First is a BIG WooHoo! Several weeks ago I finally figured out that I was essentially poisoning myself with the high volume of aspartame I was consuming. After "detoxing" I am so happy to report that I have been feeling very well since I gave up the fake stuff. No more feeling nauseous. No more feeling lethargic. No more just plain feeling like crap. Woohoo!
And an even BIGGER Woohoo for a new and amazing product I discovered. Sun Crystals. I had read a little about the Stevia plant when I was researching sugar alternatives. Then Melani told me about Sun Crystals, an all natural sweetener made from the Stevia plant. No chemicals! Woohoo!
It's a bit pricey at over $6.00 a box, BUT... It's WAY sweeter than aspartame. Where I used to need 6 packets to sweeten my HUGE Rt. 44 tea from Sonic, I only need 1 packet of the Sun Crystals. So in the end it's essentially the same price. Woohoo!
Yarn Update: Our local Walmart cut its craft section drastically this past spring when they did a remodel. As a result, the yarn selection here in town was cut by at least 50%, if not more. So when I recently started seeing clearance tags on several of the yarns they still carry I was feeling a little nervous. Several Red Heart colors, all of the Simply Soft Eco, a few of the Homespun colors, and some of the Vanna's Choice were all marked down. I was happy to get a good deal, especially on the Homespun, but it still worried me. Walmart is the ONLY yarn store within 50 miles! I wasn't looking forward to traveling an hour just to get the basics.Well today I was happy to see the reason for all the clearance yarns. They were making room for new colors AND new yarns! WOOHOO!!! Cyndi and I spent a while drooling over the new yarns and the new colors of Red Heart. I bought 2 skeins of a gorgeous new (to me) RH green called Tea Leaf, and Cyndi bought some Cherry Cola. I could have bought SO much more yarn, especially the new BULKY yarn they have, but I am on a yarn diet for now. I still had fun looking and planning potential future projects though. :)
Pattern Update: I finally posted the Multi Color Granny Square pattern that I'm using for the grannyghan. I also updated my Solid Granny pattern. Something I've been meaning to do for AGES. It's basically a standard granny, the only real difference with mine is that I prefer not to turn after each row as many patterns do. Next on the agenda will be creating a tutorial showing the join as you go technique for the Granny Squares.
I totally amazed myself and finished up November's square AND wrote the pattern this past Tuesday. So it will actually start on time next month! WOOHOO!
Admittedly, that was not my first seasonal purchase. I was in the local dollar shop a few weeks ago and snagged these cuties. I love their bright purple glittery-ness. They will look great hanging in my living room window. But not until the day after Thanksgiving. Anything earlier is just pushing the season, IMHO.
I've always had a brown thumb. It doesn't usually take long. Whether I forget to water, over water, or otherwise neglect, I can't seem to keep a houseplant alive for any length of time. But that's never stopped me from trying! My last attempt was a sad one. It was a plant that my aunt gave me after my cousin's funeral. I vowed to do my best to keep it alive, and I did well for a while. A few years in fact (a record for me!) Now don't get me wrong, all that time it was hanging on by a thread... but it was hanging on nonetheless. But with the move I guess it just couldn't hang on any longer. Sadly it has moved on to plant heaven.
Fred, as I've since named him, was so thirsty he could barely drink. In the picture above you can see the soil over the top rim of the container. When I first watered him all he could do was float. :(
It's been a few hours since Fred arrived at his new home. His thirst is finally quenched. He soaked up all his water and has had another drink since. His leaves even seem to have perked up a bit. Maybe Fred will be the one...
Well Mr. Sun was still playing shy today but the clouds lightened up a bit to show me a few minutes of picture taking mercy. So I swept up the leaves, laid down my fleece blankie, and had some fun with the camera.
