Monday Soundtrack

Even though the holiday's over, here's to hoping that you're having a great Monday. Today's music: Days Like This by Van Morrison. Click here to hear. Enjoy*


I'm traveling east today, not to return until the holiday gifts are finished and the lights are on the tree!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here's to hoping your day is full of delicious treats, good company, and buckets of fun.

We're enjoying the last, icy paddle of the season::

And the first bone-chilling snowball fight::

Finally a little photo for someone who's fond of peace and grey::

Back in Action

Sorry for the week+ hiatus there. While the blog was silent, my mind and body were scurrying around making lists & gifts, working, and preparing for a little trip west. So I'm back! Back to the blog and back in California for a week!

First order of the day, our Monday dose of music. I downloaded a new album right before I left and listened to this song for most of the flight. Unfortunately I couldn't get a video, so you have to click here to hear The Be Good Tanya's and their version of the Lakes of Pontchartrain. Enjoy*

Those lists and gifts I mentioned? It dawned on me last week that Christmas is coming faster everyday! So I decided that there's nothing a busy girl needs more than bigger, more extreme gift-making goals. I would love to talk about the projects here, but you know, with such a small readership, the majority of my readers are the recipients. But soon enough, all will be revealed {both the craft blunders, and there have been a few in the past week, and the successes}.

In the meantime, you'll get plenty of foliage pictures.

Wittling down the to-dos

....oh my bad bad spelling. extra points to those who picked up on my earlier mistake!

New blog header? check!

Mom's birthday gift knit and received? check!

Looking ahead to long, chilly nights huddled under the afghan, mom requested a pair of fingerless mitts, as any good crafter would ~ so she can keep on sewing, knitting, typing well into those winter evenings::


Pattern:220 Fingerless mitts {ravelry link}

Yarn: bits from my stash

Comments: Just a few great things to say about this pattern, it's very easy, fun for making up your own striping pattern and throwing in a random color or two, and finally, they're SUPER STRETCHY! Which means one pair can be shared by many different sized hands, and you can make them from afar without worrying about them fitting the recipient!

And finally, getting outside to enjoy the changing foliage? check and check

Monday Soundtrack

I love this song, and it's great for kick-starting a busy week. Here's to hoping this week is as productive and balanced as last. Some of my crafty projects from last week are after the video. enjoy*


I'm so happy with this scarf::

It's the mustard scarf{ravelry link} by Jane Richmond. The pattern itself fulfills a general idea that I've been trying to find - a short scarf or cowl that's bulky but airy. If that makes sense...I have an idea for another version that I want to try out and then I think it's time to be done with knitting for myself {ETA: as soon as I finish up those knee socks and add a pompom to my new winter hat!} and on to knitting for gift giving!

And what thrills me just as much as the pattern is the yarn I used. This is some Nature Wool that I bought a couple of years ago at Article Pract. It's a variegated combination of shades of green and greenish yellow. I bought three skeins and then they sat in my knitting basket "looking ugly". So I thought that I'd use one skein for this project and then dye it after I was finished knitting, but as soon as I put it around my neck, my affection for this color returned. So experimenting with dying will have to wait for another day.

And, the Christmas crafting has fully begun! I'm working on some new edible and drinkable treats. This is the first phase of limoncello making, letting the zest soak in the vodka::

And after one night, the vodka had already turned a brilliant yellow!::

Nature all the way.*

So I have a minor re-use/re-new project to share, and it made me think about how if I had to pick a side {Nature vs. Technology}, I'm going Nature all the way. But we'll get back to that.

A week or so after moving into my new place, I found this lovely item out with the neighbor's trash:
It's a small desk, just the size I was looking for to go in my small room. Something big enough for my computer {or two, but we'll get back to that} or sewing machine, but not so big that it's in the way.

As I saw it, the top of the desk looked beautiful, there was nothing wrong with the finish or the wood. The legs, they were a different story, it still seems funny to me that this top was paired with such rickety legs. But really, a new paint job would hide so much of the juxtaposition between the two and no one would be the wiser.


So, a new coat of paint and this is what I have: Although, you'll notice that the desk is missing a drawer, but I was thinking of just putting a bottom where the drawer should be and using it as a little shelf or opening to store papers in, no drawer necessary.

And in that last picture, it almost looks like I have two fully functioning computers? The picture lies. To write this blog post, I had to upload pictures from the mac on the right (the one set up to sync with my camera... the camera which only works with a fresh set of batteries.... which only takes one picture before it turns off because it's out of batteries... that camera). After pictures are uploaded, I move over to the computer on left, the one with a full set of functioning keys, to write the post (maybe you're wishing at this point that I didn't write and just stuck with the pictures?, maybe you're not on my team?). But then, say I were going to share this blog post with you through a projector? It's back to computer #1 (no lie), because computer #2 wants nothing to do with projectors, and immediately freezes in the limelight. Fun times.

BUT I still have a functioning ipod, and I still love it. It's the beautiful wooden desk top to that set of warn and weary desk legs.

While technology has puttered out on me, fall in New England keeps piling on the charm. Nature, you win.

Here are some pictures (with the f'in camera) from a hike two weekends ago in New Hampshire:



Next up, some new knitting & the start of the Christmas gifts!

*Full Disclosure - The author and a stray cup of coffee may be responsible for the keys on computer #1 not working, but they take no responsibility for the G.D. camera.

Soundtrack Monday

This might be a repeat? I can't remember. I'm going to spend the rest of the day trying to whistle. enjoy*


And stay tuned, there's lots of fun little projects sprouting up around here... I promise.

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