Help me celebrate my birthday!

*** Edited to add: Lookie, lookie. My felted fortune cookies are on the Craft Magazine blog. I'm almost famous!

I was awakened at 6 am by the Beatles "Its Your Birthday" courtesy of Thing 2. Oh it wasn't intentional. He just blasts the Beatles at all hours of the night and morning because they help him get back to sleep. Lucky me, right? But it was still a fun way to wake up even it he didn't plan it. By 7 am, the sun was rising over the mountains and I couldn't help but smile. It is quite a beautiful day to be alive.

So tonight at 9:16 pm, I'll be 37 years young. I gave myself a birthday treat of a Caramel macchiato and a cranberry orange scone from Starbucks and some applewood smoked bacon from Fresh Market. Yum! All my favorites and none of them good for me. Who cares, its my birthday and I can do what I want. Besides, this is the closest that I'll get for a celebration since we'll be schlepping Thing 1 and Thing 2 to Halloween socials all over the Valley tonight. The bummer about a Halloween birthday is that you don't really get to have a "regular" party. Oh well, I can think of worse things.

Wanna see something really scary?


Halloween 1979
Originally uploaded by indigomuse.

I know its a little fuzzy because its a picture of a picture but this is me and my brother on Halloween 1979. Doncha love my 'fro? I was Ms. America (for like the umteenth year in a row who knew that Vanessa Willams would beat me to being the first Black Ms. America.) and he was a dead sexy pirate. I laugh every time I look at it.

I've been showered with the blessings of friends for the last week. It actually started a month ago with Heaz taking me out to dinner when I was in the MD/DC area for work and surprising me with BUTTERCREAM ICING CUPCAKES! I was in heaven and have the pictures to prove it. You know you have the best friends in the world when they give you buttercream :) Thanks H! You really are the greatest.

The Things and I went to Halloscream at Busch Gardens two weeks ago and had a blast. In 30 years, I'd never been. The place was packed moreso than it is in the summer. And its all dressed up for Halloween. This is a pic of Thing 2 after one of the little shows Witchie Poo and Pumpkin too. He got to be a part of it and they're all saying the magic word he chose which was Lasagne.

Witchie Poo, Pumpkin and Thing 2
Originally uploaded by indigomuse.

Last Wed., my Fab Five knitting and spinning buddies took me to Petticoats and Petitfours for a delish lunch. And guess what it ended with? A tiny buttercream cake!

Buttercream Cupcake
Originally uploaded by indigomuse.

Yes, they love me and I know it. Right back at ya! These wonderful ladies saved me from some serious loneliness when I thought that I was the only knitter/spinner in this area. Y'all make me laugh til my sides ache the next day and fill my heart with such joy. Your friendship is the best gift I could have. Thanks!

My best bud Adri and family came up this weekend for some celebrating. This is what old people do to celebrate.


Sleeping beauties
Originally uploaded by indigomuse.

Yup, we eat and sleep while the kids tear the house down around us. But we're sleeping so we don't care. Adri made me an adorable apron and gave me some kitchen gadgets. I'm a sucker for gadgets.

Finally, a gratuitous knitting picture. Its a sneak peek of my final prototype of a project that I'm working on that will be sent off for test knitting soon. I'm loving these colors and the yarn in a major way. I can't wait until I can show you what I've been working on.

Double top secret knitting project
Originally uploaded by indigomuse.

Present Time, Present time, Open the Presents and See What's Inside

No presents yet but here's how you can help me celebrate my birthday. McGuyver and Ebayman (aka Mom and Dad) gave me lots o' moola for my birthday. I used to just spend the money on the kids and when they found out a few years ago, I got into mega trouble. So, now they want to SEE what I've bought as proof that I spent the money on myself. I've used the money for spinning, fiber, knitting and yarn for the last several (for example, I purchased my first Golding spindle and Arwen the spinning wheel in recent years). It is so hard for me to rationalize spending money on myself. Its that mom's guilt that plagues so many of us. It got me big time this weekend. So much so, I filled up a couple of online shopping carts and then cancelled before I placed the order :( I know that some of you out there who will remain nameless, have no problem spending money.

So, if you could spend a couple hundred dollars on something knitting or spinning related, what would you spend it on? Books, exotic yarns and fibers, kits, needles, something I haven't even thought of? Please include in your comments the specifics like names of yarns, fibers, gadgets, etc. and where you would buy it. I'll choose some prezzies for myself from your answers and the winners will get some goodies too.

The deadline for your answers is midnight Wednesday, Nov.1st EST.

I'm celebrating Samhain (pronounced Sow-win) this year in addition to Halloween, since I was made an honorary Celt by my friend Ellen's family last year. Supposedly, being born on Halloween means you're gifted with clairvoyance. Maybe I need to break out the Ouija board or do a little divination - LOL! Whatever you do to celebrate, have fun and be safe!

Fab Five (er Four) Friday

Two posts in one week - sound the alarm!

Happy birthday to Mr. LeBon Bon.



Still makes my heart swoon after all these years. He was my first celebrity crush. My boy is a tad bit older than moi but our birthdays are a mere few days apart. I've got four more days until I hit the big 37. I'm careening toward 40. Yikes!

In other Duran Duran news, Andy Taylor announced that he was leaving the band yesterday :( Thus the reason why its now a Fab Four Friday. I can't believe that they were still together after so many years. I know they're not like the Stones or Beatles but they certainly ushered in a new genre of music in our pop culture. Ah, nothing like a trip down memory lane.
No don't say a prayer for meeee noowwwww. Save it til the morning after.....

Fall hit my hood this week. Check out this beauty in my backyard. Sandy would have enjoyed the fluffy white and blue sky. I know that I did.


Fall in SW VA 2006
Originally uploaded by indigomuse.

Speaking of my hood, go give a shout out to one of my real world knitting/spinning friends, Robin. She's celebrating her first year in bloglandia. Happy first, Robin! She's having a contest that you can enter too. I know she has some treats to share if you win.

What I did this summer #27 - Mason Dixon Warsh rags


Mason Dixon Warsh rag
Originally uploaded by indigomuse.

Yup, I was a joiner even if it was for a short while. Shhhh, don't tell anyone. I saw these cuties and was absolutely mesmerized. I made a couple of regular ones and then took some stupid pills and decided to make one on the diagonal. And then lost it somewhere in the pile of finished objects. If I find it, take a picture cause its a beauty. Took me four hours on one of many road trips to not only figure out how to work the increases and keep it in pattern. These were made with good ole cotton and with the exception of the one I lost, they've been a staple in my kitchen.

BTW, acrylic yarn doesn't felt. All I'm sayin'. Most of you are saying "Duh" right now. Duh, I knew that alrady too. Let's just say I must have had a couple of out of body experiences this week. Someday, I'll show you what happened. I'm gonna blame it on mega PMS.

Cloudy with a chance of ...WTF?

Woke up yesterday to the weather forecast - "cloudy today with a chance of snow". S.N.O.W. WTF? Now I know I live in the mountains and yes it can get cold but snow in October is just plain crazy. Let's hope that this isn't a sign of what the winter has in store for us in SW Virginia. I love a few snow days but I don't want to get socked in for days on end. Nothing like a little Monday bitchin' to start the week off right. Don't even get me started about Blogger on Friday. Oy!

Anyhoo, after many attempts, I gave up on trying to post on Friday. I love technology. I hate technology. Just depends on the day. Finally, some pictures for ya since I've been a bad blogger.

What I did this summer #44 - Made a shawl for my best friend's daughter

It was for both her 5th birthday and her christening. I used the Knitty pattern "Tie One On" and added various modifications to make it smaller. I'm happy to post the mods but would like to have one or two people test knit it first. Any takers? If so, drop me an email.

Miri hates wool so I wasn't sure she'd even consider wearing it (I used Cascade Indulgence for a small portion of it). But she loved it and prissed around in it. She's the only little girl I get to knit for so I truly enjoyed the change of pace from knitting for boys. Below are pictures of the shawl, a close up of the loom bloom pin and Miri wearing it to her special day. The Weavette is too fun for words. I see doing more with it in the future and perhaps I'll get a larger one.


Miri's Shawl
Originally uploaded by indigomuse.

Miri's Shawl

Materials
Body of Shawl - (1 skein) Cascade Indulgence and (2 skeins) Aunt Lydia's New Wave Crochet
Shawl Flower pin - Blue Sky Alpaca Silk and clear seed beads
4" Weavette loom
Needles - Denise Sizes 5, 8 and 15
Time - not sure but probably 6 - 7 hours including the weavette flower pin

Finished size
I'll have to dig those up but it fit a very petite five year old with a bit of grow room

Notes
Overall, this pattern was fun to knit and wasn't the least bit fidgety. It's a good project for a quick gift.


Shawl Pin Close-up
Originally uploaded by indigomuse.

Miri's Christening
Originally uploaded by indigomuse.

As for the here and now, there is much knitting in la casita de Muse. I hit a brick wall for most of the month of September and then had a burst of creativity over the last week or so. I've been working on some patterns and might have a couple ready in the next few weeks. If you've expressed an interest in testing knitting for me in the past, please send me an email. I'm putting a contact list together for future reference.

You'll probably see more pictures than long written posts in the immediate future. I'm enjoying reading your posts, comments and of course seeing all of your inspiring knits. Happy spinning and knitting :)