Lovely gifts to give and receive…

I have this struggle each time I get ready to leave home – there just isn’t anywhere I would really rather be than to be a home.  I’ve got to admit that it’s not a bad problem to have.  It’s especially unnerving to go to the city (enough said!).   So that’s where I’m finding myself.  Traffic, traffic and more traffic – so many wonderful stores (so little $) – and I’m having a great time.  It’s heartwarming and delightful to do a bit of reconnection.

Miss Amber & I were able to exchange our Christmas Valentine gifts.   This non-seamstress friend of mine MADE me this little cutie patootie doll…on a sewing machine…and she did a beautiful job.

I also received this absolutely adorable apron from Miss Trish!

Since they’ve both received them, here are the little yummies I made for them.

These necklaces are a lot of fun (at least I think so) and I like how they hang.  These gals are dear gf’s to me and I love ‘em lots.

Outward Adornments for Valentines~

One benefit of giving and extremely late Christmas gift is that you can call it a Valentine’s Day gift.    I get to see a couple of my sweetest sassyest friends this weekend and since we haven’t seen each other for a while, I have gifts for them.  I’ll just show a bit of the outward adornment of these gifts here.

Just another comfy shirt!

I love to wear a long-sleeved cotton shirt around the house.  I layer it with whatever is fitting for the day/weather…  A few days ago I found 2 of these shirts at a consignment store for $1 a piece.  Brand new with tags still on.  They are not 100% cotton but 50/50.  Oh well, I can sacrifice that.  All of the information on the shirt is printed on the front including a place for a name.   …so, I added my name this morning.

It’s time for me to put on the shirt and get busy!  I need to put a meal together for a small-[18]- group @ church and of course, I need to do the usual charming…

I’m getting a good start…

I’ve got about 117 charms ready to solder.  I hate to see them build up like this because soldering is not my favorite part.  I can handle doing 10-20 at a time but I’ll probably have about 200 by the time I get to it.  I ran out of jump rings, ordered them yesterday…so I’ll just keep charming away…

~ warm and toasty wool hat ~

I guess Sundays must be my day for knitting because the past two I’ve actually accomplished some.  Last week I made one leg warmer (the 2nd one followed a few days later) and yesterday I made a hat.  What a great feeling to make something in one day. (the sad part, it requires a lot of sitting around!)

Very simple hat with some sweet detail going on.  This pattern was free at my knitting store with the purchase of the yarn…which I love : 75% wool/25% silk.

*thanks to my sweet-16-girl for her fabulous modeling *  – she really has every intention of keeping it!

Sunday Inspriation!

My profession is to always find God in nature.
– Henry David Thoreau

Each season has its own wonder, it’s own special place, and
purpose in the pattern of creation.

Nature is the art of God.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Each week as we travel to church we cross this little pass that’s about 10 minutes from our house.  The beauty up there right now is simply stunning and completely inspirational.

Warmth!

I <<love>> warmth!  It’s comforting…especially on this 7* morning.  So many things bring warmth, sometimes in unexpected ways:

• a fire in the fireplace
• a bowl of freshly simmered soup or stew
• a warm apple pie
• a hug
• a {hot} cup of coffee
• anything wool
• pudding (now I’m talking about comfort food)
• my electric blanket
• friendship
• Hawaii!    mmmm
• leg warmers…

made with Fine Merino Wool - finished last night

Easy as pie!

That phrase really used to puzzle me.  It seemed to me that there was nothing more difficult than consistently making a good pie.  For years I watched my mom throw one together in just a matter of minutes…it looked easy when she did it.  But it never felt easy for me.  Finally, after many years, I asked my mom for her crust recipe (which wasn’t really a recipe ~ she just knew how much of this and that to put in).  Since then I can honestly say that pies have become very easy for me and, of course, the more I make them the easier they get (that really is the key).

So, in honor of National Pie Day it was only fitting to whip up my own pie this morning.  I decided that I needed to make it quick (I’ve really been wanting to make a cream pie ~ maybe next time), so I pulled a jar of my own apple pie filling off of the shelf, made my mom’s crust recipe and in less than 2 minutes (1:55) that pie was ready to go into the oven.  WOW!  The oven hadn’t even finished preheating.

~ right out of the oven ~

Here’s my mom’s crust recipe:  2 c. flour + 1 1/2 t. salt = mix   *take a 1 c. glass measuring cup, put 2/3 c. oil in then fill to 1 c. line with milk  ~  add this to the flour and salt, mix well…it will mix into a ball. This will make a double crust.  The part that makes this so quick is that there is no need to refrigerate the dough.

p.s. my favorite pie plate is the Pampered Chef  stoneware deep dish pie plate.

Love is in the air!

I’m really trying to move my way towards productivity…really, I am but it truly is not happening.  I did, however, make this little cutie.  It’s hanging cozily from a mirror on one of my antique dressers.

{C.H.A.R.M.I.N.G.}

Any day now I just know that I’m going to start charming again (haven’t done much since Christmas) and when I start, I won’t be able to stop (I keep telling myself).  Yesterday I was able to cut a bunch of glass so there’s a start for me.  Then I made these charms.  I love the little tiny charm – I don’t think I’ve made one that small before – it’s for me!