It Is Finished!

About a month ago, I embarked on a new project to recover an old office chair. It was very comfortable, but sadly very '70s. And it was not a fun and trendy '70s type. It was an ugly, green vinyl, brass studded type.

The first step in this project was to remove all the studs. Seems simple right? Well, not as easy as it looks. You need this special tool that looks kind of like a forked screw driver. (I do not know the technical name for it, but if you ask someone at Home Depot, they can find it for you.) You wedge the tool under the stud or upholstery tack, wiggle it, and pry it out of the wood. This particular chair had studs, tacks, and glue.....a real gem! Be sure to save whatever the old covering is, because you will use this to make your pattern. So, about 568 studs later, this is what I had.

The next step was to add some extra batting. I wanted this chair to be extra cushy and luxurious. I picked the cheapest batting, but there a lot of choices these days. They even have batting that is made from recycled bottle and tires. I bought all my batting, material, and trim from Mary Jo's in Gastonia. If you have never been to Mary Jo's, plan to make a day of it. They have absolutely EVERYTHING!

I picked a beautiful Steele Grey Damask and a Steele Grey and Black trim. I opted to NOT utilize the decorative studs because they are just too labor intensive. I utilized the green vinyl to cut my pattern out of the damask. This is a picture at half way through:


If you have all your supplies, this is an easy weekend project. I did mine in phases and for only limited amounts of time, so a month had passed once it was complete. This is the final product. A gorgeous addition to my study.

Death sux. All the "they are in a better place"...."they are comfortable now" .... It is all bullshit. I am sorry if my language offends anyone....nope, come to think of it, I am not sorry. I am being real. Death truly sux, and I have been dealing with the gut wrenching reality of it too much lately.

Logically I know, we are here for a short time, no promises, etc. But, what about the people that are left behind. We are the walking wounded....forever...No matter what anyone says, it does not get better. You may not think about it every moment, but when you do, you are transported right to the most excruciating moment. And the pain never lessens.

I got my dog Tater on 10/10 in 2002. My Grammie died 4 years ago on 10/10. I got married to the love of my life on 10/10 three years later. Coincidence? I don't know. And, really if I am being honest, do not believe in coincidence. I am lucky though...Tater changed my life....I had a wonderful conversation with Grammie right before she died, and I like to imagine her looking at my life and being so happy that I found a man that is not only the man I love, but my best friend and partner for life.

The reason, now at least, for all this reflection on death is because my dog Tater will be put to sleep tomorrow. I never know how to phrase that finality, ...put down, put to sleep, he will no longer be with us, ...ultimately, I am making the decision to kill him, plain and simple. It is something that unfortunately we are all going to deal with. Not only with our pets, but with our family members. So, I ask, how do we feel? Cope? Make sense of what the world is like?

I find myself asking this question far too much lately. But, in the midst of agony, I remind myself of the shear joy of life. The people and animals in my life have touched me in unmeasurable ways. So, Grammie, I love you. You gave me a spiritual ground and a true love for: charity, knitting, and mischief (another story). Both Khloe and Fenwick, you left me too early, but taught me how to feel true compassion. Kip, my glorious Kip, you taught me free spirited - ness. You left this world too soon. To Newcomb, come on, king of the animal world, love you forever. To Tater, you made me believe in me. I will miss all of you and celebrate you all forever.

Peace, Love, and Rock til you Drop!

Remembering an old friend

An old friend passed away this week. But, 'passed away' does not seem like an accurate way to describe a life or death of someone so unique. Kip was someone that if you met him for more than 5 minutes, you had a 'Kip story'. Another friend described him well this week. She called him a 'force of nature'. That he was, and frankly, still is.

I knew I wanted to write something about Kip, but I just wasn't sure how to pay 'tribute' to someone that you cannot sum up with mere words. I have been re-living experiences we had together....working together, quiting our job together, moving to Boston together, moving to Arizona....but,there are so many stories it is hard to pick one experience or story to share. Kip made me both laugh and cry. He was his own sitcom. He did not need a cast. And, honestly, we would have all gladly played second, third, etc... billing to his star.

So, I will remember Kip and the stories. I will share them with people, friends, and family for the rest of my days. And since I could not say it more eloquently in my own words, I will quote Meryl Streep in 'Out of Africa': “He brought us joy. And we loved him well. He was not ours. He was not mine. ..."

Got hitched and 'chuck' was there

It is true. I got hitched on 10/10/09. It was a wonderful day and evening. So many friends and family made the day so incredible and memorable. In an earlier post, I wrote about my wedding shawl that I knitted in case it was cold. Well, I wasn't cold. Everyone else at the wedding was however because we turned down the air so low in order to keep me from fainting. At one point, I stuck my arm down in the cooler and submerged it in ice and water.....ahhhhhhh

We went laid back for the reception. That is a nice way of saying cheap.....The pizza was so good. Fuel Pizza is the best if you need an event catered. And, of course we had wine. Trader Joe's 3 buck Chuck cannot be beat. We went with the Cabernet and some Merlot. And of course, I had my own stash of my Franzia box wine tucked away in the kitchen. I am all class. But seriously, for you next party, pick up a case of 3 buck Chuck. It tastes good and doesn't bust the bank. So, relax, have a glass of wine with your love. I will leave you with these words from Led Zeppelin:

And so today, my world it smiles, your hand in mine, we walk the miles,
Thanks to you it will be done, for you to me are the only one.
Happiness, no more be sad, happiness....I'm glad.
If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you.
If the mountains should crumble to the sea, there would still be you and me.

Meret for Malbec

Ok, so I will admit that I do not have a scientific way of choosing wine. My method is typically if I think the label is clever, interesting, or pretty, then I will try the wine. This does not always work out, however this time it did. This Malbec is much lighter and fruitier than most, which makes it a very nice choice for a summer red. I picked this up at the local grocery store for $10. This same company also makes other reds and whites if you are not a fan of Malbec.

While my method is not without it's flaws, I also used this same method for selecting my next knitting project, The Meret. Since I am a big fan of hats and this one is just pretty, it is my next project. I am making it out of some inexpensive acrylic yarn first to get the feel of the pattern. Check out the website in it's entirety, Wooly Wormhead. Live Free, Laugh Long, and Knit Hard!

Sangria Sisters

I went to Durham to visit my sister Jennifer. I love spending time with her and her family. Her husband offered to stay at home with their boys while Jennifer and I went out for dinner. We went to Blue Corn Cafe. Both Jennifer and I love sangria. Jennifer would always make a batch of sangria when the 'KAK Sisters' would get together. She even named her recipe 'KAK Sister Sangria'. I will explain the 'KAK Sisters' at another time.

So, in honor of my upcoming nuptials, we got a pitcher of sangria. It was deelish! There is nothing better on a hot summer day than some refreshing sangria and some smokey, spicey Mexican food. So, whip up a pitcher with some of your closest friends and enjoy drink, food, and laughter. Try this recipe for a base and add whatever fruit is in season. Also, a cinnamon stick in each glass is a nice touch:

• 1 Bottle of red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Rioja reds, Zinfandel, Shiraz)
• 1 Lemon cut into wedges
• 1 Orange cut into wedges
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Shot brandy
• 2 Cups ginger ale or club soda

Malbec and Merino

Malbec is my favorite wine. I discovered it by accident a couple of years ago and my favorite is still the first vineyard I tried. Trapiche Malbecs are amazing. They are deep colored, rich, fruity like plums and blackberries, with a hint of woody flavor. Trapiche has created some really affordable Malbecs. All are under $10 and compliment any meal or knitting project, see how I threw that in there.

I enjoyed a few glasses of Malbec while knitting a sweet hoodie out of some fine Merino Wool. The hoodie is an easy pattern found at: Baby Hoodie.
I picked 2 lovely fall colors for my friend's daughter Lil P. This is the finished product:

And check out Lil P's Mom's Blog: http://anurbanfarmwife.blogspot.com/