It's Friiiiday

Oh Friday how I've longed for you.

1. This week at work was rough...and included a student stomping (accidentally) on my foot.  I lost it on my group of 7th graders...it was because of their pushing, shoving, posturing to fight that they knocked into another student who then stepped on my foot.  Felt like an elephant rather than a 90 lb pre teen.  I am in no way, shape or form an angry person...I am very much a people please...but like I said, I lost it.  I also rarely raise my voice above it's normal level.  I yelled.  And sadly, it worked.  They finally listened to me and heard my mini lecture about how they love to play and mess around and "it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt."  I still can't believe those words actually came out of my mouth...this job seriously brings out a side in me that I'm really not sure I like.

2. I have applied...yet again, to another job.  So prayers (again) would be so greatly appreciated.  This would be a job where I would actually be a Pastoral Counselor.  People would actually understand when I say something about "God's will" or if I recite a Bible verse to them.  Versus the confused looks I currently receive.  I mean, the first question I had to answer on the questionnaire they sent me was "Share with us your faith story."  Don't mind if I do!

3. So I realize other bloggers have written about Breaking Bad (here and here) and clearly since this is just a quick take I won't be going into it as much as these lovely (and much more eloquent) ladies did.  I am a Breaking Bad fan...however, I probably fall somewhere between these two sentiments of "No Thanks" and "Closer to God."  I agree that I appreciate the reality of sin that the show portrays...pretty sure you wouldn't be able to watch the show and think, "oh awesome, cooking and dealing meth is so the path I want for my life!  Look at all of the fantastic things that will happen to me!"  So while I appreciate that, it is really hard to watch sometimes (ok, a lot of the time).  The show very often physically makes me uncomfortable, and since I have a very low threshold for blood and guts, I very often have to close my eyes.  And yet, I am invested in the show and finding out how it ends.  Chris and I have watched all of the episodes on Netflix...but we just realized that we don't get FXX and can't watch the new episodes On Demand...and it's driving me nuts because I just want to know how Walt gets whats coming to him!! (I hope)

4. Last week (geez I need to start blogging more than once a week - or at least trying to!) I talked about babysitting our goddaughter.  Both our parents called the day after to see how we did! Ha!  We survived (seriously, it was only for a couple hours).  She was a lil fussy but honestly, really good.  She took the bottle just fine, and at one point I was even able to bounce her to sleep in my arms.  Once we was asleep, she stayed asleep til after we were gone!  I think Chris was a little shell-shocked by the crying...but I gotta say, I loved seeing him holding a baby.  I mean, is there anything better than seeing the man you love taking care of a baby?

5. This week was full of fall temperatures, and I loved it!  After my turkey pumpkin chili (so, so good) I am ready to start making tons of pumpkin items.  I just stumbled upon this recipe and I'm thinking this is going to have to happen this weekend.  Along with a nice big mug of coffee and pumpkin spice creamer.  Ahh bliss.

6. My roommate from college (well, 1 of 4 anyway) just started her own blog.  She is an incredibly talented writer and I am already enjoying following along on her journey of motherhood, working, and crafting.  Go check Caitlin out @ onlyamotionaway.blogspot.com

7. This is trending on my Facebook feed this morning...and is so true.  Props to The Mount!
22 Signs You Went To A Small Liberal Arts College In The Middle Of Nowhere 


Happy Friday!  Head over to Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes!

7 Quick Takes #Iforgetalready

Guess who's back, back again...Friday's back, tell a friend
(my coffee buzz kicked in early today...)

Happy Friday and happy Quick Takes with Jen day!

1. This week was a roller coaster of ups and downs with my counseling groups.  My sixth graders are still adorable and want to please and just love group.  We talked about social media one day and I asked them as part of their journal question to "hashtag" the group experience.  I got responses like #fun, #thisgroupisthebest, #ilovemycounselors.  Whereas my 7th graders gave me responses like #boring, #7thgradersarecrazy.  *sigh*

2.  If you're on Pinterest I'm sure you've seen at least one...or twenty pins about diy nail art.  My at home manicures usually come out looking like I let my one year old niece do it for me.  But, after reading that you can make polka dots with bobby pins...I decided to give it a go.  And here is the result.  I used OPI Nicole nail polish in "Burr Burr Burgundy" and "It's Possible." It's been hovering in the mid 90s this week and I REALLY want fall to be here, hence the color choices (feel free to remind me of this statement when I start complaining...er, talking...about how cold it is)

Sorry for the poor phone picture quality/bad lighting

3. I almost made this into a full blog post but didn't because I realized I didn't really have that much to say...it was more of a "hmm I wonder if this ever happens to anyone else."  A girl I went to college with had a baby boy the other day and posted pictures of her new son Jacob.  I don't really keep in touch with this girl and we only saw each other after college at a mutual friend's wedding.  So tell me why my first thought when I read that she named her son "Jacob" was, "Well, guess I can't name any future son of mine Jacob."  It's not like I'd be "stealing" the name.  But I do this.  And I know my sister does too, when we were discussing names for her first child we would throw out names but often times her response would be "No, I can't name our baby that because so and so did"  Does anyone else do this, or is this a weird sister thing that we're doing.  Chris and I have a few favorite names (premature, I know, but we can dream) and I just keep thinking, "what if someone we know has a baby first and name's them one of the names we love," would we just not name our child that name for that reason??

4. Jen wrote a post the other day about Facebook and asked the question of if we could go back in time and NOT sign up for Facebook...would we?  I was torn.  And it was funny that I read that post the same day my co-worker and I had been discussing Facebook/how we use it/how we started using it.  I started with Facebook back in the day when you had to have a college email to get it.  Oh how I miss those days.  Now-a-days everyone and their mother in on the Book of Face and sometimes it's just a little too much.  I've often considered deleting my account, especially with privacy concerns etc. but I just can't bring myself to do it.  I do actually keep in touch with some people on there...but others, I honestly don't know why I haven't just deleted them.  As I said in my comment on her post, if Social Media Addiction isn't in the DSM V, it should be! 

5.  Two of our closest friends are celebrating their one year wedding anniversary this weekend!  These are the same friends who just had a daughter the beginning of August.  Chris and I offered to babysit (ok, that is the second time I typed babys*it, instead of sit...not cool) for them so they can celebrate.  So tomorrow we get to spend the evening with a one month old!  We'll see how we do ;-)

6. We started allergy shots on Buster this week...here's hoping this helps and we'll have our pup back!

7. I'll leave you with a lil song action...this one always gets Chris and I up and dancing

Happy Friday all, hope you have a fantastic weekend

7 Quick Takes

Ahh another Friday linking up with Jen.

1. I get daily emails from Ignitum, and today's article really touched me.  It is from the perspective of the post-abortive father.  A side of the story I feel is rarely heard from, but equally as important.

2. On a completely unrelated note...I am making this recipe tonight.  As I may (or may not) have mentioned, I love everything pumpkin.  Pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin muffins (super easy recipe for those...1 can of pumpkin puree + one box of white cake mix...no seriously, that's it).  Chris is a little skeptical about pumpkin being in a chili but I personally think it sounds like God's gift to pumpkin lovers.  I'll let you know if it's a keeper recipe.

3. I'm working from home today...and every Friday really.  My job graciously is giving us Friday's as a "paperwork day" since we have A LOT more paperwork to do this school year.  Which is great...except it is 10 a.m. and I have yet to start said paperwork.  I'm thinking I'm going to need to revert to my grad school days and head to a Barnes and Noble where I can actually focus.  Otherwise, as I told Chris, he'll come home to a sparkling clean house but my paperwork will not have been touched.

4. Our dog had his allergy test done - can't remember if I even mentioned it on here.  We caved, coughed up the equivalent of a nice vacation, and learned that our dog is allergic to...grass, dust, dust mites, a mite that apparently gets into any and all dry dog food (seriously, how gross is that?!), and willow trees (which in MD are few and far between).  Our dog is allergic to grass...do you know how much time dogs spend in grass??  Poor pup.  I'm thinking of buying (or crocheting) him booties to wear when we take him on his walks...may be ridiculous but hey, if it helps.  I found a baking soda + lavender essential oil "recipe" for carpet powder.  Did you know lavender is apparently antibacterial, antifungal, and an insect repellant?  Neither did I, but I'm loving it.  Next week we go back to the vet who will show us how to administer Buster's allergy shots.  I'm not looking forward to this.

5. This past weekend we celebrated Chris' 28th birthday!  Saturday we had a crab feast with my family (you can't live in MD and no love crabs!).  Sunday his parents and brother came to visit along with our friends Joe and Kathleen and their now 1 month old daughter Emma (she is seriously so stinkin' cute).  We did our fantasy football draft and then enjoyed a few "cold ones" and grilled out.  We ended this night with his parents teaching us how to play pinochle...which I loved!

6. This made me laugh...I started as a knitter but I definitely find crocheting to be more my "thing" although I'd love to try my hand at knitting again.

7.  It just wouldn't feel right to go a whole 7 Quick Takes without mentioned Pope Francis' call to the faithful (whatever their faith may be) to fast and pray for Syria.  I am not one who is up on the latest happenings in the World (I know, it's bad, I should watch the news more) but when the Pope calls for prayer and fasting, I'm there!

I'll leave you with this, in honor of Blessed Mother Teresa.  Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing

Five Favorites - Primero!

I've been avidly reading everyone's Five Favorites posts linking up with Hallie at Moxie Wife but for whatever reason I also seem to go from "Oh, I want to join this link up!" to "Oh hey Friday, where did you come from?"

Since one of the reasons I started this blog was to get my crochet work/shop out there, this is going to be *dah da daaaah* the Five Favorites...CROCHET Edition! (I typed that with a fanfare in my mind...hope you read it that way)

1. My favorite crochet hooks are the aluminum Boye hooks.  I specify Boye since there seem to be two major types of crochet hook styles (and debates about them in crochet world) - the tapered head (Boye) and the in-line (Bates)

The hook on the top is the one I prefer...for me personally it seems to go into the stitches more easily and feels more comfortable for me.  I like aluminum for the ease of use factor (again, personal preference).  The yarn just seems to glide more easily on an aluminum hook...crocheting is therapeutic for me, and if I'm wresting with yarn and hook, well, there goes that therapeutic factor

2. 

I have this crochet hook case and it has made my life much easier.  I used to just keep hooks/yarn needs in a plastic sandwich bag with a pair of craft scissors.  This worked fine until the scissors or a hook or needles punctured the bag and I'd end up losing hook/needle/scissor.  With this case I can have all of my hooks in one place and the scissors fit nicely inside as well.  Plus, don't the hooks look pretty all in a row like that? ;-)

3. My favorite item that I've made to date is a granny square baby blanket.  It took me a while to make and granny squares in general are a bit time consuming with all of the yarn tails you need to weave in plus stitching them all together...but I LOVED this blanket.  I made one for a friend for a baby shower, and it was a hit.  I've started making another one just in case someone on my shop orders one...or if I have a baby I want one too!  I love that gray is the main color, and I love that it's gender neutral, incorporating yellow, blue, white and pink.

4. One of my favorite patterns that I have found (and in turn, a close second for favorite item I have made) is this newborn owl hat.  It is SO cute, and the pattern has sizes for newborn up to adult size!  Heres my finished product that you can find here for $10

5. And last, but not least, my favorite site to find crochet (and knit) patterns: www.ravelry.com   You can sort by free patterns, patterns with pictures, and the difficulty.  I've found the majority of my patterns on this free site...it's slightly addicting.

Annnd if I just bored you with all of the crochet talk...I'm sorry.  But thanks for suffering through anyway!  Hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day Weekend