Well now that it's after Christmas, I seem to have time again.

I think I've mentioned before that I didn't want to start knitting. 

Well I had a super awesome post written, but then I forgot to save it, and now I'm left with zip! 

Welcome to the last day of the Christmas Series! I hope you guys have enjoyed the throwback posts and the new ones. This throwback post is a super simple one, and you could probably find most of what you need at the dollar store.

Greetings everyone!

I hope you guys have been enjoying the Christmas series that's been going on. Today I'm sharing another throwback, that could also work beyond just Christmas. They're involved. They take several nap times to get done, but mostly just because you have to wait for the glue to dry. Read on to see the original post.

Y'all thought I'd forgotten about today's post, didn't you?

You're half right. I kind of did. Until I didn't!

Luckily, I'm waiting for the hair dye to do its magical thing on my grays, so I have time to write a post.

I'm sharing one of the most popular posts from my old blog, and if know me then you know I have a thing for watches. I love them. As decor, fashion statements, tools, etc. Love them. This post from 5 years ago, is more proof of my watch love. These ornaments still hold a near and dear place in my heart. So read on to see how I made them.

I am so excited to share today's project with you.

Sometimes when genius strikes, you just need to share it again.

That's the case with these ornaments. They're simple to make, yet they're timeless and elegant. Don't you wish all things could be that way?

This will also start a short series about Christmas ornaments and decor. I hope y'all will enjoy!

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Original Post from December 2013

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Sometimes I think I ought to teach myself how to knit. I've tried knitting, but I just don't get it. I'm clumsy. I also have a mom that knits. She does my knitting for me.  *2 years later - I now know how to knit, and it's become one of my favorite tv-watching activities.

I do crochet. She knows how to crochet, and does it well, but she knits more. I crochet more. The problem is that she has her own knitting projects and isn't solely at my beck and call, so when I wanted sweater-like covered ornament balls, I was on my own.

I tried doing google searches, but nothing I found was right. It wasn't what I was looking for. I have 9 clear plastic round ornaments begging for some crafty love, and I had nada. Until the other night, when the hubs and I were watching TV and I was playing around with my yarn and crochet hook.

Then this happened.

Man, I feel like I'm being pulled in 8,000,000 directions. 

Guess who's been failing all over the place for the last 2 weeks when it comes to working out?!?

Me!

Yay!

Dang holidays. So much stuff to get done and want to get done, and so very little time.

Hey all I'm back with yet another pattern review!

I told you've I've been busy sewing up a storm.

Today's pattern is a fun little jacket, that is lightweight enough that you can wear it all day long.

This was a someday pattern, and I know I've mentioned my someday pattern collection before. Luckily, I haven't owned this pattern as long as some of the other patterns in that collection.


I don't know why the pattern envelope has a different number than what's on McCall's site. Maybe because it was displayed out on the floor?

I chose a fun print for this jacket, because 1) it's fun, 2) I tend to steer towards safe solid colors, and  3) I need to branch out!

The fabric was a pretty stable moderate knit, and it was heaven to work with.

The pattern itself was pretty easy, I do wish the zipper instruction was a little clearer.

Better illustrations for installing the zipper and lining everything up would've been nice too, but overall the guide sheet and the pattern work up fairly easy and without too much grumbling about the way they do things.

Oh and a mark or better illustration about the snap placement, but like I said, there's nothing overly difficult about this pattern.


I'm such a happy model.

I did alter the pattern between the waist and hips, and that didn't pose any problems. I'm excited about rotating this piece into my normal wardrobe. Its not your typical "mom" wear, but it's got pockets and is long enough that I'm not constantly tugging it down.

Pretty happy with the newest addition to the closet.

Have a terrific day everyone!

I'm back with another sewing pattern review!

Do you guys have those patterns that you keep returning to, because they're just right?

This is one of those patterns. I can't recall how many times I've made a shirt or tunic from this pattern.


This time I did change it up though and made a shirt dress. I did have to alter it (dang hips), but I was also trying to copy a dress I saw at Target that I liked.

It's me again!  Your friendly, neighborhood Dana.  Man, Heather's been super nice to let me take over her blog so often lately.  Today I'm here to review Zooma Nashville!  Sadly, I have no pictures, so...come with me, and you'll see, a world of pure imagination.

How do you know that you're entering another busy season for the family?

Everything has to get prioritized.

Including exercise.

Usually exercise makes the cut, and I'm happy about that.

Some days, though. Some days you need the exercise if only to have a bit of time to yourself, but, of course, sometimes that doesn't always work out.

Sometimes you just need to force yourself.

That was kind of the case last week. I wanted to work out, but there's a crapton to be done around the house and in preparation for the coming holidays, and I got 3 out of 5 workouts in, but I may fudge that and say 4 out of 5.

So let's get on with it.

Soooooooooo...this isn't Heather.  It's her little sister, Dana!  Isn't that quite exciting?  Why have I commandeered her blog?  Commandeered, nautical term.  Name the film.

Sunday was definitely a good day.

I got an extra hour of sleep, so my 5 am 5:20 am wake-up wasn't terrible. It was rainy and a little windy and I got to run a race! A race I've been looking forward to for some time, and my mom joined me.

My mom has actually never been to one of my races for the full thing. She's come at the tail end of races to watch me finish, but it's just never worked out that she could be there for the whole thing.

So when plans changed at my house, and the husband wanted a last hurrah at a golf tournament on the same day as my race, she stepped in to by my cheerleader and driver. I don't know if I was more excited that she was joining me or the fact that it was finally here.

Oh, and I need to apologize to everyone. It's my fault it rained. It's a race, and I'm participating. It's bound to rain. The rain started just after the start, but did end just before I finished. Yay! I'm so glad that all of the rain fell for the 1 hour I was going to be running.

Mother Nature we need to have a talk. Seriously.

Hello all! I hope this Monday finds all of you well.

I'm exhausted. This month has been hectic for us, and there's little reprieve in sight. I am thankful for our blessings though. I'm just a little tired. Frazzled, even.

Training this week was good. I got in three runs and a power walk that might've been the death of me if it weren't for my friend suffering through it with me. The walk was tougher than the runs!

I'm still getting back into the swing of things with Baby Girl and her stroller in tow. That thing is a workout in and of itself. Holy crap! 2 of the workouts included pushing it around. It didn't help that one of the wheels is a little low on air, so the stupid thing wanted to tug to the right the whole time.

I need to remember to put the bike pump in the car, and just have it with me all the time.

Overall, this was a great week. Not much cross-training got done, save the walk, but the runs were good. So here's the scoop!

Earlier this week, I reviewed the dress pattern for my Gold Cup dress and I said I was going to do a review of the hat pattern.

Today is that day!

I can't be the only person who goes out and buys patterns when they're on sale for those what-if and could-be moments.

I have a ton of patterns, and most of them are someday patterns. Someday I'll do something with them. Someday I'll make this. Someday patterns.

Thank goodness for my someday ways, because for this particular pattern someday came along when I wasn't happy with my hat options for my dress.

So Saturday was Fall Gold Cup, and it was a blast.

Please ignore the dirty mirror! I was almost done getting ready in this photo.

Absolutely no running happened this week.

Probably not a good thing. That's not to say that I didn't get any workouts in. I did. I went to spin and did PiYo: Lower Body.

Since I only managed two workouts the recap will be fairly short and sweet.

Oh I am going to also brag about finishing the colors of one whole wing on my butterfly tattoo. 5 half marathons in one year. I love how my butterfly is evolving.

I've got just a quick post today for you guys.

With Halloween being next week, I realized that I haven't shared my super fun Halloween wreath.

It's not a hard wreath to copy, so I'm not even going to write anything up. I'm just going to show it off.

It's just that awesome.


I do wish I could snap a picture of it at night, because some of those googly eyes glow-in-the-dark. Makes it even creepier.

Have a great weekend guys!

Linking up to:

Good Morning Wednesday! Here's your edition of the Monday Report.

I know it's a bit late, but I've had a hectic couple of weeks. October is a busy month for the family. We've got 3 birthdays. 2 in one week and the last is only 3 weeks after the first. So busy.

Even with the bustle of getting birthday gifts made and a small party planned, I still got 2 official workouts in. There was a lot of house cleaning done last week too. House work is hard work, especially with a toddler who just revels in undoing what you just did.

There must be something in the water. Everyone is having babies!

Your attention, please!  We now interrupt your regularly scheduled broadcast for an important announcement.  I HAVE DEFEATED WIPEOUT RUN!  "I" being Heather's baby sister, Dana.  Last week, Mike (the hubs) and I drove down to Atlanta, GA to take part in what might be the funnest run we have ever done.  Granted, it wasn't very long and therefore we didn't do much running.  Wipeout Run, formerly known as the Ridiculous Obstacle Course (ROC Run, for short) is only a 5k, and there were about a dozen obstacles, so we mostly walked between them.  Looking back, I totally could have run the course, but I didn't know what to expect or how strenuous the obstacles would be, so we played it safe.  The following are my impressions of the race.

Can you believe that in about a week Baby Girl is going to be 2 years old?

That's craziness!

We're starting to transition her nursery into a big girl room. It's a process.

Luckily, it doesn't involve a whole lot.

Change the window treatments, bring in the toddler bed and create storage for the growing collection of big girl items, like headbands and hair elastics.

It's been awhile since I've had material for Wednesday's feature, but yesterday I tried out a recipe I got from my grandmother and it was a huge hit. Not that there was a doubt, because when I had these biscuits at my grandmother's house a few weeks back, I couldn't stop eating them! So I didn't really care if the kids would like them or not, because I do. I didn't have to worry though, the kids devoured them.

I had a dozen yesterday, I have none left this morning. Good thing I'm making another batch today.

The lovely thing about this recipe is that its quick, easy and doesn't contain a lot of fussy ingredients.

I don't know about everyone else's home, but in our house we always have canned pumpkin on hand. Our family loves pumpkin!

Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Praline Delight, Pumpkin Mousse, Pumpkin Cheesecake.

We have serious pumpkin love. So without more of my rambling here is the recipe! I think this recipe is from Southern Living. I'm not sure though. My sister snapped a picture of the recipe right before we had to end our visit.

Small Fry's 6th birthday was this past weekend, and we celebrated it by taking a camping trip. It was cold and rainy, but a good time was had by all, eventually.

 I figure what better time to bring back one of the most popular posts from Straight Stitches. For his first birthday, we threw him a Dr. Seuss party! So here are the highlights from that post 5 years ago.

My half marathon season is officially over! I ran my last half of the year on Sunday, and I have to say I'm looking forward to some down time.

I still have a few races I want to run, but none longer than a 10k. I'm super excited for The Parks 10k!

I am getting ahead of myself. I want to talk about Diva DC Wine Country

The short of it is - I will not be running this race again.

The long of it includes a number of disappointments.

I was looking forward to this race, because I was running it with my friend and its a totally girly girl race. Who doesn't love tiaras, tutus and medals? Oh and bubbly. They promised bubbly. Of course, I thought, bubbly was champagne. It wasn't. It was sparkling apple cider. Fail number one.

I'm getting ahead of myself - let me start at the beginning. The expo was small, but enjoyable. I picked up some tiny tiaras for the girls and I. Also got some shoe swag. I love the happy skulls!

This week wasn't a total loss. I did get runs in, but not as many as I probably should've done.

This is a new week however, and I'm excited about starting fresh next week.

I need to start thinking about my eating. I've been slacking, but that'll be a post for later.


I did get a lot of walking done this week, so that's something, I suppose. I'm still aching, but really that's just because I have a toddler that likes to be held, and she's just getting to big for that. The week was fairly uneventful, but there's the recap nonetheless.

After the success I had with chalk paint on the console, I decided that my poor laptop desk needed some love. You remember the laptop desk - the one from {THIS} post.

Chalk paint is not a new thing.

Hey guys! So wow, it's been a week since my half, and 2 weeks since I've written a Monday Report.

I debated writing one for the last week of training and ultimately didn't finish writing it, because it was really unremarkable.

So welcome to the Intermediary Training! DIVA is in 2 weeks, and I'm excited for it. There's no pressure. I am going to just have fun.

So this week was pretty decent. I hurt a lot. My shoulder is still giving me fits. Thanks toddler. So without further ado, here's the recap.

You know that moment when your kids become a little less kid-like and little more not-kid?

I am kind of loving that my oldest has started transitioning into a teenager. Not the mood swings or sass, but the good stuff. Like being able to discuss Greek gods. He loves the Percy Jackson series of books, and I love that he and I can discuss the Greek gods like adults. I love Greek mythology, and so does he. I think we surprised my husband one night by how in-depth we got talking about them.

Anyways, I have veered off-track again, so back to him growing up. As his interests have expanded, so have his tastes and his personality.

When the boys shared a room, we labeled their dressers so it was easier for Small Fry to know which drawers were his and out of which drawers he should pick his clothes. Once Small Fry moved back into his own room, the labels became superfluous for Big Guy.

Then I introduced him to Pinterest. It started with his birthday. He wanted a minecraft birthday party last year, so one day when I needed him occupied so I could focus on something else, I handed him my phone and had the Pinterest app opened and told him to do a search on minecraft birthday party ideas. Well the floodgates opened. He had a blast pinning stuff and exploring.

He started pinning things he liked for his room and not just the party. If you look at his board, {HERE}, you'll see all sorts of minecraft stuff for his room. Some of them, we've done. Other's I'd still like to tackle. Like {THIS} desk lamp!

Then he pinned this dresser. Wait. What?

Welcome to another feature! This one will not be nearly as regular as the other's, but I figure I run races, so I may as well add my $.02 about my experiences.

I was super excited for this race. My dad grew up down in Virginia Beach and we still have family that lives down there. I also love the ocean, and visiting the beach always makes me happy.

I was also excited to share this with my family. They haven't been able to go with me to a race since my first half, last October, and the fact that this one was on the boardwalk made it even better.

Now, I will say that I got into my head a little about not making my goal. I've worked hard all year. Conversely, I know that I've skipped workouts and runs, and probably wasn't as dedicated as I've been.

I also know that I've been slacking on my nutrition.

Well race day is on Sunday, and I'm trying not to be a stark raving in-my-own-head lunatic.

I don't know that it's going well.

One thing I can depend on is my go to breakfast for long runs.

Overnight Oats are amazing. They're easy. They look terrible, but taste amazing.

If you haven't tried them out, you need to. Now. Go right now and whip some up. You will thank me in the morning.

I have a favorite jar for my oats. Its a wide mouth pint size mason jar. My husband discovered a while back that you do not use this jar for prepping yeast for a beer batch. It angers the wife. A lot.

He very kindly made me my overnight oats, after he'd cleaned out the yeast, and after I'd gone to bed. They were delicious, and he is amazing.

So here's the recipe for my current favorite go to.

This recipe is one of those recipes where I know I'm not going to get an argument from anyone in the family, and some nights that's super important.

Like more important than what you're actually serving for dinner.

The kids have been in school for 2 days now, and this year is special for us, because my Small Fry is a kindergartner. My big guy is a 4th grader, so this school thing is old hat for him. We've encountered some new challenges with both of them being in school.

Mix in new school challenges and old dinner time challenges and dinner was a trial in patience on our first day. I was not going to repeat that.

Enter our go to Shepherd's Pie. Our pie was inspired by Taste of Home's Simple Shepherd's Pie, but I had to adjust the recipe to fit our family and what groceries I usually have on hand.

This project shouldn't have taken as long as it did. It did, though, because I was taking my time and rationing my time between a lot of projects this last week.

This is the only one I've gotten done. I'm so close on the others.

So taper week was a disaster. I ran once, but that one run was pretty awesome. So that's something.

I just didn't feel like running.

Isn't that terrific? 14 weeks of training and I don't feel like running.

I didn't feel great, physically or mentally. I was in a funk.

Did I mention it was taper week? The half is 2 weeks away. Yay! Let's not run! Woo Hoo!

No amount of self-prescribed pep talks or nudging from the hubs was getting me out the door.

Nope. I stayed indoors and worked on projects around the house. I didn't even go to Zumba.

I posted this 5 years ago, and we still love these sandwiches. They're even picky eater approved. Score!!

There used to be a restaurant in Warrenton that had fabulous Monte Cristos. Unfortunately, they are no longer around, and I despaired of ever having their Monte Cristos again.

Then a light bulb went off and I decided to look through my many cookbooks and create my own Monte Cristos.

So 5 years have gone by, and I've, of course, updated this recipe a bit, but I'm happy to share it again.

So after killing my long run for week 13, I woke up Monday morning feeling like poo.

My old friend, Hay Fever, was visiting. I hate that guy.

He always seems to show up right before a race. Never fails. So why should this time be any different?

So the week didn't start off like I intended. I was nursing a pressurized, snot-filled face for the first two days. Then Wednesday, I made myself go to class.

It wasn't that hard. My friend was teaching. Pride got into the ring with Hay Fever and won. Some stupid little thing like not being able to breath through my nose is going to stop me (it did, a little). Or the fact that I was constantly clearing my throat throughout class. That wasn't annoying at all.

Are you guys sensing my sarcasm? Its pretty much dripping throughout this post so far just like my nose was.

See what I did there? I could be a comedian. Not really. I'm just annoyed. And snarky. Really snarky.

Any who, I guess there's really no reason to prolong the recap, so here it is!