- A window
20- Blank
21- 28
22- Sour
23- Fudge
24- Butterbeer
25- Swam
26- Silly
27- A scarf
28- Smart
29- Drank
30- Chocolate
31- Professor McGonagall
32- Thestral
33- London

One last quiz

2009-04-17T06:55:00.002-04:00

I'm off to Blacksburg this weekend, but before I go, here is one last quiz. Can't let my fellow Claws down!

1. This “Harry Potter” character’s first name comes from Roman mythology. The mythological character’s twin brother is named Romulus. What is the Harry Potter character last name?
a. Black
b. Lupin
c. Pucey
d. Finnigan

2. Which “Harry Potter” character’s first name is the Roman equivalent of the Greed Goddess Athena?
a. Evans
b. Malfoy
c. McGonagall
d. Flitwick

3. In ‘Harry Potter’ World, this wizard has created the Philosopher’s Stone (called the Sorcerer Stone in the US). The historical figure from the 14th and 15th centuries was a scribe and a manuscript-seller who became famous as an alchemist. Who is this individual?
Nicholas Flamel

4. What is the first name of a character whose last name is the name of a Bulgarian leader from early 9th century who doubled the country’s territory?
a. Theodore
b. Cedric
c. Viktor
d. Vincent

5. Which character’s name is the name of goddess in Indian mythology?
a. Creevey
b. Patil
c. Zabini
d. Vane

6. “Where the Wild Things Are” tells the story of Max, a young boy sent to bed without his supper for his wild antics. Who created this winner of the Caldecott Medal?
a. Maurice Sendak
b. Chris Van Allsberg
c. Ezra Jack Keats
d. John Steptoe

7. What was NOT one of the unexpected defense mechanisms that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Griphook encountered in their attempt to rob Gringotts?
a. The Flagrante Curse
b. The Thieves’ Downfall
c. Anti-summoning Enchantments
d. The Geminio Curse

8. What was Snape aiming at when he cut off George’s ear?
a. Another Death Eater’s back
b. George’s wand hand
c. Another Death Eater’s wand hand
d. George’s face

9. How much older than James was Lily? (Referring to Harry’s parents, not children).
a. James was older
b. 6 months
c. 1 month
d. 2 months

10. Food is one of the five exceptions to what magical law?
a. Grimp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration
b. Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration
c. Gamp’s Law of Fundamental Transfiguration
d. Grimp’s Law of Fundamental Transfiguration

Picture Hunt

George

McGonagall

Patil

Where the Wild Things Are

DC Requirement

2009-04-08T21:07:00.004-04:00

The picture below seems to be a requirement for this time of year if you are a DC area resident. Yes, that is a cherry blossom. However, it's not from one of THOSE cherry blossom trees, it's from a tree close to my office. I did not head into the craziness that was The Cherry Blossom Festival this past weekend. Instead, I headed out to Berryville to take my little brother to his art school audition. You see, my stepdad had to have his appendix removed, so I took care of Noah so mom could take care of Michael. Afterwards, I went to my BFF Jamie's for a girl's night of wine and chick flicks. Good times. Oh, and even BETTER?! I FINALLY lined the bag for my HSKS7 spoilee! Oh man am I glad to have that off my plate. The package went out on Monday. Once Pandora gets it, I'll share some pictures, but until then, it's still a secret!

The pretty cherry blossoms near my office.

Fabulous things await!

2009-04-01T10:08:00.004-04:00

It came, it came! Oh happy day it came! "It" being my reveal package from my SP 13 pal -- Brooke! And let me say how fabulous this package is and how worth the wait it was! I really don't the words to justify it, you'll have to just see for yourself.

Here is the box right after I opened it. Looks promising!

This was under the pattern and letter. Look at the pretty pink cloud of yarn!

This is the tea cup and saucer that is to be used for chai tea. I am instructed to drink while I peruse the patterns or book she also sent. I think that is an EXCELLENT idea!

Ok, so the pretty pink cloud was the "buddy shawl" that she started for me. She got me to about the half way point and I'm all set to finish. The yarn is so delicate and soft -- I'm loving it!

Here is the shawl with the pretty little jars of pampering goodness. We have body whip and body sugar. Both smell divine!

Here is a new pair of Crystal Palace circs and a super cute mint candy tape measure. Love it!

She also sent along the premiere issue of Debbie Bliss magazine, the pattern for the Fiber Trends felted hat and some more lace patterns.

A hank of Cascade 220 in a pretty shade of brown -- I think I'll pair it with some soft gray Cascade 220 I have to make a felted hat.

This is two hanks of Handpaint Originals in some really pretty blues, reds and oranges. Super soft stuff!

And finally, here is the whole package all together. The book she sent was In Her Shoes. I really enjoyed the movie and can't wait to read the book!

Brooke, thank you so much for such a generous package! I know that this has not been the easiest time for you -- which just makes these gifts all the more special. Thank you for being so kind and I wish you nothing but the best. I feel really lucky to have had you as my Secret Pal and I hope we can now be pals period! Thank you!!!

Scrambler

2009-03-31T10:56:00.002-04:00

This week's Ravenclaw homework was to take the word Ravenclaw and make as many words as possible out of it. There were two caveats however. One, each word MUST contain the letter "R". Two, the only letter that can be repeated in the word is "A", since it is the only one that appears twice in Ravenclaw. Also, as a bonus round, you can list all of the words you can think of that DON'T contain an "R". So, here we go.

Words with an "R"
Wren
Raw
Crave
Crew
Care
Arc
Car
Crawl
Craw
Arena
War
Care
Lear
Real
Ran
Vernal
Craven
Carnal
Raven
Wane
Acre
Carve
Crane
Ware
Near
Carnal
Warn
Arcane
Waver
Renal
Learn
Lacer
Aware
Race
Wear
Rave
Area
Earn
Ear
Larvae
Clear
Narc
Earl
Rev
Raw
Era
Are

Bonus Round
Valance
Lance
Calve
Warn
Wave
Veal
Vane
Nave
Lawn
Lava
Lace
Clan
Lean
Lave
Elan
Lane
Claw
Anew
Wan
Van
New
Awe
Acne
Law
Venal
Navel
Naval
Clean
Canal
Vale
Cave
Cane
Awl
Can
Ace

Weekend in the Park

2009-03-30T15:40:00.005-04:00

The weekend following the one with yarny goodness, I headed out to Berryville where my mom lives. Also visiting were my brother Justin, his wife, three daughters and new puppy. I was heading out for only the day, but lots of fun was to be had.

For the most part, we just hung out around the house and chatted. I met my newest niece, Hailey. She generously "baptised" me within five minutes of picking her up. What a welcome! She's awfully cute and has curious look about her. I have this great picture of her with her dad, where he holds her by her feet in one hand, forcing her to use her legs to stand. It sounds very dangerous, but is actually very beneficial. She strengthens a lot of her muscles and learns balance. See the picture below to see what I'm talking about.

Justin holding Hailey up with one hand. See, it's not THAT bad, right?!

Next we went to the park. The two older girls ran around while the adults tried to keep up. Lots of rides down the slide and pushes on the swing were to be had. It was a lot of fun -- and also a reminder of how much I need to head back to the gym! After that, we went for an early dinner and I headed home. All in all, it was a great day! My family rocks!

Justin helping Lexie (the middle girl) walk across the balance beam.

Tessa (the oldest) at the bottom of the slide. Check out the static electricity!

Even the grown ups had some fun!

Weekend of Yarny Goodness!

2009-03-23T10:59:00.004-04:00

The weekend of March 14 was all about yarny goodness. Saturday was Knit Happens' fifth birthday and the store celebrated with a great sale. I love the great deals they give you during their sales. This time around, my favorite deal was the 50% off all books and patterns. I got French Girl Knits (Rav link) and another book which I cannot mention because I got it for a spoilee. I also got FIVE skeins of Rowan Big Wool (Rav link) so I can make Wrenna (Rav link) from French Girl Knits. I got all of that for the low, low price of $66! Woo hoo! Thanks, Knit Happens and Happy Birthday!

The next day, the roommate and I headed up to Savage, MD and the Savage Mill for the Homespun Yarn Party. When Wendy and I got there the place was PACKED! We did one turn around the place and then decided to get some lunch and come back for another turn and buy things then. This was an EXCELLENT idea because when we got back from lunch, it was a LOT easier to get around. It was SO worth the drive up there, too. So many great hand dyed yarns -- many of which I have been coveting for a while. I also got to meet one of my swap pals. Shelby from the fall Starbuck's & Yarn Swap has a line of sock yarn that she was selling. I got a skein of Nagini that has silver threads in it. So pretty! I also got some Wullenstudio sock yarn called Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys that is a great blend of turquoise and teal. I also was on the hunt for something for my RAOK package and I found the PERFECT thing. I hope she likes it!

Shelby and I at her booth. Look at all of her pretty, pretty yarn!

The Nagini sock yarn I bought from Shelby.

The Wullenstudio sock yarn that I bought.

HSKS 7 Quidditch Round 2

2009-03-16T10:29:00.002-04:00

1. On which day did the Order of the Phoenix come to get Harry?
a. Tuesday
b. Sunday
c. Saturday
d. The day of his 17th birthday

2. During all this chaos with Voldemort and the Death Eaters, people still had lives to live and Ron's oldest brother, Bill decided to marry Fleur Delacour? Who were the uninvited guests at Bill and Fleur's wedding?
a. Voldemort
b. Death Eaters
c. Scrimgeour
d. Grindewald

3. Voldemort had seven Horcruxes hidden in different places. Six of them were hidden at the Gaunt shack, Hogwarts, a cave, inside Harry, inside his snake, Nagini and Tom Riddles Diary. Did Voldemort hide the last Horcrux inside the Malfoy's vault at Gringotts?
a. Yes
b. No

4. Why did the Dumbledore's move to Godric's Hollow?
a. The reason is unknown
b. They were tired of their old home.
c. The father went to Azkaban
d. It was a better place for their children to grow up

5. Harry and Hermione read a part of "Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore," written by Rita Skeeter. Then they met Dumbledore's brother Abeforth and he told them the same story, just with a few details changed. Which of the following did Aberforth and Rita Skeeter agree on about Dumbdore's past?
a. Why the Dumbledore family moved to Godric's Hollow
b. That Dumbledore was friends with Grindelwald for a while.
c. Why nobody outside the family noticed Ariana much.
d. The reason for Dumbledore's father's imprisonment in Azkaban.

6. When Harry and Hermione visit Godric's Hollow, they visit the graveyard to see Harry's parent's graves. Harry walks by a tombstone that we later learn belong to tone of "The Three Brothers'. The brother buried there once owned what?
a. The ressrection stone
b. The cloak
c. The wand
d. The sword

7. The Trio finds out that Luna had been kidnapped by the Death Eaters and that they won't give her back until they got Harry Potter. Why did they kidnap Luna?
a. Her father sided with Harry and Dumbledore
b. They though he would come to her rescue
c. She was a muggleborn
d. Her father failed as a Death Eater

8. After Voldemort killed Snape, he left the room and Harry came out from under the cloak. Snape gave Harry some of his memories all the way from when he was a child to just months before. Harry dived into the Pensieve and which of the following did he not see?
a. Dumbldore telling Snape that at some point Snape had to kill him.
b. Snape telling Lily she was a witch
c. Snape and Lily having fun in a potions class
d. Snape talking to Dumbledore on a hilltop

9. On the search of the Lost Diadem, Harry finally gets to talk to the Gray Lady. Who was the Gray Lady when she was alive?
a. She didn't remember because she had been dead for so long.
b. Rowena Ravenclaw.
c. Helena Ravenclaw.
d. A girl who was put in ravenclaw 800 years previously

10. Which of these is not one of Harry or Ron's children?
a. Rose
b. Hugo
c. James
d. Victoria

Picture Scavenger Hunt

These pictures must either be posted to your blog or linked to from your blog.

Catching up with my classmates

2009-03-10T14:14:00.003-04:00

Going through the blogroll of my fellow Hogwarts students taught me some great things this week.

Minerva Lovegood of Gryffindor suffered from a small panic attack last week. I hope it wasn't because of our hat duel! Those are supposed to be fun, not stressful. I should have sent her some chocolate with my hat, it would have smoothed out the rough edges!

I learned through Violet Starfire that the Puffs are learning more about their fellow students. Have they caught on to how the Claws find the snitch?! Uh oh! Also, she has a bit of a sweet tooth and is using Drooble's Best Blowing Gum to trap a jumping spider. What a clever girl!

Emma Gorodok, a fellow Ravenclaw, is a VERY lucky girl. She's about to leave for a visit with her parents. Then she's off to London and then finally Edinburgh to visit with the European contingent of HSKS. Have fun! Oh, and I also saw fabulous pictures of her in a newly crocheted lace shawl. What talent!

The biggest lesson I learned was from Callisto Verity of Slytherin! I know, a SLYTHERIN had something to teach me! ;) But while she's currently recovering from a broken arm (courtesey of a bludger in the last Quidditch match), she caught up on a LOT of her school work. It made her wonder though about us Claws. She wondered what we DID with all of the knowledge we seek. She sees the Gryffindors and Slytherins putting it to practical use, but can't say the same for the Ravenclaws. I believe that searching for answers and knowledge DOES serve a practical purpose. It leads to the great findings of our lives. Sometimes, pure research is what it takes to make those great discoveries and breakthroughs. It's later that the theories and knowledge can be put into practice.

Thank you to all of my fellow classmates for teaching me so many great things. I learn so much from all of you and greatly appreciate it! :)

What a week!

2009-03-06T10:00:00.005-05:00

Greetings! I have just returned to VA after spending the better part of a week in Miami. And let me just say that I was loathe to return! I was in sunny and warm climes and returned to dreary and cold winter. Not exactly my dream.

So, I was in Miami for the eRetailer Summit (which is my association's mid-winter meeting). The hotel we were at, the InterContinental, was really nice. I had such a great view! Check it out! I got to see the pretty water. I have another picture which shows you the cruise ships that I looked down on as well, but it doesn't look as good.

I am the Education Manager at ERA, which means that I am in charge of all of the logistics for the speakers at our meetings as well as helping to create the educational content. At this meeting, we had two GREAT keynote speakers. One was Greg Waldorf who is the CEO of eHarmony. He's in the picture to the left, standing on the stage. His presentation was so great and such a treat to watch. Our other keynote speaker, Chris Rosica, gave everyone so many great ideas on how to get their brands out there. Over and over I just kept hearing about how great the educational offerings were, which really brought a smile to my face!

In other news, I completed the second round dueling hat for HSKS7! This time, the pattern was a little trickier as I had to learn a new stitch. Looking at the picture below, I can't really tell if it lives up to its name of "Quilted Diamonds", but whatever. It's on its way to the cold north of Northern Michigan. Here's hoping my owl doesn't freeze!

Anywho, it's time to get back to all of the post-meeting follow up. I'm really excited about it... I swear!

Protest

2009-02-26T10:04:00.002-05:00

Ok, I'm just going to come right out and say it. We Ravenclaws were assigned an INSANE amount of homework. I looked at the assignments for the other houses and I had to ask myself -- how did we get so loaded down? There were THREE LONG assignements. Those three could have easily been spread out over three weeks and no one would have been the wiser. So, in protest (and the fact that I'm heading down to Miami for a conference), I'm not doing it. I'm sorry ladies, but I'm not. I know that when I signed onto this swap, there would be assignments, but I thought they would have been like last term. Or, if you had wanted to challenge us more, maybe ONE of those assignments at a time. But not three at once. Sorry... ain't gonna happen!

In other HSKS 7 news, work is progressing on my spoilee's kit. I've gotten a lot of the little goodies and have started on the handmade bag. The sticking point is still the kit itself. I think I finally found something that will work though. I just hope my spoilee likes it!

Anywho, back to the paying job. Talk to you all when I get back from Miami! :)

My long weekend

2009-02-18T09:51:00.002-05:00

I was so happy when 5:30 PM rolled around this past Friday because it meant the start of a long weekend. This weekend was going to be for me! Since I'm a singleton with no one to celebrate Valentine's Day with, I figured I would treat myself this weekend.

After work I went to Knit Happens (my all time FAVORITE LYS) to pick up a button for my dueling hat. While I was there I also found a set of handles for the bag I'm making for my HSKS7 spoilee. After that was done I took myself out to dinner at Bertucci's (oh the bread!). I then went home and watched some TV while finishing my dueling hat. I finished the hat around midnight or so. Go me! Finished another hat in less than a day!

Saturday I woke up bright and early to tack down the flap of the hat and add the button. After getting some shots of the FO, I left for the Post Office to ship it off to Thalia Tinkwych in England. Here's hoping mine gets to HER before hers gets to ME! That errand completed, I went in search of a new bed. Now, I was SUPER excited about getting this bed. It was the EXACT style I was looking for and wasn't TOO expensive. I found it at Crate & Barrel and it is scheduled to be delivered to my house on Friday, Feb. 27! So excited!

Sunday was my movie day. I saw Confessions of a Shopaholic and He's Just Not that Into You. The first was predictable and funny, but not much to write home about. The second however, was better than I expected. I really only have ONE issue with it. If you know anything about the book, you know that it was written to help women with this idea that men play games. For example, he's not calling because he lost your number, it's because he's just not that into you! It's not mean, per se, it's saying that you are fabulous, and you shouldn't be wasting your time on a guy who doesn't see that. A guy that IS interested in you will stop at nothing to call or see you. Well, this movie did a really great job of portraying this -- until the end.

One of the guys, played by Justin Long, says that most girls AREN'T the exception, that in fact most of us are the rule. However, (SPOILER ALERT!) in the end he tells the girl he ends up with, played by Ginnfer Goodwin, that she IS the exception -- for him! I mean come on! I get that it's a rom-com and people want a happy ending, but that defeats the whole purpose of the book. I mean, are we really supposed to continue to constantly hope that WE'RE the exception for that ONE guy?! Or are we supposed to be empowered and independent women who know that you shouldn't have to CHANGE a guy (or yourself for that matter!) for them to be interested in you. Well, I guess this where the argument where it IS only a movie and movies are supposed to be a place where you can escape reality. What do you think?

To finish off the weekend, I worked on my final package for SP13, did some laundry and tried to fix my DVD player. I think the DVD player is a lost cause and I'm going to have to replace it. So sad!

How was your weekend?

Photo Tag

2009-02-18T09:16:00.003-05:00

I was tagged by my swap mate today, Pandora Phelps. Here are the rules:
1. Go to your pictures on your computer
2. Open the 6th folder
3. Choose the 6th picture
4. Show the picture on your blog and write something about it.
5. Invite 6 new people to this challenge.
6. Link to them and let them know they have been tagged.

Here we have my niece Lexie the day after my sister's wedding. She's my birthday buddy! She's also one of the happiest and easiest going kids I know. Aww... and she's so CUTE!

I'm tagging: Thalia Tinkwych, Callisto Verity, Arriana Stylos, Minerva Wood, Cassandra Goode and Hermione Bagnold. Have fun ladies! :)

Quidditch Round #1

2009-02-17T12:08:00.003-05:00

1. What momentous event was the reason that the members of the Order of the Phoenix felt it necessary to move Harry out of the Dursley’s house?

a. The start of the new school year

b. The Dursleys kicking him out

c. Voldemort’s escape from Azkaban

d. Harry’s upcoming birthday

2. Who revealed the actual date of Harry’s transfer to Voldemort, despite the misinformation the Order had been spreading around that the move would occur on the eve of his actual birthday?

a. Mundungus

b. Snape

c. Yaxley

d. Shacklebolt

3. With the use of Polyjuice Potion (and to confuse any possible attack by Death Eaters), six members of the Order were disguised as Harry and escorted out of Privet Drive, along with the real Harry. Which member of the order did not survive that night?

a. Mad-Eye Moody

b. Nymphadora Tonks

c. Hagrid

d. George Weasley

4. Who informed Harry, Ron and Hermione of the bequests left to them in Dumbledore’s will?

a. Kingsley Shaclebolt

b. Minerva McGonalgall

c. Arthur Weasley

d. Rufus Scimgeour

5. During the wedding celebration for Bill and Fleur, Kingsley Shacklebolt sent a Patronus to tell the guests that the Ministry had fallen, Scrimgeour (the Minister) was dead and the wedding celebration was about to be attacked by Death Eaters. What form did the Patronus take?

a. A lynx

b. An otter

c. A doe

d. A stag

6. Escaping from the wedding to London, our three friends found themselves confronted by a pair of Death Eaters, disguised as workmen. This close brush impressed on them the need to find someplace to hide. Where did they decide to go?

a. The Leaky Cauldron

b. Sirius Black’s house

c. The Dursley’s house

d. Ron’s Auntie Muriel’s house

7. Kreacher’s animosity towards Harry, Ron and especially Hermione (a Mudblood) was well documented in book five, “The Order of the Phoenix.” His initial interaction with them showed that his attitude had not changed. How did they win him over?

a. By giving him clothes and his freedom

b. They didn’t win him over!

c. By giving him something to eat

d. By giving him Regulus Black’s old locket

8. Who did they eventually find was in possession of the locket/Horcrux?

a. Severus Snape

b. Lucius Malfoy

c. Lord Voldemort

d. Dolores Umbridge

9. What did Harry find embedded in the door of Umbrdige’s office?

a. Moody’s magical eye

b. Nymphadora’s purple hair

c. Hedwig’s head

d. George Weasley’s ear

10. After retrieving the Horcrux, they tried to return to their safe place but they were pursued (actually Yaxley tagged along when they disapparated). This meant that the Death Eaters knew their hiding place and they had to go somewhere else. Where did Hermione take them?

a. To Godric’s Hollow

b. To the Forbidden Forest

c. Back to the Burrow

d. To the site of the Quidditch World Cup

Picture Scavenger Hunt

Mad-Eye Moody

Nymphadora Tonks

George Weasley

The Dursley's House

Kreacher

Ravenclaw Assignment #2

2009-02-11T10:03:00.002-05:00

I usually avoid these kinds of "tell me about yourself" kind of surveys, but since it's for school I can't avoid it. So, here it goes!

1- What form does your Patronus take? What does it symbolize for you? My Patronus takes the form of a wolf… a symbol of loyalty, independence and intelligence.
2- Did you bring a cat, an owl, a toad, or other pet with you? What is their name? I brought my cat Matilda.
3- What is your favorite class here at Hogwarts? I would have to say my favorite class is Runes.
4- What is worth sneaking out of the castle for, even if you got caught? Helping out a friend in need.
5- What has made you laugh so hard that you've had butterbeer come out your nose? Watching Snape slip on a wet spot in the Great Hall.
6- What yarn do you covet? Link please... Debbie Bliss Pure Cashmere
7- What is your favorite flavor... the one thing you could simply not live without? Is brand important? Chocolate hazelnut… specifically Nutella chocolate spread… so many uses, so little time!
8- How many HSKS terms have you participated in? This is my second.
9- Do you have a birthday, anniversary or other big Muggle event during this year at Hogwarts? If yes, please tell us what. No, all of my big events happen at the END of the year.
10- You in 5 words. Curious, trustworthy, persistent, friendly and intelligent.

It was only a matter of time!

2009-02-03T15:47:00.002-05:00

I am a metro commuter. Meaning, I take a bus to the Metro station and then take the Metro to my office. (For those not in the DC area, we call the subway system the Metro.) This means that I encounter anywhere from 2-5 escalators (depending on which station I get on/off of). Every time that I encounter an escalator I flash to the possibility of slipping and falling DOWN the escalator. It has not yet happen, but I always THINK about the possibility! So, considering the fact that this area has seen a bit of wintry weather, the possibility increased quite a bit. And sure enough, today was the day that it happened. I was walking down the first of three escalators at the Ballston station when the slickness of the step combined with the slickness of my shoes and caused me to fall on my butt. My phone landed in front of me (it was in my bag), the bag landed beside me and the umbrella landed behind me. Thankfully, I did just fall backwards, rather than taking a header down the escalator, but I was still a bit sore and REALLY embarrassed!

So, is this a matter of self fulfilling prophecy or am I just a klutz? Any thoughts?

Belated Christmas Report

2009-01-22T10:41:00.007-05:00

Ok, so Christmas was almost a month ago, but I never got a chance to show off the handmade gifts that I created for my family and friends. So, since I'm lacking in inspiration for posts, I'm going to do so now.

First, is the scarf that I made for my little brother. He never actually GOT the scarf because I missplaced it while moving. I think it was a blessing in disguise because it turns out Noah isn't a big fan of scarves. :)

Next, is the hat I made for my BIL, Andy. It's the Irish Hiking Hat (Rav link). I was worried about it being too small, but turns out it fits just fine. Real quick, I finished the poncho-that-became-a-shawl for my sister, but didn't get any pics of it. She loves it!

Here we have the Fetchings (Rav link)I made for my mom. It's a really bad picture, I know. They're made from Dream in Color Classy in the Beach Fog colorway. They remind me of mermaid tales.

Finally, we have the two Foliage (Rav link) hats I made for my nieces, Tessa & Lexie. I am SERIOUSLY in love with this pattern. I impressed my mom by finishing it in about a day. And I'm also now SERIOUSLY in love with Malabrigo. I just kept petting the pink one while I was making it.

I also made another Foliage hat for a co-worker (again in the Malabrigo) and a pair of Felted Clogs for a friend, but don't have any pics. I am very proud of myself for getting that much knitting done in such a short amount of time. Now, if only I could finish my CPH!

Happy Reading

2009-01-09T11:21:00.002-05:00

Greetings to you all and Happy New Year! (Nine days late, but it's the thought that counts!)

I'm trying to get out of the resolution business. I always feel so guilty when I don't follow through. Instead, I'm going to try one thing for a month. Not to say that it won't last LONGER than a month, but I only have to commit to it for a month. One thing that I want to commit to is reading more. I used to be quite the avid reader. If you look on my blog, you'll see a little widget for my GoodReads account. While I don't have as many books as my friend Claire (and really, who does?!), I do have quite a few. However, with my new job came a new commute that didn't allow for as much reading. There's also my knitting habit, which can't be ignored. Between all of this, I have let reading fall to the wayside. Well, for this month, I am committing myself to reading more. There, it's in writing, therefore, it WILL happen! (Or at least should.)

Anywho, WHAT shall I read first?! I have a lot of books in the "To Be Read" category. There's Labyrinth. I have had this book in my cue for well over a year now and I have picked it up and started about 15 different times. There's also Pillars of the Earth. I actually got about a quarter of the way through this book, but then put it down and forgot about it. I have a few Neil Gaiman books I could read, like Anansi Boys and Fragile Things. After reading and being awed by American Gods, Good Omens and Neverwhere, I asked my folks for more of his work and these were the two that I got. I also got a Terry Pratchet book (he cowrote Good Omens with Gaiman) that I could read.

So, all of those books on my shelf and what do I do? I BUY the first book by the first in the Southern Vampires Mystery series by Charlaine Harris to read. I (like so many others) got hooked on the HBO series True Blood this summer and now have been sucked into the books. The first one, Dead Until Dark, is pretty much the entire premier season of True Blood and has been OK. It's a quick and easy read. Nothing to write home about, but is still worth a read. I'm not sure if I'll read the others though. I DO know that if I do read the others, I'll be checking them out of the library though. They're definitely not worth paying good money for.

Next, is going to be either Labyrinth or Pillars of the Earth. What about you? What are you reading? Do you have any recommendations for me? I'm always interested in new reading material.

SP13 QotW #2

2008-12-18T09:32:00.002-05:00

Part A: Are you doing any holiday knitting?
If you look to the right of this post (you may also have to scoll down a little), you will see a list of my holiday knitting. Some of them are "hope to get done", while others are "have to get done". For example, it would have been nice to do a pair of slippers for my friend Christina, but I didn't HAVE to do them. However, my mom's fetchings HAVE to get done.

Part B: Have you finished?
Well, as you can also see from the list, a lot HAS been completed. The one "have to get done" item left is the second fetching for my mom. The other things will be a "if I can" kind of thing. I'm actually really proud of how much I DID get done. Having that many FO is a new thing for me. I am notorious for having too many unfinished projects. Don't get me wrong, I still DO have too many unfinished projects, but the number of FINISHED projects is starting to get as big. If that makes any sense.

Have a Merry Christmas! :)

For a Good Cause

2008-12-16T13:41:00.004-05:00

So, I'm sure many of you have already seen this, but just in case you haven't.... Here is by far one of the COOLEST lunchboxes I've EVER seen!

The lunchbox was designed by David Rockwell, the CEO and founder of The Rockwell Group, an architecture firm. The box is one of many designed by celebrities as part of The Lunchbox Auction to benefit the Food Bank for New York City and The Lunchbox Fund. The current bid on this fantastic cable knit lunchbox is at $100. The auction ends tomorrow though -- so bid now!

Bright Spot

2008-12-12T12:10:00.007-05:00

Yesterday it rained cats and dogs here. On top of that, it was cold.... and I forgot my umbrella. So, since I now take the bus to the metro, I walked home in the cold rain. This makes me very grumpy. But, when I got into the house, waiting for me on the living room table was my package from my Starbucks & Yarn swap partner! This was indeed a VERY bright spot in an otherwise dreary day.

Well, I couldn't dive in right away because Wendy had dinner all ready and was handing me a bowl full of tasty spaghetti while I was trying to get into the box. Oh well, a home cooked meal on a dreary day is also a bright spot AND it added to the anticipation. So, after my VERY tasty dinner, I tore open the box which revealed many sunny yellow wrapped packages -- another bright spot.

Ok, I was REALLY excited to have Shelby as my spoiler because I knew she dyed her own yarn and I was hoping to be on the receiving end of this talent of hers. And all I can say is I did indeed get some yummy yarn. I got two different skeins. One, a sock weight yarn which included some sparkly silver yarn, was made especially for me. It included all of my favorite colors and is just SO pretty and sparkly. You can KIND of see the sparkles in the picture, but I couldn't do it justice. The other skein is a worsted weight that is a BEAUTIFUL combination of blues and browns (another fav of mine!) and is SUPER soft.

The next few gifts were a homemade bookmark and some stitch markers. As you can see, they too were GORGEOUS. Shelby is definitely one crafty lady! I also got a travel mug that had pictures of things that I like -- including a Starbucks beverage, my Hogwarts House flag and a map of the Northern VA area (where I call home).

Finally, I got an absolutely beautiful clutch bag. It is in my current favorite shade of blue and had a really pretty button that I believe is a Celtic knot. She left it unfelted so I could make it as loose or as tight as I liked, which is VERY considerate of her. I think I will felt it a bit to give it more structure, but it is still an absolutely GORGEOUS bag.

Thank you again, Shelby! You are such a thoughtful and generous person and I really do love everything. I hope we can meet soon!

One more quick thing. After a trip to Target, my first SP13 package is ready to be sent. I really hope my pal likes it!

Playing Catch Up

2008-12-02T12:10:00.013-05:00

Hello! Long time no write, I know. Have you noticed that everyone who drops off on blog writing for a while, always seems to start a new post this way? Oh well, can't always be original I guess! :)

For those of you in the US, I hope you had a rockin' good Thanksgiving. I spent mine in Indianapolis with a bunch of people from my dad's side of the family. The majority of whom I either hadn't seen in YEARS or had never met. It was a BLAST! Instead of the traditional turkey dinner, we instead served the Cavell Family red sauce. I know, to look at me, you would NEVER know that I am part Italian, but my great grandfather immigrated from Italy when he was about 12 I believe. Below are a few shots of the festivities.

First, we have the "kiddie" table. However, none of the attendees were under the age of 21, so there really weren't any KIDS, per se.

Next, we have a gaggle of Cavells hanging outside in the "balmy" 45 degree weather. Shooting the breeze (and sneaking a smoke!)

Here we have a little self-portrait action.

First, is my cousin Jonathan and myself.

And here I am with my cousin Clayton!

So, that was Thanksgiving. When I returned to VA on Black Friday I had to get back into packing mode. All of the little things and the clothes that I never wear had to be packed up before my move the next day. Let me tell you, the ENTIRE time all I kept saying was "I have too much JUNK!" It's so true. But of course, pack rat that I am, I couldn't bring myself to pitch any of it. I know, it's ridiculous!

Well, I wish I had pictures from the day of the move or at least some of the boxes, but I was too busy moving to take any. The day of the move was GORGEOUS! Really sunny and not that cold, I'd say it was about 50 degrees. My mom, step dad and little brother came to help, which I LOVE them for. This is the fourth time they've helped me move and so we have it down to a science. Everything went smoothly and nothing was broken. Now I just have to finish unpacking!

So, I know that my mail is successfully being forwarded because I got my first SP13 package! Look at my goodies! Thank you SO much, Secret Pal. I can't wait to work on my first pair of Noro socks. Well, my first pair of socks PERIOD if we're being honest! And the book IS a perfect swap gift! It's so cute. It's not as intriguing as my current read, Labyrinth by Kate Mosse, but it's perfect for some tips and knowledge. Oh and one more thing, SP, (and yes, I know this isn't very subtle) anything by Madeleine L'Engle, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchet are worthy of some reading time!

Well, that's it folks! I know this was a long one, so I thank you for reading it through. Talk to you again soon!

Prometheus Found!

2008-11-17T11:04:00.004-05:00

When Tia, my Slytherin upstream partner for HSKS 6, told me that her owl Prometheus was on his way (and to watch out for his snipping!), I was super excited! I was hoping it would arrive on Friday, but alas, that was not the case. On Saturday, I headed out to Berryville to visit my mom and the rest, so I wasn't going to be there to watch the skies. Sure enough, when I arrived home Sunday morning, there was Prometheus, patiently wating with my package by my front door!

Well, after carefully extracting the package from his talons (and avoiding his beak!), I opened a WONDEROUS package! Tia, all I can say is WOW! You are a thoughtful and VERY talented spoiler and I am lucky to have had you! :) So, take a moment to take a gander at all that Tia has sent me.

First, a picture of all the nicely wrapped gifts just for me.

Next, all of the gifts unwrapped and fabulous!

Next, here is a close up of the AMAZING Ravenclaw Tia made (she even made up the design herself!). This bag truly blows me away. I'm impressed with anyone who can do color work and this bag is a great example of it. :) The bag is also lined, which I now know I really need to learn how to do!

The next handmade item was a super cute Ravenclaw sock ornament for my tree So cute! I'm looking forward to putting it on my tree this year. :)

I think this next item is one of my fave gifts EVER! As many of you know, one of Tia's many hobbies is caligraphy. Well, I was hoping that I would be gifted with an example of her talent and boy howdy was I! She made a great notebook for me! She even wrote out my schedule for me inside. I LOVE this book and will treasure it always! :)

She also made me so handmade stitch markers. The little charms on the ends say things like "peace", "dream", "believe" and "hope". They're in the Ravenclaw colors and are VERY pretty!

Here is the great Cascade 220 yarn that she also sent. A really pretty blue and grey-ish/beige-ish color. Together they'll make a great Ravenclaw item.

And finally, here is a close up of the little extras she sent. I got three fabulous bookmarks (which is great because I'm usually reading that many different books at the same time!). Some Mary Kay chapstick, some Crystal Palace size US 8 straights (my FAV needles). I also got a blue pencil that looks like it was made out of a piece of wood, along with a red pen so I can edit my potions papers! Oh, and I didn't get this in a close up, but she sent me not one, not TWO, but THREE boxes of Mike&Ike's, the BEST candy ever!

So, as you can clearly see, Tia has been a great spoiler and I am a VERY lucky Ravenclaw witch! :) Thank you SO much, Tia, you're the best!

Round 3 of Quidditch

2008-11-13T13:53:00.004-05:00

Ok, the third and FINAL round of Quidditch is on Sunday, which of course means it's time for a new trivia quiz. So, here it is in all its final glory! :)

1. Who was Tom Riddle Sr.'s girlfriend before Merope gave him the love potion?
a. Eleanor
b. Cecilia
c. Sally
d. Mandy

2. What does Luna say floated into Harry's ear when he was in the train car that supposedly caused him to lose focus?
a. Demiguise
b. Jobberknoll
c. Wrackspurt
d. Runespoor

3. How much do the primary Apparition lessons cost?
a. 10 galleons
b. 8 galleons
c. 15 galleons
d. 12 galleons

4. What is Professor Merrythought's first name?
a. Eileen
b. Galatea
c. Carol
d. Jocelyn

5. What Hogwarts club was Eileen Prince captain of?
a. Charms Club
b. Gobstones Club (well, team actually)
c. The Slug Club
d. Occlumency Club

6. Who is head of the Goblin Liaison office?
a. Ambrosius Flume
b. Dirk Cresswell
c. Ciceron Harkiss
d. Barnabas Cuffe

7. Mrs. Weasley offers Fleur a goblin-made tiara for the wedding with Bill. What family member is currently in possession of the tiara?
a. Aunt Muriel
b. Aunt Ethel
c. Aunt Edna
d. Aunt Thelma

8. How many points does Snape take from Gryffindor for Harry's late arrival and muggle attire?a. 30
b. 70
c. 50
d. 90

9. When Profressory Slughorn first meets Hermione, he asks her whether she is related to Hector Dagworth-Granger. What society did Dagworth-Granger found?
a. The Most Extraordinary Society of Charms
b. The Most Extraordinary Society of Herbology
c. The Most Extraordinary Society of the Defense Against the Dark Arts
d. The Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers

10. Which of these describes Golpalott's Third Law?
a. The antidote for blended poison will be equal to less than the sum of the antidotes for each of the separate components
b. The antidote for a blended poison will be equal to less than the product of the antidotes for each of the separate components
c. The antidote for a blended poison will be equal to more than the product of the antidotes for each of the separate components
d. The antidote for a blended poison will be equal to more than the sum of the antidotes for each of the separate components

Life outside of knitting

2008-11-11T14:57:00.002-05:00

So, I really DO have a life outside of knitting and now that I am between swaps, I can catch you all up on it.

First off, the big news. I'm MOVING at the end of the month. I'm very excited because I get to live in Arlington which will allow me to start taking the Metro again. Since my office will pay up to $110 a month in Metro fees, this is pretty much free for me. I did have to revisit my budget though since rent in the new place is higher than my current home, but after giving some luxury things up and moving some payments around, I'll be able to swing it just fine. I did a major clean/purge/pack this weekend and discovered that I don't have nearly as much stuff as I thought I did. I'm wondering if I'm missing something or maybe I didn't unpack everything the last time I moved... either way, it means fewer boxes that had to be boxed up, which means less to move come the day.

In other, sadder, news, a couple of people were laid off at my office. It was such a shock because we're a small office (staff wise) to begin with and I thought we were pretty much as lean as we could get without sacrificing the quality of the work. Turns out I was wrong. I only started here in April, but I was really sad to see the two go. One of them just had a baby and the other is just out of college. It's so sad! On the other hand, I'm greatful that they didn't adhere to the old adage "last hired, first fired" because then I would be the one out of a job! Oh well... I'm just going to focus on doing the best job I can and pray that this economic crisis ends soon!

I've started my Christmas shopping and list making. I have quite a few hand knitted (see, can't keep knitting out COMPLETELY!) items on my list, but they're small and hopefully with the week off for Thanksgiving I can get many of them done. I'm doing the Utopia hat for a couple of friends, a basket weave scarf for my brother and the Irish Hiking Scarf (Ravelry link) for my BIL. This might actually become the hat version of the pattern if the scarf is taking too long! Some hairbands for my nieces, a pair of Fetchings for my mom and some cup cozies for my dad and stepmom. So, yeah.... LOTS of knitting to get started on!

And on that note, I head to the needles! :)

SP13 Questionnaire

2008-11-10T14:15:00.003-05:00

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I like just about everything. Ella Rae Classic and Cascade 220 are my go-to yarns. I'm not a big fan of acrylic and novelty yarnds though.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? Right now I'm using a small LYS
bag... I really need to get something better.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I learned about 3.5 years ago, but only recently started really getting into it. I would put my skill level at advanced beginner.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? I have a very old and outdated Amazon wish list under my email address: ashley dot cavell at gmail dot com.

5. What's your favorite scent? My fav perfume is Happy by Clinique. I really like light and citrusy scents.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? I do have a sweet tooth. I like chocolate, but I'm trying to eat more fruity/chewy candies, like twizzlers, starbursts and skittles. My favorite sweet though are Peanut Butter M&Ms. :)

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD). I like singer/songwriters like Jason Mraz, KT Tunstall, Duffy, James Morrison and the like. Andy yes, I am MP3 ready.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? My favs are blues/greens/greys. But I really cannot STAND oranges and some yellows.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I'm a single lady with no aminals. Wow... that sounds a little sad.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I am more inclined to wear hats and scarves. I do not wear ponchos at all.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I love to knit hats, dishcloths, and bags/purses. I'm really into felting right now.

13. What are you knitting right now? I'm working on my Christmas gifts right now. A pair of fetchings, scarves, hats and cup cozies.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? I love receiving handmade gifts.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I prefer circulars and LOVE my Denise Interchangables! So, plastic is favorable, but I also like bamboo.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? I do not, but my roommate does so I'm fortunate enough to be able to use hers.

17. How old is your oldest UFO? My oldest UFO is the basic sweater I started in September of 2005.

18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe? My fav holiday is 4th of July because I LOVE fireworks.

19. Is there anything that you collect? Do books count? I really can't say no to books.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I have bought Knit Picks Harmony needles for others, but have not yet tried them myself, so would LOVE that. I have only recently REALLY gotten into knitting, so don't own any books or subscribe to any magazines.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I would LOVE to learn Magic Loop!

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? I am in the learning stage still of sock knitting. I wear a size 8.5 shoe.

23. When is your birthday? December 22

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? dramaqt99

Super Secret, Super Fabulous, Quiz!

2008-11-07T15:36:00.002-05:00

1. Astrid Cloverleaf
2. Cassandra Grubbly-Plank
3. Enna Kirts
4. Slena Starfire
5. Henry Longstaff
6. Ceciley Fortescue
7. Mona Ravenscroft
8. Argentia Pascal
9. Prendolyn Wilcox
10. Lizzie Wychwood
11. Ursula Longbottom
12. Rowena Weasley
13. Aurora Curlyfur
14. Lily May Clearwater
15. Megaera Black

Bonus #1. Hermione Bagnold (aka Smileynetta)
Bonus #2. Less than half.

Shipping Queen! (And a Witch of a Hat Update)

2008-11-07T09:41:00.009-05:00

I don't mean to sound cocky or anything, but I really am a bit of a shipping QUEEN! Since I have started participating in swaps I have been to the post office more times than I ever have before! Yesterday was my favorite day though. I mailed two swap packages. One to Kristin (aka Thomasina Riddle), my downstream partner in the HSKS 6 swap. The other was to Stephanie, my downstream partner in the Fall Starbucks & Yarn swap. I am very proud of myself for getting both pakages out before the early ship deadline. It means extra points for the Ravenclaw House (HSKS 6) and the House Blend (FS&Y). Go me!

In other, sadder, news, my witch's hat arrived from Draco on Wednesday. A full day before mine landed on his doorstep. As you can see from the picture, it is a very lovely shade of blue and flops on my head beautifully. If I had to go out, at least I went out in style! Thanks, Draco!

That's a brief update for now. I have other things to catch you all up on, but I'll save that for a later date. TTFN! :)

A Witch of a Hat

2008-11-05T08:57:00.004-05:00

As some of you may know, I am participating in HSKS 6. Well, as part of that, I am also participating in the Dueling Club. I get paired off with a fellow Hogwarts student and the goal is to get a knitted item to them as quickly as possible. Whoever gets a hat first "dies" and is eliminated from the competition. It's been a lot of fun so far and I've gotten further than I thought I would. I even made a hat in a 24 hour time period. I was definitely starting to feel a little cocky!

Well, the most recent round had me battling Draco Firewalker. We were challenged to make an actual Witch's/Wizard's hat. This hat was indeed a challenge. It was one of the most TEDIOUS projects I've ever done. It's a top down hat and you increased the width by adding ONE stitch to the end of ever row. Just ONE stitch! And the pattern doesn't tell you which way to add the extra stitch, so I chose the kfb way. Added a nice spiral to the overall hat. Well, I spend ALL day Saturday knitting and ended with 97 stitched (after starting with 4!). I thought I was going along at a good pace. Well, I wasn't able to spend all day Sunday on it like I would have liked because I had weekend errands and chores to do. And sure enough, Draco was able to pull ahead and was able to mail it on Monday. I on the other hand wasn't able to mail until Tuesday. As his arrived in Virginia, mine LEFT Virginia. So, I'll probably get my hat today while his won't arrive until tomorrow. Bummer!

P.S. Draco, if you read this, could you please take a picture of the finished hat? I only got a few of the hat in progress and was in too much a hurry to get it mailed to remember to take a picture of it. Thanks!

Pretty brown packages, all tied up with strings!

2008-10-31T12:17:00.007-04:00

These really ARE a few of my favorite things. :) And I've received TWO in the past week or so. One contained my demise in the Hat Attack II competition and the other was my Ravenclaw Trick Or Treat Mini Swap. Both were welcomed with open arms and are much appreciated.

First, we have my package from Emily, which contained my pretty hat of death. She was also kind enough to include some yummy chocolate and candy to soften the blow.

And here is a photo of just the hat. I've written about how difficult this pattern was. Emily's hat was SPOT on! And it's such a pretty combination of dark green and a corally pink!

The next package to arrive was from Arriana Stylos, a fellow Ravenclaw. Her task was to send me a trick, a treat and a Ravenclaw themed item. As you can see below, she did FANTASTICALLY! She sent me some super soft Twinkle Toes yarn in a very pretty light blue color way -- what a treat! For my trick she hid some spiders (of the plastic variety) within the yarn -- what a fright! For the Ravenclaw item she sent me a sticker of the Ravenclaw crest. She also included some yummy chocolate gold coins (both a trick AND a treat!). Thank you again Arriana!

RH Quiz #2

2008-10-28T17:20:00.002-04:00

I. What security question does Mr. Weasley ask Mrs. Weasley before he enters the Burrow? What is the answer? Q: “What is my name for you in private?” A: “Mollywobbles”

II. What two names does Mrs. Cole call Dumbledore when she takes him to see Tom Riddle at the orphanage? Mr. Dumberton and Dunderbore.

III. What is the name of Ginny's Pygmy Puff? Arnold

IV. What three D's are needed for apparating? Destination, determination and deliberation.

V. What spell did Harry perform when he was attacked by Dementors? The Patronus Charm.

VI. Who did an arrow salute at Dumbledore's funeral? The centaurs.

VII. What did Dumbledore set on fire to prove to Tom Riddle that he was a wizard? Tom's wardrobe.

VIII. What Christmas present did Kreacher give Harry? A box of maggots.

IX. What is on top of the Weasleys' Christmas tree? A garden gnome.

X. What was the most popular item at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes? Nosebleed Nougats

XI. Why did Harry threaten to kick Ron off the Griffindor Quidditch team? Because he was being a real jerk to most of the team… just goes to show that attitude IS key! :)

XII. What happens if you break an Unbreakable Vow? You die.

XIII. Who did Hermoine go to Slughorn's party with? Cormac McLaggen

XIV. Who is Mrs. Weasley's favorite singer? Celestina Warbeck

XV. Who are the only two people who know the full contents of the prophecy made about Harry and Lord Voldemort? Dumbledore and Harry.

Back from Bean Town

2008-10-19T11:46:00.005-04:00

Last week I was up in Boston for a conference. The conference was ok... found a few possible speakers, heard presentations on things I only KIND of understand and met a few cool people. All in all it was a success.

This was, I think, my fourth time visiting Boston. I love this town! I really think that if I ever moved away from the DC area, it would be to move to Boston. It appeals to my love of history and tradition (which is also why I love living in the DC area!). Unfortunately, the cost of living is about the same as here, but salaries aren't. So, I'll content myself with the occasional visit. Below are a few pics from this visit.

First, here is Trinity Church and its reflection in the Hancock Building.

And another picture of Trinity Church and the Hancock Building. What I like the most about this is the contrast of the centuries old church and the modern skyscraper. The mix of the old and the new. I love that!

My hotel was very close to the Boston Public Gardens. I snuck out during a break and grabbed some shots.

The first is a shot of the Lagoon as the sun was setting.

Next is a statue of George Washington. I have to wonder if EVERY city has a statue of him...

Here we have another shot of the lagoon. This time I was trying to capture the pretty fall foilage.

People crossing the bridge on their way home from work or back to their hotels.

Another shot of the bridge, but from a distance. I'm loving the fall colors and the wheeping willow!

Woo hoo! It's Make Way for Ducklings! It's a popular children's story that I was introduced to on my first trip to Boston. I was excited to see this statue of them!

Finally, we have Julie and Jenny. We were all at the conference by ourselves and decided to hang out together. So, of course, I had to get a picture to add to my blog!

And so ends my trip to Boston. I was happy to get home just in time for the weekend. I can't wait to go back. Maybe this time it'll be for vacation rather than business! Here's hoping! :)

Quidditch Round 2!

2008-10-15T20:18:00.005-04:00

Ok, it's time for the 2nd round of Quidditch. I just know that the Ravenclaws are going to find that snitch first this time! Soar, Claws, soar!

1. What animal does the portrait in the Muggle Prime Minster’s office resemble?
a. Rat
b. Frog
c. Cat
d. Lion

2. What drink does Romilda Vane try to give Harry?
a. Gillywater
b. Butterbeer
c. Pumpkin Juice
d. Elf-Made Wine

3. What is the name of the person who heads the Holyhead Harpies?
a. Gwenog Smith
b. Gwenog Jones
c. Glen Jones
d. Glen Smith

4. How many ‘Exceeds Expectation’ grades does Harry receive in his O.W.L’s?
a. 6
b. 3
c. 5
d. 4

5. What is Professor Sughorn’s favorite candy?
a. Cockroach Clusters
b. Sherbet Lemon
c. Acid Pops
d. Crystallized Pineapple

6. What tattoo is Harry reported to have on his chest?
a. Mermaid
b. Blast Ended Skrewt
c. Hippogriff
d. Unicorn

7. What color robes do the staff at the Weasley’s shop wear?
a. Buttercup
b. Magenta
c. Royal Blue
d. Aqua

8. What is the man outside Flourish and Blotts selling?
a. Amulets
b. Cloaks
c. Wands
d. Hats

9. How much is the skull, which Hermione enquires about at Borgin and Burkes, worth?
a. 9 Galleons
b. 18 Galleons
c. 16 Galleons
d. 12 Galleons

10. What are Professor Slughorn’s initials?
a. H.F.G.
b. H.E.F. (S.)
c. H.A.L.
d. H.K.D.

Favorite Character: Remus Lupin

Favorite Magical Creature: Hedwig, no one can argue that she was no regular owl!

Charming Chums Photo Hunt

2008-10-08T11:47:00.006-04:00

OK, all of Ravenclaw was challenged to find a few items for a photo scavenger hunt, created by Olive. My fellow roommmates and I banded together under the Charming Chums banner and with a tape measure in hand, went out in search of the items. Below is a pictoral list of the items that I was able to come across. Here's hoping that Emma and Molly were able to find the same group of items so we can get the most points possible!

Starting with the upper left photo:

1. Diadem

2. Raven feather

3. House socks

4. Lucky potion (Felix Felicis)

5. Used textbook

6. Broom

7. Horcrux (Slytherin locket)

8. Tree changing seasons

9. Engagement ring

10. Muggle artifact (Electrical outlet)

11. Magical creature

Darn the Luck!

2008-10-06T14:11:00.003-04:00

So, this past weekend was the first really nice fall weekend and I miss out due to a cold. I know that it's never CONVENIENT to be sick, but some times are better than others, you know. For example, I would not have minded so much to be stuck inside recovering if it were gray and cold and gross out. Instead, it's my stupid luck to be sick the first truly fabulous fall weekend. And to top it off, I had to watch as my fellow Ravenclaw housemates took their first trip to Hogsmeade! No butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks, no getting scared at The Shreaking Shack. I even missed out on getting a few things from Zonkos to get back at those mischievous Slytherins! And to make this weekend even MORE of a bust, I was really too tired to do much knitting and lord knows I have enough of it. Oh and then there was the lack of picture taking for the Photo Scavenger Hunt. But that's ok since I have until Wednesday to get that completed. Here's hoping!

Oh well, I'm over the worst of the cold, so it's back to work for me! Talk to you all again soon!

Ravenclaw Quiz #1

2008-09-30T16:25:00.002-04:00

House Quiz

1. What potion has the strange side effects of excessive singing and nose-tweaking?
Elixir to Induce Euphoria

2. What ingredient can be used to counteract the effect of the above side effects?
Peppermint

3. How much can you get for Acromantula venom?
100 Galleons per pint

4. What is the most powerful love potion in the world?
Amortentia

5. What antidote does Harry use to help Ron when he is poisoned by Madam Rosmerta's finest mead?
Bezoar

6. How does Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes' Owl Order Service get their potions past the security at Hogwarts to their customers?
Disguises them in perfume bottles and other innocuous items.

7. What did Draco Malfoy make in Potions class when Professor Slughorn assigned them to make something amusing?
Hiccoughing Elixir

8. What spells will not work in an area affected by Instant Darkness Powder?
Common light spells, such as Lumos

9. What are the ingredients for the Draught of Living Death?
Asphodel, an infusion of Wormwood, Valerian Roots, Sophorous Bean

10. How much will unicorn tail hair fetch?
10 Galleons per hair

Extra Credit

1. Do you prefer to knit or crochet?
I prefer to knit

2. What is your favorite weight yarn to knit/crochet with?
I really enjoy working with worsted weight.

3. What fiber contents do you most like to knit/crochet with? What fiber contents do you dislike knitting/crocheting with?
My favorite luxe yarn is a cashmerino combo, but my fav is a wool blend.

4. How many complete pair of socks have you knit/crochet?
I am just now in the process of learning how to knit socks, so none yet.

5. What is your favorite item to knit/crochet?
I am LOVING hats and dishcloths right now because they are SO quick!

6. What is your favorite treat?
I LOVE Mike & Ikes. Healthier loves are Fiber One Chewy Bars

7. Do you drink coffee, tea, or both?
I drink coffee, but adore Cherry Coke Zero.

8. Do you have an online wish list? If so, where?
I do not have an updated wish list. I have a really old one on Amazon. I need to get an updated one though to give to my parents for Christmas/birthday.

9. How many Ravelry groups are you in?
I am a member of 21 groups.

10. Is there any special item you have been really wanting, but can't find in your local area?
You know, there isn’t. That’s the beauty of living near DC, there isn’t much that I can’t find.

Woo hoo for Hats!

2008-09-29T11:44:00.006-04:00

So, I have returned from Vegas victorious and exhausted. The meeting went really well and I am happy to report that I didn't forget anything. All in all, it was a great experience and I was glad to be a part of it. It made me feel really good about taking on this job! :) I'm sorry to report that I didn't take ANY pictures though. I brought my camera, but never remembered to take it with me wherever I was going. I'm really kicking myself for bringing it and not using it because the display screen was cracked for nothing. Oh well, lessons learned and all that.

Anywho, I came back Wednesday evening and then had Thursday and Friday off so I took advantage and did a LOT of knitting. I completed my HSKS 6 Dueling Club hat in less than 24 hours and am happy to report that it dealt a "deadly" blow to my opponent! The hat is the Utopia Cable Hat (Ravelry link) and is a great quick knit. I will definitely be making this again!

Here is the pretty purple hat in all its glory! :)

Next, I FINALLY finished my Hat Attack hat! Firefairy, I bow down to the genius that is your design! There wasn't anything inheriently complicated about the pattern, but lordy how it required your constant attention. This is NOT a hat that you can mindlessly knit. And, as soft as Therapi is and as nice as the finished object is, it is a PAIN to work with! However, the most surprising thing is, I'm not dead yet! I know! How did that happen?! In any case, I'm sending the finished hat today. Hope you like it, Patty! :)

Here is my completed weapon for Hat Attack II. I just hope it's not a misfire!

Ok, back to work for me now. My next projects are a baby blanket for my soon-to-be-born niece and the handmade item for my HSKS 6 partner... and no, no hints for you, Thomasina! I want you to be properly surprised! ;) Talk to you all again soon!

Quidditch -- Round One

2008-09-25T10:20:00.002-04:00

Quidditch ~ Round One
Trivia and pictures must be posted to your blog before the Snitch is release in order to receive House points. The Snitch will be released on Saturday. Time is still to be determined.

1. At the beginning of the book, Cornelius Fudge is talking to the Muggle Prime Minister. Which member of the Order of the Phoenix has recently been found dead?
a. Hestia Jones
b. Elphais Doge
c. Emmeline Vance
d. Dedalus Diggle

2. What animal does Bellatrix Lestrange kill when she and her sister, Narcissa, are going to see Professor Snape?
a. Owl
b. Fox
c. Rabbit
d. Cat

3. What time does Professor Dumbledore collect Harry from Privet Drive?
a. Midnight
b. 11 p.m.
c. Noon
d. 11 a.m.

4. What did Professor Slughorn transform into when he was trying to hide from Harry and Professor Dumbledore?
a. An armchair
b. A bed
c. A table
d. A wardrobe

5. What grade did Harry get for Herbology?
a. E – Exceeds Expectation
b. P – Poor
c. O – Outstanding
d. A – Acceptable

6. Herbert Chorley, the Prime Minister’s Junior Minster, has been entertaining the public by impersonating which animal?
a. A hen
b. A duck
c. A lion
d. A squirrel

7. What is Professor Sprout’s first name?
a. Pimmy
b. Pomony
c. Pommy
d. Pomona

8. What is Dumbledore’s idea of ‘a few words’?
a. nitwit, odder, blubber rand tweak
b. nitwit, odder, bubblegum and tweak
c. nitwit, oddment, bubblegum and tweak
d. nitwit, oddment, blubber and tweak

9. Who is Marcus Belby’s famous uncle?
a. Bertie
b. Damocles
c. Tiberius
d. Savage

10. What is Snape’s mother’s name?
a. Helana Prince
b. Eileen Prince
c. Lily Prince
d. Elizabeth Prine

Pictures: Post pictures to your blogs or link to the pictures from your blog post.

Picture Day, Part II

2008-09-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

Ok, this is my mom and me at my sister's wedding reception. her suit is super shiny! :)