STILL Knitting!

I'm pretty amazed I am still getting regular sales this time of year. I am so, so happy to be knitting. This week I'm working on a set of scarves as bridal shower gifts,  several made to order mint and pewter scarves, and by weekend I hope to working on a custom order blanket. Joys of winter! Here are some recent shots if my favorite spot in the house.

Why not?

I have mentioned before I'm the lucky inheritor of a ton of barely used make-up from a dear relative who LOVES cosmetics. I often give away what I won't use, but I kept this cranberry lipstick... and I've never put it on. This Christmas I paired it with my green scarf, and felt wonderfully festive! Merry Christmas!

New Favorite

Once again I must say how much I live Target's clothing department.  On a budget? I always find something I live and can afford.  Bonus if I have coupons!  This is my new favorite sweatshirt.  I need more purple in my closet!

Whoa, time is flying...

I stand by my complete misunderstanding of mom's who work full time. I have been knitting 12-17 hour days- commiting to maximizing the ONLY time of year people will actually want to buy knit scarves, and knowing come February I'll have time to do everything else that needs to be done. But my house? Holy cow.  Despite my husband (who also works more than full time) taking drastic measures to pick up a few extra households chores every day, it still looks like a giant mess bomb went off in here. We've managed to keep my work shop (dining room) and living room (where I do most of my knitting) clean, and if you only looked at the bathroom every 3 days or so, you might think we weren't slobs, but forget the rest of the house. I have been living out of the bag I packed for a trip we took over a week ago, and I have 3 baskets of clean laundry folded, but not put away where I can get the rest of my clothes. Insanity. The dust layer is massive, and the kids rooms? Yikes.

 

Nevertheless, Halloween was pretty great. We were in town for the harvest festival at the kids' school. Last year we missed it. They had so much fun.

Trick or treating was also awesome. We let Hunter grow out his hair so he could look more like Annakin. He wasn't entirely pleased with my styling, but in the end, he was happy.

How is Thanksgiving less than a week away?? Ah!

New favorite comfort.

This time of year I savor the cold days where I can leave the windows cracked, and feel the cool breeze. I love bundling up with some cozy clothes and mocassins to knit the day away (of course, after I clean and take care of the family). Hubby calls me a "frumpus," and I think that's adorable. This week I found my new favorite sweater for those frumpy days.  The husband needed some stuff from Cabela's, and this

 

jumped in the cart (along with a much-needed new pair for hiking boots on clearance for $23- picture to come). The sweater, which I pinned a link to here, comes in a couple colors, including black. It was on sale for about half off, too.

Wearing this sweater feels like I'm wrapped in a blanket. What could be better? Happy, happy autumn. And even happier frumping.

Hooray! Sale Time!!

I just made my 250th sale on Etsy, and in honor of this milestone I'm having a 25% off sale from now through Friday at midnight! There are items in my shop as low as $6 and $9, so go get some seriously discounted hand made goodies! Go visit my shop here: Jamie Sierra Knits

Enter coupon code: 250sales

Well, I certainly haven't been running around naked.

I just have not been taking the time to upload what I am wearing! And why am I doing this anyway? This is a desperate attempt for me to feel less like a mom in jammies, or a gardener in paint clothes, and more like a woman with a wardobe on a pretty serious budget. My style is absolutly comfort driven- if I am not comfortable, I'm not wearing it. And me posting pictures of what I am wearing is my way of going to work with a purpose... even is my living room is my office.

Last week I paired my favorite navy blue long sleeve tee with a bright apple green crochet sweater ($6 on clearance from jc penney this summer). I pulled out this huge stone pendant I've had since college and paired the whole thing with my comfy jeans. I felt good enough to answer the front door, walk the dogs, and go to the grocery store.

 

This Sunday for church I pulled out my very first pair or colored jeans-ever. They are forest green (kohls plus size, with coupon and sale, around $16), and I paired them with a paisley print from target (plus size, $21). Loafers are from goodwill- leather, $6. And my favorite old giant stone pendant.

Off to the apple farm this last Friday. I pulled out another one of the my lightweight crochet sweaters(also $6 on clearance at kohls this summer), and put it over my favorite color green shirt (had it for years, from maurice's clearance rack- probably $7 or less). But my new very favorite thing? This orange floral scarf from Kohls (on sale, $14). Why am I buying a scarf when that's what I make? I could not find this fabric anywhere, and was not willing to pass it up. It is my new favorite thing.

 Ta Da!

Right now...

Losing my patience with hunter, who can't seem to find anything to keep his attention today. A lot of frustrated, "go play with something!" over and over...

Loving that I snuck a brownie and little mommy love note into Ben's lunchbox this morning. Usually don't get away with this because he checks his lunch before he gets out the door. Not this morning. But even if it is just a surprise on the bus, it is a surprise.

Listening to my cat toby wheezing his sleep apnea snores as he sleeps behind me.

Texting my brother about tv shows.

Playing my newly crafted "creativity playlist," on rhapsody, including james taylor, steve miller, adele, 311, jason derulo, and little big town.

Enjoying puppy kisses from our little georgie. Listening to our laura dog grumble snore under the dining room table.

Looking at the lego thing hunter made this morning, with pipes and doors, and cool colors. He is using my measuring tape to measure everything in sight- including his own height.

Finding an inability to focus today, making this list the perfect distraction.

Wishing I could print up the hundreds and hundreds of pictures I took in Yellowstone, and spend the whole weekend scrapbooking them.

Wanting to decorate my front porch for fall. i have it all planned out, but lacking the energy to get it done.

Burning a "mountain lodge," scented candle and a pumpkin pie tart. noticing i smell less of the mountain lodge candle because I think my house sort of already smells like a mountain lodge.

Getting ready to make lunch for hunter. salami, "white" (swiss) cheese, apples, crackers, yogurt. He's still in his pajamas.

Seeing a very bright sunlight kind of day outside.

Wearing dark jeans, a gray shirt with gold glitter and a flower print, and a taupe sweater. feeling chilly, even in the house. I showered this morning, and blow dried my hair... have been making this a priority for 2 weeks now... no all day in jammies/gardening or cleaning clothes anymore. working that closet to death and love it, and am feeling so much better.

Thinking I need a long sleeve sweater today.

Wearing a necklace with a gold heart that my grandma and grandpa gave me. Getting ready to call my mom. i know my grandma will answer, and I hope she is having a good day, not a bad day. her voice, when it is happy, is so wonderful.

Loving the winter wheat color I painted mmy desk this week. Have to a take a picture!

Going to make some cocoa with my lunch.

Planning to get our pumpkins this weekend, and hopefully some local apples to make apple crisp.

Looking forward to our friday night grocery trip to trader joe's (a couple towns away).

Knitting a brown and cream cowl with sequins this morning.

My favorite sweater.

It is sort of like my wearable blankie. This sweater is my favorite thing to wear. I've slept in it. It goes great with sweats... yes, I said it. From Old Navy clearance... only $6 last fall. Today I wore it with a peach v-neck underneath.

Of course, wearing glasses.

And what better to wear my favorite sweater with? My favorite jeans. I love Maurice's for jeans. I always get them on clearance. These were probably about $12.

This is the perfect outfit for crafting, vacuuming, folding laundry, playing with puppy, and such. Also, great for walking the dogs. Yay fall!

Our summer vacation.

We took the trip of a lifetime to Yellowstone this August. I can tell you, every morning since I've wished I was crawling out of my tent there, and not my bed here. I fell in love with it. The boys fell in love with it. We drove in from the North east entrance, through the Bear Tooth pass, and I had no idea it would be so amazing. I simply looked at the map, and suspected it would be better than the North entrance because it seemed more off the beaten path... but wow! It was so thrilling to be on top of the world.

 Just left of the center of this mountain line you will see bear tooth mountain.

 We stopped at every little creek and stream, took deep breaths of mountain air, looked at rocks, searched for animals.

 Lots of little waterfalls on the sides of the road before we even entered the National park.

 This might have been one of the most amazing waterfalls I've ever seen. The sheer power of the water was intense, and the way it rushed through these huge mountain side rocks was beautiful.

Same waterfall's other side view.

As soon as we got into the park we had a few pronghorn in a meadow beside us.

Crossing the Hayden Valley we had a buffalo traffic jam. Very funny.

We made sure to go to Old Faithful that first afternoon. Hunter called it "old facial." Grandma watched us walk up, and we waved to her on the live webcam feed, streaming from a camera that's attached the visitor's center.

Not far from Old Faitful we stopped to see these beautiful waterfalls- called Kepler Cascades. So beautiful.

Before the sun set completely we walked around the west geyser basin and enjoyed our first look at the colorful pools. The steam was so warm as night fell that it wet our faces with warmth, and fogged our glasses.

We saw this large coyote hunting there, too.

As we were leaving the parking lot here I another visitor told us there was a large elk nearby. We walked a trail looking for him, keeping our distance, but I suspected we were pushing him away with our sounds. He confirmed his presence with a large bugle that brought chills down Theo and I's spines. Most spectacular thing I've ever heard. We left, without seeing him, but as we pulled the car out of the parking lot I asked Theo to go left for just a bit to see if we pushed him all the way out of the woods and near the road... and sure enough- there he was. As magestic an animal can be.

 

And this was just our first day... and only a few of the 300 pictures I took that day alone!

Such a sucker for a deal.

This week I pulled out my newest fall sweater. I found this on clearance at Kohls for 90% off... doesn't get any better.

 

 

It had the tiniest snag on the shoulder, which I pulled through to the inside, cut and knotted. Ta Da! You can't even see it anymore. It is rust colored, short sleeve. I paired it with a dark taupe long sleeve tee. Fall perfection.

Yay!

Our New Baby!

By now most everyone who knows us, knows we got a puppy this week. He is 12 weeks old, and is a lab golden retriever mix. We've named him Georgie.

He is an angel!

Don't you agree?

I forgot how much work puppies are, but I am enjoying having a little baby who needs me. I look like shit, though. Exhausted. Pretty funny.

Large Print Florals.

Myfavorite thing right now? Large print florals. I love this shirt... and I want to wall paper the house with this print. For now, I'll just wear it.

I am going to be my kids' hero when they see my old rock bracelet! I bought it at a Yosemite gift shop when I was about 10... and I still have it.

Three simple things. Powder. Mascara. Lipstick.

And a diffuser for the fro.

Happy Fall!

Funny Boys

We made a brief trip to see the family in Chicago last weekend, and I took almost no pictures... again... but when the big men and little boys hopped into the giant chair I had to get the camera.