Saying Yes

Honest, I tried posting earlier this week and I clicked "publish" and poof! my post was lost!! I got fed up and went on with my day but now, I'm feeling a little guilty so I'll post today. I don't really remember what the post was about so...shrug. 

Last week,  I was feeling a little discouraged and blue. I had scheduled a coffee meet with a friend for Monday but she called to cancel and reschedule for Tuesday. Cool. I can do that and later I had a dinner event in Orange County so that's doable.

Then I texted a customer/acquaintance about products then followed it up with a let's meet up for lunch soon. She texted back right away that she was off today (Tuesday) and could meet. I thought sure...it's on the way to OC.

So I met my friend, V for breakfast and coffee at Kings Hawaiian in the morning. I didn't want to eat too much so I noshed on her chicken and waffles. That was yummy. 

Got an errand done and then I was off to Huntington Beach to meet L. I've never met her in person so this was going to be interesting. I had so much fun with L and so glad I made that little extra effort to squeeze it in my schedule.

Next I was off to OC to meet up with J and N. I was inspired to really work my biz and I can't treat it like a hobby anymore.

J made a great dinner of chicken curry, pork miso and brown rice. She made an ambrosia salad, Filipino style and I really enjoyed it. I brought along my Fireball mini-cupcakes and during the long day, the icing melted a bit but still very tasty.

So the lesson of the day was to say yes because you never know what will happen. I need to take more opportunities and see where it takes me.

Fireball cupcakes topped with Hot Tamales and Red Hots. #baking #fireball

A post shared by Debbie T (@moodybq) on May 14, 2018 at 11:01am PDT

Peeking in

Hi again! Popping in again to see how much you missed me because I miss blogging/vlogging but there are not enough time in the day for all that.

As you probably noticed I'm not the most focused person since I have way too much side projects so I'm learning to narrow it down and find the ones that give me joy. Life is too short.

So on to the fun stuff...my LA Kings have been knocked out of the playoffs so on to my side projects. 

Our cats get to go outside occasionally and with the warmer weather, Shadow the black cat has been bringing me dazed & confused lizards into the house. Luckily, I've seen them so I can round them up and put them back outside minus their tails (also outside).  

I specifically told #Shadowthecat to not bring me any lizards 🦎 as I let both cats outside. 🤦🏻‍♀️

A post shared by Debbie T (@moodybq) on Apr 25, 2018 at 2:08pm PDT

I've been knitting which is always nice. A pair of hand warmers for a teenage boy and another planned for his brother. No, they're not my boys but it'll make nice presents this Christmas. 

Super easy fingerless mitts. #greatgiftideas #knitting

A post shared by Debbie T (@moodybq) on Apr 8, 2018 at 8:33pm PDT

I haven't knit socks in a very long time since my feet only like hand knit socks for lounging at home during winter so I was intrigued by my friend's Tanya designs. She asked for test knitters so I volunteered. I have a month to finish them so it works to add a little time crunch for me.

Better pic of #argyleandlace #tlcraftsanddesign

A post shared by Debbie T (@moodybq) on May 5, 2018 at 8:55am PDT

Here are the socks that are short socks and will hopefully fit a family member for Christmas.

Now I'm on to my next project which is mindless knitting that I've casually joined another friend in our Noro knitting. Noro is a Japanese yarn that many have a love/hate relationship. Love the long color ways and many hate the rustic feel with little twigs/sticks and knots. 

I love the Noro for certain projects and I almost always keep the  finished items for myself. Stay tuned on my latest project. Striped Baktus.

Stripey goodness on my #Noro #Baktus

A post shared by Debbie T (@moodybq) on May 7, 2018 at 2:22pm PDT

Deep Breaths

So,  a wrench was thrown in my life and the daily one minute vlog got thrown to the side. Everything is fine but I had some very normal things to do with my elderly mother. As plugged into technology as we all are, it's good to focus on real life and family.

So I will catch you up on other things with my Instagram photos and mix it up. I'm sure my followers won't mind..all 4-5 of them!

I’ve been inching toward something different hair-wise and @jean_randall_stylist delivered. So happy! 😍

A post shared by Debbie T (@moodybq) on Feb 20, 2018 at 7:51pm PST

Did I show you my new hair?? I wanted to do something a little different but didn't know exactly...so I let my niece figure it out to surprise me. The picture doesn't really show the exact color but my hair is a darkish chocolate brown with little pops of bright red. You get the idea.

I didn’t make my blanket deadline for #ravellenics2018 but I’m still working on it. One more strip! #justkeepknitting

The Winter Olympics are over...I finished a cowl and  Hector's Shiny Magikarp hat and more of my 10-stitch blanket. I decided the blanket is big enough for my lap and naps so the final strip is in progress. The yarn I'm using is the green, brown blend so stay tuned if I have enough yarn.

I'll end this post with my two kitties!

My sweet #Philthecat

A post shared by Debbie T (@moodybq) on Feb 23, 2018 at 8:38pm PST

Black cat chooses to sleep on my black purse and laptop bag. #camoflauge #shadowthecat

A post shared by Debbie T (@moodybq) on Mar 8, 2018 at 11:09am PST

Chill Weekend

This weekend was super nice because we didn't have any commitments or anything planned. It was nice and relaxing..I got to build a fire and veg. Sometimes I really need it to decompress, I found myself having genuine laughter at silly things because I was able to focus on the moment and not stress over other things.
Every person is different with different stress thresholds so find your calm. I did and feel ready to take on the world this week.

Gray Friday

It seems like I'm managing this one minute vlog since I don't have to show everything I did today which would be pretty boring. I was rushing to beat the rain and it did sprinkle while I was driving home. Then I hurried transferring wood closer to the sliding door for my fire burning adventure today. And still no rain. 

I worked a bit and started the fire while editing my video. Oc course it over the time limit again and I left stuff out. Should I bump it up to a 2 minute vlog? I'll think about it this weekend or maybe I'll vlog longer on the weekends. 

I record during the day and have my content but last night we went to the Kings game which would have been nice to include too. I'll have to plan better. 

I don't think we have any pressing or concrete plans this weekend which is super nice. I'm thinking maybe of seeing Black Panther. Did you have anything good planned for the weekend? 

Time Lapse

Hold on to your hats because I vlogged again while cleaning! 

I had finished my errands for my mom and was thinking of what to film. My yucky bathroom needed attending to ever since we re-piped the entire house in September (?)  with house issues, family issues and more. Uff as my SIL would say.

The time lapse feature on my phone is pretty nifty. 

Hump Day

Sometimes things get so hectic and certain things get very frustrating...you know what I mean?? During those times, I need to take a day to reset even though some people may not understand or get it.

I tried to reset today, got about 1/2 there which is better than nothing. I'll have to face it again so tomorrow is another day.

I'm at Day 3 of my one minute vlog experiment although I may need to bump it up to 1.5 or 2 minute vlog since I'm not super great at editing but it's fun. I tried filming portrait since its easier to look into the camera but I'll keep working at it. :)




It's already March tomorrow! Spring is around the corner.

Experiment

I had a blog watching phase about a year ago which I found fascinating watching people do normal things in their lives. I sort of toyed with the idea but it's very time consuming with filming, editing and more so that was set aside. 

Then I saw someone do a 1 minute vlog and I had a lightbulb moment! Aha! I can manage that! Sure I'm not super exciting but it'll be a fun way to look back and see them. A little snippet in my life.

So here is my first one that I did yesterday so remember, I'm new at this. Lol.




I really don't like how my front-facing camera on my phone is in a weird spot so I'm looking off to the side...I'll have to figure that out. And no, I don't want to invest in a vlogging camera/setup that will take too much of my time.
I do everything on my phone and use PocketVideo to edit. Super simple to use...I can edit and add text and stickers etc.




I can''t promise a vlog daily but I'll try.

Shiny Magikarp

I'm not sure if I mentioned our Pokemon Go fun but this is one of the ways Hector and I spend our time together. We have fun hunting Pokemon and we can get some walking done too.

Hector has been pretty lucky in finding Magikarp at Redondo Beach especially shiny ones. These are really hard to find/catch and he's managed to catch two while I have zero. Sad trombone.

Back in October I set out to knit him a Shiny Magikarp hat using the Fish Hat pattern. Turns out several other knitters have done the same thing which is great for me since they leave notes and links to modifications. 

I mentioned in my last post that I have set goals for myself and decided to add in Hector's hat. There is a WIP (work in progress) category so I can medal in that too!! Win/win. 

It's FINISHED and it's pretty awesome. 

Shiny Magikarp hat! #teampuckthis2018 #ravellenics2018 #wipdancing #knit #pokemongo

A post shared by Debbie T (@moodybq) on Feb 19, 2018 at 1:36pm PST

Cowl Curling

I've been finding my knitting mojo again which is really nice and relaxing for me.

Another challenge coincides with the Winter Olympics so I listed a cowl and finishing my 10- stitch blanket as my goals. The cowl was finished fairly fast in a couple of days. It's a cowl type that I normally wouldn't consider for myself mostly because of our SoCal weather is not that cold. we usually wear cowls as accessories not practicality. 

My friend Jayna showed me a cowl she bought which is close fitting to her neck yet a lighter yarn with looser stitches to allow air circulation. I searched for something similar in the Ravelry database and found Hallgrimskirkja cowl and paired it with some Noro Taiyo sock yarn. This particular yarn is cotton, wool, silk and nylon blend which will be nice since I didn't want something too scratchy near my neck.

I liked the result so much I casted on for another.

Still half a skein left so I’m casting on for another cowl. #teampuckthis2018 #ravellenics2018

A post shared by Debbie T (@moodybq) on Feb 12, 2018 at 12:30pm PST

14 inches tall. Light yet soft and snuggly.

A post shared by Debbie T (@moodybq) on Feb 10, 2018 at 10:14pm PST

I've already used this for our outings to the Redondo Beach pier. It's been very chilly at night and this cowl is perfect, providing the right amount of warmth for me. I also earned a medal in the Cowl Curling category. 

A post shared by Debbie T (@moodybq) on Feb 10, 2018 at 9:57pm PST

January Hat Trick

January is zipping by but this month is the annual Puck This! hat trick challenge. We knit 3 hats for the month to get our hat trick! No prizes or awards just the great satisfaction of knitting hats! It's always a fun time since I'm introduced to hat patterns that I haven't seen before and there are probably thousands out  there.. or close to it. 

Miki hat is done! #hattrick2018

A post shared by Debbie T (@moodybq) on Jan 3, 2018 at 10:23pm PST

This is hat 1, the Miki pattern that a fellow raveler introduced to the group. It's a free pattern and it looks great on everyone. I really enjoyed knitting this one and plan on knitting more especially for my male peeps.

Messy Bun hat. That’s 2 down. #puckthishattrick2018

A post shared by Debbie T (@moodybq) on Jan 11, 2018 at 11:13am PST

Hat number 2...the Messy Bun Hat. My hair is too short for a nice full bun, messy or not. It's a nice coral/hot pink color and is perfect for people with really long hair that want a hat to keep their head warm but don't want the misshapened head look. This is already mailed to my friend in Sacramento. 

Mollie Mae hat. #puckthishattrick2018

A post shared by Debbie T (@moodybq) on Jan 18, 2018 at 11:01pm PST

Hat number 3 is Mollie Mae. All these patterns are free since I usually can't see myself paying for a hat pattern. 
This is helpful using up those little leftovers that gather so I tried to find a good contrast. I followed the pattern as written and to me, the hat can be a bit longer. That's just my preference...some like their hats snug to the head while others, like me prefer some room in the hat. 

Found a WIP so I had to finish it up. No idea what pattern it is. Not counting it for our hat trick.

A post shared by Debbie T (@moodybq) on Jan 11, 2018 at 11:47pm PST

And I have an extra hat for the books...a project that was laying around for a year or two so I picked it up and finished it. I forget the pattern right now but it's in my projects so I must've created a project page for it. It's cute, cotton fingering weight yarn held doubled and I'm putting it in the gift pile. 

So that's it! Hats are are a fun and usually quick project to break up some of my other bigger projects and I need the satisfaction of finishing something. They make practical and fun gifts. 

My New Pen

My new fountain pen and I love it!! Very easy to use after a short learning curve but that may just be me and I'm lame. HA. 

I've been looking for any excuse to write a note and mail them to my customers and friends. 

Do you like fountain pens? Give me some recommendations for my next pen!!

Into The Rabbit Hole

My love of pens is deep and goes way back to when I was a kid. A time when I didn't have a computer and penmanship was graded in elementary school. I had the basic Bic and Pilot pens all through college so my experience was limited.

After pharmacy school, I discovered the joy of pen collecting through the different drug reps coning in and handing out pens with their company and/or drug names advertised. More standard pens but I learned quickly that I had my favorites There were the occasional unusual looking pens to stand out from the other companies, pens shaped like syringes that looked cool but didn't necessarily write well. I was constantly using pens to write Rxs and initial off prescriptions and more.

I don't remember when I got my first Montblanc but that was a super special treat and I loved writing with it but also scared of losing it. I've lost track of it and it may be in a box somewhere. I do have another one that I keep in my purse. A couple years ago, Hector and the boys gave me a Pelikan Souveran pen which is stays near my seat on the sofa. Don't want to lose that one!

I have an online skincare business and my pen love has been flaring up since I have the opportunity to write cards and notes to my customers. I get excited to write to my friend Kathy since we spent many years as penpals when she moved to Oregon back in high school.

The other day I was scrolling Ravelry (an online knitting community) and found a thread on fountain pens. Uh-oh, that thread went back 5 years of people raving about fountain pens. Brands and terms wasn't familiar with but that sparked an interest. I found https://edjelley.com/2015/06/03/7-best-beginner-fountain-pens-under-25-dollars/ which will let me try it out without breaking the bank. Thanks Amazon! I now have my Lamy Safari and assorted colors on order. I'm excited to include it to my note writing repertoire.