XBOX 360’s Biggest Year…

Seems as though XBOX 360 hit record high in sales for 2008! Microsoft has set the record across the world with this excellent gaming system. I can definitely see how they would be doing well because I am an addict (LOL). Although the average cost of a game is $60, the money is well spent because one can spend many hours playing the games and enjoying themselves. I suppose the economy has not put a damper on people’s entertainment. Can you believe there are over 17 million members on XBOX Live? Amazing, I know. The member are located all around the world! I am also one of those members. Microsoft sure did something right when they developed XBOX.

Knitting Books

I’m working on the hat on the cover of Boutique Knits and it is starting to turn out nice. I have only gotten as far as the ruffle and band portion. When I have completed the project I will have to share it will you. When I went to Knit Michigan this past month, I bought the yarn for this hat. I bought Lush, which is angora and wool, in a burnt orange color (color 4468) and Aurglit, which is a metallic yarn in gold and black. The picture to the right are the colors of the hat I am working on. The Aurglit adds a little sparkle to the hat and is what the pattern calls for. The book is excellent and there are some really nice patterns that I can’t wait to work on. 

Knit to be Square is another book I recently bought and has some really interesting ideas pertaining to domino knitting that I can’t wait to get started on. I just love the concepts in this book!

Knitted Elephant

I thought this elephant was so cute:

The picture is linked to the pattern. Maybe I will make this someday…

Beyond the Rainbow

 

 

 

 

 

In January 2009, my knitting group and I went to see a musical play at Meadowbrook Theater called, “Beyond the Rainbow”, about Judy Garland’s life. Before I went to the play, I didn’t know what to expect. However, I admire Judy Garland and have watched many movies she was in and not to mention her and I have the same birthday (June 10). The following quote is from my brochure given at the play:

April 23, 1961- The greatest night in show business history.

The incomparable Judy Garland took the stage of Carnegie Hall and as she had done many times before, once again poured her heart out to her devoted fans. As a testament to her “Star Power” the double album of this concert has never been out of print.

The play was just wonderful. The singing was magnificent and how they structured the play was very well done. They had an “older” Judy singing, as she would have in Carnegie Hall, then a “younger” Judy; the look-a-likes were pretty good, as well. It was as if Judy was thinking back to her past. Judy’s life was not easy and she had many ups and downs throughout her life, but she sure had a wonderful voice and a talent like no other.   

The Detroiter.com gave a great review about the play that provides much more detail than I have provided.

Cast Off

This past summer when I drove to Chicago, I listened to some knitting CD’s, the set is called “Cast Off” by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. I cannot even explain how hilarious this was. The CDs really kept me awake and had some funny concepts. This is actually a book, but I think it is funnier listening to Stephanie talk. This way a knitter can still knit while she listens to this (lol). Stephanie has a great sense of humor. I definitely recommend any knitters to purchase this or if you are looking for a good gift idea for a knitter, this is it.

Left 4 Dead

As many of you probably already know, I love to play games on the XBOX 360. I am addicted to Left 4 Dead on the Xbox 360 console. I like how the game is a multi-player game and everyone has to work together to accomplish the tasks of the game. The following features of the game are really nice:

• Players can join or leave games at anytime (even during a campaign)
• Players who are inactive (idle) for too long are seamlessly controlled by the computer until they return and press a button (which means people can take breaks without significantly impacting the other players)
• Left 4 Dead is heavily focused on cooperative play, to the extent that your team must "rescue" players in many situations; this greatly enhances the overall experience and raises the intensity level as players strive to reach teammates before they are killed
• Voice chat works really well and is almost mandatory to survive on the more challenging difficulty settings
• Players can see silhouettes of their teammate through walls and other obstacles, which greatly reduces people asking "Where are you?" and makes it much easier to rejoin the group if players get separated
• Players can see their teammates health bars at all times, as well as a partial inventory of what they are carrying
• Players can heal their teammates

Many of these techniques have been implemented in other games, but Left 4 Dead does a great job of blending them all together in a cohesive and fun experience.

Lola Cartoon

Vote for Cinnamon

Cinnamon says, “Please vote for me!” Click on her picture to vote for her because you know she is adorable!

Free Recipe Book, Games, and More…

• California Olive Recipe Book
• Three free games from Amazon (I have already downloaded these games and they are fun. They are games good for all ages.)
• Pill Keychain from Bayer
• Napoleon Perdis Lip Gloss
• Total Cereal

Knit Michigan

Today I went to Knit Michigan, an annual event, which was held in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. In case you are not familiar with the event, Knit Michigan is an independent organization that supports cancer patients and their families through financial contributions, as well as making and donating an array of comfort items (i.e. chemo caps and lap blankets).

It was really exciting to see the comrade among fellow knitters and the generosity of the donations. Many people were knitting, spinning, crocheting, and enjoying each other’s company. There were many local yarn shops setup and I couldn’t resist; of course, I had to buy more yarn and little notions! There were a couple of auction tables where individuals and businesses had donated items. All of the bids went to benefit different charities which include the following:

• Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
• Beaumont Hospital’s Rose Cancer Center
• Genesys Health System
• Gilda’s Club
• University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center

The auction was fun. I actually won two bids, a puzzle (knitting theme) and a hand-knit sweater. It was just wonderful seeing everyone there supporting the cause.

Don’t Waste Your Money…

Last week I was having a conversation with my boyfriend’s mom about when eggs expire. She said eggs never really expire; usually it takes at least two years. So when you look at the expiration date on the carton and throw them away, you are wasting your money.

Funny thing is, I found an article in the ReadyMade magazine, which discussed a strategy to determine the freshness of an egg. Here is what you do:

• Place the egg(s) in a bowl of water to see if it will float
• If it sinks to the bottom and lies on its side, it’s fresh
• If it stands upright on the bottom it’s fine, but should be eaten soon or hard-boiled
• If it floats, throw it out or compost it.

There you have it… a simple way to save money and reduce waste.

Free Song Download, Shampoo, and More…

• Pantene Shampoo
• Quaker Oats
• Kelly Clarkston “ My Life Would Suck Without You” song Download
• Surf Laundry Detergent