N is For...

N is for nostalgia. With Easter coming up, I thought I'd share some of my childhood Easter memories and traditions. When we awoke on Easter morning, we'd (my younger brother, sister, and I) rush downstairs in our pajamas. Mom would usually be cooking breakfast, most likely egg bake (it's like a scrambled egg casserole) and bacon and cinnamon rolls. The three of us would start hunting- both for our Easter baskets, and those little chocolate eggs, wrapped in colorful foil. Mom and dad would hide at least an entire bag of the little chocolate eggs for us to find. We never found all of them on Easter. For weeks later, we would be finding them tucked away in folds of the couch, or in the corner of a windowsill. After we'd found our Easter baskets and chocolate eggs, we'd sit down to breakfast. (Mom never let us have any candy until after breakfast.) We'd eat and laugh, eying our candy, then go upstairs to nibble away on the goodies as we got ready for church, always in a new dress. A few of the years, I remember my mom sewed our Easter dresses herself. My sister and I always had matching dresses and shoes, and sometimes a hat. After church, we'd head straight over the my Grandparent's house. My Grandpa would hide plastic eggs for us all over the house and yard. We each had a specific color that was "our eggs" , and we'd run off with an old ice cream bucket looking for them. (My grandpa still makes us do this if we come over for Easter, even though we're all now over 18. We still love it.) After we'd found all of our eggs, we'd go back into the living room and open them up to see what prizes were to be found. We always got change and candies, sometimes little erasers or things like that. Then Grandma would give us our Easter baskets, filled with more goodies and toys and whatnot. Easter dinner was always at two. We'd have ham, green bean casserole, Swedish meatballs, and this awesome creamy potato casserole my grandma makes. We'd sit around and talk, laugh, and enjoy the company of each other. We'd drive home, and usually crash from our sugar high, happy and stuffed. What are your Easter memories?

M is For...

M is For Magic. No, not mine, or anyone's, really. Actually, it's the title of a book by one of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman. (And, uh, I haven't read it yet. Have it on audio book, already to go!) Neil's writing always blows me away. I am captured by every story, drawn to the characters, and engrossed in the book. Some stories are sad, some scary, some whimsical, but they're all great. I'd have to say that my favorite so far is probably Coraline, a story geared to young adults, but is a great read for kids of all ages. The creepiness of it all is really fun, too. Erin, another big fan, drove us (me rather pregnant at the time) up to Denver for two days, just so we could go to a book signing and reading. It was a lot of fun, and I now have a signed copy of Anansi Boys and The Sandman: Endless Nights. (Speaking of which, Erin, did I lend that to you? I can't find it.) My library of his books is slowly growing, and someday I'm sure I'll be quite proud to own every book he's done. Which, really, is quite a lot of them. for now, I'll just re-read the ones I have, and hopefully pick up some new ones along the way!

L is For...

L is for love song. At the risk of you thinking I'm even weirder than you previously thought, I'm going to share some of the lyrics from my favorite "love song". The band is Atmosphere (MySpace page), an indie hip hop band from back home in Minneapolis, Minnesota. although I'm not really big on hip hop music, their stuff is oddly poetic. Onwards to lyrics! (p.s.- this is just a portion of the song.) Don't Ever Fucking Question That Enough to hold you to the brightest of lights, to place you dangerously close to that sun, enough to acknowledge the flaws you can't ignore and recognize the cause of what's done is done, more than enough to put my name behind my ideals, and neglect my logic twice daily. enough to keep me looking for my Lucy in the sky with gems, when I remember how you used to call me baby, enough to look in my mirror with detest for every tear you shed regardless of why you wept, enough to curse any man who can't appreciate the depth of the ocean I swam till I ran out of breath. I love you, don't ever fucking question that, that's why we'll probably never get along. if I was better at finding the right words to say, I wouldn't need to write these motherfucking songs. ----------------------------------------------------------- If you want to read the rest of them, you can here. Otherwise, just wander off, and don't forget to tell someone today, "Hey! I fucking love you!" See you tomorrow!

K is For...

K is for knitting, of course! Definitely more than a hobby for me, it is something I love to do, and do tons of. Here's most of my knitting from 2007: 1. Corner Detail 2, 2. Fetching, 3. Braided Cable Detail, 4. Felted Trivet 2, 5. Malabrigo Seed Stitch Scarf 2, 6. Toddler Hat, 7. Foliage Hat, 8. Clapotis Complete 2, 9. Calorimetry, 10. Fringe Detail, 11. Big Red Thing, 12. Garterlac Dishcloth, 13. Cozy Close-Up, 14. Scarf Close-Up, 15. Secret Knit, 16. Finished Sock!, 17. SP10 Scarf, 18. One Skein Crochet Cravat, 19. Wavy Scarf, 20. James' Malabrigo Scarf, 21. Blue Knit Dischcloth, 22. Joie and Ruffle Scarf, 23. Fetching, 24. Drying in the Sun, 25. Dashing Seeing it all together makes me proud. I was productive this year, I created. And yes, I know, one isn't knitted, but it is yarn I hand-dyed, so it counts, dammit! There's also countless numbers of dishcloths for the year, and three hats I never got pictures of, that were Christmas gifts. Knit hard (sorry to steal your line, Dickie) and see ya tomorrow!

J is For...

My life has not been very long, but it has definitely been a journey. I was a rambunctious child, very free spirited and dramatic. I was very strong willed and did crazy things like refuse to wear socks with the seam on top of the toes. I loved dress-up and Barbies, climbing trees and playing in the dirt. Imaginary friends were abound, and I spent time with a lot of books, as well. Getting older, my free spirit was hampered a bit by life-school, homework, things of that nature. I rebelled, and hard. I got pierced and tattooed. I got into a lot of trouble, and started a vicious cycle that really kept me from enjoying my teen years. I bounced around a lot of different schools and places, but in the end I pulled my head out of my ass and graduated from high school early. I moved out of my parents' home the summer before I turned 18. I settled in very quickly, I was not afraid of the world. I worked to keep myself afloat, and spent my free time doing whatever the hell I wanted to. The freedom was great. My tattered relationship with my family grew stronger, and life went on. Life continued this way for a few years; dating, parties, drinking, smoking, having fun. I still worked hard to earn my living, but I was always making time for fun. Then I met The Future Hubbster. We hit it off right away, and moved in together after only a month or so of dating. We got a great apartment in Uptown Minneapolis, with hardwood floors and French doors and a claw-foot bathtub. We were engaged after about a year of dating, and I was so excited. I did settle down a little bit, but mostly, we were still having tons of fun. We decided to move back to where he grew up- Santa Fe, New Mexico. I'd been to visit, but living there was definitely a different experience. coming from the lush green of Minnesota and being surrounded by lakes, High Plains Desert was like being on the moon for me. I love the mountains, though, and that helped. About three months after we moved, I found out I was two months pregnant. Scared, but excited, I grew a little girl in my belly. We tried to coax her out right before Christmas, but she wasn't having any of that! She showed up, a week later, precisely on her due date. We were blessed with our very own little Monsterette. After about a year in Santa Fe, I was homesick. I told the Future Hubbster I wanted to move to Albuquerque, where the elevation is a little bit lower, the people are nicer, the city is a CITY, and most of all, there is more green stuff. We've been living here for over two years now, and I've liked it, although I'm still homesick for the green, the lakes, the snow, my family. Hubbster officially became The Hubbster, a little over a year ago. Monsterette continues to grow and learn and become her own person. Such a journey so far. I never thought, five or six years ago, I would be living in the west, married and raising a beautiful daughter. Life continues down it's path, and I'm excited to see where it takes us next. J is for journey. See you tomorrow!

I is For...

I is for inspiration. There are quite a few things in my life that inspire me, but here are a few of the big ones: -Beautiful buildings. I find myself more and more drawn to architecture. I really am beginning to love it. I love clean lines and interesting details. -"Raw" materials, like fabric and yarn. If I find something I love, I am so inspired as to what can be created with it. -Nature. this is a big one for me. I love the mountains, and all the textures and colors found in the world. Nature, for me, is awe-inspiring and feels like home, no matter where I am. - Loved ones. My friends and family are awesome inspiration, be it through words or actions, or just being "them". The people in my life are awesome and bring me joy, and I draw on this for many things. -Books. I love to read, and always have. Books inspire me in more ways than I can count. My interest is architecture actually started with Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. Just a handful of the many things that inspire me. What inspires you? See you tomorrow!

H is For...

H is for hats. I decided to make a hat for myself for the Malabrigo Cast On Week with some stuff I had sitting in my stash. The pattern I used is Foliage from Knitty. Awesome pattern! The finished knit looks much more complicated than it really is. I loved knitting this so much, I finished it in one day. Here's a picture of the finished object: I also had enough left over to knit the Monsterette a little hat, which I think I love even more than mine: The color is so hard to photograph- it's pretty close to the color of the first picture, but richer. Mosterette looks so effin' cute in this hat! She loves it, too- she wears it all day long, practically. Yay! I love mine, too. it rocks my face off. Hooray for hats! See you tomorrow!

G is for...

G is for gaming. We're talking full-blown nerd gaming here, with dice and dragons and miniatures and stuff. I'm relatively new to gaming- we're currently playing my fourth campaign. I started while I was pregnant, and my first gaming experience was a Cthulhu role-playing game. Since then, we've also played a Zombie game and two Dungeons and Dragons campaigns. Starting to game was the beginning of my true nerdiness- there are very few thresholds to cross before I will be a full-blown nerd. Even though I'm a nerd, I still maintain some of my feminine charms. For instance, my dice- owning and collecting dice is an integral part of being a gaming nerd. My dice are all purple and pretty, some of them are even sparkly! Of course, they live inside a cozy little frilly dice bag that I knit. No surprise, that's purple as well. I posted about it a while back. Even though it may be nerdy, I love gaming. It is so much fun to get into a story that you are helping to create. Besides, we get to hang out with awesome friends and eat junk food and stuff. I look forward to it every week! I know I told you I'd show you pictures of my new hat, but you're going to have to wait until tomorrow. See you then!

F is For...

Today was a wonderful, typical Sunday here. We woke up and had orange sweet rolls and coffee for breakfast, and played a game of cribbage (I lost today). We hung out for a while, and i ran an errand while the Mosterette took a nap. Then, of course, began our usual Sunday ritual. F, my friends, is for football. Hubbster and I are both fans, although for different teams. Every Sunday is usually spent lazing around, him on the computer and me with knitting, watching football games. Monsterette is a fan, as well, although she is pretty much excited about everything that happens. She does know how to say and motion for "touchdown", and we think she may be doing the motion for "false start" as well. We definitely have a happy football lovin' household here. My team is the New York Giants. I'm not really sure when or why I started liking them, but nonetheless, they are "my team". Besides, one of the receivers (Jeremy Shockey, if you're curious) is dreamy. Being originally from Minnesota, I will also always root for the Vikings (unless they play the Giants), and am born to loath the Green Bay Packers just as much as the Philadelphia Eagles. Hubbster's team is the San Diego Chargers- he decided they were "his" when he was younger, because he liked the lightning bolts on the helmets. Isn't that cute? Here's a random bit of "me" trivia- the most expensive piece of clothing I own is my Giants hoodie. I know, it's weird. Anyways, I promise no more posts dedicated exclusively to sports. See you tomorrow!

E is For...

Alright, everyone, I'm really excited about this. E is for earrings. Now, I love earrings as much as the next girl, but this is about special earrings- ones that I have created! Knitters, prepare to rejoice, and get your wishlists ready. I present to you all, knitting needle earrings! I am really, really, in love with these! I made a pair for myself (size 9's, of course), and now you can have a pair, too! I have the pair above, as well as a pair made from size 6 needles, listed in my shiny new Etsy shop. Go check it out, read my profile for extra goodies. Wait, there's more! A CONTEST! Finally, here at Saving Nine, there will be a contest. For, of course, a pair of these swanky earrings! Maybe other goodies too, or runner-up prizes, I'm not really sure yet. So, here are the ways you can enter: 1. Leave a comment on this post. Easy, huh? 2. Blog about this contest, and link to this post. Leave a comment or email me (address below) to let me know you did this one, otherwise, I'll never know! 3. Donate a pair of aluminum knitting needles. Each pair is one entry. This has an added bonus- the first pair you donate is worth $5 in my Etsy shop. each additional pair is worth another dollar off, up to $5 more! Email me (address below) for my address to mail them to me. This contest will be officially closed to new entries on midnight (Us mountain time) November 23rd. If you donate needles for an entry, they must be postmarked by this date. Winner(s) will be randomly chosen by some completely random and yet undetermined method. Bribes will be graciously accepted! See you tomorrow!!

D is for...

D is for decisions. I have a hard time making them, usually, because of being a Libra (at least, that's what I blame it on). I like to weigh everything carefully before choosing, and most of time, it takes a while. Example: We go to Baskin Robbins (home of 31 flavors of ice cream, if you didn't know). I carefully look at each type, seeing what's in it. I then try to narrow it down to three of four choices. I decide which of these would go well together ( I usually go for two scoops), and if that's what I want, or all one flavor. I then narrow it down to two, usually one that is a chocolately or similar, and one that is fruity or similar. By now, the Hubbster is giving me dirty looks, and telling me to choose already, because he's known what he wants for 5 minutes. I then think about what I really want. I think about how it's going to taste, if the texture will be pleasing, if it'll satisfy my ice cream desires. I then waffle over it while James is ordering and make a last-second decision, which I am usually happy with. Crazy, isn't it? I'm like this with a lot of things- where to eat if we go out, what to eat when we get there, dessert or no dessert. I do the same thing in book stores, yarn stores, online stores, clothing stores, pretty much everywhere, unless I already have a clear idea of what I want and am going just to get that one thing. Although, that's not a guarantee, either- just today, I pondered my grocery list, halfway through with my shopping. Yes, decisions in my life are a complicated thing. See you. You know when.

C is For...

There are quite a lot of C's in my life- I think the main one would be create. I am constantly creating things-most often, or course, in my knitting, but in other things as well. I've dabbled in jewelry ( an exciting project in the works there- more on that next time!), clay, drawing, writing. I love to create, and love to get to the roots of things, like felting wool by hand, or writing with a good old pen and paper. I'd love to learn how to draft and spin my own wool, as well. C is also for clapotis. You have all seen this work in progress, and it has actually been finished for some time, now. I absolutely love it! I cozy up with it all that time, take it out when it's chilly. It is so excellent in wool. I'm definitely going to use this pattern again, maybe for another in a wool blend, or a summery one in cotton or silk, or a scarf-sized one. It's awesome! Oh, and it is huge. Awesomely huge. Pictures: C is also for curls. My hair is stick straight, but The Monsterette has a head full of golden curls. I think they are so precious! Well, except when I need to comb it Then it's a nightmare. today, though, they are fresh and bouncy and adorable: You can not even imagine how ridiculously hard it is to take a picture of the back of her head- she is so obsessed with getting her picture taken and staring into the camera. I love these pictures, though- so cute! See ya tomorrow!

B is For...

B is for Balloon Fiesta. It is such an awesome event here in Albuquerque! Hundreds of hot air balloons come from all over the world to participate. Pictures really don't do any justice to the multitude of balloons that fill the early (and I mean early) morning sky. I'm very proud of my pictures this year- The Hubbster said they were better than his. Such a great compliment, coming from such a great photographer! B is also for Burt's Bees. I love so many of their products- lip gloss, baby buttermilk lotion, carrot body lotion, the list goes on. I got a whole bunch of goodies for my birthday which I hadn't tried yet, and they are rocking my socks off! I've been using the Pomegranate and Soy shampoo and conditioner for a few days now, and I am still madly in love with how delicious my hair smells. I also love the fact that almost all of their products are pretty close to 100% natural. If you haven't tried them yet, you should! See you tomorrow!

A is For...

So, I'm starting my Selfabet thingy. I've seen this done around bloglandia a bit, but the last place I saw it was over here. The original idea comes from here. I know she's calling it "the encyclopedia of meme", but I think "selfabet" is much more catchy, don't you? Anyways, onwards. (forgive me, it's late and I'm kind of tired.) A is for Ashlee. Ash is my younger sister by 4 years and some odd months. I love her dearly, I couldn't have asked for a better sister! She is bright and sweet, and one of the most caring, giving persons I know. She is so much fun, and her and I have had many laughs, inside jokes (Hi Mel!), and all around good times. We've also had some good cries about everything under the sun, but especially those "sister" things like our parents and boys and how unfair life is. My sis totally rocks my socks off! On a side note, she's coming to visit in a few weeks- right before Christmas, in fact. I'm so excited to see her again! Living so far from family is definitely tough sometimes. I'm sure it'll be a great time and we'll have fun. Love ya sis! A is for Ayn Rand. I've read quite a bit of her books, and loved them all. The Fountainhead is one of the books that sparked a passion in me, and I know that someday soon, I want to go to school for architecture. (Hey, another "a"!) She really is a great writer and her books will always have a place on my bookshelf, to be read and re-read. See you tomorrow! (Are we having fun yet?!)