Dust Bunnies in the Basement

When I face struggles, I clean.
I suppose its a mental mind cleansing for all the other happy times when I am busy and just stash. You can always tell when my life or feelings have hit a pitch because I start digging through boxes, scrubbing corners with a toothbrush and start washing weird things like fabric purses I have not used in years.
Well ok and the odor of cat pee-pee annoys me. Why.. do they have to be so cute yet wet on everything !!!!

So I am browsing all these great new sites. Planning my next big adventure. Will I be creative enough to actually sell something perhaps at a fair or bizarre? Would be great if I could leave the techno geek at the office and go back to days of actually controlling my schedule destiny and happiness…. (sigh haha)
Back to our regularily scheduled dust bunnies – I have found hidden stash after hidden stash of yarn in the basement. Most of it one or two skeins. Not really big enough for anything but a small this or that. I guess I am just delighted to find it. Sometimes there is Hope in Memories.
I have struggled with a bad situation since last year.  My best friend Napoleon as we will name her – understands. She knows it from her history as well. Its so hard to explain to anyone and yet I just want to talk talk talk talk until I am exhausted from talking and actually feel better. Does that solve it, does it make it better? No but it helps my head and heart understand each other a little better.
Is this how you solve a life crisis or terms of emotion?
Talk until your exhausted and let the healing take over?
I read a book a few years back called something like Rent. It was by a “Berg”.. something or other. In it a woman is faced suddenly with a divorce she never saw coming. Really never saw coming and her marriage was how she defined herself. At one point she actually calls Martha Stewart to get advice.
Its hilarious and a wonderful book and I always refer back to it mentally because I know I see things coming and still when hit – I feel like I didnt even know.

So I will start planning things for my dust bunnies. Something beautiful cozy and something that will help my heart.

Cami Top – to begin

I picked up some really great sparkly yarn close to the thread mentioned in my vintage cami post. I am going to somewhat duplicate, but apply it to modern standards of womanly girth. I want to add it to a tank for summer or as mentioned loose fem satin sheath for a nice summer wearable.

I made my first coaster today – so I think I am slightly more ambitious than I really am skilled to be :). We shall see though. I am choosing simple starter patterns/projects to practice my gauge and stitch skill. Laugh as you will.. I am determined to become this amazing hook maven. I have too much creative fire to sit here and not do with these scraps of this and that littering my home and basement.

Cheesie Chicken Casserole

I made this for the first time tonight after searching frugal budget minded recipes to stretch my grocery budget. The directions call for chicken breasts to be cooked then added. I found a cheaper option. Boneless breasts (4 cups needed) sell for almost the cost of this whole dish (about 6$). I picked up a roaster for 1.98 and had leftovers for another dish next week. ( I froze it after I cooked it).

So which ever is easier pick your passion. I prefer the roaster.

4c shredded chopped cubed chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can red kidney beans
2c corn (frozen 1 can drained or fresh off the cobb)
* really good sub the chile corn frozen mix available in frozen foods add some mex !
1 can chopped tomatoes
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder ( i put in some more!)
1-2 c grated cheese (mex flavor even better!)
Flour tortillas
Total cost for the web recipe was 6.60$ I believe mine was less.
Feeds 6 people easily twice with more for leftovers!

If you select the roaster:
Plop it in the bucket and boil until done. Cool chop and freeze the rest!

If you select boneless breast:
Saute 1 onion in butter/margarine until softened. Add chicken. Dissolve 1 chicken boullion cube in 1cup hot water. Add this to chicken and onion in skillet.

 Main:
Add cooked chicken, chicken soup, kidney beans, corn, ground pepper, chili powder. Stir combine.
In a casserole dish (13×9) place a layer of torn tortillas. Add layer of chicken mix sprinkle half of cheese. Add another layer of torn tortillas cover with chicken mix and top with remaining cheese.
Recipe calls for 350 at 30 minutes.

I baked longer because my oven sucks and I wanted my cheese nice and brown.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream salsa and a nice side salad.

This is a warm cheesie dish that my family really adored tonight.

Friends of Spin

Officially addicted. I have been pouring so much over posts blogs and forums I cant even take out my needles (gasp) horrid I know!
Crochetville is really great I am super excited to get to know people in my area. I was thrilled to see there are thousands of enthusiasts in my area and more that are directly in my city.

So while drooling over other blogs – I created a wishlist – more of a personal *things* I will eventually buy or beg family to get for me.  I joined several rings of things and web forums.

I also made the most fab dinner. I will post it next.

My Newest Obsession – Karla’s Blog and links !!

Cami Pattern

I was geeking online and found a pattern from About Crochet for a 1920’s cami. The basic design is of shamrocks which of course appeals to my Irish Goddess Side. I didnt want to loose it in my web wandering so I am posting it for future project planning. There is a huge movement this springs to detailed camis and high hemmed flouncing blouses. As I reviewed this simple shirt topper I thought with the right colors thread and lower shirt detailing this could be the perfect summer top to go with those chunky wedges and bell skirts.

                
Shamrock Yoke Chart

The 1920 pattern book showed this yoke sewn to a nightgown. A modern use would be to use it as a yoke on a tank top or sundress. Some options would be to add a fabric lining or to make the rows below the shamrock clover all in solid mesh, if desired.

Materials: 1920 pattern book calls for 4 balls of
Dexter “Silko” Cordonnet Crochet Cotton, No. 50 or 60.
Gauge for Chart: Work should measure 8 meshes to the
inch each way. Yoke is made in a size 34 but may be enlarged
by making an extra row of spaces between shamrocks each time.
Chart is worked sideways.
Begin at center underarm with 53 ch, working 16 spaces along ch (marked as “Center Armhole” on chart). Follow chart to A, increasing rows at top as chart indicates. When 28 rows have been made, fasten off and make another piece exactly like it, working 1st row along other side of ch with which work was started. This is for back. Connect top points of last row of both pieces with 147 ch, for shoulder strap. Work along row, make 49 spaces along ch, work along row of back. Follow chart, working on both front and back and along shoulder strap, for 4 rows. Work front alone, following chart. Reverse at center for second half of front, working to second shoulder strap. Make back in same way. Join front and back with ch and work shoulder strap same as before. Work to center underarm, on front, then on back, and join under arm. Fasten off.

Edging: Work (1 sc, ch 5, slip stitch in base of ch-5 for picot, 1 sc) in each space around neck, armholes and shoulder straps.

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
sc = single crochet

Admit One

Ok so it was a little revealing to actually write my bio page for this blog and not create a *persona* behind the screen.  So much of my other online geekdom is spent being someone else that really fessing-up to what I want to do here and for myself took a little butt puckering self realization. In all my blogs online personalities and webwork, I get to pretend for practical purposes. I supposed everyone does its why the internet has made us disposable people. I wont go into that rant now its wasted on those devoted to cyber sex and hookups and well ok Myspace (which you know I am equally addicted to).  Its just nice to be Me again, for real in some real form.

This is a post I did on MySpace regarding this weekend and its going to be my opener for today.

Inevitably as fate would have it – in the middle of *woowoo* with my fantastic partner Saturday evening, we discovered an unusual lump in my left breast. Thank gawd for his magick hands and awareness of my breast structure, I guess he really has paid attention all these years while handling them. Well it wasn’t the *pee* shaped nodule we as girls are *taught* to know in sex-ed in high school. This was hard tender very uncomfortable and every time I think about it I shudder. It really hurt. This is nothing new. My breasts have always been super sensitive, especially around the time of my cycle.

Sunday I managed to survive my brain deluge of worst case scenarios and even with held from the tear-fest I could feel right under the surface. I have no history of breast cancer in my immediately lineage and few cases in the actual tree, however there is cancer in my family. Its something I will absolutely have to be conscious of later in life.
I went to see good ol DocWest as fast as my feet would carry me. After a good feel up and a little jumping out of my skin, due to the tenderness present, we discussed the dreaded M word. His biggest response was honestly this is more than likely Fibrocystic Breast Disease 
Or more to the point Fibrocystic Breast Changes
MAMMO MAMBA!!!
The schedule pressing of my beautiful mams has not yet been set. It will be with in the next few days. I encourage everyone to read the two articles above for yourself and your loved ones.
Something really cute – TitBits
Its a really great site for faux bewbs for ladies that have had to go through the difficult and painful process of tumor removal and surgery. This young lady who is a cancer survivor makes soft pretty boobies for others going through this process.

I actually thought it would be a nice little gift – for all my girlfriends next Oct to remind them to get their breast exams and     for those who do – get their mamograms. Not only that but its a super adorable desk weight and pink ribbon supporter icon!!!

Hello world!

Heres the new blog about my new love that was an old love that has become a rekindled love. 😛