Jensanity

I really have no words for what Pinterest is.  If you join, you will have that warm, fuzzy, “I can do this” feeling and you will then bask in the warm glow of your, and other’s, awesomeness.  Ok fine, I’ll try to describe it.  Ok, fine….it’s not like reverse engineering a thermonuclear device.  It’s just hard to express how cool and addicting it is based on the description.  Ok, basically, you create “boards”.  Mine are to the tune of:  Crafty Things, Yummy Things, Craft Ideas, Random Weird, Cool Stuff, etc.  You fill each board with “pins”.  Pins are photographs with hyperlinks that take you to your, say, recipe you’ve pinned, and your picture will be of that delicious concoction.

Meanwhile, people can “follow” your pins, or if you happen to be on the same craft/food/art wavelength of another pinner, you can follow them.   The magic is on the main page, where you are bombarded with amazing ideas from amazing people, and you can repin at will, which also keeps the ideas/projects on your personal boards.   The magic for me personally, and I assume for many others, is that you have all of the things you’ve ever wanted to do, make, laugh at, wish for, whatever…all in one organized place.  Because it’s so organized, I am way more likely to set aside time to do a project, or try a recipe or whatever, because you’re only pinning what you like and at the skill level you desire on your boards.  It’s like everything is pre-screened.

So, my friend Neil was telling me about the various crops that his mom grows in Hawaii.  He said that she grows papayas, but that they “Summon Wolf Spiders”.  I love that they “summon” them rather than just attract them.  Now I want to grow papayas so I have the power to summon something.  Then I will have an army of Wolf Spiders and take over McKinney.  I’d heard Wolf  Spiders won’t actually hurt you.  We had hundreds of them in/around our house in Plano.  Then again, “I’d heard” that from “my mom”, so for all I know, they can kill you with a look.  I’d probably summon thousands of them with my acres of papaya crops and then not be able to control them and I’d die in a spider attack, which would be un-fun.

Alternating Cable Bangle

STITCH GLOSSARY
6-st RC Sl 3 sts to cn and hold to back, k3, k3 from cn.
6-st LC Sl 3 sts to cn and hold to front, k3, k3 from cn.
Cast on 30 sts.

BANGLE
Set up row (WS) P8, k2, p6, k2, p12.
Rows 1 (RS) K12, p2, k6, p2, k8.
Row 2 P8, k2, p6, k2, p12.
*Row 3 K12, p2, 6-st LC, p2, k8.
Row 4 P8, k2, p6, k2, p12.
Row 5 K12, p2, k6, p2, k8.
Rows 6–8 Knit the k sts and purl the p sts.
Rows 9–20 Rep from * twice more.
**Row 21 K8, p2, 6-st RC, p2, k12.
Row 22 P12, k2, p6, k2, p8.
Row 23 K8, p2, k6, p2, k12.
Rows 24–26 Knit the k sts and purl the p sts.
Rows 27–38 Rep from ** twice more.
Rep rows 3-38 twice more. Bind off.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner!  Are you ready for a fantastic February 14th with the one you love?  Show your sweetie you care with Valentine, an innocent design in snowy white with fluted edges, all tied up with a pretty polka dot ribbon.  10% off this month!

Plan ahead with gift ideas from Scentsy! From the sweet and sultry fragrances in our Romance Collection to exclusive Bring Back My Bar scents—available for the month of January only—you’re sure to find the perfect presents for your sweetie and anyone else you want to spoil.

Party in January and Double Your Rewards!
This month is the perfect time to host a Scentsy party, (at your home, my home, OR online!). You’ll receive double the half-price Host Rewards in January for every qualifying party you Host!  Help your family and friends pick up the gifts they didn’t find under the tree—and help them stock up on Bring Back My Bar fragrances to warm and share throughout the year.

This month’s Scent:

Linger!
Pink grapefruit, sugared apple, lavish praline, and marshmallow swirl create a fragrance that says “stay.”

And don’t forget this month’s charitable Scentsy Buddy™, Pooki the Polar Bear! For the child in your life or the child in you, the Scentsy Buddy™ is always ready with a big dose of fragrance! Snuggle your Buddy for a great night’s sleep or make outings fun when you bring a playful friend along. The Scentsy Buddy™ is the perfect cuddly companion—and there for you no matter what.

Each Buddy features a zippered pocket to hold scrumptious Scentsy fragrance. Just insert a Scent Pak™ and bring your Buddy to life with comforting scent.

For children ages 3 years and up. Go to www.scentsybuddy.comto meet all the Scentsy Buddies!

http://www.apronstringsblog.com/entrees/avocado-egg-recipe-breakfast/

So, my HOA president is a bitch.  I innocently asked if our neighborhood entrances would have holiday lights (like EVERY other neighborhood around us) and she proceeded to lambast me about how they never get volunteers and they have no money because no one pays their homeowners dues on time.  I let her know that I paid MINE on time and was so happy to be punished for those that didn’t.  I think this year I’ll forget to pay them.  $500 is kind of high for crappy landscaping and the use of the pool that is often closed because some kid inevitably rocks a deuce in it every couple of weeks in the summer.

Hurricane Bob comes in tonight.  So not only am I racing around trying to get my house in order for a big Christmas party, I am also running around trying to make the preparations look orderly so Dad doesn’t jump my shit for a messy house.  Also, a string of lights around one window is starting to fall down.  If I don’t get out on to the roof, he will, and no one wants to celebrate Christmas with my Dad’s funeral.  Well, maybe my husband does….just kidding.  He loves him.  In a “head-slapping, saying “ARGH” a lot” kind of way.

Speaking of the Christmas party, it should be fun.  Thank God I said it was potluck because I would have spent a million dollars on food for the number of people coming.  There are a lot of instructions for the guests too.  Bring a gift for Santa to give to their kid(s), (yes, I hired a Santa.  That’s badass, I know).  Bring a gift per each adult coming for a gift swap.  Bring a dish.  Hundred bucks at least 5 males bring nothing at all.  I’m going to have extra swap gifts for those who forget.  But they’re going to be crap and I’ll have their names on them, so maybe next year they’ll think twice about showing up to my party empty handed.  Also, they will not be allowed to eat.  Or drink.  Or be merry.  I hope people like egg nog with either rum or Jack Daniels, because that’s the drinks I’m serving.  There’s a liquor store in The Colony if you want to run out and get yourself something.  I’ve been busy decorating.

Emma seems to be really concerned that she might be on the Naughty list this year.  Yet continues to act naughty.  Which is totally going to backfire because I’ve bought her about $40,000 in presents.  She does seem to act nice when she’s within site range of the Elf on the Shelf.  So we make any demands standing in front of that elf.  “Get me a coke.  Pick up those shoes.  Pass Mommy the ashtray.  Let the dogs out.”  She will gleefully do these things while making sure the elf sees her.  Ha ha stupid kids.

Despite the Grinchy attitude, I think it’s going to be a nice Christmas.  Either the bills are caught up or Ron’s not telling me, (that’s fine), it’ll be nice to see my Dad, (despite the complaints, I adore him), my sweet friend Lana has bought us tickets to the Gaylord ICE display (although I’m sad that she’s had some bad family news, and super-bummed that she won’t be joining us), Emma’s going to have a wonderful Christmas, the house looks great, my shopping is almost done, it looks like we’re taking a Houston trip right after Christmas to see a ton of family we rarely get to see, and this Friday is the last day of work until January 3rd. 

So, here’s hoping the party is a success and everyone has fun, that Hurricane Bob makes it only moderately stressful with his visit, that I can get those Christmas lights fixed without falling off the roof and killing myself, that everyone stays happy and calm, and that Santa doesn’t show up to the party loaded and doesn’t throw up on any of the kids.  I don’t know why I’m worried about that, but for some reason I’ll feel better when I’ve ascertained that he’s not trashed when he arrives.

I hope everyone has a Very Merry Christmas!!

Here’s the finished sweater ornament that I’m making for Christmas gifts.  That is, if I can speed up the process, because this took me an entire day, and I want to make a bunch.  The link is under the photo.  I made the sleeves longer, because I think 3/4 length sleeves make people look like Bill Belichick.  It’s supposed to have a hanger made out of wire.  I didn’t have any wire.  Also, I used beads to make a snowman on the front.  The pattern calls for a felted tree.