Weekend in Quarantine

Hello Friends,

I hope that you are doing well. It feels like it's been a really long time since we started this new reality of not being able to go anywhere and live our lives normally. I miss seeing my family and friends and just going shopping or to a movie.Yesterday morning, I got up early and made a short grocery list to run to Metro to grab some things we have run out of or want this week. Of course while at the grocery store I ended up picking up some extra items that were not on the list. I got a lot of snacks, Girl Guide cookies, and some more toilet paper so we well stocked up now. The thing they are sold out of now are Lysol wipes and most of the cleaning products. Luckily I still have cleaning products, but am unfortunately almost out of Lysol wipes. I picked up some beautiful yellow tulips because it lifts my spirits to see the flowers during this scary and uncertain time. I feel so happy looking at the cheerful yellow flowers. This whole weekend I have enjoyed seeing them sitting happily on our table in the kitchen. It's the little things that make a difference at a time like this.

I knitted more of the merry fair isle ornament this afternoon. It is getting closer to being done! I am using the free Merry Fair Isle Ornament pattern from Patons. There are three other ornament patterns to knit up after I am done this one. I would like to knit them all in time for Christmas. I can also knit them in the reverse colors when I am done.These ornaments are fun projects to knit up and look great on the Christmas tree.

I have been working more on the puzzle, but it is coming along a lot slower than I thought. Lately I have been trying to do at least one piece a day during the week or if I can a few more while passing by. This morning I worked on it for about half an hour while sipping coffee and made more progress. This Ravensburger puzzle is of a photo from Positano,Italy. Are you working on puzzles in quarantine?

I have still been reading Good Morning, Good Life by Amy Schmittauer Landino and The Testaments by Margaret Atwood. I took a break from reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, just while I finished these other two books. I am loving The Testaments, it is so intriguing and I am always wondering what will happen next. I love books like this that are so mysterious and keep you guessing. I am enjoying reading a fiction novel because I have mostly been reading non-fiction books in self help/improvement, so I enjoy the break from reality and reading a story that takes me away from my reality for awhile.

The books I am reading and my sloth notebook I use to journal daily

I have been trying to keep busy while in quarantine with these hobbies. I am also taking courses for work for professional development and the Yale course on happiness for fun and to learn more about well-being.  What were you up to this weekend while in quarantine?

Thank you so much for dropping by to read my blog today. I will catch up with you soon during the week. Stay safe!

Have a great day!

Knitting and Reading On

Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well. This morning I went for another walk like yesterday. I have been trying to get some fresh air before I start working from home for the day. It has been helping me with this whole social distancing and quarantine situation to go outside for a walk, get exercise, and to see other people around. This morning it was cool and windy, but the sky was so blue and beautiful. 

 I saw many signs of Spring this morning and many tulips and other flowers peaking through in gardens along beside the sidewalk. It made me feel hopeful and happy that one thing remains the same around us, the changing of season.

I have made a bit more progress on my ornament from the Merry Fair Isle Knit Ornament pattern from Patons. I like how the zig zag is turning out it is such a fun pattern and will look so nice on the Christmas tree.

I am still reading Good Morning, Good Life by Ana Schmittauer Landino. I am enjoying the strategies she lists to include in the morning. She mentions morning pages where she writes down a few pages each morning of what is on her mind. This is something that I also like to do and journal first thing in the morning. It has recently been helping me to understand my emotions during this pandemic. I have also started reading The Testaments by Margaret Atwood. I can't put it down it is so good! I really enjoy watching The Handmaids Tale television series, so I had a feeling I would enjoy it. She is such an amazing writer. I have not read her first book The Handmaid's Tale sorry to say, but after this one I will pick it up. I skipped to the second book because I had seen the show.

Joining along with Frontier Dreams for Crafting On and As Kat Knits for Unraveled Wednesday.

Thank you for visiting my blog! Keep safe and see you again soon for another blog post.

It's been a month of this...

Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well and staying safe. It has been exactly one month ago today that I started to work from home and practice social distancing. I remember the Sunday before on March 15th, I left my parent's house to go get some groceries and hopefully find some toilet paper (I did not) and then head home to work at home that first week. I was worried about the virus, we still didn't know at that time how bad this would be. I was looking forward to working from home for a few weeks, then a few weeks turned into what feels like forever. I haven't been going out much at all, just a handful of walks around my neighborhood and to get takeout once a week and get groceries. I miss seeing my family and shopping and living a normal life. Now each day goes into the next. I have no idea what to expect the next couple of months, if this will end or it will continue. My wedding has been postponed now until October, it started to get more clear that we could not keep our wedding date in May. I was so sad at first about it, then I accepted the turn of events. It is also for the best as it was getting worse, we knew we couldn't ask our guests to travel and to attend during these circumstances.

I've been keeping busy by starting to knit another one of the Merry Fair Isle ornaments pattern from Patons. I really love making these and at this uncertain time, it really helps me to knit Christmas ornaments because that time of the year everything feels peaceful and its so comforting to me. I love how this pattern is turning out so far and I chose this one to knit because it looks like an Easter egg pattern and I started it last week leading up to Easter. I am using four size 3.25 mm double pointed needles and using yarn by Loops & Threads called Joy DK I bought in December last year to knit the other ornament.

I have been continuing to read both Good Morning, Good Life by Ana Schmittauer Landino and Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. Both are so enjoyable to read right now and to motivate me to keep working on my goals. I really want to read The Testaments by Margaret Atwood soon, this whole pandemic and how our lives have turned upside down keeps making me think of The Handmaid's Tale and how they had to suddenly adapt to a horrible new reality.


Joining along with Frontier Dreams for Crafting On and As Kat Knits for Unraveled Wednesday


Thank you for visiting my blog today. I hope that you have a good weekend and stay safe!

By the way if you are wondering what I look like right now... this picture totally describes me to a T! I even have the pimple...

Photo source

Have a great day!

Knitted Easter Eggs

Hello Friends,

I hope you are doing well and staying safe. Easter is right around the corner and it feels a lot different this year. I still wanted to celebrate in some way and knit some cute Easter eggs as decor. I used the pattern found on Raverly by Emily Kintigh called 'Easter eggs'.  I am happy with how they turned out. I knitted three eggs in different colors using pastels purple and pink and white DK yarn. The purple and pink yarn I have had for quite awhile and got them from my stash and the white yarn was Loops & Threads Joy DK yarn in white colorway.

These were so fun to knit up and so quick too! There is still time to knit some of these little eggs up in time for Easter.

Today I stayed in and I video chatted with my family and I worked a bit of overtime. I also baked some delicious chocolate chip cookies. The recipe is the ultimate chocolate chip cookies from Betty Crocker. These are so good, but warning there is a lot of sugar and butter, so it's no wonder they are so delicious. Baking them was a fun distraction from all that is going on in the world I want to keep baking more treats and trying new recipes. We really enjoyed these ones. I was craving some sweets last week and these will satisfy my sweet tooth this week. I will try to limit how much I eat.

Thank you for visiting my blog today and I hope that you and your family are safe during this uncertain and stressful time.  What were you making or baking this weekend?

Joining along with Ginny for Yarn Along and with Nicole at Crafting On.

Have a great day!