i am not up to much lately other than taking my class (sterile processing) and trying to find a job. no luck so far, i have sent many online applications out and not heard back from any of them. i am thinking that next week, after i take my final exam and have my certificate for the class that i will go into boston and pass out some resumes in person. can’t hurt, right?
my friend jennifer had the idea that she and a couple friends should have a cooking blog, and here it is:
spoon with a purpose
come say hi!

evelyn’s shrug
Originally uploaded by saripinksparkles
i made two of these little “shruggigans” for xmas presents, one for june and one for evelyn. the yarn is schaefer yarn’s “nancy” and the color is “pomegranate”. the pattern is also from schafer, it is called “nancy one skein shruggigan”.
i am making one for myself too, in the color “jane addams”.

i am done with the knitting and just need to block it, learn to crochet, crochet around the edge and add the buttons!
since i can not wait to wear it, maybe i will go block it now….
This guy who works for CNN is doing something interesting for the month of February. He is giving himself a food budget for the same amount of money that he would get if he had to depend on food stamps (now called the SNAP program), and he is blogging about it. Just reading this article made me think a lot about how much gets wasted just in my house… leftovers getting thrown away, and items that i buy and forget about and they go bad. I also eat out far too often, mostly just because “I don’t feel like cooking” or even more accurate, I don’t feel like cleaning up after cooking.
Since I got laid off, I have paid off and closed 2 “store” credit cards, and have used my two “real” credit cards minimally. I am proud of that, but reading this article, I realize that I could do other things better. I should really make a budget plan, and do my best to stick to it. I do not even have to do too much work, I can go read about what Crazy Aunt Purl did, and she has even made up a template and shared it. (link is in this blog post) Perhaps, even though its a tough time and looks like it will be a while until things really get better for a lot of people, it will help us all to learn not to be so wasteful and to live more within our means. I hope that I can do that anyway, because it would be nice to have some good things come out of this rather than just be upset about everything until I find another job, and then just start the same cycle all over again.
i have recently come across a really cute bag. i first saw it on one of my favorite blogs, glampyre knits (*its there on the bed, go ahead and look, i will wait for you*) and from there went to look at the website for namaste, who makes the bag (it is called “zuma”, and of course, although they are all beautiful colors, i am a big fan of the pink one!), and then i came across a giveaway of the same bag on ravelry. now, its true that i have never won anything in my whole life, but after a pretty crappy 2008, things have been getting better in 2009 (mostly because i have a tiny little job instead of no job, and i feel like that is a big step up. i am also really enjoying my “retraining” for a new job). so i figure it must be worth a shot. and if i happen to win this bag, i might go buy a lottery ticket while i am at it!)
the blog that is giving it away is called “hip mountain mama” and although i am not a mama (well not to a person anyway!) i had a good time looking at her website and reading her blog. i am always interested in learning more about green living because we only have this one planet to live on, why ruin it if we don’t have to?
anyway, to be eligible to win the bag, you send her an e mail with something that you would like to see her carry in the shop, and you can also enter by blogging about the contest. go check this website out, it has some really great things!
its a sad state that we in as a whole, when a job that pays $10 an hour gets 200+ applicants, some of whom are thousands of miles away from where said job is located.
i have not forgotten you! in fact, i’ve got a slew of f.o.’s that i gave away for xmas presents…. all on my point & shoot, which i can not find the cord to ANYWHERE!
i have also been very busy with the unemployment office and the many lovely things that go along with that. soon i will be taking a class and i am looking forward to that.
pictures to come, as soon as i find that camera cord!
Should the pirate ship be moved to the bottom right, and up a little so it lives in the gutter below the menu but above the bottom? It could also be made more transparent and just put behind the content that might be cool…. The stars could be more transparent too, and then the text up near the top would be easier to read….
Talk amongst yourselves….
i have so many projects to do! good thing that i have lots of knitting time. most of the things i have been doing are for xmas presents, but i made myself a cowl that i can show you!

the yarn is blue heron beaded wool (with sparkles in it!) in a color called “nebula” which, i think, is discontinued, since i got it off the clearance table at coveted yarn. it is all knitted, but after i am done writing this i am going to go block it so i can take it to austin in a couple days for a nice long weekend visiting jennifer and sylvie. i may or may not bring my kittyville hat (the third one) that i am making for myself (although it is still just a ball of yarn) to work on so i have a warm winter hat.

this lovely yarn (sheep shop 3 - so soft and nice - and a pretty brown with pink undertones) came from yarns in the farms. i also got myself a pretty little project bag there, with a purple bird on it. (too lazy to take my own picture, at the moment)
if anyone knows of anything that i simply must do in austin, please let me know!
am i surprised, no, not really. am i excited? OH YES! WE DID IT!