Saving the Underdog

I was at Barnes & Noble this morning buying a last-minute card for my assistant (thanks for everything Pam!) when I discovered the most wonderful line of cards: Hooray for the Underdog.  The cards "celebrate the power and spirit of rescued animals everywhere."  It's no secret that I have a soft spot for rescue dogs and cats (and other animals), so these cards grabbed my attention.  They feature rescue pets in various poses, some whimsical, some serious, all adorable.  On the back is the animal's name, story, and "special power."  Here's Jillian, a stray, who was rescued from a city shelter only hours before her scheduled demise. Her special power is making her humans feel like they’re the ones who were saved.  That may actually be the special power of most rescued animals.  I love cards with a cause, and this is one of the best!

Do I Know That Face?

I obviously think little kids should wear handknit sweaters all the time.  But I do recognize that sweaters can be impractical, especially in the summer.  For those rare occasions when kids aren't wearing their Yellow House Knits sweaters, I think these T shirts from Tees 4 Squirts are such fun!  They're available with the faces of a range of historical, literary, and pop culture icons. 

For those of you who need a little help, the Ts below feature (clockwise from top left): Albert Einstein, John Lennon, Abraham Lincoln, and Harry Potter. 

I'm hoping they'll add some women to the line.  What about Marilyn Monroe, Betsy Ross, or Hillary Clinton?

Take a Back Road

Have you heard Rodney Atkins's new song, "Take a Back Road"?  This song really speaks to me.  I'm notorious for always wanting to take a back road, to see what's around the next bend or down that street, to get lost on purpose (how else do you find the really interesting stuff?).  I love driving around on a nice day, windows down, music turned up, Mr. Bullet in the back seat, just seeing what there is to see.  Who needs the highways when there's so much to see on the back roads? 

And it makes me wanna take a back road
Makes me wanna take the long way home

Put a little gravel in my travel

Unwind, unravel all night long

Makes me wanna grab my honey

Tear down some two-lane country

Who knows

Get lost and get right with my soul

Makes me wanna take

Makes me wanna take a back road.

Those Blue Eyes

Look at this little guy in the Ontario Place sweater!  Love him! 

For expecting moms who don't know the sex of their baby, this aqua/turquoise/teal color is a great option!  It looks terrific on boys and girls (especially those with blue eyes), and it's a nice change from the standard unisex yellows and greens.

Thanks to Trish McCoy for the great photo!



Inside the Yellow House in the Washington Post Express!

So I'm on the Metro this morning on my way to work, merrily making my way through the Express.  (For those of you not from D.C., the Express is a free newspaper published by the Washington Post that distills the day's news down to the highest highlights.)  Anyway, I'm flipping through the paper and I pause on the "Blog Log," which is where they post quotes they've pulled from bloggers about (mostly) what's going on in the pop culture world.

I notice that there's something about the Post's Peeps diorama contest.   I read that the blogger doesn't "know how people come up with this stuff, but [she's] so glad they do."  "Wow," I think to myself, "that sounds eerily similar to what I wrote yesterday."  Then I do a double-take and am stunned to see that it IS what I wrote yesterday. 

That's right, the Post apparently enjoyed my coverage of the contest.  I was so surprised that I started laughing out loud on the Metro.

The real irony here is that I rarely pick up the Express when I take the Metro because I get the Post at home.  And this morning, I was this close [fingers held together] to taking a cab to work because I was running late.  If I'd done either this morning, I would have missed it.  Looks like the stars aligned! 

I'm definitely keeping a copy for my scrapbook!

Peeps Show!

Hooray!  It's one of my favorite days of the year.  The winners of the Washington Post annual peeps diorama contest were announced today!  As usual, they are all creative and amazing.  Here's the winner, depicting the rescue of the mine workers in Chile.  What you can't see is the lower half, which shows a couple of Peep workers still stuck underground.  I don't know how people come up with this stuff, but I'm so glad they do.

Check out all of the winners and runners up here, including my favorite--Peeps going through airport security.  It's a true Peeps Show!

Have I mentioned that I also love, love, love Peeps?  All that sugary goodness!  (Anyone else think they're better when they're slightly stale, so they're chewier?)

Semi-Annual SALE Today!

The Yellow House Knits Semi-Annual Sale begins today! The sale will run until April 24. ALL sweaters are 40% OFF (see the fine print below).  Use coupon code APRIL11 at checkout to take advantage of the discount.   

Don't forget the additional special offer for bloggers: and Facebook-ers.  Blog or post on Facebook about the sale before April 17 and receive free shipping on your sale items (in addition to the 40% off) or save 15% on a future order. Postings must include at least one picture of a Yellow House Knits sweater. Email yellowhouseknits(at)gmail.com to let me know where to find your posting, and I will send information about redeeming these offers.

THE FINE PRINT:  Sale applies to in-stock, knit-to-order, and custom sweaters up to size 2 only.  Prices shown apply to the styles and sizes listed; changes may result in additional charges.  Please see the shop policies on the Yellow House Knits Etsy site for the current turnaround time on knit-to-order sweaters. 

A New Website

Yellow House Knits has a new, revamped website!  It's been underway for some time now, and I'm excited that it went live today!  It features new navigation and professional pictures of all of the sweaters.  Please go take a look: http://www.yellowhouseknits.com/. 

New Sweater!

Check out the NEW Van Ness Street sweater, which is available on the Yellow House Knits Etsy shop now.  I'm really trying to make more sweaters that are targeted at boys, because I know lots of moms say there's not enough cute stuff for boys.  The baseball button on this pocket puts it in the boys camp, but I could easily swap the baseball for a more neutral (or even girly) button if the sweater is intended for a girl or for an expecting mom who doesn't know the sex.

Ten Months Down . . .Two To Go!

I'm really delinquent in posting my March update.  I didn't make huge progress in March, but I did manage to check a big one off.  I'm excited for April.  Planning to make BIG progress!

35 Before 36 Update

1. Read 12 books. 
2. Go to New York City for a Broadway weekend.
3. Start saving regularly—even if modestly—for the addition to my house.  Still doing well!  
4. Clean out my closet and give a lot to Goodwill.  I have a big pile of stuff ready to go--just need to get it out the door.
5. Finish my state streets project.  More good progress.
6. Donate to: Washington Humane Society, Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, and my various alma maters: Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Michigan Law School, the University of Michigan School of Public Health. I'm going to knock one off in each of the next two months.
7. Go to the U.S. Botanic Garden.
8. Get a massage and/or a facial each month.  10/12 complete.
9. Purge and replenish my underwear drawer.
10. See 12 movies in the theater. 
11. Spend a weekend the Omni Bedford Springs (my favorite).
12. Keep an inventory of food in the freezer.  Falling down on this one some.  I need to work harder to get a system in place.
13. Run three half marathons. Yay!  Ran the Rock 'n' Roll Dallas at the end of March.  This is a BIG one for me!
14. Try yoga again.
15. Start to research the history of my house.
16. Reorganize my pantry.
17. Buy a nice piece of jewelry (pearls?).
18. Try 12 new (to me), local restaurants.  9/12 complete.
19. Improve my bread-baking skills.
20. Take Bullet on a weekend trip.  Planned.  Stay tuned for more details . . .
21. Get a new camera.
22. Take more pictures. Doing well!
23. Pay off my car.  Looking good!  I'm excited to have this one off my plate!

24. Master real push-ups.
25. Make at least two meals per month to freeze for later.  Doing well again!
26. Organize my knitting and needlepoint supplies.
27. Send more postcards when I travel with notes telling people I’m thinking of them. 
28. Make a star tree-topper for my Christmas tree.  Canvas is purchased--need to start needlepointing.  If only I weren't so busy knitting (kidding!). 
29. Have a party.

30. Go to the renovated National Museum of American History. 
31. Go to the beach.
32. Buy fresh flowers more often.  This should be easier as spring comes around!
33. Paint my old patio furniture (or have it painted).  I'm making some inquiries on this one, but it seems that finding the right shade of pink is harder than I thought.

34. Take a crafting class.

35. Walk home from work at least once a week, weather permitting.  Same as #32