Very Sad indeed...

Wow....a blog post....from me??!?! This is a surprise isn't it!

Announcement:
The past several months have been filled with school and hope for the future. With this sense of hope, and perhaps some healthy ambition, it is with great sadness (and yet great excitement) that I announce the official closing of Gwendolyn's Gifts as a business.

In September of 2007, I was blessed to be able to take a leap of faith with the support of my amazing husband. I was able to start working on Gwendolyn's Gifts full-time. Gwendolyn's Gifts started as Gwendolyn's Goodies and Gifts where I randomly wanted to use all of my creative energy to turn my various passions into a career. When it originally started on a part-time moonlighting basis, I had absolutely no focus. I wanted to make cookies. I wanted to make baskets. I wanted to make jewelry. Clay beads. Knitted accessories. Quilts. The list continued as far as my random hobbies went! I made random sales (in the beginning, mainly to co-workers...knitted purses and name tag lanyards were the two things I was able to make a bit of a profit on). Even at this stage I was ambitious enough to create a webpage (and learn some rudimentary HTML!).

As my goals grew, my focus became clear. Hand-knit accessories (primarily for women). I wrote out a mission statement. I began dreaming of what could be possible. After working on Gwendolyn's Gifts full-time, I was able to achieve a few things that I still smile about. A shrug I made being worn on a national TV news program definitely tops the list. But many things such as making it through my first craft show alone, figuring out a new design, getting a random sale from a random location, memorable custom orders, etc. all are high points in my memory. I met many interesting people, and even made a true friend during this time of my life. All through the power of creating!

Now, as I stress (and moan and groan) about completing my bachelor's degree, I have realized that Gwendolyn's Gifts must once again return to a hobby that I love instead of what I thought would be my dream career. Fortunately for me, I believe that this is a stepping stone in a very exciting direction. I will forever be fond of my time as a full-time craft business owner, but I look forward to what the future holds for me.

Housekeeping:
Gwendolyn's Gifts "the blog" will remain intact at http://gwendolynsgifts.blogspot.com. I still intend to discuss my crafty experiences (if I am ever able to craft again! grr to school!) However, in approximately 3 months http://www.gwendolynsgifts.com will no longer exist under my ownership. So, depending on how you get to my blog and if you are still interested in reading the occasional post from me, please make any necessary changes.

Also, I may be selling some extra yarn in the next few weeks/months. I will most likely be de-stashing on Etsy at http://www.gwendolynsgifts.etsy.com. I will post when I have some listed.

Procrastinating...

Sunset Knitter posted this meme on her blog, and since I am trying to postpone my inevitable studying I thought I would post it myself.

1. Can you cook?
I like to think so. I will pretty much TRY to make anything. Sometimes my "experiments" turn out pretty tasty.

2. What was your dream growing up?
To create...I wanted to be a poet, an artist, a mother, etc. etc.

3. What talent do you wish you had?
Anything music related. Singing or playing an instrument.

4. Favorite place?
Home with my husband...(But Jamaica is a very very close second!)

5. Favorite vegetable?
Vegetables? What's that? Maybe if potatoes count!

6. What was the last book you read?
The last book I finished was Mercy by Jodi Picoult. I am currently reading Perfect Match also by Jodi Picoult. And I am listening to Wicked by Gregory Maguire.

7. What zodiac sign are you?
Aquarius

8. Any Tattoos and/or Piercings?
Pierced Ears and Belly Button

9. Worst Habit?
Clutter.

10. What is your favorite sport?
Men's College Basketball

11. Is a glass of water half full or half empty?
half full

12. What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me (after we called for help, of course)?
probably talk and knit if I have any with me...

13. Would you share an embarrassing moment with me?
I'm sure I would! ;)

14. Tell me one weird fact about you.
I don't drive at all...Don't even have a driver's license. In TN, this is most unusual.

15. Do you have any pets?
A orange tabby cat.

16. Can you read a book upside down?
Never tried.

17. What time is it where you are now?
11:50am

18. Who was the scariest fairy-tale/children movie hero ever for you?
I don't remember actually being afraid, but Batman is pretty dark.

19. If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be?
My complexion.

20. Would you be my crime partner or my conscience?
Conscience. I almost argue the other side, so if you were trying to convince me to commit a crime, I would probably end up telling you all of the reasons not to.

21. What color eyes do you have?
green

22. Ever been arrested?
Proudly, no.

23. A cop or a robber?
neither...

24. If you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it?
not sure...pay off my hubby's car? shopping spree?

26. Favorite fast-food restaurant?
McDonalds I think....It is one of the few that I actually crave!

27. Do you believe in ghosts?
I believe that there are unexplained occurrences...

28. Favorite thing to do in your spare time?
knit

29. Do you swear a lot?
Not really. I have to get really amped up before I start cursing.

30. Biggest pet peeve?
Being ignored...(that sounds like I need a lot of attention...lol)

31. In one word, how would you describe yourself?
creative

Not Again...

I hate when all of my blog posts end up sounding the same. I'm too busy...I'm too tired...School is rough...I don't have time to knit...I have a ton of unfinished projects...

This is what causes me to leave the blog silent. Fear of whining for yet another post.

Unfortunately, I have nothing else to say really. I am looking forward to Spring Break more than is humanly possible. I am especially excited because my hubby took the week off as well. So we are going to have a mini-vacation where we lounge around, eat out, and escape it all. It is going to be pure bliss! I might be able to sneak some knitting in there, but the truth is that I don't want to force myself to do anything. I want to go where my mood takes me.

My hope is that Spring Break will rejuvenate me (and thus resurrect this blog!) Until then, I hope everyone has a wonderful few weeks.

Temptation...

Did I tell you that I gave in to the temptation of my Noro Scarf? No?...Well, since my last post I decided to just go for it. The colors were calling my name and I could not wait to see how it would turn out. And...I was so infatuated with it that I already finished! I absolutely love the way it turned out. I could definitely see many of these in my future if it weren't for the price of the Noro Silk Garden. Luckily, I only used about 1 and a half balls of two colors. But that is still a pretty pricey scarf in my book. I would love to give some of these as gifts though. Who wouldn't love one?

The last to noro?!?

Has everyone in the knitting blog world made this except for me? How have a been so in the dark on something so beautiful and simple!?!

This weekend, thanks to a gift card to my LYS, I bought 4 balls of Noro Silk Garden in 2 different shades. (I know one of them is 84...I can't remember what the second colorway is. But I definitely tried to get two contrasting...but complimenting...colors.)

I also purchased a set of Brittany Birch needles US9. My obsession with Brittany Birch began long before I got married...and long before I ever even OWNED a pair! I'm not sure what it is about them, but I love everything about them (especially the way they look...what is it about the toppers on these that make me feel like a fabulous knitter?)

So now my dilemma is that I have 2 unfinished sweaters, 1 yet-to-be-started vest, and a hectic semester of school to fit this beauty into. My gut tells me to use this as motivation to finish the Leaf Drop Sweater I started at the end of last summer. (i.e. Don't start something new unless I finish what I have on my plate now.) But another part of me wants this simple project to bring to school to work on. Of course, this delays the sweaters indefinitely as I am sure that once these colors start to unfold I will have a hard time working on anything else. Oh well, I guess either way I will be inspired. Any opinions on this? (I don't promise to listen to you...but maybe you'll make me see the light! lol)

A year ago...

I have nothing new to post, so here is a picture I took a year ago today. Seems like I was in the beginning stages of my flower pin knitting. This is one of my favorite flower pins to date. I will forever love the light pink with the black and white striped button center. So feminine, yet so punky!

Hopefully, I will have some new pictures this weekend. I have been taking photos with my cell phone, but I haven't figured out how to get them on my computer yet. (Note to self: Look at cell phone manual.) There is actually progress to be shown! And some late birthday things to post.

Turning 25 Today!

I started this blog when I was 23. Today, I turn 25 (notice that I am not admitting that I am 25 until 9:38 a.m. when I was born...until then, I am holding onto my "early twenties"...LOL).

I look forward to a lot of things in life. I can't wait to grow old with my husband, have a family, and see what life had in store for me. There are so many things that I want to experience, and most of them just come with time.

For my birthday celebrations, my hubby is taking me to dinner and to Borders (I want to get the newest Mason Dixon Knitting book...I've been waiting on the opportunity to treat myself!). Other than that, it is business as usual. I'm already on campus waiting for class to begin.

Hope everyone is having a great week so far!