Netflix, Granddaughters and Getting off My Butt

Netflix

Ok, my husband and I have pretty much turned into home bodies as we have "matured".  I can remember the times when we were on the go non-stop, family, friends, neighbors, business, school activities and just plain fun took us away from home a majority of the time.  

Of course we lived in Southern California at the time with a wealth of entertainment at our fingertips, the weather alone kept us outside a great deal of the time.

Now we live in the Kansas City area and are empty nesters, with the notable exception of our 4-pawed children, and spend many evenings in front of the TV.  I always have a craft going (or am being totally frustrated by Candy Crush!) and Bob is usually reading as well, but the TV is on.  We have become great fans of Netflix, in fact I don't know how we would live without it.  On Wednesday we finished the entire "West Wing" series; 7 seasons of fantastic characters, dialogue and story lines.  

So Thursday we looked at each other and said, what now?  Sad but true, we were feeling a tremendous let down!  Well, we muddled through that evening with "America's Got Talent" and some 

baseball for Bob (I was reading) and now we have discovered "Orange is the new Black" produced by Netflix- we find it witty, engaging, and totally entertaining.  

So if we "have" to watch TV, at least it's worth watching!

Granddaughters

We have 2 and a half granddaughters. I say half because our son and his lady fair will not be married until next year so I guess technically I can't claim Lexi as my granddaughter.....yet.  The two oldest are teenagers and what fun to watch them becoming charming, talented, intelligent and of course beautiful young women.  They actually let me friend them on Facebook and one on them has a fascinating Pinterest account.  Unfortunately both of these girls live far away , one in Canada and the other in Michigan, and we only get to see them a couple times of year if we are lucky. 

We have missed so much but with social media we feel as if we can "see" them more often and be apart of what's going on day-to-day.   

Now the little one (actually 10 years old) lives close by and hopefully as we get to know each other better there will some fantastic Grandma/Granddaughter adventures in store for us.

 I know we already share a love of Monster High Dolls and she loved the headband I crocheted for her (wore it to school the next day!) so I think we are off to a good start.  

While I would love to have all 3 of them just around the corner, I will be happy with the precious moments that we do have together and build a lifetime of memories with those bits and pieces of gold.

Getting off my Butt

The few regular followers that I have, have obviously noticed that I lack consistency in actually publishing posts.  Start, stop, start, stop....what is my problem?  

Well I am bound and determined to make this work, I enjoy it too much for it to be a failure.  I have several projects in the works and a series of corresponding posts. 

I also firmly believe if you do something enough times it becomes an automatic part of your daily routine.  So I guess I'm asking you to stick with me, even if you have only enjoyed one little thing you have seen here at Laughing Cat Creates.  I am making a promise to you and myself  that I will be more involved and much more active on this blog.  Stay tuned!

Knitting Beaded Bracelets

Two of my most favorite creative endeavors are anything to do with yarn and designing jewelry.  

When I can combine them I'm a really happy camper.

I've recently started a collection of knit beaded bracelets.  

The supplies are pretty simple, a variety of small decorative and seed beads;

Cotton thread or polyester embroidery thread and knitting needles

 The cotton thread comes in a nice selection of colors as well as some metallic and is quite easy to work with.  One ball will make several bracelets

The polyester embroidery thread has a shimmery look and is 6 ply.  It can be a little more difficult to work with and I have learned the hard way that some of the beads may actually tear the thread.  Bracelets usually require 1, 2 or 3 skeins.  This also comes in a nice variety of colors.

String the beads on the thread first.  The bracelets pictured below use about 200 beads; for me, this is the longest part of the process....getting all those little beads onto the thread.   Most of the patterns I have used call for about 9 stitches for a size 2 knitting needle.  Begin by knitting 3-4 rows without any beads.  You will want to leave an edge on each side for sewing up your tube when you have reached the length desired.  Two stitches on each edge is a good rule of thumb.  Depending on the size of your bead, you knit in 1, 2 or 3 beads with each stitch between the edge stitches.  Knit to the desired length making sure to knit 3-4 rows at the end without any beads to match the beginning, sew the long sides together, attach a clasp and you're done!

The picture below shows the 4 bracelets I am currently working on.  I have finished all the knitting and now need to sew the edges and attach the clasps.  As you can see the design possibilities are endless.

I'll share the finished product in another post.

Sunday Thoughts to Ponder...A Journey...

I recently reconnected with a high school buddy through Facebook.  In our conversations I said that I didn't post too many personal things on FB as I questioned whether anyone would really want to read what I had to say...was I smart enough, witty enough, informed enough...etc.  Her response was, "Helen, at our age we should be able to say whatever we want and not worry what others think."  That one little sentence has been replaying and replaying in my mind ever since...

As I wrote in an earlier blog, I have struggled with exactly what I want this blog to be.  I know if I am not true to myself,  readers will see through the BS and pretense and not care to follow.  I also know I run the risk of alienating folks if I keep changing but....if the shoe doesn't fit.....

Sometime in my mid-30's my mother's DNA kicked in and I started gaining weight.  And after being diagnosed and treated for Graves Disease, I gained even more weight and have struggled ever since to get it under control.  My family watched my mother deteriorate as she aged, as she gained more and more weight...the diabetes, heart trouble, back surgery and eventual Dementia.  It was painful to watch and left an indelible scar in my brain and on my soul and I do not want to be that person.

So here I am, overweight, high blood pressure, pre-diabetic, filled with arthritis, high cholesterol and in my opinion spinning out of control.  I KNOW what I need to do, no question, I am smart enough to realize the consequences of not making my health my number one priority.

I've done Weight Watchers, South Beach, Atkins and even went to a weight clinic.  They all work, but you have to keep following the plan and that is where I run into trouble.  It's someone's birthday at the office, or somebody brought in left over goodies from the weekend, samples at the grocery store, not having the healthy stuff on hand, being bored, being sad, being happy....being out of control.

So it's time to begin a journey and I think the best way for me to succeed is to share it with others.  I cannot be a successful business owner/blogger if I am not a successfully healthy human being.  The two do not mesh....it may work for awhile, but one or the other will break.

I am not a particularly athletic person, but I do enjoy being outside walking and working on my container garden; I have practiced a bit of yoga and Tai Chi.  I think these are excellent places to start my journey: with small steps, adding/expanding a bit each week or so until I feel comfortable again in my own skin, and not ashamed at what I have let myself become.

Sun Salutation is a great way to start the day.  I did 4 sequences this morning.

Well, I don't know if I'm at this point yet; BUT, a I had very similar advice before my double knee replacement surgery and it was so appropriate and made a HUGE impact on my recovery.  I need to adopt this attitude right now and apply it to my whole life.

Now, for the eating part of this equation.  I felt most comfortable and had the most lasting success with South Beach.  Getting through the first 3-4 days of no simple carbs and no sugar is quite difficult, but I did it and felt increasing better each day I followed the plan.  The biggest element to being successful is having the right food on hand at all times and never letting myself get so hungry that I would eat the table if I could fit it in my mouth-believe me I have felt this way at times!

Adopting a healthy eating plan and sticking to it may seem simple to many people.  Trust me, it is not.  Like any other addiction, food/eating incorrectly does not have an easy "fix" (pardon the pun).  It takes planning, small steps and a positive attitude....and it can't be done cold turkey.  We do need food to survive, damn, it would be much easier if we didn't.

So, how does all of this tie together, you may ask...when I started this blog I  had every intention of making it all about "physical creativity"...crochet, knitting, sewing, gardening, journaling with snippets of items that I sell sprinkled in along the way.  But ALL of life involves creativity and I feel I must also share how I create a healthier life, and in turn continue to grow my "hands-on" creative life.  And my high school friend?  I'm going to tell it like I see it, the good, the bad, the ugly and most importantly, the successful, the positive, the healthy...creating on the wings on serendipity, one day, one step at a time.

Two-Word Tuesday: Off-Line

Hi Folks,

Just wanted to let you know I will not be posting for a couple of weeks.  Getting ready for our trip to Canada.  Looking forward to sharing fun things from Canada with you when I return.  Take care.

From My Favorite Blogs - Container Gardening

Dawn at Joyful Scribblings has another post I would like to share.  I think this is marvelous, and since the majority of my gardening is container gardening it's perfect for me.  Thanks, Dawn!

Container Gardening Part 1

2013 MAY 15

5 COMMENTS

by dawn

One of Miki’s pots by her beautiful pool

Now that we are hopefully out of the woods in terms of snow and freezing temperatures it’s time to start thinking about planting flowers. Container gardening is a lot like decorating your home.  There are several things you need to consider:

• What are your needs?  Are you trying to screen out an undesirable view?
• What type of pot do you want to use?
• What colors do you like?
• What color and style is your house?
• Consider mixing in different types of textures.
• Plant in odd numbers.  Use three, five or seven types of plants per pot.
• Mix heights of plants.
• Just as you would have a focal point in your home, use the same approach in your yard.  Have one large pot or group pots in arrangements to add more interest.  You could even add other accessories to your grouping such as a stone sculpture.

I consulted my friend and Master Gardener, Miki who has spent many hours learning about horticulture through the Johnson County K-State Research and Extension program.  They only accept 30 people per year and require  students to perform 40 hours of community service every year .  Miki volunteers at theArboretum which has container gardens on display from various groups until this Sunday, May 19.  The tips in this post come from information she learned through the extension program.

Arboretum Container Garden

According to Miki, a common mistake people make is using too small of a pot.  The soil drys up quickly from the sun and wind and requires more watering. All pots need drainage holes.  You can use a coffee filter or newspaper to prevent potting mix from falling out.  Use a professional potting mix which can be found at places like Lowe’s, Home Depot or a gardening center.  Also be sure to fertilize your soil 1 to 3 times per summer with Miracle Grow or some other type of fertilizer.  This is a step I normally skip, but I mainly plant succulents because they require less watering. You can read about my love for succulentshere.   When selecting a pot there are pros and cons for different styles of pots.

• Terra-cotta pros- classic, attractive, affordable, beautiful patina with age
  cons- heavy, fragile, porous (needs extra watering), cracks in winter
• Plastic pros- lightweight, durable, affordable
  cons- less attractive, blows over in wind
• Ceramic pros- attractive, many colors
  cons- fragile, costly, often no drainage
• Wood pros- affordable, can build yourself
  cons- decays, not as attractive
• Fiberglass pros- lightweight, mimics natural materials
  cons- costly
• Hypertufa pros- popular look, can make yourself
  cons- heavy, cracks in winter

When you are choosing colors of flowers take into consideration the colors in your home.  If you can see the flowers from inside your home, you may want to choose similar tones so that it flows.  Generally, choose two main colors and one accent for your pot.

• Harmonious- different shades of one color or hues next to each other on the color wheel
• Contrasting- colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel
• Warm- colors such as red, orange and yellow which add drama. (these are the colors I mainly use) Orange is a popular color this year.
• Cool- colors such as blue and purple and pastels which are more relaxing
• Silver- foliage harmonizes with all colors and tones down hot colors while enhancing cool ones
• White – white flowers show up better at night

Miki had so much great information to share that I thought it would be best to do so in two separate posts.  Tomorrow I will cover the process of selecting and planting your flowers and plants.

Something New-Tatting

Tatting

Have you ever tried tatting?
 I haven't....at least not yet.
Since I already enjoy so many needle arts it seems natural to me that I would want to try something new every now and then.  This time it's tatting.  I am most intrigued with tatted jewelry.  With it's lace like look, tatted jewelry is feminine, maybe a bit Victorian looking, a bit bohemian and a
great way to wear art.

According to Wikipedia, tatting "...is formed by a pattern of rings and chains formed from a series of cow hitch or half-hitch knots, called double stitches (ds), over a core thread."
Well OK...let's see what that looks like...

I think it's really pretty and I can never have enough jewelry.

I have purchased a few supplies and a tatted jewelry instruction book.  After looking through the book, I can see that I will be purchasing some additional supplies in order to complete my jewelry.

 I'm planning on making this new needle art my project for our upcoming trip to Canada.  Since I will have a lot of down time in the car, I might as well make the best use of that time by creating something new.  And I usually have time in the evenings while we are there when I can work on my latest project.
Maybe I'll even get my step-daughter and granddaughter interested in learning!

I'll share pictures with you when I have some completed items.

Wordless Wednesday