Knitting Time!

With chills in the air and schools starting this week signaling the beginning of a new season, comes the perfect time to start knitting and crocheting, enjoying your time knitting/crocheting something new and in something that you can soon start using :).

Yesterday, I started my second knitting project (third total, both knitting and crocheting without counting the small appliques I created for my friends that helped me just get used to holding needles and knowing how to use them - some of the things I did were a heart, angels, a snowman, and a Christmas stocking).

My first was a scarf I did for myself using a pattern from ravelry.com (picture on the right) and for which I got the yarn and needles that would work with the pattern myself and running the risk of not getting the same exact materials since it's hard to get them where I live. I used this pattern, in addition to loving the look of it, to learn knitting in cables which was my first time to do it. I haven't worked on knitting a lot before that project, actually it's really my first one and I was so thrilled seeing it coming along and growing as I continued working on it.

And now my second project is a bag to go with it ... I'm also planning on working on the gloves as soon as I finish the bag to complete the whole set ;).

I got the bag pattern from drops website - a website I love so much with its girly and elegant free patterns - and by examining the materials used, I tried my best to get the closest I can.

The new thing to learn for this pattern is using circular needles which was a first for me to hear about them for I have always known only the straight ones, and by all means, the best way to learn a new thing for me is to learn hands-on - enjoying the production of something new while learning how to do it, feels awesome and rewarding :D.

“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.” ― Aristotle, The Nicomachean Ethics

Already starting my third row, hope it goes well without complications or mistakes.

Let's see how long it will take me ;)

Wordpress vs Blogger Non-Technical Comparison

Now this is not a tech-savvy comparison between WordPress and Blogger. It's a simple comparison from the perspective of a pretty normal person (although I work in the career of websites/systems development :)) who decided to make usage of Blogger - since it's free and already easily accessed through my Google account, and then thought of trying out WordPress (the free version) to decide which will meet their needs and which to continue using. Thus, hence a really simple table with the pros and cons of each that I see:

The Power of Focus: 2. Exercises and Plans To Execute

Since this was a very big and rich book, and because there were two different aspects of it that interested me and I started writing about them; I divided the full into two separate ones. The first was about the inspirational quotes I liked in the book, and the second (the one at hand), is about the exercises, checklists and plans to perform an do to achieve that this book is all about. This is like a gathered summary as a guideline to get more focused.

We start with the Successful Habits Formula:

The Power of Focus: 1. Inspirational and Motivational Quotes

So the new self development - or life skills or whatever you call it - book on my currently-reading shelf is the Power of Focus for Jack Canfield.

From the first chapter reading, it all sound very familiar to me, things I've already read in the How to Control Your Mind at Will, but not in that scientific way as the latter. It's got a lot of nice quotes summarizing the main points of it in a very concentrated and to the point way, making it easy to memorize and understand.

Here are some some of the main points and the quotes that I liked:

Movies I'd watch again and again and again and ...

Only a very few movies can be watched more than once, and every time you watch them, you feel something new. I'm not a very up-to-date person who watches each and every movie that has caused a stir up and made an impact on people and critics, etc..., but of the very few I watched, here are my favorites that I can watch them again (most of them need someone special to watch them with, cuddled up on the sofa under an elegant blanket, lights off and maybe a few scented candles and sipping hot chocolate and fall asleep in their arms <3)

• The Vow <3 <3 
• P.S. I Love you
• Kate and Leopold
• A walk to remember
• Father of the Bride
• Gladiator
• Slumdog Millionaire
• Stepmom
• 50 first dates
• Twilight (part 1)
• Ice Age
• Mona Lisa Smile
• The bodyguard
• Sound of Music
• My big fat Greek wedding
• Troy
• Up
• The Last Castle

The list will go on an will be updated as I watch more ...

The Life of Abraham Lincoln

So I got the new Lincoln movie (not new as I speak of course, but I recently got it to watch it at home), and before watching it, I decided that I should read his biography first so I'd have a more rich background and understanding of events when I watch the movie.

The book I got as a first result of my search was "The life of Abraham Lincoln by Henry Ketcham" and I know it will take me so long to finish since I don't read it everyday; only when they're gracious enough to leave me the iPad to read :/. The reviews are very positive so far; the writer was coeval with Lincoln and had the privilege of meeting him once as the reviews say; which accounts him as being the most contemporary writer and the most accurate.

From what I read, I really like Lincoln; physically he was a large, tall man which helped him when was young in carrying out a lot of different jobs, but his character and personality are what matter and they really sound so noble and rare to find, especially these days.

What a Girl Wants ...

For men, to better understand their women; and for boys who are starting a relationship :).

This is a list I found very long ago on the internet; I refined it and added some more nice stuff. These are some of the things a girl would die for ;), and remember if you want your wife (lover) to be an angel; create her a heaven.

• Talk to her
• Share secrets
• Give her your jacket
• Kiss her hand as a gallant move - and mean it - when you meet her instead of just hi 
  
• Kiss her slowly
• Lay down under the stars and put her head on your chest so she can listen to the steady beat of your heart, link your fingers together while you whisper to her as she rests her eyes and listens to you.
• When walking next to each other grab her hand.
• When you hug her hold her in your arms as long as possible
• Carry her on your back when walking together 
• Call her at night to wish her sweet dreams.
• Comfort her when she cries and wipe away her tears
• Don't ask her what's wrong, just put your arms around her and hug her tight, and let her take it all out in tears and then talk when she is calm
• Take her for long walks at night 
• Hug her
• Hold her
• Cuddle under a blanket on a chilling night while sitting in the balcony or on the beach 
• Laugh with her
• Go out with her, even if for a walk only
• Let her be with you when you're with your friends
  
• Be her best friend
• Be as caring, patient, embracing and understanding as a father to her 
• Treat her a child, but trust her mind
• Smile with her
• Take pics with her
• Pull her onto your lap
• When she says she loves you more, deny it. Fight back
• When her friends say I love her more than you, deny it. Fight back and hug her tight so she can't get to her friends. It makes her feel loved
• Always hug her and say "I love you" when you see her.
• Kiss her unexpectedly
• Hug her from behind
• Tell her she's beautiful... Not sexy!
• Tell her the way you feel about her!

• 
• Kiss her on the cheeks and lips 
• Tell her what feels good
  
• Make her feel loved
• Buy her stuff. Small things can still help 
• Don't lie to her
• Don't cheat on her
• Take her anywhere she wants
• Spend time with her playing games and doing silly stuff together
• Text or call her in the morning and tell her have a good day at school, and how much you miss her
• Be there for her whenever she needs you, & even when she doesn't need you, just be there so she'll know that she can always count on you
  
• Hold her close when she's cold so she can hold you too.
• When you are alone hold her close and kiss her.
• Kiss her on the cheek; 
• While in the movie, put your arm around her and then she will automatically put her head on your shoulder, then lean in and tilt her chin up and kiss her lightly.
• Don't ever tell her to leave even jokingly or act like you're mad. If she's upset, comfort her 
• When people disrespect or piss her off, stand up for her
• Workout together
• Look deep into her eyes and tell her that you love her
• Always remind her how much you love her