I AM NOT QUEEN OF THE BUBBLES OR AM I PRINCESS OF THE BUBBLES

BUT I did manage to be the third runner up. We had a contest going on in our Avon C#5 brochure. The object was to sell the most bubble baths. The large JUMBO sizes (700ml) were on for $4.99. I sold 23 and I know I sold 23. I know because I counted each one as I sold it so I would know how many I had sold when I was asked. This was a contest after all. The person who won sold 100 and she seemed to know she sold 100. The second place winner says she is she sure she sold at least 25 bottles. Notice she didn't say she knows b/c she counted them but she is assuming she sold that many. AND we all know what happens when we ASSUME don't we. Our manager could go back and check but most likely she won't. I don't mind coming in third. It is just if you know it is a contest on your word and you are required to know how many bottles of bubble bath you sell before you get to the meeting you should have counted how many you sold!!! Oh what was my prize? It was a bath mat and a pink carnation. Princess of bubbles received a cape made from a plastic table cloth with blue and green big circles (AKA bubbles) and two plastic margarita glasses with the same circles of blue and green and pink carnations. The Queen of bubbles won a bath glove to represent her royal glove, a bath loofah on a long handle (to represent her scepter, a play tiara and, of course, pink carnations. While we were standing up receiving our prizes three new Avon reps were blowing bubbles around us. If I had to choose I liked the prizes given to Princess Bubbles best and I don't drink margarita but the glasses were nice. Then we had our picture taken. Then those of us who made PC were given carnations. Sue my Avon manager gave to two gals at one of the table and then stopped a table and gave one to a lady sitting there just because, walked by me at the table I was sitting at and so it seems I was left out. Needless to say add this to the fact that there are now signs up all over not to spray the perfumes as a rep can't handle the smells and I was not happy when I left the meeting. I go there to feel the clothes, see them and the shoes while checking for size and quality. Since we no longer get to see any of them, the amount of demos has decreased dramatically and now we can't smell the new scents Avon has put out I am thinking it just may be a waste of time to go to any more meeting. When I first started our meetings were a lot of fun. They lasted way too long but we learned so much. I guess I was just very annoyed as I had checked my invoice online before I left and found there were about 50 items, over $370 in shorts this campaign. Of the four remaining items shorted from way back in November of 2007, a customer cancelled one and can you blame her, two are being delivered and one remains on the short list.

BUT there was a bright side to yesterday when I got home in the evening and checked my mailbox. I received a gift from SP 11 Lisa in Toronto. She sent me a little something for my birthday, two Lush products. We have a Lush here in our Polo Park Mall but I have yet to go in. I am afraid I will find too many things I like and I sell Avon. My gifts included a container of talc which I always use after I have a shower or bath. It is called Silky Underwear and the description of it is "Tiny grains of cocoa butter lightly moisturize the skin while the jasmine velvet-scented powder dust you down with a smooth silky coating." Sounds like very interesting, exciting and sexy talc. I will be using it once the one I am currently using is finished and that will be soon. I also received a little bottle of Shower gel for body and hair called Snow Fairy which has the following description "Candy floss pink and sweet as sugar with iridescent sparkles and a hint of wicked fruitiness". I love sparkles and who wouldn't love wicked fruitiness? I will have to wait until my Hilltop study is over March 17 to use it as we are required to only use the soap they provide us with during the study. It is Dove. Wasn't it sweet of my SP 11 Lisa to think of me on my birthday? Thank-you Lisa. My mail lady is off ill and deliveries are made quite late in the day or early evening. Again today I left the apartment at 5P for my Hilltop appt. and the mail hadn't arrived. BUT today on my way to Hilltop for my evening appt I stopped by the postal outlet to pick up a package. Just because the mail carrier comes late doesn't mean the truck delivery comes late. I wish he was today. He was at my place about 10 minutes before I got home from my morning Hilltop appt so I had to go and pick up my package. My package was from Anita and it was my whoduknit holiday package. I found in the box two mystery books (Fanny Flagg's A Redbird Christmas and 'Tis the Season to be Murdered by Valerie Wolzein)two books I haven't read yet, a few recipes from Luchow's, some wonderful home baked cookies and an origami suncatcher. Receiving packages back to back sure can help one feel better. Both those packages certainly have put a smile on my face.

I hope this puts a smile on your faces. Window Washer(wmv)

Here is another funny. One I received from several different people. http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-walt-babyboomers-blurb,0,1036393.blurb

For all my friends and friends of Solara here are some wonderful photos of her and my pink carnation. Can't you hear her just thinking this, Am I as pretty as this flower? Here she is up close and personal with my pink carnation. I wonder what she is thinking but I do have an idea.
Should I taste this flower?No I don't think my mom will mind if I have a small nibble.
I will have to be quick if I want to touch it now.

A quick touch before she catches me.
BUT oh it feels so soft.

MORE GOOD MAIL DAYS MEANS MORE KNITTING GOODNESS

I know I am late in writting a post for my blog but I have been tired. I am not a morning person and have been getting up early to go to Hilltop each morning and then I have to go back there again at dinner time. I seem to want to sleep a lot during the day once I am home. I probably need my B12 injection for the month now.

I have just finished putting my Avon order in so you know it is after 10PM Sunday. I should let you know Avon is selling the nicest Pashmina style shawls in pink as their latest Breast Cancer Crusade product. They are oh so soft. They are 100% viscose rayon in pink, of course, and the pink ribbon emblem is on one of the corners. They are selling for $5.00 and all the profits go to Breast Cancer which stay here in Canada.

AND I also just finished watching the Oscars. I think Johnny Depp looked just great BUT, alas, he didn't win the Oscar for the best actor in Sweeny Todd Demon Barber of Fleet Street. What a shame.

So I have gotten more treats in the mail.

I have received three birthday gifts from my pen pal group birthday club.

From Bridgett this past Wednesday I received a small sign to hang up, some lovely cream, a bookmark and a birthday card. There is always something new to learn in the knitting and blog world.From Jenny on Thursday I received the cutest plaque. and some fiber optic pens. Here is a picture of the plaque. Then of Friday I received some stationary from Matt. I may even have another package coming and I do have a package for my birthday coming from Susan in the addictedtoknit dishcloth group. The first one never arrived and a second one was sent out. Funny I didn't receive the first whoduknit holiday swap package and a second one had to be sent out which I am also waiting for.

Knitting Goodness

BUT the neatest package I received, not that the previous weren't nice or appreciated, was my variegated cloth swap from Shirley in South Africa. It had lots of stamps from South Africa only there were none that weren't cancelled. Strange as it may be there also wasn't a customs form or sticker on the package, just all those stamps. Inside the box was a ton of neat items. Unfortunately, the treats except for the coffee beans and tea are all gone now. Shirley sent me two cloths, a round variegated cloth and a solid picture cloth of a house and tree in a lovely deep rose color which I will save for my dishclothghan. Try as I might I just couldn't get a good picture of it so you will just have to imagine what it looked like.

In the box was also many skeins of yarn which include three skeins of an orange very soft yarn like a Sidar snuggly type yarn (it is much softer or lighter in color than what is showing below), three skeins of a boa eyelash yarn in jewel tones, one skein of a green and white cotton and one skein of a #8 ecru color cotton. BUT that is not all that was in the box. I received some fruit sticks which are gone. I did share some of them with the gals at knitting and there were some chocolate coated expresso beans but they are also gone now. What remains in the treat department are the tea bags (roobios and lemongrass) and coffee beans. I also found in the a very cute key chain in my box of goodies. AND there was a notepad with a kitty on the cover, a magnetic note pad, some very small stickers (I love those), two post cards from where Shirley lives, and some rose fragrant rose bath petals. I even found a few chocolate covered heart candies in the box. They too are gone. It was a lovely package all the way from South Africa. Thank-you Shirley. I hope you like yours when it finally arrives after taking a long slow freight ship across the ocean. I hope to mail you a few small envelopes to help you with the long wait for the larger parcel to arrive.

Now I am ready to mail a couple of my swap packages including my Knitters Scavenger Hunt Swap package, my whoduknit mystery ball and my crochetaholic February swap. I am not joining in the crochetaholic March swap. As a teaser here is a picture of what I am sending for the category "round" in the Knitter Scavenger Hunt Swap. AND here are the contents of the inside which I hope help my partner get "around tuit". I included a small saying also that I found on the net.It is also time for me to get to work on my Hand Dyed Yarn Swap 3.

There is talk of another Knitters Scavenger Hunt Swap. This one was a lot of fun and I should thank my pal Shelagh for helping me with my "round" category.

For all of you interested in a coffee yarn swap you can find one here: http://coffeenyarnswap.blogspot.com/. It is a follow up of the Winter Wonderland Coffee Swap which was a really fun swap. There is a contest already for this swap "What contest? Why the usual 'get the word out' contest. Post on your blog with a link back to this post, and you'll be entered to win some yummy yarn and a bag of coffee from my favorite - Caribou!" AND If you can make a button you will get an extra entry into the contest. It doesn't say anything about an extra one for mentioning where you learned of the swap from but I think it is a good idea. I don't know how to make buttons. I need to lean how to make buttons. There is always something new to learn in the knitting and blog world.

Another new swap starting up is here http://bigbagkalswap.blogspot.com/. It is going to be a KAL first and then you will swap bags with goodies in it with your partner. I haven't decided yet if I will join this. I would love another large knitted and felted bag. One day I will get around to knitting a constant companion bag of which I have the pattern but not all the yarn needed.Solara has been playing and hiding in the shower curtain again and making more holes and tears in it. Here she is checking out her tail.

I HAVE BEEN TAGGED AGAIN

YUP I have again been tagged. This time by Jane of http://janevdoviak.blogspot.com/.
This is a very easy one for those of you I tag.

The Rules
1. Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages.
2.Open the book to page 123 and find the 5th sentence.
3. Post the next 3 sentences.
4. Tag 5 people

I have just finished reading Cat Deck the Halls by Patricia Roussea Murphy. It is her newest book in the Joe Grey PI mystery series. It is a fun series to read.

Following the instructions here are the lines.
Pedric leaned against the wall, the thin old man getting his breath. Ryan put her arm around Lucinda. “Are you alright?”

BUT "almost" following the instructions above and using page 49 and lines 5 - 9 which I like better and I think are more fun. LOLOLO
Kit's Lucinda and Pedric Greenlaw, being early risers, would soon be out of bed to make her a nice breakfast. Dulcie was thinking of a quick little snack in the kitchen, without rousing her housemate, and then crawling back under the warm comforter besides Wilma-of not waking Wilma, unleashing a barrage of questions and receiving another lecture. But Joe Grey, racing home along the plaza wall, was too hungry to wait for Clyde’s alarm to go off. He meant to wake Clyde at once and demand a good hot breakfast. Eggs, bacon, cheese and anchovies-the works.

HMMM how different those three are.

I am tagging the following people:
1. Cathy at http://tryintaknit.blogspot.com/
2. Vigdis (who has many blogs)
3. Stephanie (yes you again) http://shewhomust.blogspot.com/
4. Anne (yes you need to post again and this should help) at http://madlyoffinalldirections.blogspot.com/
5. crochetaholic Deb at http://crochetoholic.blogspot.com/

Have fun and I will finish the post I started before this shortly. I am just too cold to continue now. I need to go and warm up.

AND for those of you who adore Solara and want to see a photo of her, here she is curled up tightly sleeping on the granny afghan on my bed.

YES I MADE ONE FINALLY AND I RECEIVED....

It is about time. I haven't made the last three Hilltop studies I tried out for in the fall. Thus, I stopped trying out for them BUT I made this one and is it a good one. It is very time consuming but the money at the end is just WONDERFUL. My co-op share fee is just about covered with this one study. Hilltop has never had a study paying so much. AND being it is considered an honorarium, well, you know what that means.
AND that is not all that is good.

I have received goodies.

Knitting Goodness

I received my prize for guessing the name of the stitch of a cloth in the love2knitdishcloth group. I got the cloth I guessed and it is really nice. it definitely won't be touching a dirty dish or a pot.

I also received a lovely magnetic bookmark. I find the magnetic bookmarks the best. You get lots of use from them before they are demolished and they are not that easy to loose.

I also received my whoduknit prize from the December A Farewell to Yarns project. I received two skeins of some lovely pink Knit Picks Shine Worsted which is 60% Pima cotton and 40% modal. The color is Snapdragon. It is oh so soft. I also received a pattern called Penny's Mystery Knit Kit. I think it is a dishcloth as it only has 36 stitches and the appropriate number of rows for one. HMMM show I do it in this lovely pink yarn or just a plain yarn and save this for a nice toy or baby item???? I also received a book. I haven't read it and want to as it is the first in the series of the Claire Waitkins mysteries. I read Bone Harvest as one of the whoduknit monthly book reads last year and it was very good. When I am finished with this book I will then pass it on to someone else to enjoy. I need to put my thank-yous on the proper lists.

Well I am going to end this as it is really old sitting in my draft area of the blogs and start another post.

MIDDLE AGE WOMAN

This is way way too funny and should I add TRUE???
Thank-you Beverly who is in one of the many knitting groups I belong to for providing this link.
I hope you all have a very good laugh.

ANOTHER BIRTHDAY GIFT

Not only did I get a birthday gift yesterday I got another one today. Today I received a $15.00 gift certificate to Organic Planet up the street from me. I can use it to sit there and have an eatable treat there or maybe purchase groceries from the shop. I am thinking of using it to get an organic watermelon this summer. They taste so much better than the ones you buy at the local grocery store but then, of course. they cost way more.

I used my slow cooker and made chicken for dinner last night when my friend Lori came over. Here is what I made. It is a very easy recipe and I make it often

Chicken pieces (whatever kind you like)
1 cup ketchup
1 can or equivalent soda (and yes you can use any flavor)
This is the recipe. I said easy didn’t I?

I have been making it for so long now I usually add a couple more ingredients.
Worcestershire sauce
Hot sauce if you like
Brown sugar
You can also add chopped onions, red, green, yellow peppers, mushrooms and/or garlic. I add them depending on what I have in my apartment at the time. I have been known to put in some pepper jelly. The sky’s the limit. Notice there are no amounts. That is up to you and how much you want to add.

Oh and I also season the chicken with various spices before I add it to the sauce in the pot.

I turn on the slow cooker and VOILA. Many hours later it is ready. I can then make a side of noodles, rice or potatoes to go with it. While I am cooking the side to go with the chicken I add Velotine to the pot to thicken the sauce up.

You can substitute meat balls, pork chops or a tough old roast for the chicken. It is a really very versatile recipe.

HINT if you use meat balls and don’t have soda try adding a jar of grape jelly to the ketchup. BUT then you can do that for the chicken and roast also.

If any of you try it do let me know what you think.

So what did Lori get me? I received a porcelain statue of a lady sitting on a chaise lounge type chair. She has a boa around her, a long gown on and a big hat. To get close ups I had to take several photos of her.

I also received a coffee mug and matching picture frame that says, You’ll always be my friend, you know too much, two cat candle holders, a candle that looks like a body with a gown on and one of the bags had a lovely cupid as a decoration with lots of gold tinsel coming out of the bag.

I received my invite to join the Sock Stash Eliminator Campaign. YAY. I probably won't start until next month as I would never get a pair of socks completed if I started now with my special project I am working on.

GHEEZE I have the TV weather channel on and the weatherman keeps saying I am just going to skip over the Manitoba. Doesn't our province merit mention?

AND since blogger spell check no longer works I have been writing in word and then cutting and pasting it on blogger. Spelling has never been one of my strong areas.

Solara woke up for a while.

Now she is curled up and asleep again.

I AM TO COLD TO BLOG

The heat was off for over five hours last night and it has been off for almost the same amount of time this afternoon.

My coffee isn't warming me up as much as I thought it would. I am even wearing heavy socks under my down slipper booties. The floor is so very cold. AND my brief trip to the bathroom was a horror. It was like going to an outhouse. I kept thinking I have to put my bare butt on that cold toilet seat. My fingers are so frozen now I can't knit or type so I will come back to this later.
I should be making dinner but I am too cold for that. Too cold to even heat last nights left overs. That is because I am too cold to put my hands in the fridge and take the slow cooker pot out and put it on the heat element. I guess I will have to nuke it later when the apartment warms ups. Maybe I can hold my book and read with the little electric heater I have right in front of me. Maybe I will have to read it in my bed under the covers on the heated cover on my sheet with the heated gel pack next to me. I know as soon as I get under the covers Solara will jump off the bed.

CORRECTION UPDATE

I am not sure where I was at in my head when I wrote in my last entry under #15 of my favorites that it was Patchouli oil I liked not that I don't but I meant to write one of my favorite scents was Woody Sandalwood Oil (from the Body Shop). AND I have added a scent I forgot to put in originally. It has to be that age thing. LOL

Now that was done I will say I had a friend over this past evening and I got some lovely belated birthday gifts. No, none of them were yarn but just as nice. Items I love. I will post photos tomorrow I mean later today.

AND, of course, I will have a photo of the furtoddler who should be up as cats are nocturnal, but is sleeping probably what I should be doing. I think I am going to knit and have a cup of tea first. It is cold in here now so a cup of tea and the heated pad on my lap should help me warm up. It is -27C outside and with the wind-chill factor it feels like -43C. YIKES. So without the radiator on in the apartment it is quite cool in here yet again!!!!

AND can someone tell me why spell check on my blog doesn't work and how I can get it to work again?

HERE SHE IS

I received my latest Avon Lady Albee. I was surprised to see it arrived with my C#4 order as we usually receive her at our meeting. Isn't she pretty. Here is a full front view of her: Here is the back of her and check out the detail. AND here is a close up of her: She is my 1oth doll. She is porcelain and once all the PC members get them the mold is broken. I guess then you would have to check out ebay if you broke yours. You have to have reached $12,800 in sales this past year to get one. This does include brochures, demos, sales aids such as bags etc. The next level up is $30,000. Three years ago I was only about $2500 short but the last two years I wasn't as close. I am about half way there now. I don't know if I can make it though, try as I might.

I belong to the Deb's Crochetaholic swap blog and you can join a swap every month, any month or only a few months during the year. It is whatever you decide. I joined for this month. It is pink and red due to it being Valentine's and I love pink and red. I am a sucker and fall for anything pink and red. There is an area to put your wish list on the blog which is good for all kinds of other swaps. So here it is.

Crochetoholic Wish List

1. Are you a knitter or crocheter??
A knitter mainly but I do crochet simply things without shaping like granny squares

2. I love to make...
socks, bags, totes (felted and not), shawls, toys, afghans and and and….

3. I really want to make...
more socks, felted and not felted totes (including the constant companion and I have the pattern for it) and bags, shawls, toys and and and…..

4. My favorite yarns are...
natural yarns, wools, silks, alpaca, kid mohair, cotton

5. My wish pattern is...
NONI bag and flowers, Debbie Abrahams beaded afghan BUT I know there are a few others AND maybe I will find them

6. My favorite hooks or needles are...
bamboo and Bryspun DPNs and my Denise

7. I really wish I had...
another set of Denise and the Knit Picks Harmony DPNS and Harmony circs, more knitting magazines (a list is on the side of my blog) a spinning wheel and more money

8. My favorite colors are...
pink, red, purple, blues, some green, black and white

9. My hobbies...
knitting, quilting and sewing when I can again, cooking, baking, reading, playing on the computer, shopping, petting my yarns, and gardening when I have a garden again

10. My kitchen theme and colors...
is presently many bright colors with apple green and light green walls, cobalt blue and wicker for decoration but I am on a waiting list to move and the new place has a galley kitchen so then I don't know what I will do or if there will be space to do anything

11. My bathroom theme and colors...
is presently post office blue, red and white with red, white and blue towels and Americans decoration but I don’t know what I will do in my new place

12. My dislikes....
black licorice and any thing with anise, fennel or black licorice flavor, people who lie, rude people, smoke smelling items, bugs, dusting (well yes cleaning also)

13. My allergies...

wasps

14. My favorite pets...
I have one feline fur toddler named Solara and I love her to pieces

15. My favorite scents...
Patchouli Oil Woody Sandalwood oil from the Body Shop, Shalimar, Lavender, Jean Nate after Bath Splash (which is very hard to find in my city, I am out of and I think this one really ages me) fresh scents, rain, ocean, a couple of the Avon colognes I sell, and the scent of baking

15. My favorite novels or magazines...
Interweave Knits, Vogue Knitting, some of the British knitting magazines, some of the other knitting magazines, Threads, Cook’s Illustrated (I have a subscription to this one). I read mysteries and some series. I only need #1 and the latest in the Debbie MaComber Cedar Grove series so I can start reading it. My favorite series is the Joe Grey PI series.

16. Other stuff about me...
I am an American living in Canada. I live with my feline furchild Solara who will be two the beginning of March.
I love to knit.
AND I can’t believe how old I am.
I took a spinning class and am hoping to get a spinning wheel eventually. I have wanted one since I was in my twenties but I got a divorice instead.
I can’t seem to master using a drop spindle.
The music I like to listen to are oldies from the 20’s - 60’s, blues and jazz.
I would like to decorate my home in French Country Shappy Chic.
I love to go to garage, tag sales, flea markets, and second hand shops.
I collect knitting, sewing/quilting books and magazines, cats, angels, fairies, Americana, patterns, yarn, fabric and would love to get some sugar and flour sacks from the early years. I won't mention the other items.
I love gardenias, daisies, wild flowers, watermelon, chocolate, jelly bellies, ice-cream cake, cookies, coffees and teas.
I love polka dots.
I love to shop.
I lover glitter and glitzy items including yarns AND I don’t care if glitz and glitter makes older people look silly or older.
I love to cook and bake and would like to take a culinary course.

The front of my hair is pink and there is some pink in the back. Did I say I love pink. I wouldn't mind putting some blue and purple in my hair also.

I love all my friends.

Did I mention I love knitting?

BOO HOO!!! I am sad as I would have loved to take the spinning class coming up a week from Sunday but I haven't had time to practice spinning since I don't have a spinning wheel and I can't afford it BUT I will get over it and maybe it will be given another time.

This past Wednesday evening was one of my February knitting get togethers. This one was at Chapter and I certainly did enjoy it very much. Here are some photos.
Hi happy and smiling Cori.
Janice is being shy this evening.
Everyone is busy knitting or gabbing. I have so much fun when I go to the knitting get togethers. I am busy bee at them. I chitter chatter with everyone and check out what they are all making. I review all the new magazines and books. I get to have some good treats to eat and drink. Sometimes I even knit while I am there. Sometimes I am just too busy doing and going to knit.

I decided to join this blog: Sock Stash Elimination Campaign at http://sockstasheliminationcampaign.blogspot.com/ but I haven't heard anything yet.

I also wrote to Linda from Custom Yarns about hosting a knitting e-party but haven't heard back yet from her. If and when I hear from back from her and have a date set I will send out invitations. You will be able to shop from 6AM to 10PM. Those who place orders of $19.99 or more not including sale items will receive a free gift. To those of you who read my blog and are interested if you let me know and leave me your email addy when I hear back from Linda and have a date for my party I will send you an invite. It sounds like it could be interesting.

I checked the tracking on the two packages I mailed on Jan 31 to the states one to my friend Rori in Florida which is for Valentine's Day and the other is my Pedicure Sock Swap from the Sockamaniac group but both say nothing more than received at my postal station Jan 31. What is taking so long?????? I am not even receiving them and I am impatient.

I will be receiving my partner's name in the Hand Dyed Yarn Swap 3 this weekend. This is my second go around for this swap. I am looking forward to see what kind of yarn my partner wants. I have an idea for dying it differently this time but still using Kool-Aid.

AND look at this swap http://swapntails.blogspot.com/. No I didn't join it but I may at a later date. It is a special swap for Solara. No we don't swap pets. Close but no cigar. You may want to put this blog in your favorites http://mizalliecat.blogspot.com/ and check it out occasionally. When you go to Miz Allie Cat's blog check out her side bar and you will find blogs of other kitties. I didn't know. Do you think Solara will want her own her blog?

AND here is another swap on my mind http://longingforspringswap.blogspot.com/ BUT I haven't joined. Should I add yet? Oh it is so hard when there are such wonderful swaps out there and then there are those on ravelry.

Here is the little miss playing hide and seek in the shower curtain the other day. Here she is in the basket yet again. Can you hear her? She is saying, don't I look pretty and go get the camera mom and take my picture.