Theme-a-licious Jardin January Wrap Up

I made some progress on Convent's Herbal Garden during IHSW:

I really love this piece! I might have to sneak in some work on it next month as well.

Toccata also got some work during IHSW, which began with a flower-like motif and ended with a lattice motif.

You know...a lattice...like in a garden. ;) Completely within theme.

I did finally pull out Shakespeare's Garden!

 

Excuse the poorly-lit pictures...it poured rain all day today.

Juneberry has seen some progress (and now hopefully no longer looks like a thong!!)

 

That bit of white perle cotton in there is a "lifeline"...in case the lace goes so badly wrong I can't fix it (and I have had to fix quite a few things already!) I can just drop it back to that point and know where I am.

Sadly, I wasn't able to finish my tree ornament, but it was fun to start something new, anyway. =)

 

Now it's time for...
Figural February

Who are the people in your neighborhood...your WIP neighborhood, that is? Give your people-populated projects some face time this month.

I am definitely going to be working on Autumn Queen this month. I was also thinking that I might start a smaller Mirabilia piece...either Bluebell or the letter "H". But there is not going to be a lot of time this month (I'll be out of town for week) so maybe I will just keep to Autumn Queen and my ornament. Think I can stick to it? =)

Ornament Theme
Snowman (or Snowlady!)

Again, since this is a short month, I tried to exercise restraint and pick a very small ornament, especially since I failed to finish this month's! Of course, this just means that I picked THREE small ornaments. =)

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So how did your garden grow this month? Please add your link below (to your wrap-up post), and visit some other Themers if you can (everyone loves comments and encouragement!) Our next post will be on the 15th of February, when we'll check in for Figural February!

1. Ruth's Little Leprechauns 2. Nic @ DragonRambles 3. Kerryp77 4. Karen - My Stitchy Ramblings 5. Serendipitous Jo 6. Katri 7. Karoline

8. Tiki Stitches 9. Katie 10. Erin (Movie Muse) 11. Gillie 12. Just A Little Stitchin' 13. Topcho 14. Christine

15. The Auld Grey Mare 16. Jackie 17. Yana Hanim 18. Christine Brown 19. Teresa or GirlWithNeedles

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Heather's Favorite Cookies (No-Bake, 30 Minute Microwave)

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I really was cruel not to give you this recipe when I posted about these cookies yesterday!

It's hard to know what the best thing about them is. Is it the intense chocolately-ness? Is it the vague feeling they may be slightly healthy because of the oatmeal? Is it that you probably already have all the ingredients on hand? Or is it the fact that from the moment you get the idea in your head, to the time you have a cookie in your mouth, takes only THIRTY MINUTES??

Yup. That's probably it.

"Heather's Favorite Cookies"
aka No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

In a large bowl, microwave

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

in 1-minute increments until melted. When the stick of butter is about 3/4 gone, you can just stir to melt the rest.

Add

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa (I use dark Dutch process)

Stir; microwave until the mixture has boiled for about 1 minute. This takes 3-4 minutes.

Stir in

• 1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy!)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

until the peanut butter is melted.

Stir in

• 3 cups oats

Drop by spoonfuls on wax paper. Stare at them eagerly until they set.

Consume and enjoy!

JiffNotes
The only thing better than yummy chocolate cookies is yummy chocolate cookies that take only 30 minutes!

The Geekend That Was, 1/27 (15 minute edition)

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Let's see how I do with a 15-minute time limit, shall we?

I'm sad to say that I did not make very good use of my daylight hours this weekend. I did get a bit done on Shakespeare's Garden, but then I thought I'd lost a bead (these are gemstone beads, not must seed beads), so that kind of took the wind out of my sails. The good news is that I found it later!

I also managed to transfer the design and mount the muslin and satin for my stumpwork class.

But that's all I managed. If the mounting looks a little strange to you, it's because I could not find regular stretcher bars, so I got a frame for canvas...like, canvas for painting! The bars to make the frame were super cheap; I think I spent less than $3 on them. The only disadvantage I see so far is because the molding has a dip in it, I was not able to tack the muslin around the sides, then satin on top like I did with the muslin and silk for the stumpwork bird I did. We'll see how it works. You know, once I actually start stitching.

Sunday we had dinner with friends we hadn't seen in a while, which was really awesome. Even more awesome was that I brought cookies, which turned out to be our hostess's favorite thing ever.

Cookies in general, not these cookies in particular. But I do love making people happy. =) I got a 365 Cookies page a day calendar, and these were the first ones I tried. They were a variation on Macadamia Nut Cookies...substituting pecans for the macadamia nuts and adding Craisins...thereby making them the most inaccurately named cookies ever. =) They were pretty good and interesting because they contain no butter (COOKIES WITHOUT BUTTER, WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO?).

Because I wasn't sure how they'd turn out, I also made the classic 30-minute microwave version of these chocolate oatmeal cookies.

I have no idea what the real name of these cookies is, because growing up, the recipe in my mom's recipe box simply said, "Heather's Favorite Cookies". =)

I'd give you the recipe, but...TIME'S UP! Let me know if you'd like it in a future post. =)

JiffNotes
No weekend is a total loss when it results in cookies.

Latest IHSW Results, Ever

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Last weekend was so fun, I couldn't even stop to blog it.

Well, actually, since it was a long weekend, I didn't want to stop having fun to blog it on Monday, and then work kind of got in the way. I was even able to get an early start on Thursday night! So what did I do? Did I make lots of progress on a WIP? Did I make a good start on that new stumpwork class I'm supposed to be taking?

Heck no, I cast on a new shawl.

This is Juneberry by Jared Flood, in a Silky Wool that's not as bright as it looks in this picture. I cast it on like four times before I got it "right", and even then I'm pretty sure either I'm wrong or the instructions are wrong, since I have a weird yarn over three thing happening. Eh, I'll live with it. =)

DFs Teresa and Ann were in town, so Friday I drove out to have lunch with them. When I got back home, I settled in to make a start on my EGA chapter's project for the year (after playing some Spartan Ops *ahem*), Toccata I by Drawn Thread:

Of course, I changed half the colors. I still wasn't entirely happy with the peachy/rusty colors. So of course on Saturday, when I went back to meet the girls at the local needlepoint shop, I was unable to resist the giant rack of tantalizingly swaying skeins of Needlepoint Inc., Silk. With their help (the girls, not the skeins), I picked a nice dark berry and a mauvey pink.

Muuuch better. You probably can't see the difference in these pictures, but trust me, it will be so much more satisfying to stitch. These little square are so fun and addicting!

Unfortunately, I got a massive headache that afternoon, so I had to bow out of the evening festivities. The headache was still with me Sunday, so I didn't get too much done. I did rip out a Moebius Honey Cowl thing that was not happening. I've been trying to come up with a satisfying reversible Honey Cowl alternative for a while, but I finally gave it up and just cast on a regular Honey Cowl.

I did also make a little bit of progress on Chatelaine's Mystery II (Covvent Herbal Garden).

Welcome to those of you who've joined me from the Grow Your Blog Party! I'm still very behind on blog reading and commenting, but I'll get there some day!

JiffNotes
I think I'm going to try this 15-minute blogging thing that Mason Dixon Knitting are doing. Think I can manage it??

Grow Your Blog Party Room!

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I saw this pop up on a few blogs just a couple days ago and I thought it looked like fun. I've met some really interesting (not to mention entertaining) people through blogging.

So. I am supposed to introduce myself. Um...hi? Let's see, I live in downtown Atlanta,
I'm a software developer who loves almost all things geeky, and for fun I like to read, travel,

 

sing, do needlework,

make people laugh, knit,

 

bake, have tea,

 

learn to use my camera more effectively,

 

 

dance,

 

and play teh vidya games.

 

And, you know, occasionally spell things correctly.

So if you're interested in reading about the random conglomeration of randomosity that is my life, then follow me! =D I'd love to return the visit to your blog, too!

If you've gotten this far, you deserve something, right? How about a giveaway! I will draw a name from all the comments on this post, and you will receive something handmade by me, along with some other goodies, tailored to your interests. I'll do the drawing on February 1st, 'cause I hear that's what all the cool kids are doing.

To enter my drawing, answer this question...

What 3 things did Heather "win" from Richard Dawson when she was on Family Feud? (WHAT. I was REALLY YOUNG.)

Entries are closed! Check the blog soon for the winner!

JiffNotes
Party on by visiting 2 Bags Full!