Happy February -- Get Free Stuff!

This is a somewhat silly photo taken before Christmas on our front porch wearing a twisted-drop-stitch scarf. This particular scarf was a little something that I sort of just did without really thinking it out. And it ended up super-wide. It can double as a hood, a shawl and probably a picnic blanket.

The yarn is natural wool that I purchased mass quantities of in Argentina in 2006, hauled home, wound into balls and then looked at for 2.5 years trying to decide what to do with it.

That's where you come in. I have so much of this yarn, and this stitch is so easy-fast, I have made a second scarf (normal scarf-sized, not blanket-sized) and want to give it to someone!

Please leave me a comment and I'll have Willaby draw a name on Saturday Feb 6!

Preikestolen

Ch-ch-check it out!

We're Slow

But we finally got Day 2 of our trip posted! Go here to read all about it.

And stayed tuned on this blog for some actual crafts, coming soon!

A Lazy Day

"I'm walking to Norway, Mama!"
Today is a lazy day. The weather is beautiful and fall-ish. The house is cozy and smells delicious. We're in lounge-y clothes making cookies and watching Beatles movies. Blogging the Norway trip and making plans.

John left for a shoot last night and won't be back until tomorrow night. We miss him.

My mama will be here on Saturday night and we are very excited. William's birthday is next Wednesday and we have lots of fun plans for the week.

We went for a wonderful walk this morning. Kickboxing tonight. Maybe another walk after dinner. More working on the trip blog (I promise more is coming!) -- I didn't keep a journal while we were there so I've got to get it down before I forget things.

I should be mopping the floors and cleaning the shower. Washing the windows. Vacuuming.

I think I'll continue to enjoy this lazy, comfy day and worry about the cleaning tomorrow. Hanging out with my best little buddy "cooking hot french fries" and "walking/flying/driving to Norway" is the best way to spend today.

Trip Blog!

Head on over here to check out our trip blog! So far I've only got one day up, but it's better than nothing right? More to follow soon (I hope!)

Off On a Grand New Adventure!

Well kids, the time has finally come! By the time you read this we will be off to begin a 21 day adventure all over Norway (and I do mean ALL over), Svalbard, Finland, Sweden and Denmark. Oh yeah, we are totally rocking the entirity of Scandinavia. Woot!

I'll definitely be posting a few pics and updates from the road. Arctic regions here we come!

Carry On

Just got (off etsy) this vintage carry-on piece -- the newest member of my vintage luggage family (and they're all Samsonite!) Woot!


And, inspired by Elsie at A Beautiful Mess (one of my very favorites!) who was inspired by Orla Kiely (j'adore!), I added some hand-embroidery. It's just 6 strands of floss, doubled (Elsie used yarn). My fingers are a bit blistered now but it was totally worth it in my book. :)


This cutie will be serving as my carry-on for Scandinavia. It's packed to the brim with goodies to keep a 2 year old and a mama entertained and comfortable (?) for a 14-hour flight. We're only four days out now! Eek!

Hello September!!

Hold on a second there. Not so fast. September? How?! What? I can't believe it but I'm so happy it is here again already.



To celebrate the first day of my favorite month a fall-type drink was in order. I wish that I could have bust out a scarf to go along, but alas, it's going to be 100 degrees today again. The pine cone earrings did make an appearance though so that made me feel a bit more fall-ish.

This month is going to be crazy! Not only do we celebrate both mine and John's birthdays, we also have a wedding anniversary and we'll be spending 3 weeks in Norway and all over Scandinavia! It's a very exciting way to spend my favorite month of the year (also, escaping the heat will be nice!).

I've finished a few fun projects over the past couple of months since I last checked-in and am looking forward to starting some new things. I'm feeling motivated and super inspired! I love the coming season! Happy Sept everyone!

Excuses Excuses

So I have sucked at blogging lately. Again.

(As usual?)

The deal is...the photos are just so much work. To me, anyway. I take mediocre at best photos, so if I want something decent I have to wait for John. He either has take them for me or to help me set up the camera so I get good exposure, etc. I just can't wrap my brain around the ISO and aperture, etc. And then there's the post processing. And John's super busy. Etc. So there's my excuse for being such a lame blogger.

I really have been working on a lot of cool things in the past few weeks. There's the ripple afghan, a couple baby projects, cafe curtains, quilt, book covers, paper cutting. I've been busy! Plus plans for some baby gifts, some experiments in designing my own plush matroyshkas, and more crocheting. I'm also on a thrift/antique hunt for frames. I can't find any!! And I need several.

Also, I've been revelling in this amazing weather we've been having. It's like, insane how awesome it's been. Two weeks of overcast skies, some rain, and temperatures all under 75!!! I'm soaking up every second of it before the heat hits and then stays until Christmas. We love the cool, morning walks!

I may not have any craft photos, but I do have pictures of our weekend in San Diego last month. Enjoy!

William with his youngest uncle, Ryan.
Waiting in line for the bus.
Cute bugs.
Running down a big hill.
Sleeping through the new elephant exhibit (my favorite animals at the zoo!).
Checking out the chimps.
Will's first beach experience!
He loved the sand but was a bit wary of the water.
He's a kid now.
Our family, in feet.

What We Did...

...in Utah in April.

Saw a parrot driving a truck



Attended my beautiful cousin's beautiful wedding
(which John photographed)



Sis-tahs!

Did some creepy things with non-creepy people

$10 if you can tell me where we are with Mr. Brick Pants. Another $10 if you'll ignore the fact that I look like I could ingest Sheena in a single bite.

Got snowed on?

This is me saying "Seriously, UT? Snow? In April?"

But really, I enjoyed every minute of it.

Went bowling with sibs


Somehow the end scores weren't all that surprising.

The baby-child got injured



Ate cupcakes. And a lot of Indian and Thai food.

Back to Life, Back to Reality

We've been home for a week now...and I'm finally getting back into the swing of things. Back to our morning walks, watering the plants, never-ending picking up after a toddler, kickboxing classes, and some sewing and crafting that I'm really excited about. And juggling that all with actual work-work.

Speaking of plants...


They survived my absence! And not only that, they actually grew!


The tomatoes grew several inches and the Early Girl even has a flower.



I'm so relived. Of course, this is only the first of several times they'll be left to their own devices over the next 5 months...so I'm still worried.

There was one disturbing discovery when we got home, however. I put the peppermint plant in our kitchen window while we were away, along with the cilantro. When we got back, I found that the peppermint had grown to insane proportions, but also had tons of little tiny green bugs all over the stems. I need to do some research but I'm pretty sure they're aphids. I'm so grossed/creeped out. Blech. Anyone have any good advice on how to get rid of them? For now I've just separated it from the other plants.

The lemon tree has lots of open blossoms. I think I need to get some other flowers back there to get some bee action happening. And I still need to fertilize. It's still a bit naked in the leaf department.




Some exciting crafties coming soon!!

Utah

53 weeks old.

Two of my favorite people in the world.

A fun street to be on.

We go places other people wish they could go.

From the rooftops.

I love old stuff.

And blue stairs.

A favorite.

Lovely.

I spent a good chunk of change here.

Even fun at night.

William's first fall leaves.

Super fun.

Ryan climbs a tree for the first time.

Trevor looks on.

Sigh. Someone buy me a house on this street, please.

Ice cream counter.

Mommy and Will having fun wearing coats! and playing in the leaves.

So many pretty places.

Grandma's house.

More fall.

I miss you already.

William and I had an excellent time in Utah with my family. We spent most of the days with Beth or Trevor as their school and work schedules allowed. Then spent evenings with my parents and Ryan and Alexa.

I realized that I hadn't been to Utah during the fall for many years. I was driving around town just in awe of all of the color surrounding me. It was actually kind of a hazard. It was just so beautiful. I miss it even more now than I did before.

And it cracks me up that wearing a coat seems like such a novelty. Growing up, having to wear a coat for 5 + months of the year was quite a nuisance. But, I miss that, too.