Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Crafting




Another skirt! I can't help myself. These fabrics are just so much fun. I tried using two fabrics and I placed some rickrack between them, turned out pretty cute, especially if you don't look too close in the back where I didn't notice my fabrics not matching up correctly, haha.
I think Fiona and Nuala will be wearing skirts all summer!

Monday, March 30, 2015

Happy Birthday



Seventeen years ago today.... this wonderful soul came into our lives. He is amazing, funny, smart, and so so sweet. My dear Logan is growing into such an awesome man.
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Sunday, March 29, 2015

* Gratitude Sunday *

Joining Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude Sunday. Sunday's heartfelt tradition. A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful. A list of gratitude.



~ my new morning routine.
~ having screens on the doors so I can have them open all day long
~ salmon
~ our wee little dwarf peach tree, it is doing so well
~ my kids
~ time to craft
~ flowers, flowers, flowers

Friday, March 27, 2015

{ This Moment }

Joining Soulemama for This Moment. A photograph from the week, a moment I wish to pause, savor, and remember.


the sweetness of that ear 

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Thoughts on aThursday


I have been bitten by the spring cleaning bug. Usually I am a fall purger, but this year it just came on and so I ran with it. As I was going through the cupboards, drawers, closets, and shelves I ran across a few items that I had all but forgotten about. One was the set of china I got from my grandmother about 10 years ago. We have used it a handful of times. It's a shame too, because the stuff is just lovely. Hubby and I once looked up the pattern to see if we could replace a few pieces... we couldn't afford it! What we have right now is worth a pretty penny, so what do we do with it? Sell it or use it, because boxing it up is just a waste. We also ran across a set of silver flatware my Mother in Law gave us about 10 years ago. It was a set used by a door to door sales man, so it is a full set with serving spoons and meat forks and all the goodies. It was another thing of beauty that we had boxed up to "save" for some special day.
The thing is, is when is that special day? When do we feel like the day is worthy enough for this loveliness? Because this stuff has been boxed up a lot over the last decade and we just keep not using it. But we have so many special days. So after much talk of selling we decided that we are just going to use the beautiful stuff. So we polished the silver and donated our regular flatware, I hand washed the china and placed it in the cupboard to be used every Sunday.
What is the point of having beautiful stuff if you are always afraid to use it?

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Yarny Yarning

Joining Small Things for Yarn Along.


One sock down!! I need to learn how to do two socks at once, because I am not feeling like I want to start sock number two! Hahaha Still it is a fun pattern and the sock is super cozy, not sure it is a good Arizona summer sock, I guess it will be put away until December, when it is finally coolish here.

No real reading, just organizing things, cleaning out cupboards, drawers, closets, and in my spare time I am knitting like a fool!

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Keep Calm Craft On

Joining Frontier Dreams for Keep Calm Craft On.



I had a few minutes to whip out a few simple skirts! Oh so much fun. Love the fabrics so much. The mermaid was a gift for a friend's daughter's birthday. Since I already had the machine out I thought I might as well make a couple more. Fiona picked out the orange unicorns and I thought Nuala would look super cute for spring in the flowers. I was thinking of making more but I ran out of elastic.
I've been saving this huge stack of lovely fabrics to make Nuala a quilt, but she has soooo many special blankets made by me or by others that really, at the moment we just don't need another blanket. So my plans are to start making more skirts. Maybe mixing it up a little, adding a pocket, or using two fabrics. But not really using a pattern, just sort of playing with it, cuz that is how I roll. Hahaha

Monday, March 23, 2015

The weekend


Friday had me purging the house of ill fitting clothing, toys, and games no one uses any longer. An entire trunk full of goodness to be dropped off at the thrift store. Saturday was soccer and a date for Mike and I. Such a great time just the two of us, eating a meal, talking about the future, having a wee drink and then being so close to home we could walk in the lovely evening air. Sunday had us at a birthday party, and doing chores... and me up late into the night thinking of the future.

* Gratitude Sunday *

Joining Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude Sunday. Sunday's heartfelt tradition. A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful. A list of gratitudes.


~ I am grateful for a date night with my hubby. It had been way too long.
~ A clothes line being hung up, I just love the chore of hanging out the clothing
~ The beautiful sunny days
~ The afternoon of rain we had last week
~ My children's tender hearts
~ Finding my own inner strength

Friday, March 20, 2015

{ This Moment }

Joining Soulemama for This Moment. A single photo from the week. A moment I wish to pause, savor, and remember.


Thursday, March 19, 2015

Just a few sleepless nights


What is the point of all of this? Am I living my life fully? Am I doing what I am meant to do? What does all of "this" mean??
This is what keeps me up late into the night, pushing to early morning. It is a seasonal thing, as the world around me starts to change I begin to wonder... what is my purpose? Am I living, really truly living? How much time do I have left, should I be wasting it doing A, B, or C?
On a blog the other day, the author mentions this in her weekend post. It seemed pretty amazing to me that someone else is pondering it all too.
I never know what to do with these thoughts except ride the wave and let the feelings, the emotions, the fear and doubt wash over me and clean me off as I come through the other side. All of this usually entails me power cleaning the house, eating crappy, not sleeping well at all, being cranky and distant as I refind my happy spot. Maybe one day, I will find my answer and I can then follow that light out of the weirdness and not have to actually do it again.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Rainbows



It is finished!! After a year or more, I finished Cae's blanket. It is so cozy, and the drape is wonderful. I love Cotlin yarn. If they would make a variegated yarn I would be in heaven!
I started on the "secret" project, using the Hawthorne yarn "Goose Hollow". You know, the picture does not do this yarn justice, it is not blue, not really. There is lovely bits of purple and lavender and little bits of very pale blue. I took maybe 15 pictures of the project in different lighting but it all looked the same. Oh well.
I am using this pattern. It is an easy pattern, but has enough stuff going on as to make it interesting. I might have to use it again later to make a pair for myself!

Monday, March 16, 2015

weekend


Saturday was busy, busy, busy! But Sunday was heavenly, slow, and full of sunshine and outside.
I spent part of Sunday morning holding one of our wee new peeps. They are so darn sweet. Nice hot coffee with cocoa in it, and a piece of left over pie for breakfast. Then knitting outside in the sunshine with Nuala running about. My folks came by for a bit and there was much chatting and a bit of Irish Cream drinking. And now the day is wrapping up and it is just about bedtime.

Sunday, March 15, 2015

* Gratitude Sunday *

Joining Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude Sunday. Sunday's heartfelt tradition. A time to slowdown, to reflect, to be grateful. A list of gratitudes.


~ Sunny, beautiful Southern California
~ Finally finishing Cae's blanket
~ Family time in the garden
~ Coffee, coffee, coffee
~ Waking up surrounded by my wee girlies
~ Nuala's laugh

Friday, March 13, 2015

{ This Moment }

Joining Soulemama for This Moment. A single photograph from the week, a moment I wish to pause, savor, and remember.




Thursday, March 12, 2015

SoCal






















For Christmas this year Mike gave us all a trip to San Diego. Finally we were able to get everyone's schedules lined up so we could go. Spring break in Cali!!! I am so happy we went, even if we are flat broke now. We haven't seen the ocean live and in person since we moved from Maine... 5 years! Much too long. Rowan hardly even remembers the ocean and Fiona has never seen it. Their joy was overwhelming, you could hardly get them out of the sea. Nuala wasn't so sure about the whole thing, she much preferred the time we spent on the Mission Bay side, no crashing waves.
I loved having all the kids together on this vacation, not sure how many more of those we will have. As they all grow older, their lives will be busy and they may not be able to get away for a trip with their parents.
Thank you honey, for this wonderful adventure.

Friday, March 6, 2015

{ This Moment }

Joining Soulemama for This Moment. A single photograph from the week, a moment I wish to pause, savor, and remember.


Tuesday, March 3, 2015

knitting

Joining Frontier Dreams and Small Things.


When ever I can get a few moments I work on the "never ending blanket". Since I took this photo yesterday, I've actually finished up the yellow stripe and have started on the orange, which is really kind of exciting. After all this time it is finally moving along. I'm still on the fence about adding a fuchsia stripe, I think it would look great.... but I would be done sooner with out it. Haha

Whenever the blanket is complete I have a secret project coming up in which I will be using this yarn (in Goose Hollow). I love this yarn and I am really excited about trying out maybe a new pattern. I am such a creature of habit, I get sort of stuck making the same few patterns. BUT, I feel good about a new challenge and with that amazing yarn I shall make something awesome... at least to me.

Monday, March 2, 2015

Weekending

Joining Pumpkin Sunrise for Weekending.


What even happened this weekend? It seemed to just fly by. That is how all the weekends feel lately, just crazy busy. Saturday was Cae's soccer game, we worked in the garden, and had Mike's mom over for the evening. We went to the neighborhood home tour and street fair on Sunday. Checked out local 'hood artists, listened to local music (awesome!), ate a lot of foodtruck food, and had a grand time. Then there is soccer in the park on Sunday with our friends and dinner.

Sunday, March 1, 2015

* Gratitude Sunday *

Joining Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude Sunday. Sunday's heartfelt tradition. A time to slowdown, to reflect, to be grateful. A list of gratitudes.


~ Getting up early and going for walks, just wee Nuala and I
~ Time to study
~ Beautiful sunny days
~ Time in the garden
~ Tea with honey and cream
~ Oatmeal
~ Figuring out what was up with Nuala's tummy