WIP Wednesday - Thinking Warm Thoughts

Hello again my lovely followers!  It's -1° F here in the Burgh and I'm cold.  Thankfully I live in a building with radiators so my place is generally nice and warm but it screws with my head when I am getting dressed in the morning.  I have been known to not wear a warm enough coat because I misjudged the weather.

Really in this weather I miss my snuggle bug, Zoey.  She and I would cuddle while I was home recovering from my surgery.  She would find the crook of my knee and curl into a little ball and sleep with me in the morning.  Since I am back at my apartment, I don't get my own personal heater but I at least get to see her on weekends.  :)

During my recover and since I have returned home my needles have been flying.  It's hard to explain but while on the pain medication it was hard to concentrate to read but I was able to knit.  I think it was the muscle memory and the simple movements but my hands flew while I recovered.  Other than that, I just sat around and watched movies and binge watched Big Bang Theory and NCIS.  

Now that I am back to work, I realize how important calories are to energy.  I am only able to eat about 500-600 calories a day and boy am I tired when I get home.  I know I am going to crash when I get home tonight since I also have my Grad Class to attend.  Other than being tired I feel great but I think I might need to start exercises with some light weights as my arms are really flabby.  I used to be able to flex a bicep muscle but now its just flab, need to get on that and do some bicep curls.

Rigging Up the Color Affection

Lots of colors!

This was my go to project while recovering.  I still had the majority of the short rows to complete and then the last section.  As soon as I got to the final section I decided to take a bit of a break.  It's kind of tedious and I worked on it for 2 straight weeks so really it needed a time out.  I really like the colors though.  When I am working on it I doubt my love for the shawl but when I step back and look at it, the shawl really is lovely.

Now just to plow through and get the border done.  Shouldn't take too long to get completed.

Hue Shift Afghan

Progress!

This is the third major section of 4 and I am about half way done with it.  Woot Woot!!!!  Unlike the color affection this has some instant gratification that I can get a square done and feel like I accomplished something.  Due to the construction, when you get a square done, it seems necessary to start the next square so you don't drop stitches.  So I hope to get this square done soon and then start on the last one.  That one should be fun since it's just the blue section.

Cherry Sundry

Almost finsihed

I have also picked this back up.  It got shelved when I was working on my cardigan and then back burnered when I started the color affection.  Given the break this project had I gleefully picked it back up to work on instead of the color affection.  I finished the houndstooth section and started on the final solid color section.  I am about half way done with it and then just need to figure out the picot bind off.

I really love this brown.  It looks brown but in the right light reds and greys play with the brown and just look lovely against the crimson.  

It's also really big and warm.  I can't wait until it's done so I can wear it on these cold winter days.

So that's all for this week.

For other WIPs check out Tami's Amis

Check out my new meme Movie Madness Monday

<3 Heather

Movie Madness Monday 22

Welcome back.  This is a weekly meme where bloggers can share their thoughts on movies.  Any movie review is welcome including, new releases, old favorites or new found favorites.

What I am Reviewing:

American Hustle

image from imdb.com

Clearly this movie is well received by the critics.  This Golden Globe winning movie was not what I expected.  Based on the previews I imagined a con job movie that was slick and glamourous with just a bit of corruption from the 70's.  In seeing the film, the con itself was a bit clunky.  I was in love with the acting in the movie.

Jennifer Lawrence was spectacular and totally deserved the Golden Globe she received last night.  Amy Adams, Christian Bale and Bradley Cooper were all amazing.  Another aspect that I loved was the music, it was everything that I grew up with.  My parents were in their 20's during the 70s and thats the music they related too and played on repeat.

Overall, I have watched a lot of feel good comedies and perhaps was expecting a little less that the film gave.  I am happy that I saw this but probably would have waited until it was on BlueRay.

What I have reviewed (last 5):

The Heat
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
The Incredible Hulk
This is the End
Ghostbusters


To visit the rest of the reviews, visit the Movies Page

What I want to see:

CBGB - 10/11/2013
Kill Your Darlings - 10/16/2013
Carrie - 10/18/2013
About Time - 11/08/2013
Frozen - 11/27/2013
Out of the Furnace - 12/06/2013
Savings Mr. Banks - 12/13/2013
August: Osage County - 12/25/2013

Wait for Blue Ray

The World's End - Now available on Blue Ray
Now You See Me  - Now available on Blue Ray
The Bling Ring - Now available on Blue Ray
Hangover 3 - Now available on Blue Ray
Pacific Rim - Now available on Blue Ray

Girl Most Likely
Man of Steel - Available November 12
To Do List
Fast and Furious 6 
The Spectacular Now - Coming Soon
Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters - Coming Soon

If you are participating in Movie Madness Monday, fill out Mr. Link Below. You do not have to comment but please link back to this post in your post to get the word out!

<3 Heather

And we're back!

Hi there!  I made it through my surgery and am back in the game to bring you awesome movie updates and yarny goodness.  I will also provide you with some updates on my weight loss and things going on in my life.

Starting back tomorrow, I will begin the new year with a movie review and follow up with the usual updates on Wednesday and Friday with yarn projects in progress and completed.

Until then I wanted to update you all on what I have been up to in the past 4 weeks.  My Christmas was hijacked this year but really I didn't mind.  Due to some changes in my insurance, I really wanted to have the surgery completed before the end of the calendar year.  So when I started down the road with the surgeons office the only available surgery date was Christmas eve.  

Knowing this, I was really worried about surviving the surgery and I didn't want to ruin everyone's holiday.  Needless to say, the surgery was successful and the holiday was saved.

Picture of me before the surgery

As I lay there in the hospital, the true spirit of the holiday was presented.  My best friend brought me a care package that had some toiletries that helped me feel normal during my stay.  Thank goodness for deodorant and lip balm.  I also got notes and messages from friends and family checking in on me.  I was a little hyped up on pain medication and could only handle the briefest of responses but I really appreciated the gesture.

Once I got home, my friend Becky drove in from Philadelphia to come and stay with me.  She and I got to hang out and watch really bad TV.  I think I may have got her addicted to NCIS.  Really there were a ton of marathons on.  She also taught me some of the basics for Magic: the Gathering.  We had some wonky weather and she was able to leave on Friday to visit her parents before heading back to Philly.

While recovering, I did get some lovely surprises in the mail.  Quite a few people sent me get well cards but work really outdid themselves.  Samie was able to convince work to buy me yarn and patterns as a get well gift!  How awesome was that?

I definitely was feeling well after opening this!

I also got a Barnes and Noble gift card from my friend Dianne and quickly spent to help keep me occupied.  As time passed I was able to be more mobile and could drive.  I even got out on Thursday to my knit night.  

The good news is that I can head back to work on Wednesday which is just in time for my first class of the semester.  That day should be pretty busy but I might as well jump back into life with both feet.   

So far I feel great and have lost 25 lbs since the surgery and can now tolerate some food as I progress to a full recovery.   I just want to thank all of you for reading this blog and thinking of me during my surgery and recovery.   Now back to our regularly scheduled program.  :)

<3 Heather

2013 - November and December Recap

You know the road to hell is paved with good intentions.  I had such good intentions to get the November recap up but it never happened so here it is in January and I am finally getting around to it.  Never the less, I have to say the last 2 months of 2013 were chalk full of goodness.  Can't believe it's already 2014.

November

December