A GREAT LITTLE RESTAURANT YOU JUST MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT

If you know Sugar Daddy & me IRL, then you know that we love to search out new places to "get our food fix on". We love little "hole-in-the-wall" places... in my opinion, they often have the best foods.

Ethnic foods are a fave of ours. Many times you can get a great meal for the same price as fast food... it's a deal and usually nutritious.

Here is what I had for lunch the other day: beef empanadas, beef tongue tacos & Colombian hot sauce. DELICIOUS!

I found this tasty meal at El Carretero on Laurens Road (as it enters into Mauldin) (near the Pumpers gas station).

I love the pictures of the food above the ordering window. It helps me because I speak no Spanish. I can read a little, but I can't seem to speak too well. And the gentleman who runs this place is bi-lingual, so no problems.

The restaurant area is nothing fancy... just a few tables in the back of the store. But I gotta tell you, the Colombian food they serve is very good and very affordable.

If you enjoy Colombian cuisine, give it a whirl.

(also try Cositas Ricas on West Parker Road... best breakfast with cafe' con leche in town!)

FRIDAY NIGHT ART EXHIBIT

Today Sugar Daddy & I went out to lunch... we ran into Eric & Judy Verhoeven. Eric & Shug used to work together. During the conversation, it came up that Judy's art exhibit was opening tonight. She is a paper collage artist. They gave us a flier with the show information.

We just got back... wow! her work is very awesome! I am so glad that we got to go! She really had some beautiful pieces!

Her work is going to be displayed at Centre Stage on River Street for the month of February. If you get a chance, I recommend that you check it out!

Here is her website with some pics of her pieces!

FO ALERT: I FINALLY FINISHED THE LADYBUG BAG!

woo hoo! After waiting several months, my cousin, L, will finally receive the ladybug bag that she requested! I really felt good once I finished the bag ... even though she knows how ADD I am, I felt guilty working on anything else until it was done.

but since I don't use a pattern, I have to work on it when "I feel inspired" ... I am not trying to be lofty or flippant... but I do have to enjoy what I am working on or it feels like drudgery... lol. Sometimes I run into a structural issue and have to stop and "think it out"; and sometimes I get an idea for another project that I "must go ahead and start - so I won't forget it!"

Poor SugarDaddy, I don't think he understands why I must have 52 (hopefully that's an exaggeration!) projects going on at once!

This bag can be used as a shoulder bag or as a backpack. It is made of Acrylic yarn for ease of care and durability. (Hobby Lobby's "I Love That Yarn!") (i really do love that yarn... it's not just the brand...lol)

The body of the bag is loomknit, the embellishments are crochet and spool knit & embroidered, and flap enclosure is hand-woven on my vintage Weave-It loom.

I will be sending this bag, the mini-ladybug backpack & the beret (in previous posts ... scroll down to see) to my cuz tomorrow.

I sure hope that she likes them!

LUNCH WITH MY SWEETIE

Sugar Daddy & I went out for lunch today... Saffron ... love that Indian food ... it's so pretty and tasty!

Arrrrrrrrgh! I sure do hate yarn knots!

After spending 2 hours undoing the most horrible knotted up skein of yarn (in recent memory!), I was able to start on the handwoven squares for the top flap of the Ladybug Bag.

I really love how the same yarn looks so different when worked in knit (loom), crochet & weaving.

I love the different textures!

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LADYBUG BAG UPDATE: on the home stretch

See? I am a crafter of my word... I said that I was going to finish some hibernating projects!

Here is the Ladybug Bag that I have been working on for some time now.

I finished the front emellishments that I was planning. All that is left to do is to create a 'flap & closure' for it... I think that I will use my trusty 'Weave-It' to create the flap ... and to make a covering for the buckles when the bag is used as a shoulder bag... which I hope to finish today!!

wish me luck!

GOOD MORNING? (yes another pic of our poodle...lol)

Jubal, all snugged up in a blanket, trying to pretend it is not morning!

A MINI LADYBUG BACKPACK

ok... i admit that i am such a slacker when it comes to finishing projects! i can't help it! i am fairly certain that i suffer from undiagnosed attention deficit disorder... lol.

i start a project... full of ideas... and then either i think of something else and want to start on the new project or a hit a "roadblock" on how construction (a pitfall because i am not a pattern person! lol)... this trait of mine is a bad thing when you undertake to make something for someone else...

i have been working on a lady bug backpack for my cousin... it is all done except for a closure and some embellishments.

well, one of my new year's resolutions has been to clear out my hibernating projects; so i hope to be finishing it this week. but first i made her the snazzy beret below!

and then thought that i would make a little mini-backpack for her daughter too!

so here is a little something that i whipped up for Baby D!

i didn't use any pattern... just went "on the fly".

i used d rings to make adjustable straps.

here is the inside.

here is a close up of the ladybug!

and here is a close up of the bobbles on the front.

I sure hope that D and her Mom like these bags! (and forgive my slowness!)

I CAN LEARN TO KNIT WITH MY Wii? how cool is that?

Have you ever heard of kniittiing? While I was just browsing around the craft: magazine site, I saw this article.

I also found this article.

Intrigued by this, I googled the term "kniittiing", and found this, the official site.

I love my wii and have always wanted to learn to knit. Could this be the invention for me?

SUPPER REVIEW

Fried (in olive oil) (boneless skinless) chicken thighs
coleslaw with mayo & horseradish mustard
roasted green beans, tomatoes & onions
bicuits
gravy

OMG! I JUST FOLLOWED MY FIRST PATTERN...ok... well... almost

If you know me IRL... then you know I have never been able to follow a pattern...or recipe for that matter... lol... but here it is... "Bejeweled Beret" by Linda Permann from the Sept/Oct '07 issue of CROCHET TODAY! magazine (page 42).

I have a cousin who will be undergoing very aggressive treatment for breast cancer soon. She has been told that she will lose her hair... so I wanted to make her a funky hat to wear. I was flipping through my collection of crochet magazines and found this pattern. I opted not to sew on the embellishments ...but I have some cool gold-tone plastic vintage buttons that I believe would work if she wants them.

I liked the pattern because it was written without abbreviations. I didn't have as much trouble following it as I thought I would... woo hoo.

I did change the last three rounds from the original... before fastening off, I tried it on... way too tight for me. Maybe I have a massive head or maybe i messed it up...but I changed the last 3 rows into hdc stitches in each stitch.

I tried it on and it fit... and then I made Mr. Foam Head model it for the blog.

I hope my cousin likes this... I know she likes purples and greens... I saw this wool ( @ Ewe Knit in Carrollton, GA) and thought of her.


Also I think that I will make a few more of these hats!

RECYCLED & REUSABLE GIFT WRAPPING IDEA

I just wanted to share a little gift bag I made the other day. Sugar Daddy's department had their holiday get-together in January. Participants were to bring a $10 gift for a "Dirty Santa" gift exchange.

Since I am Sugar Daddy's personal shopper...lol... so I chose 10 dollar items with a "bathroom theme": soap, bubble bath, body wash, bathroom cleaner, disinfectant spray, etc.

I packaged each item in a plastic shoppig bag (which can be re-used in a variety of ways).

Then I placed the items in a reusable shopping bag ... which was only 99 cents (less than a lot of other gift wrapping options)... AND IS A GIFT TOO! When you bring your own bags to Bi-Lo, you get a credit... i think maybe 5 cents per bag... I need to verify amount.

Other stores may offer bag credits too... just ask.

I used binder clips to hold bag closed; and then trimmed it with a "bow" made with a bag in which newspapers are delivered.

What do you think of this idea?

SUPPER REVIEW

Grilled Chicken Thighs
(marinated in hot sauce)
Roasted Squash, Zucchini & Onions
Roasted Pumpkin
Bleu Cheese Coleslaw (not pictured)
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

BLOOD DRIVE TODAY - until 5 @ Bi-Lo Ind Blvd

Please consider giving blood...one day you may need some...or someone you love may need some!

YEAH I ADMIT IT'S WEIRD... BUT IT DOESN'T HURT ANYONE

Yesterday, while out at lunch with Sugar Daddy & a friend, we observed a gentleman snapping a photo of his plate. Teasingly, Sugar Daddy commented how odd that was. We laughed, because I love to take pics of my food to post on my blog.

I enjoy the artistry of food...from the art of cooking to the beautiful colors of the foods to the composition of the plates.

Also...I am just nosy! I love to see how other people live. I like to see how other people use the same ingredients. And if the picture is to share a recipe, a picture will help me know if I am on the right track.

---------------

These pics are of recent meals out that I just haven't got around to posting. I was cleaning out the memory of my phone and came across these.

Enjoy!

(lol)

SUPPER REVIEW

Beef Potroast
Speckled Butterbeans
Roasted Okra, Onion & Tomatoes
Cornbread
Peach Cobbler
(served with vanilla ice cream)

FO: CAMO & ORANGE SCARF

Ahhhhhh...now that the holidays are over, I have been able to get back on track with the fiber.

As usual, I underestimated my time to complete projects...I got almost everything done... except for the camo scarf I was working on for my younger son...so for Christmas, he had half a scarf...lol. He is a good egg and allowed me to finish his scarf at a more leisurely pace.

I finished up my work on the YOC project and then got busy on the scarf. Here it is...please excuse the poor quality of the pics...I couldn't get the lighting right.

This scarf was made with my Wonder Loom from www.dalooms.com -- and made with the self-striping camo acrylic from 'I Love This Yarn!' Hobby Lobby Brand yarn...and trimmed in the orange solid of the same brand. I really do like the way this yarn works up! I know a lot of fiber folks frown upon acrylic...but sometimes I use acrylic for easy care and allergy issues.

Whew! I am glad to mark another project off my list!!!