Good morning, good morning....its coupon clipping time...

Good Morning readers!  Its Saturday, its before noon, it looks like the weather is going to be nice today, so here I sit typing to all of you, with my coffee in my new mug.   I went to the Poconos over the summer and they had out all there Halloween stuff in September, and I got this super cute Halloween mug.
This is the link for the Mug and Coffee set but I just bought the little blue mug.

ARENT THEY CUTE!

I'm big on Halloween and have been waiting and waiting to use this mug because it was September when I got it and was like, "way to early for spooky Halloween mug... must wait until after my birthday..." SO I DID.

I half miss getting up super early and getting things done... I've actually tried getting my groceries done this early because theres sometimes less people at my store.  This thought inspired todays post because, I've decided my next "life project" is going to be couponing.  I like cutting coupons, I just end up not using them or go, "well thats a waste of money!" when I do use some... BUT my tiny stock pile of items has dwindled on certain everyday items and I want to get more!  I don't know about you guys, but I HATE having to constantly go to the grocery store and buy things like toothpaste, shampoo, soap, stuff like that.  So I usually check the sales during my regular grocery trip and if its a good sale, I stock up!  I do the same thing with yogurt, but end up having to really clear my fridge for that one because I have to clear a whole shelf.

Anyway OFF TO PINTEREST I WENT and found a nice blog talking about coupons, and a reader commented saying there was a website you can BUY the coupon ads they put in your newspaper each week.  So you can spend like $1.00-$17.00 and get all these different ads and coupons, and they tell you what coupons are in there.

Here is the original website, its a craft blog too apparently, which is awesome.  Its Katie's Crochet Goodies and Crafts.

The coupon purchasing website i had to search "whole coupon inserts" and its literally "wholecouponinserts.com"

This should be a fun new venture, and hopefully will save me money.  Hubs and me are trying to eat healthier and since fruits and vegetables don't keep very long, I see myself shopping more often, or buying more frozen foods... which I'm not too excited about.  I'm also not very excited about having to clean out some closet space for the stuff... but! ADVENTURE!

Pumpkin and Apple picking today! Yay!  Seriously, I love fall.  Best time of the year.

til next time! Happy Crafting! Happy fall!

taxikab

p.s. working on another Right Brain Bunch article, so check here soon for a new update there too!

I'm not good at this posting thing...

...and because of that, this blog will never be crazy popular, but thats ok, because then I can post obnoxious crazy comments on here and no one will criticize!

I ALWAYS say "I'm going to update my blog today" and then everything goes nuts (or I get lazy...) and I don't.  So update!  here goes!

Although I've been saying for what like a year... "I'm going to get out of bed at 5am and exercise!" I still have yet to do that, and have decided that is never going to happen, so I'm done with it.  But i'm still exercising at the gym atleast 2x a week, and I'm lifting weights at work with my clients (its the only way I can get them to do it...) and I'm eating healthy, like for me, crazy healthy.  Due to our conflicting schedules, the fiance and I have een going out like once a week, rather than before when it was like once every other day...  I'm one pound away from 10 pounds and I'm barely trying now, I gave up on "GOTTA EAT ALL THIS AND NOT THIS!" and once I did, the pounds started coming off.  Still eating smoothies.  I stopped with the yogurt though.  It was too much.  But now I'm eating like greens and protein shakes with fruit in it and I keep cheetos in my car for those days where I REALLY want something fattening and crunchy and has tons of stuff I probably shouldn't eat in it...  BUT I have the snack bags, so once I'm done that snack bag, I'M DONE and no more Cheetos, until you know, the next day that I'm like DAMN I WANT SOME CHEETOS! lol.

Since eating healthier foods, my stomach is more sensitive to like, cheese-steaks...  this is a problem people,  I LOVE cheese steaks.  I grew up in Philly, if you can't in cheese steaks, you need to move to Jersey or like right outside the city, because it just sucks.  Everyone has them.  My fiance and I went with some friends to the bar and afterwards were like, LETS GET AUTHENTIC CHEESE STEAKS!!! Got them, paid an arm and a leg for them... weren't that great... I was like, "this is what we feed to people visiting Philly?  Is this a joke? I've had better ones at *insert multiple places here...*"  I was slightly ashamed of my city for putting this place on a pedestal... just saying.  But since eating like, lettuce, and spinach... (which I LOVE, just saying) I can't eat like, chicken wings, and beef with fake orange cheese on it... whats that about?

I've slowly started throwing spinach into my smoothies too.  I clean it real good, and just toss it in the blender with my strawberries.  Everyone I work with is like, "ew..." but you can't taste it, seriously.  Especially if you have the fruit flavors crazy overpowering it.

Current Favorite smoothie?  I'm back to the strawberry banana thing... BUT I'm mixing it up with vanilla protein powder, or chocolate protein powder.  If its just berries, I do vanilla, if its a banana, I do chocolate.  Can't have a vanilla banana, thats just weird, you need the chocolaty goodness.

This is how I prepare for all of last week and this week.

You need
  - 2 pounds of strawberries (now remember, this is 2 WEEKS and my berries were on sale at giant when I went shopping...)
  - 2 bananas
  - protein powder (chocolate is my preference)
  - Almond Milk (my mom out of no where bought it, and now we have no more dairy milk... its all almond, and I forced myself to like it...)

and a blender.

Section off the berries into little baggies, I did like a cup and a half of strawberries, and then cut my banana (I only had one...) into 2 of the bags.  I put everything in the freezer and made them the next day.  Thats it.  Stick those suckers (one bag a day people...) in the blender, add your almond milk, and protein powder, or heck just the milk... blend, and drink up!

 I bought a little single cup blender, because I didn't feel like cleaning this HUGE blender to make one smoothie, it was dumb, and I know consumer wise "why buy a blender when you have one?" time and energy wise for ME makes sense, AND! I have the same one at work... So if my strawberries aren't blending because they're TOO frozen, or I'm running late, I have the same blender at work, and the cups are interchangeable WHAT!?  So I've actually gotten up a couple times this week and made them at work before clocking in, because everything is still cold by the time I get there, BUT! its softer and blends quicker.  Yea.  Theres your once in a blue moon update.  ENJOY!!

Taxikab

PS!  Head over to Right Brain Bunch its a website my sister my mom and me put together (actually my sister put it together and we're pretty much just writing stuff to put on there...).  If you want to hear my lovely voice, and watch me knit, go to the Textiles section, but check out everything!  We're working hard!  That websites one reason I haven't updated in a while, I've been writing for that too! (and working ALOT! and planning my wedding...)

Lent is a time for.... not eating meat.

So do to my Catholic upbringing, I am writing about LENT.  Yes ladies and gents, Lent starts tomorrow... My lovely boss talked me into giving up bread with her, and by bread she means, so pastas, no bread (obviously), bagels, sandwiches, pie crusts... basically anything flaky, AND starting tomorrow (you do it on Ash Wednesday too...) can't eat meat on Fridays or Ash Wednesday.  I had ice cream tonight because I'm going to try cutting out some sweets as well... we'll see how long this lasts...  won't be fun.  BUT! That's what its about! Doing something to change you into a better person, and doing something challenging.  So if you don't drink soda very often already DON'T GIVE UP SODA! give up something else, give up alcohol or something.

Anyway!  I've been scouring the internet trying to find different recipes for making lunches for work.  One can only eat salad so many times in a row.  I can make wraps using lettuce and various dip type foods (tuna or chicken salad with cucumbers and other vegetables, I haven't actually come up with any besides that yet...)  I see myself eating a large amount of fruit... and salad.  I am open to any suggestions!  I promised pictures last week., so thus I give you alot of pictures... Sorry.

To start:

My boss was going to throw out all these blue berries and strawberries or have the clients eat them... I in turn went, "can't we just blend them up?"  SO I DID!  We used blueberries, strawberries, 3 bananas and ice, and made 3 pitchers full of smoothie.  My clients love this stuff, I don't suggest making it ahead of time though unless you plan on making it like water ice or something because it gets jelled slightly if you leave it sitting out because the juice separates from the rest of it so...

 My sister and my mother are big into baking.  Below is the cupcake my big sister made me on Sunday, just because it was Sunday and she felt like making cupcakes...  Obviously she got creative...

This is the "Jelly Roll" my mother made for my dads birthday last week.  Its angel food cake (from a box...) home made whipped cream, and strawberries.  You can apparently make Angel food cake in a pan... or a muffin or cupcake tin... so my mother did it in a cookie sheet.  Then she coated it in powdered sugar, and it had to sit like that in a towel or something for awhile, THEN she filled the whole thing with the whipped cream and the strawberries, rolled it up covered it in powdered sugar again and wrapped it in a towel (coated in powdered sugar) and let it sit.  IT WAS DELICIOUS!  I don't know how many calories it was, but it was good...

I forget why my mother made this cupcake... but it was good as well.  I got dirty looks from my clients.  This was eaten awhile ago.

Whilst making my first batch of smoothies I found a raspberry that looked like a heart.  I loved it.

Time for smoothies!!

Chocolate Strawberry-raspberry smoothie.

1. 1 cup strawberries
2. 1 cup raspberries
3. 1 cup yogurt
4. 1 scoop protein powder
5. teaspoon of agave nectar

Makes like 3 smoothies at 1 cup each.  I usually put ice in them in the morning and shake it again.  Makes it foamy, I love it.  :)

THEN! I went to the grocery store with my other and got mixed frozen fruit (I LOVE THIS by itself, so in a smoothie? OMG)

Mixed Fruit Smoothie

1. 2 cups of Dole frozen mixed fruit.
2. 1 cup of greek yogurt (I use plain, but I say taste is taste, so whatever you want to eat is good, just check the calories and stuff first!)
3. teaspoon or Agave nectar

 Blend it all up, DRINK!  Again, makes like 3 (I only drink about a cup, cup and a half each morning)

This was my lunch last week.  Salad, cucumbers, carrots, cheese!  I love cheese...

Another lunch day.  Cherry tomatoes, in a salad with cucumbers (I also love cumbers, luckily, my fiance does not, So i can eat his.  YES!)  And half a pita pocket with turkey, lettuce and mayonnaise. 

I do everything now by measurements.  If it says a serving size is 1 tablespoon, I get out a teaspoon and measure out a teaspoon... my tupperware has measurement marks on it, so I can measure without dirtying more stuff too!!  

NOW I go to find more foods to eat seeing as I can't eat break Until the end of March... it doesn't seem like a long time, but I LOVE bread, and I love things with breading... hopefully it will change how I eat and my obvious bread addiction... and expand my ability to make various foods.  We shall see!

Happy Knitting! Happy Life!

taxikab

knitting is for old ladies...

... is a common thing I hear from people who see me knitting.  BUT! I found an article today that shows that knitting is actually becoming VERY popular in the US, specifically New York, and it is now traveling to other countries in its popularity.  I found this article in a German newspaper (it was on a knitting group on my facebook... I don't randomly search international newspapers for knitting articles...) and was like, "wow... a whole article about how knitting is awesome!

In other news, I finished one of my socks... I don't think i'm getting 12 projects done, and I'm slightly upset at myself, BUT I WILL TRY FOR 12! I'm ALMOST there!  We'll see how it goes.  Updates later.  I just had to share this knitting article with you guys.  If anyone wants to read it, click below!

German Article about knitting!

Also! So happy that Google translated it for me... it was slightly hard to read in English because the DIRECT translation is a little different than actual English... but whatever!

Happy Knitting!
taxikab

long over due

HI EVERYONE!  Life has been CRAZY since my last post, thus the lack of posting... LET ME UPDATE YOU

First and most important I have 11 projects started, and 8 done!  I have to finish the gloves, the socks and the blanket.  I also have to start either a sweater, or another hat for my nephew.  He enjoys my hats they keep his little adorable head warm.  I made him 2, and the second one ALREADY is too small... so I have promised my sister another one for him.  She then complained he has hoodies to wear, but no sweater, and she wants a little jacket for him without a hood.  I may find a like 12-24 months pattern and make him a sweater so that he can keep wearing it through winter.  Hes only like 2 months old, but hes a big baby already.  He's tall and growing fast, hes not a fat baby though, that has to be specified because I think my sister would be upset if I was telling people she had an overweight child... hes tall, NOT fat lol, tho of course he has little chipmunk cheeks like me :)   So like I said, we will see.  I'll probably make the hat because I need to finish the other 3 and I've only got 2 months left!

Second!  I GOT ENGAGED!  My awesome wonderful and handsome man Dylan proposed to me on September 22 2012, ironically on my friend Bobs birthday so I won't forget!  Love my ring, love my fiance.  I had been waiting for this to happen, because I knew it was coming, lol.  I'll do a picture post to update on everything later because I don't have a picture on my computer of the ring, just my phone.

What else has happened... OH! Dylan and I are trying to buy a house, I'm trying to lose weight for this wedding, and we're also trying to save money to pay for said wedding... going to be an interesting and frugal year 2013...

Been going on Pinterest ALOT again... this has resulted in Dylan telling me I should make the foods I see on pinterest for him... I went, "yea and I'll make it a blog like my knitting blog" and was very sarcastic about it... and he went, 'DO IT! We'll make a video blog! I'll tape you cooking for me, then I'll eat the food" 'and then you'll get fat...'  We'll see what happens.

I have choir soon.  Sister is bringing the baby to church to see the organist, who I love dearly and have known for like 15 years now... and she taught my sister and me piano and she has seen COUNTLESS pictures of the baby, but no actual BABY, lol.  SO my sisters going to try and bring him today.  See how it goes.

Going to knit today!  I need to get my stuff done before the end of the year.

Happy Knitting!!
taxikab

Happy Fathers Day!

Happy Fathers Day to all the Daddy's out there!  Rather than wake up and begin knitting, I helped my Daddy with the garden in the front yard.  What did you do?

Speaking of Fathers, for brother in law, who's soon to be a father himself, I show you a picture of Baby Bears Christening blanket.  Cables that intertwine.  I tried to take a decent picture but it was difficult.  I gave you one yesterday of it though.  Yes I am aware that there is less footage on this picture than the one yesterday, I took this picture a bit ago and had to go out and couldn't finish the post, so I'm using it now, because it was a pain to get the picture, lol

My mom keeps reminding me this baby is coming and the baby shower is soon and I need to knit faster, lol. She's even gotten into the habit of sewing only when I'm knitting, and if she's sewing I should be sitting in the room as well knitting, lol.  HOWEVER if she doesn't like what I have put onto the television, she goes in the other room an sews... and watches a different station... thanks mom...
             


Fixed the ears on baby bears hat!  The one is kind of square... but looks better in my eyes than the
pointy ears looked, lol.

There was a general consensus at work that this hat is more adorable than before, so yay!

So I have another post where I show you things that aren't "knit" but I find interesting...

I personally am not a big floral print person... BUT! I love giant sewn flowers and knit flowers, and love them as headbands, however, I work in a place where we need to be not so flashy with my head bands... so I make them and put them on my clients at work, and everyone ooo's and ahh's at how adorable the headbands are.  I'm satisfied with that.  My clients need to look adorable too!

Anyway!  So I'm always looking for crafty things for making flowers and such.  Heres one I found and was like, "LOVE IT!"

http://news.holidash.com//2010/04/23/mothers-day-corsage/

The website says that its a "Mothers Day Corsage" thus the babies picture on the back.  My mom would need one picture of all of us... or just her grandchildren (when Baby bear gets here!).

I truly am fascinated by the things people can come up with.  I mean seriously, how creative are some people that they can make all this stuff!   I think I'll quote my mother on this one 

"It's just how your mind works" - My Mommy

I tried explaining cables to her yesterday and how simple they are once you do them a few times, and its really just putting some stitches on a needle to hold, knitting the next ones not being held, and then knitting the ones being held.  She told me that's too complicated, and when I said it was easy she said it was just how my mind worked, that I can see that as simple and figure it out, where as she can't, and other people can't.  Frankly I think if you work hard and put your mind to it, you can do almost anything.  I've been knitting 7 years, so if I can't do cables by NOW I never will.   Now if I could only learn how to make socks!

Happy Knitting!

taxikab

Looking good...

Got a foot of the blanket done. My mother told me i should make it about 3-4 feet so my sister can wrap the baby in it. It's not very wide but I've been knitting all day only stopping to go to church.
Enjoy the picture update.

I kinda made a flower!

So I was making an ear warmer for a client (no one specific) and a another client said "oh that's pretty"when I was half done. So I asked her if she wanted it. I then let her help make it and design it for herself. She picked to have a flower on it and held the needles so she could "knit" it too. She wants to wear it now even though it's meant for winter lol

I knit a strip of black yarn and the twisted it to make a flower. I'll do a tutorial If anyone wants one later. As a black flower it looks ok haha. I types this using the blogger app so if it looks funny that's why. I'll fix it later


Happy knitting!
Taxikab

love window shopping on Etsy

I know I posted yesterday, and posted nothing about my 2012 projects... BUT I did post about all the other projects I've been working on keeping me from 2012... so now I post like I'm on pintrest (which I do have... search taxikab87, you'll find me)

I once watched an episode of Martha Stewart while in the Poconos.  We don't have internet or cable up there, we just have the Satellite dish that gets channels from Philly and New York, and ONE DAY! I saw Martha Stewart making glass beads on her show and I went, "wow... I really wish I could learn to do that..." I enjoy learning those things.  If anyone knows where, tell me, I'd love to learn.  ANYWAY   I was thinking about that after I saw these little guys on Etsy

the seller is DragonLadyDesigns

http://www.etsy.com/shop/dragonladydesigns?ref=top_trail  <---- there's a link for their shop.  My boyfriend and I had this discussion, that we are truly fascinated by the things people can do.  I think they're reasonably priced too.  I see some stitch markers on etsy and I go, "why the hell are you charging 10 dollars for metal loops with a bead on them?  I can make those for less than 10 dollars at home..."  I'm too lazy to do it... so I've gotten into the habit of just tying ribbon when i don't have stitch markers.  I do plan on making my own at some point but not yet.  I need to do my projects first... 2013 will be the year of the knitting accessories projects, lol. 

See now I can get those stitch markers and these beautiful needles

the Seller of these Koi Fish needles is Dotdotsmile

http://www.etsy.com/listing/94190366/koi-fish-knitting-needles?ref=sr_gallery_1&ga_search_query=fish&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_min=0&ga_max=0&ga_search_type=handmade <--- link to needles

I just felt like sharing some cute stuff.  Maybe later I'll do it again...

Happy Knitting!

taxikab

Summer, Summer, Summer time...

So graduation was fun.  Lots of driving... on the way home I knit, and watched Captain America, twice... because my dads never seen it.  The first time I watched it on my laptop and then the laptop died... and there was only about 10 minutes left!  BUT we stopped and ate seeing as it was Mothers Day... and we had been in the car for about 3 hours already...

Here's me at Graduation.  I look slightly cross eyed... lol.  No knitting here folks...

    You may be wondering... "why the bare feet taxikab?" Random yes.... I jokingly said to my father after my brothers graduation, "Daddy, my feet hurt... you should carry me to the after party..." and he went, "or you could take your shoes off... and just walk without your heels on..."  it took me about 4 more hours walking in my heels to actually take his advice..  I think wanders Boston without shoes on... my dad then realized it was a bad suggestion since my mom was insanely worried I would get glass in my foot.  I didn't notice a SINGLE PERSON who passed me, because I was too busy looking for objects that could puncture my feet.  While in Boston we went to Cheesecake Factory, where I have NEVER been before, but now love... My boyfriend Ironically went there the same day I did, but here in Philly.  We have come an agreement that we need to go back together... because its awesome.  While I was at Cheesecake Factory, this poor lady at the table behind us went to pick up her baby in its carseat from the highchair, and the baby wasn't locked in, and the handle wasn't locked right I guess, and the baby ended up falling out and right onto the floor...  like 2 month old baby right on the floor.  My dad said he saw the baby hit its chest before it hit its head so hopefully that helped a bit... they had a friend with them who was a doctor who almost immediately began looking over the baby saying he was going to be ok... so... I still hope that baby was fine...  ANY!

My life isn't even that hectic right now, but I can't seem to find time to sit and just KNIT.  I get more knitting done at work than at home... and I'm supposed to be working then...  I do teach a knitting group so I am TECHNICALLY working...  I think because its so nice out that I'm not getting anything done at home....  I tried sitting in my yard and knitting last week, but then things came up that needed to be done and I ended up nixing that idea...
Made a headband for a client at work.  It started as me practicing making leaf patterns in my knitting and trying to knit without patterns, just knit and see what happens.  A client saw it and said, "that's pretty" and so I asked her if she wanted it.

I knit the green part, which is supposed to look like leaves... but it didn't end up that way... oh well...  Then I took a crochet hook and crocheted the pink edge to it.  Now it covers my clients ears and she can use it as a winter head warmer...  I'm figuring out how to make a big ol' flower to stick on there too.  Her face lit up when I said she could have it and was even more excited when I mentioned the flower... lol

Here it is finished, the back seam anyway...

Here it is on my head. lol.  See, covers my ears! mostly...

Have I mentioned we have a sewing machine in my classroom too?  This results in me throwing easy projects together and going, "here you go guys".  Or finding projects that require minimal time and concentration so I can have them make them.  One client made a huge pillow, I was very proud.  Myself and a client made the bag you see with the owls on it.   BUT SHE NEVER USES IT.  I made it because she misplaced her change purse and was insisting that she keep her change in her shoes... but then no one wants to touch her money, haha, So I made her a cross-body bag (she helped) and she never brings it to program.

 I almost made this holder for the knitting needles at program.  It was an accident that there was a space for the circular needles on the right.  I measured wrong... BUT! it worked out, because I can keep them in their packaging and untangled from any future circular needles we purchase for program.  I insist that they learn to  knit on straight needles before they use the circular needles.  They disagree sometimes, but it wasn't an issue until one of them brought their OWN SET of needles to program and wanted me to teach her to use them... now we'll see how it goes...  Shes doing okay so far, I think shes making a hat... No idea.  they never know what they want to make until half way through, and by then I'm hoping I don't have to take the work out...

Happy Knitting!
Taxikab

Job interview tomorrow.  Fingers crossed, because its more money and REALLY close to my house, as opposed to my current job...

Teenage Mutant Ninja.... gloves?

Changed my mind about the gloves.  I'm leaving them as is, and I'll just add more stitches on the NEXT glove so it fits better, because these are for me, so I don't care how they differ as much as if I was giving them away or selling them.

Made dinner with my dad for bear, her husband, mom, my boyfriend, and inadverntently, the little bear (she eats through momma bear obviously, lol, horrible joke, I know).  Spagetti and meat balls, been doing that for the last hour (maybe longer) so I have not been knitting.

Weekend was crazy, helped with the last weekend of my friends show.  The small children that I did the hair and makeup for were all in tears at the end of the show because the 8th graders were done with the shows forever and most of the little kids were coming up to me going, "I'M GONNA MISS YOU SO MUCH KELLY!!!!!" and giving me hugs, most of them through tears, not crying for me obviously, I told a few of them to get a grip because they would see the rest of the cast Monday at school, lol.  Due to my entertaining these small children during the show, and making sure they didn't miss their scene (one did, because she didn't listen when I told her to get ready.  That resulted in a tiny panic attack and her in TEARS for like 5 minutes while her mother tried to calm her down) I did not get much knitting done.  I had dinner with Dylan between the two shows Saturday so I didn't knit there... at all.  I curled and straigthen 6-12 yr old's hair, lol.  And explained why they can't use brown makeup on their face when they have pale skin, it just doesn't work on their porcelain looking faces.

Almost done ONE glove, gonna wing it from here with the thumb.  Gonna do it COMPLETELY without a pattern and just from my memories of how I made them before.

Dylan is watching me update this blog as I type.  He keeps distracting me.  He told me to put the teenage mutant ninja turtle label.  I may ACTUALLY make something tmnt related now that I've put it on here... lol.  We'll see, Dylan, maybe it'll be a hat or something for you, lol.

HAPPY KNITTING!!!

I do love cables

So I'm making the Kelly dyed yarn into fingerless gloves. Dylan likes them coming a little past my wrists so that's how they'll be. Lots of cables in them. This is the second time in typing this entry as I did it perfect like 10 minutes ago and it just wouldn't save. SO WE TRY AGAIN
I'm using the left over yarn from my moms scarf to make leg warmers. No just keep looking at it going "you'd make warm leg warmers". for those days when I have to wear a skirt and KNOW that stockings just won't keep me warm that day. Should be fun.
I read over previous entries and saw about a job I was thinking of taking. I didn't take the job and now am waiting to hear how the interview I went to on Wednesday (where I posted saying I was bored as I waited) went and if they'll offer me the job. I'm excited because it feels right. Who knows. Fingers crossed
Below are the pictures of my current project. Knitting up faster than I thought. There's 2 that look alike but it's only because one how's the ACTUAL color correctly even though it's blurry.
ENJOY GUYS.