Category: Golightly Living

We negotiate the start of the holiday season in our house.  I try to get as early a date as possible, and Neal tries for as late a date as he can get.  This weekend was the agreed upon date, and I knew the season had officially started at Tilly’s Mew (our name for the house…we live in the kind of town where people name their homes, so we did, too–as a joke, people, as a joke) when the Nutcracker Suite filled the house.  While Neal worked on the bathroom renovation, I turned a pair of socks and a few buttons into this cutie from Martha Stewart’s Holiday issue.  I used the cuffs of a (sort of) felted cashmere sweater for his ears.  House decorating will have to wait until the end of the week.  On Thursday I’ll be in Westchester, and while I’m there I’ll pick up my ornaments, which I haven’t seen since Christmas 2003.  Most of them belonged to my Gram, so I’ll be glad to have them back in my care.

Last Thanksgiving, on the bus ride from Rome to Pompeii and back again, I knit this Cherry Garcia neckwarmer.  I love the pattern and will knit it again, but you may recall that I only learned to knit in such a way that got me a decent gauge in January of this year (nothing like waiting eight years to figure that one out, huh?).  So the neckwarmer was way big, and the wool ended up being pretty itchy.  Not what you want against your neck, now, is it?  What, oh what is a girl to do?

How about sew up one end, felt it, and line it.

  Make sure there are handles and a smashing button, and call it a purse.  Check off another finished Christmas gift.

I recently got a gift of my own.  Kimberly sent me these adorable stitch counters after I admired her hippo.  They make me smile every time I look at them.  Thank you so much!

I saw one of her pendents on Turkey Feathers and thought "A-ha!  What a great Christmas gift idea."  I e-mailed Tabetha, and she’s in the process of making ornaments from my photos for two people on my gift list (shhh, it’s a secret).  After the holidays, I plan to ask her to make my banner into a pendent so I can wear PoMo Golightly sorta like Carrie Bradshaw used to wear her name in script on a necklace.  Ok, maybe not so much, but in my world, I’ll be just like Carrie.  Because in my world, Carrie and I are bff.  And the show’s not over.  And the girls are real people, too.  And I have the cutest NYC apartment you ever saw.

So, yeah, Tabetha is running a special and will create a pendent for you for $20 + shipping.  Act fast and she can probably get it to you for holiday giving.

Speaking of holiday gifts, tell me what you think of this idea.  Blogless Sara and I have been getting together on the occasional Saturday for Christmas Crafting, and we often bemoan the fact that we’d like to give all handmade gifts, but don’t start early enough in the year.  While there are other holiday knit-alongs ready to happen come January (and I’m joining them!), here’s my twist on it:  I want to create a blog where I’ll feature a craft that I plan to make during each month, along with links and/or directions.  I’m thinking about hand made calendars and sewing kits and hand mitts and purses, and I know there is more that I’ll think up in the next few weeks.  Really, what I envision is a place to be an organized elf, to produce multiples of fabulous hand crafted gifts, perhaps even striking up some gift swaps so that we all have more variety in our gift baskets.  Actually on today’s walk with the mutts, I was thrilled to come up with the phrase "The Organized Elf," which is what I’ll call the blog.

Any takers? 

49 years and still in love.

Many of my relatives serve and have served in the armed forces.  To them, and to all of our country’s military, past and present, thank you. 

After two days of visiting DMV, I felt lazy this afternoon.  I had a high-energy teaching day (higher energy than usual, I should say).  I switched my office hours to Friday so I could register the car today.  Because yesterday, despite half a day spent at DMV, I didn’t accomplish everything I needed to.  I got my license, although the woman who helped me at the end of the procedure (no other word for me to use) wanted to send me away because my SS card did not match the name I wanted on my license.  I promise you, I visited the web site, studied the instructions and triple checked that I had all necessary documents.  I honestly thought I was going to cry in DMV, just like I did when I failed my driver’s test lo those many years ago.  The woman (rather snottily, but when I tell you I was surrounded by wack-os, please know that I am not a person who judges others for their wackiness readily.  I was surrounded by wack-os.  If I worked there, I’d be a total jerk) didn’t quite believe that it was possible to both transfer my license and change the name in one go.  She went on line to verify that I was truthing her when I said I’d followed directions.  I used my customer service training in reverse.  I told her I was so sad and disappointed that I couldn’t complete my transaction.

What do you know?  She asked around and found a way.  Rock on DMV with your satisfying results!

Today I went back to register my car.  Tomorrow I’ll put on the new plates.  Then I hope to forget DMV and remember my newly-truncated name.

How about a little knitting?

1.  Knit Mitt Kit Swap sign ups are still underway at Swap-bot.  I heart Swap-bot.  Heart.

2.  Yarn Harlot will be in CT on Sunday.  I’m so looking forward to hearing her speak.

3.  For Socktober I didn’t finish any socks, but I learned a thing or two about toe up socks. 

4.  Today I committed to knitting five things for Dulaan.  I have about six months, and I know I can find plenty of ultra warm things I’d love to make.

5.  If I weren’t so lazy today, I’d have started to spin a new project on my wheel.  I have a one-pound bag of roving that I want to spin for a shawl for me.  I’m thinking about this shawl, but I wonder if I would be happier with a rectangle rather than a triangle.  Any thoughts on the charms of either?

Tilly is bouncing a ball around in an attempt to coax either me or Maddie off of our chair for some playtime, but we’re too cozy to give in to her.

I just came in from dumping my compost container onto the pile.  Over the summer Neal and I talked quite a bit about ways we could leave a smaller footprint.  His work is in the environmental field, after all.  He started to take the bus, which has been great not just for saving gas, but also reducing stress.  A month or so ago, we decided to reduce the garbage we put out by starting a compost pile, and while I haven’t kept track of the amount that has gone out back instead of the garbage can, I’d bet it’s at least one full can. 

There’s a veggie garden and lessons in canning planned for next summer. Little changes.  That’s what we’re striving for, and I’d love it if you left a comment with your suggested little change.