The view from my balcony

I still have to remind myself that I actually get paid to live in Colorado. I love the clear days when the mountains come out and have a crystal clear blue sky behind them. It takes my breath away every time I see them. When I was house shopping I knew that buying a place with a mountain view would be a bit out of my price range. But, somehow, I was lucky enough to get one.

This is the view from my balcony



But so is this



And when I moved in two weeks ago, that was just a pile of dirt. Within a few months, it will look like this.



But until then, I am living in prime real estate.

The kitties even line up to see the view.



The kitties are also very happy that the movers brought their bunk bed.



And I'm happy because I finally finished a pair of socks. I have finished several single socks recently, only to be distracted by another skein of yarn instead of casting on for the twin, so it's nice to have something that I'll actually be able to wear.



This is Cookie A's Monkey pattern, but instead of purling, I knit all the stitches. I stole the idea from someone on Ravelry, and I really like how it looks with the modification. The yarn is my friend Stacy's Tempted Good Grrl in the Twilight colorway. She's a yarn dyeing rock star.

Speaking of Stacy, a surprise arrived in my mailbox the other day. She sent me these absolutely adorable kitty stitch markers. She also sent me some other things, but we'll save that for another day!

A birthday and a move

Life has been a bit busy since my last post. So much to catch up on.

On Feb. 10, I celebrated my 35th birthday. It was a pretty low key celebration, but very fun. My friend Tanya and I decided to take advantage of the amazing weather, and headed to Mount Evans, the home of the worlds highest paved road, to do some snowshoeing.



We weren't able to drive all the way up the road, but we went almost as high as we could. It was a perfect day.



There was a sun dog around the sun that was spectacular. My photography skills are a bit lacking, so try to imagine 3 perfect rainbows circling the sun. I've never seen anything like it.



There were a few risky moments, but I'm happy to say I survived. It was a bit unnerving at times to be walking along a narrow ledge with wide snowshoes on with nothing but rocks so soften my fall, but Tanya kept assuring me she'd never lost a hiking buddy...I don't know if I was reassured, but I did make it out alive.



This picture doesn't do the steepness justice.



One wrong step and I could have spent the rest of my 35th birthday laying at the bottom of this really steep, rocky hill. Ouch.

Then, two days after my birthday I FINALLY was allowed to move into my new house. It was a very happy day. The kitties and I are so happy to to be home. It's a beautiful place. I just wish the boxes could unpack themselves.



I did manage to get a few photos before the boxes took over. I'm hoping by the time my visitors arrive in mid-March, it will look like this again, but with furniture.





This is the oven that I'm pretty sure can cook a gourmet meal while I'm off at work and have it ready for me when I get home. I just need to read the directions...until then, it will be horribly underutilized making chicken breasts and frozen pizzas.

The kitties have settled in and love the new house. Ashford has found her favorite place to sit.

Purl is unhappy

She is seriously offended that my last post was all about Ashford. She insisted that I post a photo of her immediately.



How could I resist?

Are you ready for some football?

Like the rest of the people in the United States, the kitties and I spend Super Bowl Sunday glued to the television. Since there's nothing to watch in between the commercials, I often flip over to Animal Planet to catch the action on the Puppy Bowl.
Ashford is a big fan of the Puppy Bowl. I'm not sure which team she's rooting for, but she is enthralled by the action on the screen.



I just hope we didn't miss the kitty half time show. That's my favorite part.

23 Days to Go

Not that I'm counting or anything. I hopefully will be moving into my new house on Feb. 12. This afternoon, Mary, Phil and I went to take a look at the progress that is being made. There's still a lot to do, especially on the outside (they have wrapped it in plastic to keep it warm enough for them to finish the stucco), but the inside is looking livable. They've installed the hardwood floors and the counter tops. Just a few more details, appliance installation, and some major cleanup left to do. I can't wait!

The front entry


The kitchen


Another view of the kitchen and the pantry (I'm not sure what the arrow is pointing out, but whatever it is, you can't miss it)


Master bedroom


Master Bath


Guest Bath


Laundry Room

Portraits of a Sleeping Kitten

When you're Purl, being cute is a given.



Even when you're fast asleep.



However, if you ask Purl, being cute can be a curse.



The flash on the cameras constantly capturing your cuteness keeps interrupting your nap time.



Life is tough for the cute.

Sticks and Stitches

Last night, Mary, Phil, Gina and I went to the Colorado Avalanches game for some good hockey and knitting. It was fun to sit in a section for knitters and see the reaction of the non-knitters (and unaware it was Sticks and Stitches night) when they saw all of the people knitting around them.



And, the Avs won with an exciting overtime goal.



In kitty news, Ashford has decided that Xena is her favorite person/cat in the house. Xena hasn't quite decided what she thinks of her new found position as favorite, but it's pretty funny to watch them sort thing out. It usually starts with Xena peacefully sleeping and Ashford decides to snuggle up with her as close as she can get. Ashford looks happy and content, Xena looks like I just told her there was a kitty treat shortage.



I also finished a quick and easy knitting project. I visited another yarn shop yesterday and found some beautiful yarn just screaming to be a hat. I haven't had much luck with hats, but I used a hat that Mary has as a guide, and ended up with a finished product I can actually wear out of the house.



Please excuse the bad self portrait and clashing purple shirt. Just focus on the hat.

I also started a pair of no purl Monkey socks in Tempted Yarns Twilight colorway. I absolutely love Stacy's yarns. They're going to be beautiful!