Fill-in the blank fun

Today I found another internet treasure: The Bureau of Communication. I recommend that you visit the site and have fun filling out "official" forms and sending them to your friends, family, loved ones...heck, even the guy at work that annoys you....'cause there is a form for that!

uess what I just finished? Three scarves that I will be sending to the Roots & Shoots group at the Little Wound School on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. The group (which is comprised of high school students) is holding a winter outwear drive to help keep people in their community all warm and toasty this winter. I love the idea of supporting a student-run drive; I want the kids to know that they can make a positive impact on other people.

Here is a close-up of the three scarves:

And here are the actual scarves:

I have another scarf on the needles and I have plans for several more. I am really enjoying picking out a different stitch for each scarf and given that I have a couple of stitch dictionaries, I could knit scarves for a long time before I had to repeat myself!

I am in the process of trying to sort through patterns so that I can knit something for the new babies that keep popping into my world. However, I don't know if I will get the nerve up to actually make a baby gift. I don't ever want to be the person who gives the handmade item that the parents didn't want in the first place, or gives the homely gift (some of my friends are quite skilled craftspeople who put me to shame), or you know, the gift that is already outgrown by the time it is finished. Yep, I have that problem. Sometimes my knitting mojo just stalls on a project and I have to set it aside for a while. That works for most things but it definitely won't work for baby projects!

So, are you working on any creative projects?

Internet treasure

o you ever just wander the internet and find something that feels like a secret-hidden treasure? I stumbled across this site that makes me want to blog more, just so I can use the beautiful letters that artist Jessica Hische has created and generously decided to share with people. The letters make me think of old-fashioned printing styles and worn volumes of old, leather-bound books. Wait...I mean that in a good way, but for some reason it sounds bad. You know, back when books were expensive and fancy and considered a precious commodity? Anyway, if you too are geeked out about fancy letters, you really need to check out her website, Daily Drop Cap.

Have you stumbled into any internet treasures that you'd like to share? Yes, I know this blog post is totally random...but what can I say, I really love those letters!

Knitting Progress

I have been absent for a while but I thought I would post on my recent accomplishment. I just finished my first shawl! It is a very simple feather and fan pattern but I love it. I keep it at work for the nights that it gets really chilly in the building.

I started the shawl in December of 2007 but I let it languish for a long time because I just didn't like the circular needle that I was using. Of course, I didn't know that was why I wasn't working on it. However, as I have gotten more comfortable with my knitting and more in tune with which projects and supplies work for me and which don't, it occurred to me that I should try a different needle. Once I did that, the project just about finished itself. The colors are most accurate in the close-up but you can see more of the finished work in this picture (please forgive the harsh florescent lighting):

In more exciting news, it is officially baby season! Several friends and co-workers are having babies and I am just thrilled for all of them. It is a little weird when the highlight of my week is the fact that the McRib is back at McDonald's and the highlight for some of my friends is announcing their pregnancy. It is the life I choose but still, sometimes it strikes me as a little odd.

I hope all is well in your corner of the world. Until next time...

Vacation Wrap-up...The Roadtrip

Many adventures were had with my friend K on an epic roadtrip to New York City. We saw a lot of the Pennsylvania back country on the way out so she could stop by and see a friend in Altoona and we learned that in Pennsylvania, the signs lie. Where was that Wendy's again? Um...we never found the Wendy's and ended up eating at a Burger King that evidently specializes in after-dinner dug consumption in the bathroom. So...I would recommend skipping Mt. Pocono unless you are looking for a very specific type of dining adventure. We did see some fun road dots that seem to be specific to the state...white dots in the road to help you remember the 2 second rule while driving...Pennsylvania is definitely anti-tailgating. Also, they would like you to know that bridges may be icy.

After a detour through an area that looked pretty sketchy in the dark (thanks for the bogus directions Mapquest) we managed to make it to the hotel in Jersey City that served as home base for New York City adventure. The next day we headed into the city and did some people watching and Statue of Liberty gazing. It was unseasonably warm in the city and the wait for a ferry off of Ellis Island in the blazing sun made for a bit of a grind but all was forgiven once we made it to John's on 12th Street. The best lasagna and dessert that I have had in a while. I highly recommend it if you are in the city and I can get you there like a real New Yorker thanks to K's excellent cabbie instruction. Just say "I need 12th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue" and you will be whisked away to delicious food.

Overall, great ending to my vacation. I would highly recommend the roadtrip with a friend especially a friend that you haven't seen in far too long. And thanks to K's indulgence, I managed to get three states that I had never visited crossed off my list of 50 states. So goodbye Pennsylviana, New Jersey, and West Virginia. Yep, thanks to a Wendy's Kids Meal in Triadelphia...West Virginia is off the list. Not to mention, Wisconsin was crossed off during the unblogged about trip to Madision...so four states during this two week vacation!

So tell me, are you a roadtrip fan? Do you care about seeing all 50 states? Is there a method to your vacation madness?

Vacation part one

On Wednesday I went on the first part of my three-part vacation. Yes, three parts may be a bit of an overkill but I figure that it makes up for all the times that I take a vacation and don't do anything other than sit at home. I headed over to Indy for a few days and got to spend a little time with some friends. I also got a little shopping done since there is no local Sephora or Aveda. I was going to head to the Indianapolis Museum of Art on Friday but I wasn't feeling well when I woke up so I just headed home instead. I was pretty disappointed since I was really looking forward to seeing the special exhibition on European design that is at the museum right now.
Obviously, the highlight of my trip was spending time with Brett & Denisa and their fabulous kids. It always amazes me how much kids change in a few months. The boys have gotten so big and their personalities are out in full force. Jesse is quite the little performer and I was very fortunate to be on the receiving end of a goodnight hug and kiss. Jesse is very verbal and even though I had some trouble understanding everything he said...I can tell you that he is one smart cookie. No...I'm not being biased...well, maybe a little but I'm telling you he is smart! Jonah is much more serious and reserved so when he smiled or laughed it was great...I felt like I really earned it. He is still fairly young so I wonder how much he will change or if he will remain a little more reserved than his brother.Tomorrow I leave for the second part of my vacation...Madision, WI...so if anyone has any vacation ideas for Madision, feel free to post them in the comments.