Trip to Guthrie, OK

Today our prayer shawl group took a trip to Guthrie, OK. Since we've been to Fort Worth twice on the train, we decided to do something different (and closer). Guthrie was the state capital of Oklahoma when it became a state back in 1907; the capital was later moved to Oklahoma City. Guthrie is about 30 miles north of OKC (Norman is 20 miles south of OKC). It has beautiful architecture, lots of antique shops, bed & breakfasts and a dinner theatre that people come from miles around to go to. Back about six weeks ago, there was a Groupon online for $30.00 of merchandise for

$15.00 at a yarn shop in Guthrie named S.W.A.K. (sealed with a kiss). Several of us purchased one and then the trip was born! It was a beautiful fall day here albeit a little windy!

This was a Fiddle shop down the street from the yarn shop. There were "fiddles" hanging in the third floor windows.

This building was across the street from the yarn shop. It holds a glass-blowing shop and a whimisical gift shop/art gallery. Cool stuff in there!

Here's the front of the yarn shop.

Walking around downtown Guthrie looking at all the historical markers, I came across this one. Interesting....

This was in the middle of town too. Right beside a drug store.

This is where we had lunch. It was very good. We were the only ones in there but we had a group of 12 and took up a lot of the room!

I liked this window on the side of one of the buildings.

I think this was the old state capital building.

This is our group outside the yarn store.

These are my purchases. I bought this little collapsible market basket to put my yarn and projects in on the loveseat beside me at home.

I bought some more needle stoppers and a new prayer shawl pin. I also found these cute little "angel" embroidery scissors at a unique fabric shop.

I bought both of these old spice racks that I'm going to paint and put fingernail polishes and craft paint in. Saw the idea on Pinterest!

At the fabric store, the lady had just gotten in some OKC Thunder Fabric. I bought a yard of it.

Kristen has this Chesapeake Thunder t-shirt that she's been holding and wanting me to make her a t-shirt dress from. I'm going to use the material I purchased to make the ruffle to go around the bottom. Cool, huh?

Let me see your peacock......

Kristen decided she wanted to be a peacock this year for Halloween so I got on the internet and researched peacock costumes. This is the tulle I'm using, 3 of them have sparkles in them the other 2 do not.

I cut 6" strips and put them on an elastic band just like you'd do for a child's tulle tutu alternating the sequined and colored strips. I had to figure out how to attach the peacock feathers to the band.

I made a satiny type tube dress that Kristen wants hemmed slut-tastically short and she'll wear the peacock tutu over the dress. We are covering the front of the elastic with some stretchy sequined elastic. Here is a preview of the first fitting. The sad part is both my sewing machines are on the blink after this so I'll have to hand finish the costume. Will try to post more pictures when we get it finished.

Trying to catch a dog...(dachshund)

There's been a little dachsund (sp??) hanging around the perimeter of our office building for about 2 weeks. He stays on the other side of the fence most days sitting in the sun along the grassy bank of the drainage culvert away from the view of the busy road and away from the interstate. He (or she, I can't get close enough) won't come to you when you call, and runs when you try to approach it. When it is approached, he runs into the drainage culvert and through it (under one of the busiest roads in Norman) and comes out across the street at the hotel. I spent Saturday chasing him from one side of the culvert to the other (having to drive around to both sides of the street) just so I could possibly feed him. He doesn't have any tags on. The sad part is almost every day he is in the same spots along the drainage culvert sunning himself and hiding amoung the weeds/sunflowers. He looks to be healthy but I worry about him. It's starting to get cold at night (down in the mid 30's) and yesterday we had a strong north wind all day making it feel colder than it actually was outside. Kaitlyn and Michael have both searched around my building but haven't had a siting of the dog. Joe has even come and looked and tried to catch him. It's going to take the whole family to split up and get on both sides of the drainage culvert to nab him, I think. I'm such a softie when it comes to dogs. For someone that was deathly afraid of dogs as a child, I have such a connection to them. I can usually get a dog to come to me, but this one is really elusive and apparently afraid of humans. I don't know where he's sleeping at night or if someone is feeding him but I hope the dog catcher doesn't catch him or that he doesn't eventually try to cross the interstate - that would mean certain death. I hope his owners, if he even has any, get off their ASS and take care of him. I'm still patiently waiting. If I can catch him, he's coming home with me.

Latest Craft Projects

This is my newest toy and obsession. Jann bought both of us iPad2 about 2 weeks ago. I bought a really cute leather cover I found at Dustee's (like the Sam Moon store).

Naturally I have pictures of the girls as my screen saver.

Here are some of the projects I am currently working on. The pattern for this scarf is called the Road Scarf. There are 4 different stitches that make up the scarf. I've only completed the first one - basket weave - and started the second one, which is called mesh stitch, followed by sugar cubes and seed stitch. It is all one color. This project has been on hiatus for the whole summer.


This year at Fall Academy at church, I'm taking knitting. We are knitting an Entrelac scarf (or cowl). I'm using Classic Shades "Tutti Fruiti" wool/acrylic. It is a multi-colored yarn. When knitted it looks like the scarf is braided. I'm just getting started but you can see some of the different colors already. The scarf/cowl is knitted in the round on VERY small needles (and the cable between them is only about 8 inches).
While I was waiting to get help at the 2nd Fall Academy class, I started another scarf to donate to the college ministry. This one will be pink and white.

Last night I FINALLY made Kaitlyn's fleece blanket that I should have made 2 years ago. I also used the last little bit of fleece I had and made a pillow to donate to the parents club auction for the upcoming Dad's Dad silent auction in November. I bought the whole bolt of fleece when Kristen pledged the sorority in 2006. Since then, I've made fleece blankets for everyone in Kristen's and Kaitlyn's respective "families" from G-big to G-littles. I'm now done!! I plan on making another OU dress and a fleece t-shirt blanket to donate to the parent's auction too.

I finished another prayer shawl the other night. I didn't put fringe on this one. I've been working on this one since last spring, I think. It's purples and pinks with some black popcorn thrown in.

Kristen is now bugging me to make her a Halloween costume. We'll see. I've got enough projects on my plate for now.

Somebody Got Flowers...

no names....just sayin'

They are sitting on her desk at work....just sayin'

I know two people that have a major crush on each other.....just sayin!

OU/TX 2011

We had such a good time when we went to Dallas this year. Joe and the guys left about 8:30 Friday morning to go down and play golf. Kay and I left about 9:30 and drove straight to Northpark Mall. Without any teenage girls with us this year, we could move along a lot faster and ended up going to Nordstrom Rack and the Galleria too before checking into our hotel. I was such a good girl - I didn't buy ANYTHING. But I had a great time looking. Friday night, our group went to III Forks Grill and had dinner. We went there about 5 years ago and I really like it there. We all went to bed early because of the 11:00 AM kickoff (I hate those!).

Saturday morning, we had Joe's mom and her friend, Johnny, come to our hotel and follow us to the game (we know a way around traffic!). Here is a picture of Joe's mom and her friend, Joe and me.
This is part of our group that hangs together every year at the game: Our good friends Randy & Kay, Joe and I, and Randy's friend since the 3rd grade, Corey. Corey lives in Fort Worth and always comes and joins us for dinner on Friday night and rides to/from the game with us. Monty and Michelle came later as Michelle was sick with an upper respiratory thing and was not feeling well the morning of the game.

ESPN Gameday was there and we got to watch some of it. We couldn't get real close - too many people.
Joe and I having fun in our seats. Monty has 6 season tickets together so all 3 couples sat together for the first time.

The score toward the end of the game. Take that TEXAS!! The stands on the Texas end were pretty much empty by this time.

We met up with Kristen and Kaitlyn's groups after the game and took a few pictures. This one is of our family plus Pat, Kristen's long distance boyfriend. My hair was doing funky things across my forehead.

This is Kristen's group she went down with (also a couple's group): Kristen & Pat, Laura & Adam, and Casey & Taylor. Laura and Casey have both been Kristen's roomates over the college years and both are sorority sisters.
Joe and Kaitlyn

Kaitlyn and her roommate last year at the sorority house and best friend, Gloriana.

Joe, Randy, and Monty goofing around as we were leaving the fairgrounds.

Saturday night after the game. Joe and I got cleaned up and went to dinner and had drinks with Joe's mom and her friend, Johnny, at Mercy Wine Bar. A really cool place. Joe's mom and Johnny were dancing the night away to the jazz band that was there. They are having a lot of fun dating. Everyone had their eyes on Chris (joe's mom). She was so beautiful and was having such a great time; literally, a lot of people were coming up to her to tell her how beautiful she is. The younger crowd (late 20's, early 30's) were in awe of her and would clap every time she and Johnny got up to dance. She was definitely putting a positive spin on being 70!

Joe and I left this morning about 9:30 to drive back to Norman, albeit in the rain. Great weekend!

Preparing for OU/TX Weekend

This past week, I've been preparing for the OU/TX game. I had to make 2 of these dresses, one for Kristen and one for Kaitlyn. This is what all the girls (both TX and OU) wear to the game with their cowboy boots. You make them from an XL men's t-shirt. This one doesn't look very crimson, I have an old iphone camera (3G) and poor hall lighting, but it is really red. There are many variations, but these are the first 2 I've ever made. I think I'm going to make another one to put in the Dad's Day auction at the sorority house in November.

While we are in Texas, we are supposed to meet Kristen's boyfriend, Pat; as well as meet Joe's mother's new boyfriend, Johnny. It's going to be a crazy weekend - I hate the kickoff time for the game - 11:00 AM! Plus ESPN Gameday will be there (woo hoo!) and I know Joe will want to go early for that too. Nothing like crawling out of the bed to go to an early football game (NOT).