just maryse

See you later!

i'm heading to western mass for the Massachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Fair later on today.  Here's hoping that the traffic doesn't blow.

maybe i'll see you there!

Eye Candy Friday -- Yes There Is Knitting

i haven't posted much knitting this year. the beginning of the year was spent working on some secret projects. and since my time has been my own, i've been working on my fussy cut blanket.

i've been very distracted lately so progress has been slow.  but i'm getting there.  i love love love the colors.

 

Dear Vogue Knitting

it's been 18 years since your last vogue knitting crochet special issue. 

i remember being so so excited about this issue back then. it had granny squares!  i was hopeful that a special crochet issue would be an annual thing. and then i waited.  for eighteen years.

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EIGHTEEN YEARS!  I WAS A YOUNG WOMAN IN 1994!!!  I AM NOW MIDDLE-AGED!!  WHY VOGUE KNITTING!???  WHY SO SO LONG BETWEEN SPECIAL CROCHET ISSUES!???

it's a good thing that this new 2012 issue is filled with so many gorgeous things.

 

i'll let this 18 year break go this time.  but if you make me wait another 18 years for another special crochet issue, WE ARE OVER!

Sincerely,

Maryse

P.S.  An annual issue would work for me by the way.  Or semi-annual. Whatever works for you.

Chips of Color

more macro may shots.

on sunday i went to home depot for some new exterior lights (i hope they'll get installed this coming weekend) and some paint chips. people have told us that they like the red doors with the blue of the house but i think it looks a little too rah rah USA!! USA!!! not that i'm some kind of terrorist or anything, but i'm sure some of you know what i mean.  anyway, as you can see, the colors i've chosen are a little brighter and maybe a little crazy.  not to worry, i'm sure J will veto most of them. 

and monday, 8 oz of romney from adrian showed up in my mailbox.

this is the april 2012 club selection and is called SPLENDID.  and it is.

The Truth

in my last post, i got a little whiny about my weight and i apologize about that. if i'm honest with myself, that's really what my rut has been about.  so i did what any other blogger in my situation would do -- started another blog.  heh.

so i promise. no more woe is me whining about my weight on this blog.  if you want to wallow with me (heh) you can check my new blog out -- just less of me. i don't know what i'm going to do over there yet. but whatever it is, i hope that it'll help me get on track. 

 

More Macros

i have to admit that shooting these macros havve been more of an effort than i had hoped.  weird how that is, that something -- photography -- that i've loved for so long has me feeling meh about it. but it's an exercise that i think is important for me to complete. i feel very undiscplined lately.  i've been eating too much and too much crap (my weight has become so much an issue that if i don't do something soon none of my clothes will fit.  i've already started avoiding social events because i feel so bad about myself), i've been spending $$ on stuff that i don't really need and sometimes don't even want once i've gotten it home, etc. you get my drift. anyway, i could easily quit this macro may thing but i think it's important that i continue only to keep me from being a total undisciplined sloth type person.  so concludes my navel gazing session for the day.

more shots with my 35mm and macro filters.

 

 

 

 

Eye Candy Friday -- Macro May 2012

the house renovation has had me distracted but i did manage to take a few macros over the course of the past few days.

i'm using my 35mm 1.8 lens with macro filters over it. 

 

and if you've missed the may 1 start, that's ok. start today!

My House Redo Day 6

remember where we were less than a week ago?

well here is where we are today.

SHE IS DONE BITCHES!

there are light fixtures to pick out and install and a new front stoop and walkway, etc. but that's chicken shit as my father says. (or mickey mouse he'll say too.  as a synonym for nothing or trivial.  as in "oh installing outside lights is mickey mouse.")

i honestly thought this would never get done. 

and i know what people say about construction workers, etc., but they did an awesome job.  they worked hard. worked in the rain. didn't fool around or try to leave early or start late.  they really were great.

if you live in my neck of the woods and need work done on your house, just let me know.

sigh. 

that, my friends, is a sigh of relief.

*********************************

don't forget to take your macros this month. i've taken a few, just haven't posted any yet.

Just a Reminder

another rut i need a good kick in the pants to get out of is my photography rut. i haven't touched the nikon in weeks, using my iphone instead as my primary camera. so the timing could not be better to push me out of my laziness (because not using the nikon is really me being lazy).

tomorrow is the first day of may which is also the first day of MACRO MAY!

i think this is year 4? or whatever.  anyway, to play along the only rule is to take at least one macro a day for the entire month. you can use whatever camera you've got. you can use your macro lens on your fancy DSLR, or macro filters like these, (which are a lot of fun to play with and easier to handle than my giant macro lens and also cheap!), or just set your macro setting to the tulip on your P&S or DSLR. and although i haven't looked, i bet there's an iphone app out there for shooting macros.

then upload them to flickr (or not) and add them to the macro may group!

 

 

Eye Candy Friday - My House Redo Day 1

the roofing crew showed up bright and early this morning, slightly lost because IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT we don't have a house number (or we do but it was lost in masses of debris).  of course, our house is also the only one covered in paper on the street. the driver took a guess.

i would just like to remind you all that this is what the house looked like yesterday.

i would just like to point out a few things.  the chimney in the middle of the roof is dark red brick. the roof is black and very yucky. and there's this crazy roof overhang over the front door and to the left of the window on the left.  the crazy roof overhang is just stupid.

by 9:30ish, they had torn off the old chimney and scraped off quite a bit of the front of the roof. you get a better idea of how stupid that roof overhang is.  there are little panes of glass at the top of our front door and because of this stupid roof overhang, NO LIGHT GETS IN.

sometime after 5pm today.  roof is now grayish. a much lighter and brighter color which will go so much better with the siding and white brick.  it's hard to see here, but the chimney now matches the decorative brick work in front and is so much better looking than the old one.  finally, and the best part as far as i'm concerned, the crazy, stupid overhang is GONE and now the roof line over the door and on either side of the window is even with the rest of the roofline.  and those windows in the front door aren't stupid superfluous windows. 

so that was today's progress.