Does it bother you if …

We all have our own obsessive compulsive tendencies right??? I’m not alone am I?? It’s just little things.  The toilet paper has to spin in a certain direction.  Your books all have to be alphabetized and in my case that also applies to your spice rack.  My friends at this point are all shaking their heads and remembering how they used to swap two of my spices and see how long it would take me to freak out and swap them back. 

I consider myself a bit of an organizational freak.  My house is never ever spotless, but I absolutely LOVE to organize things and pretend that it is.  Love the label maker.  Love baskets.  And yes, my yarn is all organized first by type, then by color.

Today I was baking cookies and came across another organizational thing that bothers me that I’m really hoping some of you can relate to so I know I’m not alone.  Does anyone else have to have equal numbers of cookies in rows and columns on a cookie sheet??  I seriously tried to rearrange my cookies today because the corner of parchment paper was ripped off and I couldn’t fit that one very last cookie on the sheet to make the perfect rectangle to cookies.  What’s wrong with me?

I noticed the same thing happened when I made meatballs a few weeks ago.  I had one row that had 2 fewer meatballs than the others and it actually bothered me.  Not enough that I did anything about it, but I did pause to make sure there weren’t enough scraps left to put together two more.

What little things drive you crazy??

Until the next time
The girl behind the lama
~LMM

The wonders of a new computer

I’m still exploring this new computer but I’m finding thing I like about Windows 7 more and more each day.  Like the program I’m using right now!  Anyone out there use Windows Live Writer???

I love it!  It’s like I’m writing something in Word.  An easy click of the button and  I change fonts or colors all just like I would in Word.  Ctrl+K and I add a hyperlink … Ctrl+L and I add a picture.  Then I’m done and I hit Publish and voila it appears in my blog! 

So much better than working in blogger!  You have no idea how long it used to take to import pictures.  They all come to the top of the post and then you have to drag them down because Copy and Paste don’t work.  Now I can import them right where I want them to be and I can even edit them right there!

I’m also a huge fan of having sticky notes on my desktop. Especially during the holidays it was so nice to have a running list of all the orders I had to fill and the order they came in on so I didn’t have to run to Etsy.  It was nice to have a separate list for the orders that I was waiting on the yarn to come in so I could give better shipping time estimates.

My other favorite?  Having a little weather icon.  I have two actually.  One for where I live and one for where my parents live.  It makes me feel a bit more connected to home and gives me a good reason to call and complain that it’s colder here than it is in the frozen tundra of northern Wisconsin.

So there … Consider me a fan of Windows 7!

Until the next time …
The girl behind the lama
~LMM

Welcome little flowers!

When something new comes into the shop, I rarely can take credit for the idea.  I have a lot of people that come to me and say, “Hey I really like product X, can you make it but change XYZ??”.  Thus the birth of a new product for the shop.

This new one comes with many thanks to my sister-in-law. For Christmas she really wanted a knit ear warmer headband with a flower on it.  Not something I carry in the shop, but I can work with that right?

Well the ear warmers are coming soon, but the flowers have premiered today!  I used some more great yarn from Knit Picks that comes in … get  this … over 80 colors!!!  Knit up some petals … sew them together … add on some beads and voila!  A super cute flower pin! 

 

Now available with free shipping to all of you blog readers!  By the way, I have to share … I received an order earlier this week and she mentioned that she loved my blog and it really made my day.  I always love reminders that more than just my family read my blog :)

Until the next time …
The girl behind the lama
~LMM

All the Best in the New Year!

Well I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed taking 3 wonderful weeks away from the shop.  True I spent the first week finishing up orders and Christmas presents and I spent the last week curled up on the couch with a pretty bad cold, but all in all it was a wonderful vacation!

I got to spend time with my family and friends and that is what’s important during the holidays right?

I was just complaining that I had absolutely nothing to write about.  I’m just blank. Drained from the cold.  Nothing exciting in life other than cold and snow.

Then the events of today transpired … 

It’s a  normal Saturday – my husband’s birthday actually.  Happy Birthday sweetie!!!!  I was just getting ready to bake him a cake and I thought I’d check my email.  Look at that an order!  Exciting yes, but who knew what that order could do for my day?? 

In the “comments to seller” section it said “Love the gray merino wool cable knit hat!  Saw it on the Lucky Magazine blog.  Thanks!”

Lucky Magazine?????  What??? As in the fashion magazine???  You know the one that is published and sold on news stands everywhere???  Back up the truck!

Lo and behold I went to their blog and there I was!!! I don’t think the model is actually wearing my hat exactly, but it looks like my hat and more importantly it’s my hat that’s pictured below and is linked to my little Etsy shop!!!

http://www.luckymag.com/blogs/luckyrightnow/2010/01/fashion-copycat-cozychic.html

Woah!!! I have no idea how it got there or how they found me, but they did!  This is so surreal to me!  I’m just a girl that knits.  A girl that sits in her comfy chair, watches the Today show and Rachael Ray and knits most of the day away.  I don’t put a lot of money into marketing.  I’m active in the Etsy community and I have some great friends and relatives that talk me up around town, but other than that I’m just a simple girl with knitting needles and a love of yarn.  Who knew? 

We’ll have to see what comes of this, but I’m hoping this isn’t the end!!

Until the next time …
The girl behind the lama
~LMM