This.

Been watching How I Met Your Mother. It can be funny, or raunchy (which is not great, but hey, I get over it), and then sometimes, it surprises me. For example, near the end of season 4...I LOVED this scene...and these lines...

Ted: Okay, I'm gonna say something out loud that I've been doing a pretty good job of not saying out loud lately... what you and Tony have... what I thought for a second that you and I had... what I know that Marshall and Lily have... I want that! I do. I keep waiting for it to happen and waiting for it to happen, and... I guess I'm just, uh... I'm tired of waiting. And that's all I'm willing to say on that subject.

Stella: (...) I know that you're tired of waiting and... you may have to wait a little while more, but... she's on her way, Ted! And she's getting here as fast as she can.

Ted: (smiling softly) Goodbye, Stella.

Stella: (near whisper) Goodbye, Ted.

Kelly's Korner SUYL Singles Day

Kelly at Kelly's Korner does this Show Us Your Life series on Fridays. Every once in a while, she does a show us your singles day. Usually, I just ignore them because I don't have time or whatever, but then I read this post, and kind of felt that I should participate this go round. So...I can hardly believe I'm writing a post and joining in on this, but here goes...

I'm Rebecca, but everywhere I go, I'm Becca. I'm 28 years old. I was born and raised in Abilene, TX, then moved to Oklahoma City, OK for college. After 4 wonderful years at school, I graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in English (read: I like words) and decided to stay in Oklahoma. I have a wonderful day job as an administrative assistant at a non profit organization. I'm highly overqualified and likely underpaid, but I'm doing what I've been called to do for this season of my life.

I am the oldest of six kids and the daughter of two incredible parents who constantly encourage me to seek God first in all I do. The six of us have very different personalities, but I would jump in front of a bus for each and every one of them. One sister is married, and she is the very proud mommy of my precious niece, miss A...for the record, I never get to see enough of her! Despite my efforts to get just ONE of them to come to my college alma mater, I'm up here on my own and my family all lives out of state.

The Family, before my sister got married.

Hamming it up with Dad and two of the seesters.

Good times with my baby sister, K.

My precious niece...Yes, I'm biased!

Since I don't have any family in town, I've supplemented with my precious friends, church family, and neighbors. I have some of the best girlfriends. We've walked through a lot together and I know that they are going to always be there for me. In some ways, they are more than friends, they are sisters.

3 of my girls. We have girls' nights often.

Celebrating with my newly-married college roomie.

I have the best friends!

Thanks to the fact that most of my lovely friends are married, I have lots of "nephews" and "nieces." These two are my favorite "nephews" and yes, they're brothers.

  

I've also adopted my friends' husbands as brother in laws. I have adopted grandparents, as I only have one living grandparent. And really, the list goes on. Suffice it to say, I've made a life here and I love it.

I like books, movies, music, and TV on DVD. I despise commercials. I'm a little bit of a nerd. If you know what Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Firefly, or Castle are, then chances are we can be friends. I'm an old soul stuck in a young body. Movie musicals and old movies all top my list of favorite movies, and I look exceptionally fantastic in vintage hats.

 Celebrating with friends for my birthday this year. I really do have a great life and the best friends.

I am a dog person and a proud owner. My two pups are the best company, and they love everyone they meet. I wouldn't be able to imagine my life now without them. Harry and I have been a pair for almost three years now, and even though he's a rascal, he's very smart. Daisy joined us almost two years ago, and I can hardly remember what life was like before sister joined us. They put up with my long hours away from home, and I put up with Harry's escape artist tendencies and Daisy's bed-hogging. It's a pretty decent arrangement, if I do say so myself.

This is Harry. Most of the time, you wouldn't know he has eyes in pictures.

This is Daisy. She's very needy.

Most pictures of both dogs look like this.
Daisy is visible and Harry is a black patch with spotted paws and a pink tongue.

The only downside to these two: matted hair and tangled tails.
But they don't shed, so I'll take it!

I like to think that I'm a pretty generous person. I tithe, sponsor a child through Compassion, bake cakes for friends and family, crochet blankets for my friends' children, and bring meals to friends after they've had babies. I babysit my friends' kids. I'm also willing to drop everything in a crisis for a friend in need. I'm involved at my church both behind the scenes and on a praise team.

I am a Christian. I'm extremely grounded in my faith in Christ. I accepted the Lord into my heart when I was 6, and I really got serious about my faith in my mid-teens. I've never looked back or regretted that choice, and I can't picture my life without it. I go to a Nazarene church, and I'm pretty fond of the denomination. My dad became a Nazarene pastor after I graduated college, so I'm one of the oldest new pastor's kids I've ever met.

I'm a homebody who got bitten by the travel bug at a young age. I love going places and seeing new things, but I really love being home too. I've traveled to Europe and the Caribbean and have a long list of places I want to go, but I'm also pretty content at home.

I am capable of dressing with style and looking cute, but I'm also very comfortable in my own skin. I'm no fashion model, and I'm rather comfortable in jeans and tees over work clothes. I love nothing more than spending a Saturday in comfortable clothes.

Being single at 28 was not my plan. I thought I'd get married at like 20 and have some fairy tale life. That's not the way it worked out for me, and yet, I'd rather be happy single, knowing that's the life God has for me right now, than miserably married (and sadly, I have friends who are the latter, so I do know the difference). I'm building a good life and living out a story of God's grace in my life while I'm praying for him to fulfill the desires of my heart. What more could a girl ask for?

So, that's me....hi world!

Wool-Eater

Well looky here! I finished my Wool Eater! Obviously, I didn't make it as large as the CAL specified, but I have to admit I'm pretty proud of it, considering that i worked on this while working two jobs--so it was pretty much like working three jobs for a while there. It's a little big bigger than baby sized, and just about right for a little lap blanket. 

I love the way the colors ended up all flowing together. There's only one color repeat--white. All from my stash too...anyone else think I have a yarn addiction? 

So, if anyone has missed me lately, it's because I've been working. Two jobs will take it out of you, that's for sure. But I'm doing what I need to do to get my finances under control and I'm just not going to apologize for being quasi-absent from blog-land and twitter.  Sometimes, your priorities just can't include blogging or social media, and that's okay too. 

To the curious: no, I'm not contemplating quitting the 2nd job anytime soon. Not unless I marry rich and my money problems magically disappear! (And of course, we all know how realistic *that* is.) :P I'm making progress and moving forward, and I'm happy with my strange life, crazy as it is. 

Also, I am loving this blanket. So excited to give it away. :)

Late night musings

I recently went on my own cell phone plan and one of the things I'm learning to love best is the fact that my new phone is a smartphone...mainly because of goofy little things like the Kindle app, but also because of neat little apps like this blog posting app. I'm writing a post from my couch *and* on my phone...I never would have imagined that when I got my first cell phone at the age of 20! Now, more than a few years later, I'm doing just that. Mind-boggling. I have a zillion thoughts running through my head at the moment, but I'll listen to the most predominate one, telling me to go to sleep now. Later!

New Project

I'm not one for resolutions when the new year begins. The general concept is all about becoming a better, more well-rounded person, and I kind of always feel that I'm striving for that. However, I do think I've found a fun little (or big, as it were) project to work on this winter in between my two jobs and the rest of my life. Behold, my new crochet project:

Now, there's a timeline on this puppy, and I will probably start on it early to a) figure out the Aussie crochet terminology and b) to accommodate my busy schedule due to two jobs and an extremely full schedule over the next few months. But I'm looking forward to the possibility of having a new project finished in early 2012, and that's always a good thing, right?


So, here's to the new year. To blogging more (no promises, but let's hope so). To the busy yet fulfilling year ahead. To new projects that will be both challenging and exciting. I don't know about you, but I'm really looking forward to this year. :)

Yesterday

I have a litany of excuses for why I didn't put up a blog post yesterday, but I'll just be honest: It was a long day. If you'd like, I'll break my day down into a brief schedule:


7:30 am: Drag myself out of bed. Get ready, let the dogs out, put the dogs up, and head to work.


8:00 am-12:00 pm: Work


12:00 pm: Lunch with Joy--a weekly occurence. Always a fun part of the week.


1:00 pm-6:00 pm: Work. I stayed late to help Michaele with something.


6:00 pm: Go home, let the dogs out, feed the dogs, and grab a bite to eat for myself.


6:30 pm: Choir rehearsal for Christmas, choir practice, praise team rehearsal. That's a lot of singing!


I didn't get home until just before 9 pm and I was not interested in sitting at the computer for another second. Instead, I sat on the couch with a hook and some yarn and watched a movie--it was exactly what I needed. 


I'm so thankful that I can do that when I want to right now. It's a luxury I don't take for granted.

Just a few thoughts

I wish I had something brilliant to say today...

But I don't feel like I do. In fact, I feel like I'm definitely talking about a whole lot of nothing on the blog during this whole 30 days of posting thing. Maybe that's par for the course when you're posting every day. Maybe that's just par for the course for me.


After all, my life is pretty consistent these days...and while I have two of the cutest fur-babies ever, they don't talk back! And I'm leading an even smaller life than normal--no going out, cooking little more than the basics, and no being spontaneous in any sort of way all. Those require resources that I currently lack, even though I'm doing every practical thing I can to amend the situation. So perhaps, these days are more of an exercise in thankfulness and contentment, than grounds for good blog fodder. 


Tonight, I have big plans...ok, not really. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to eating my supper and curling up on my couch with a movie or two, crocheting, and cuddling with the puppies. It's a quiet evening for sure, but it makes my heart happy. :)

I live in a weird state.

Because I moved to Oklahoma voluntarily (I came for college and decided to stay), there are some moments that I really wonder if I should reconsider that particular decision. 


Like last night, for example. That was one weird-weather related night! To start things off, there was a huge storm system moving my way, and according to the weathermen, this particular storm had produced both hail and tornadoes. Then, about 8 pm...another earthquake. Minor, but still an earthquake. About 45 minutes later, it's raining so hard my street is a creek. Really, Oklahoma...really? This dumb state can't make its mind if it's going to shake us to death, drown us, or just send a tornado to flatten us. I tell you what, I love living here, but I've about had it with the random weather/natural phenomena...and I'm not even afraid of any of it! It just drives me a little crazy with its fickle nature. :)


























P.S. I didn't post last night because I shut the computer down just in case. But I'll double post today so I'll be square.

Weekend Recap

I'm getting ready for next week, but I'm so happy I had such a nice weekend.

Friday was nutty both at work and after work, but I enjoyed it! I ran a quick errand after work, then dashed home and got all gussied up for my night at the charity auction. I got to re-wear my bridesmaid dress from my sweet friend Kimmy's wedding. That's the first bridesmaid dress I've ever worn more than once! The auction went well...since I'm currently  broke, I the only real way I can help out with this auction is volunteering. I got home at a pretty normal time, and then spent the rest of my evening working on financial stuff. Admittedly, that wasn't the most fun second half to a Friday evening, but I know it was necessary. I finally went to sleep well after midnight, and was so happy to know I didn't have to set my alarm for the next morning. 


Sadly, having a regular job has ruined my internal alarm clock and I still woke up around 9 am Saturday morning. What happened to the days where I could sleep until noon? Two little furry friends of mine don't help matters much...they're ready to go out by 7:30 every morning, but they are good about waiting for me. I got up, let the dogs out, and then grabbed Francine Rivers' Redeeming Love from the bookshelf. Between a few breaks and breakfast, I read my way through the entire book by 11:30 am. For those of you who don't know me very well, don't be too surprised that I finished a book in about two hours. I'm a fast reader. While i did want cereal and milk for breakfast, I don't have milk right now, so I had waffles for breakfast. When I make a batch of waffles, I freeze the extras and they toast up just as well as Eggo waffles...but they taste much better!

I spent ALL of Saturday in my PJs, and it was glorious! Between meals (I think I ate 4 or 5 small ones), I spent the majority of my day crocheting and watching movies and TV shows on Hulu. 

Saturday's highlight: I finished a blanket! Sorry...no ta-da pics of this one until the recipient gets it. She's been waiting a while and deserves to see it first. I'm mean like that. The ironic thing about finishing this blanket is that I finished it about 10 minutes before...an earthquake! I know, Oklahoma's supposed to have tornadoes, but we had an honest-to-goodness earthquake on Saturday night. Nothing fell off my walls, so my house is totally fine...but it sure was a weird sensation to feel that quake!


I remembered to set my clock correctly for the time change today...and I sure enjoyed that "extra" hour of sleep. I got up, got ready, and went to church (of course). I am really loving what's happening in my church right now. We may be between senior pastors, but the church sure is responding so well to what the Lord is doing right now. I'm loving what's happening these days at church! After Sunday School, I grabbed lunch with a good friend and we played a little bit of catch up before she had to dash off to work. 


I spent part of my afternoon relaxing on the couch, though there was no napping involved--a rather sad situation for a lazy Sunday like today. Got to have a nice long chat with my momma, and then wound up in the kitchen for the rest of the evening. I have a "catch-all" corner in my kitchen that's mostly full of empty boxes for things like my Kitchen-Aid mixer and iMac, my Christmas decorations, old yearbooks, and door signs. I pulled everything out, and organized every inch of it. That corner of my kitchen looks SO. MUCH. BETTER. to me. While cleaning things out, I made note of the things that I needed to do around my house, though I will have to call on some friends to help me with some of them--I'm not exactly handy around the house! Once that was all cleaned up and put away, I started working on filing my papers...I haven't been all that organized lately, so it took quite a bit of time!  

Now that my house is all clean, I'm trying to figure out what to eat for lunch tomorrow at work--or rather, what I can bring from home to eat there! I try not to talk about it too much, but money is not very plentiful right now after bills get paid. I'm working on fixing that, but until then, I'm living by faith that I'll make it through. I know I am so much better off than so many people. I'm thankful for my job and that I can pay my bills, and that I still have food to eat. However, my pantry is starting to look a little thin to me, and I'm becoming a very creative cook...and eating mostly vegetarian because beans are cheap! I know that I'll most likely run out of cheese (an essential!) by the end of the week, and I'd love to have some milk, apples, eggs, peanut butter, chicken and hamburger meat in the house as well. My dogs will run out of food by the end of the week, so I'm hoping I will be able to get them food before that happens. I don't get paid until the 15th, but I know I'll get through this time, and so will my puppies. It's a whole new exercise in trusting the Lord to take care of my needs, and while I should be more nervous about my financial state these days, I'm really not. I know it will all work out, and I'm doing everything I can to change the situation without panicking. 


So, that's my weekend. How was yours?

I love Saturdays

While the last few days have been hectic, today has looked a little more like this...

And let me tell you...

It's been just glorious.

Thankful for Saturdays like this one. They seem to balance the rest of my crazy life out.

I promised...

I did promise I was going to post every day this month, and so here I am!

Today in a nutshell: I worked hard, made a bunch of phone calls, made some pretty major decisions that will impact the next few months of my life. Had lunch with the gals from work, then came back to work some more. Then I left work early, ran a couple of very quick errands, and headed back home to get gussied up. I spent the evening working at a great charity auction for my alma mater. It was a ton of fun, but I'm definitely exhausted now, and everything hurts, especially my feet and back. I have hardly seen my pups for the last two days and I know they're just as excited as I am that I don't have any major events planned for the next two days. And if I'm very, very lucky, I'll get to sleep in tomorrow morning. Lately, my internal alarm clock has forgotten what a Saturday is supposed to look like. When did I become such a grownup that I don't know how to sleep in anymore? Kind of scary, really. So now, I'm off to wash the makeup off my face, clean the clothes off of my bed--I was trying to find a (currently) misplaced article of clothing--and wind down for the day. A weekend of (relative) relaxation begins...now!


Tomorrow's post: Will actually contain pictures, I promise!

Long day

Trying to come up with a topic today has been difficult. I have been busy from the moment I got up and walked out the door. And now, at 10 pm, I'm still multitasking. It hasn't been a bad day, but it's definitely been a day. I'm okay with that. Life is nutty sometimes and busy days are a normal occurrence for a person trying to live a productive life.


So, know that today has been a long day. I do have posts brewing for the next few days, but for now, you'll just have to wait until tomorrow to see more words from me.

Dating? What's that?

As I mentioned yesterday, November is National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo). So, here I am, two for two!


Somebody oughtta bring me a Diet Vanilla Coke from Sonic for two days of consistency...ok, maybe a week's worth of consistency? And if they don't, that's ok too. I don't really need the caffeine.


As a single person who is decidedly in her mid-twenties, I find that I seem to have fewer and fewer options on how/where to meet a suitable potential mate. And thus far, the keepers are either in hiding or haven't found me yet. It makes for such an exciting dating life. Not really, considering I have a history of long periods of singleness between the few boyfriends I've had.


There's my church, which I love. While I've made many friends at church, I don't attend there looking for a man to date, and to my knowledge, none of the ones I would consider getting to know on a deeper level have given me so much as a second glance. Also not in my favor: I don't go to the more modern service at church. I am involved in the first service because I love singing with the choir and have no desire to give that up in hopes that "mr. right" attends second service. I'm ok with that. It means I'm at church for all of the right reasons.


Another popular option is the world of online dating. One I've entered into none-too lightly and I still tread cautiously. I've got "active" profiles on 3 or 4 dating sites, but I refuse to pay for any of them. One, I'm on a budget, and two, I'd rather spend my money on other things...like yarn for my crochet projects. Thus far, I've not been very successful in the world of online dating. I've sent a few "emails" back and forth, had one phone call, and had to say more than a few "thanks, but no thanks" to interested individuals who were, well, NOT my type. 

The most notable incident I've had in the world of online dating is the funniest to me, though I'm sure the recipient would never think so. One of the dating sites I am "on" is totally free. I try to make my online dating profiles a good mix of serious and witty, though they are often long winded (just like my writing). 

Anyhow, on this particular profile, I end with a little quip about how any guy willing to do my dishes for me might just make me a little weak in the knees. Cute, right?

Well, one gentleman saw my profile and apparently was convinced that I am the girl for him. He sent me an email that pretty much said, "you're the perfect girl for me. Marry me so I can do the dishes and you can have my babies." Well, if the email wasn't disconcerting enough, the poor guy's profile was absolutely disturbing.


For one, this guy wasn't my type. Now I know, don't judge a book by its cover is a great rule. I love books, so i'm a big fan of this concept. But, I do have a type and this guy was, to put it gently, beaten twice by the ugly stick. While that didn't rule him out at first glance, it certainly didn't help his case. In reading his profile, I also discovered that he was an ultra-conservative Christian...you know, the type that believes women should be barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen and that Creationism is the only possible way God could have created the world. Um, that's a NO.

I think it took me all of 5 minutes to determine that this particular guy would not be a good fit for me. So I sent him a kind reply, thanking him for the compliment and informing him that I didn't think we'd be a compatible match. He responded and asked why I thought so--he thought we were quite compatible. I then had to respond and say that I didn't think my Nazarene background would mesh very well with his Pentecostal beliefs but I would be his friend. He needed convincing one more time after that particular email. Lesson learned: the world of online dating comes with its fair share of crazies...even the Christian ones, and you have just got to laugh at the ridiculousness of those crazy people.


There's only one dating option I refuse to investigate--the world of clubs and bars. If I'm looking for a Jesus-loving man, I highly doubt that the place I'll meet him is amidst a sea of drunkards.

Obviously, I could meet people through my friends. That has happened in the past, and while it hasn't worked out so well for me thus far, I don't rule it out. I am finding that the older I get, the more my friends lack single friends. They all have couple friends, which is healthy, but not much help in my case. I'm still open to possibilities and even a set up or two, but it's kind of hard to coordinate when I'm nearly the only single friend my friends have.

I am so dateable. This adorkable picture is just proof.

Ya'll should know that I say all of this in a lighthearted tone because I choose not to let my dating options, or lack therof, get me down. I'm looking for a man who loves the Lord more than anything else, loves his family, has a good group of friends, has his priorities in order, and is looking for a gal just like me. It would just be the icing on the cake if he were tall, slim, and a little bit foxy. :) I know that the best way to meet the man God has intended for me is just to live my life, be the kind of person I know God wants me to be, and trust that God's timing is best. 

That's exactly what I'm trying to do.

Crochet Love

I may have mentioned it once or twice, but I love to crochet. It's a great activity to keep my hands busy in the evenings while still allowing me to indulge in my love of movies. I feel it's a win-win: I get to be "lazy" on the couch while still being productive!


This summer, I made a lot of headway in some ongoing works-in-progress and finished a bunch of projects, so I thought I'd brag on myself and show them off. I keep track of almost every project I've made by taking pictures of them and then cataloging them on Ravelry. There are about 3 blankets I've made that I don't have pictures of, but I've tried to keep track of everything else. It's also fun to see how far I've come from when I started crocheting back in 2008. 


This summer, I have had a lot of time on my hands at the end of the day so I've started and finished a few blankets. I've also been able to finish up a couple of what I call "scrappy" projects. You see, my love of yarn also means that I end up with leftovers. In an effort to be budget-conscious and also make sure that no skein of yarn is left asunder, I've started a number of blankets and projects with my scrap yarn. It takes some time, but after a while, I do eventually finish those scrap blankets. I'm selling them on Etsy, but I want to get a couple more of my stash projects completed and a couple of new ones started before I begin selling in earnest. 


So, on to the blankets of Summer 2011!


This is the first one I finished at the very beginning of summer, closer to the end of May than June, really. It's one of my scrappy blankets, a granny blanket. The colors are random, bright, and largely feminine, but am pleased with the way it turned out. I think my favorite bit is actually the outer rows. I love the way the teal, white and red all look together. This one is in the shop. :)

The whole blanket. 

A little front/back shot.

Folded up. It's perfect for a baby/lap.

Next up is this one. I loved this one. It worked up quickly and beautifully, plus it is super soft! I was super excited to get to make this one for my sweet college friend Laurie, who welcomed baby Allie just a few weeks ago! I geeked so much over the professional photos of Allie with her "Becca Blankie," but since those aren't my photos, you'll have to live with my point and shoot camera's shots.

The whole blankie. The texture was unbelievable and it really is so soft!

A corner. You can also see the detailed edge. And my crappy kitchen floor.

A little front/back view of the blanket.

My next completed this project was a bit of an experiment. I found a tea towel pattern I found intriguing and so ventured into the world of cotton yarns. These were also my giveaway prizes. :) It was a fun experiment and these towels may be making a return someday in a different color/pattern scheme. We'll see. 

The three towels. A fun experiment.

This next project was a new pattern for me. When I started the blanket (a long time ago), I hadn't mastered the art of joining squares, so I found a method that would work for me. While it wasn't perfect and the color palette wasn't what I'd dreamed, I liked it enough to finish it. This one's in the shop too.

This blanket is called the Jackson square. It's very masculine, to say the least. I've also discovered that my blankets photograph beautifully outdoors. Now I just need a clothesline and clothespins!

Here's a good example of my cobbled together joining. Not my best work, but it does add interest, so I'll keep, er sell it.

I started this blanket on a whim, from my stash, and completed it in a little bit more than a weekend. I loved how fast this worked up and i ended up being very happy with the way the color scheme worked out. I made this for a friend at work whose second little girl is due to arrive any day now.

I called this blanket pink and gold shells. Inspired, I know.

It's a different color scheme, but I'm impressed by how girly it did turn out to be!

I'm gonna brag. This shot got featured on Ravelry!

Finally, I finished this particular blanket for my good friends Sara & Ryan. They're expecting their second this January and I can't wait to love on this little guy! This pattern worked up easily and I love the color scheme because it's nearly the same color scheme I used for his big brother's blanket about two years ago. :)

I loved how cheerful this blanket looked when finished!

This was another quick-working pattern. I'll have to make another one sometime.

Close up of the six different colors.

There you have it! All of my finished projects this summer. Anyone else think I have too much time on my hands? No? Ok, good to know.


Since November is National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) I'm going to attempt to try to post every day this month. I certainly have enough to talk about!