beauty in the beast

the other day we were driving through the city, when we came across a field of wildflowers! i didn't have my camera, but thehobbit had his, so i was able to take a few photos. i wish i'd had mine, with super zoom action... sigh. click the pics to blow them up. maybe then you can see the mass of gorgeous blooms!



i most often get stressed driving through cities. the smells, sounds, sights, & the traffic. it's all too much for me. seeing this field made me so happy! usually it's dirt & weeds. i suppose the heavy rains are to thank for the beauty.

leave it to mother nature!

i began my scarf last night. soap loaned me her freakybig knitting needles, so the scarf will be more loose. it was difficult to get the hang of, but quite fun once i found my groove. i should like a set of every size needle please santa. oh wait, that won't do! christmas is much too far away. my birthday is less than a month away, but i've already asked for things. drat! i like the feel of wooden needles. the others are too slippery for me. i suppose i could make more. i'll figure it out.

eeek! i just noticed the time. we have to leave for the museum (going to check out the pterasaurs, & discuss whether they were in fact dragons... heeheehee) in one hour, & i've not yet gotten one thing ready!

~peace.

yeah, yeah, oh yeah!

oh solo reader... what a day this has been!

this morning i bought my first pretty yarns! i had been practicing with yarn my mom sent years ago, during the great learning to crochet debacle. i'm sure you've heard of it; it was in all the papers. anyway, this was inexpensive yarn she found at a thrift shop. it's wonderful for making a tree garland, & for owl blankets, but not for all the amazing things i long to create. the ones i chose are soft, & oh so beautiful. i got an odd green (a scarf for moi,) a brown, & a mottled oatmeal (both for chickens - more on that later.)

back at home, manlyman & thehobbit played outside; allowing me a bit of peace in which to poke through tutorials. i found this amazing one, watched it over & over, & now can cast off! i believe this - combined with being able to make a square & a rectangle using a garter stitch; qualifies me as an actual knitter. officially one able to knit. a person not just capable of bitching, but of stitching whilst doing so. anything square or rectangular that is.

just as i completed knitting genius, paper called to tell me that her home away from home was selling their chairs for $5 each! the sad part of this deal is that the shop is actually closing. my poor friend!! oh but the chairs... i did behave, & bought just 4. they're sturdy, really cute, & solid wood! they even go well with my 'rustic country, married shabby chic in a thrift shop' decor. lovely.

thehobbit & i rushed over to purchase my new pretties, & stayed for a bit so he could play with minipaper. when we returned home, i found an email that about blew my mind! i dare not give the details yet; i don't want to jinx anything. i will say that this april my sweet little r&s group may have a booth at two huge earthday events! for the price of one! oh think good thoughts for us please. this would be so wonderful for our kids. also think good money thoughts, as we still need to come up with the cost of the one booth.

that's it for now. i'm off to sit on my new chairs, & fondle yarn. pics soon. i promise. no really i do.
~peace.

i fell in love with this shaker pantry cupboard. the photo doesn't do it justice, i really wish you could have seen it in person. at just under $300 it's a steal!

or would be if it were a tad larger than 3 inches tall. the artisan who created this piece was very nice, & didn't even flinch when thehobbit accidentally knocked over a wee chair. he seemed thrilled that a little boy was interested in his work (& impressed that we brought our own magnifying glasses.) you really must poke about his website!

we also saw tiffany lamps that lit, a house that cost more than all my vehicles combined, & table after table of the teeniest of teenies! my favorites were the kitchen items. white enamel pots with black trim! just like the ones i search thrift shops for! only teeeeeeny, & less affordable.

i just asked thehobbit what his favorite was, & he said "i didn't have a favorite, i liked everything." awwwww. i do so love my boy. hahaha! he followed with "mama! don't write what i say on your blog!" heehee.

i'm working on a new project for sale, but i can't show you yet as i've a bug to work out. oooh i'm such a tease!

have a great sunday, oh solo reader of mine! & drop me a line... i love hearing from you.
~peace.
in case you wondered; when viewing minis, one must think big. balance through buttons ;-) be careful though, or you'll find a dear friend hugging you, merely to try to steal said buttons.

sewing 101

i will embarrass myself by admitting i never properly learned to sew. the worst part is that i come from a family of excellent sewers, (as in those who sew, not the plumbing) & am the daughter of a freaky-brilliant seamstress. when i was growing up, people paid her to make their daughters' formal dresses, & even a few wedding gowns! she also costumed the majority of shows i was in.

you know what that means right? i ignored all her attempts at teaching me to sew. this was my mom, & i was a snot. how could i stoop so low... me, an actress, an intellectual, an artiste?? boring, beneath me, blah, blah, blah. yeah that came back around, & bit me in the arse!!! oh how it bit me!

my parents moved to oregon long before i 'discovered' sewing, so i've pretty much figured things out on my own. i knew how to use a machine; having played with my mother's enough times to send them all to the shop to be fixed. beyond that though, it's been a learn-as-i-go adventure. i should say that a few years ago, my mom; & this cracks me up; sent me a book she thought would help. yes, it did help... stop laughing.

so there are a few things i still don't know. well of course there are loads of things, but i mean basic things that i should have learned first. one thing i detest is knotting thread. i have long assumed that there was a proper way to do it, one that would make it easy as could be. last night i found the most amazing tutorial at heather bailey's blog! it's brilliant! i quickly went off to practice, & now cannot wait to get some handwork done. it works for all threads by the way.

i also found an embroidery tutorial, (sorry i lost the link, but will post when i find it) so now plan on ripping out the edging from the remaining needlebooks, & making them perfect.

sorry, have to rush. we're taking the shorties to a miniature exhibit today! i'm not sure who is more excited; the kids or the mamas! yeah probaby the mamas. check out heather's faboo tutorial, & please post any sewing tutorials you adore. i'm off to figure out the perfect outfit for viewing teeny things.
~peace.
**edited to add... i found the blog with the great tutorials!! only go if you are willing to become instantly addicted. her blog rocks!**

rain, tea, & babble

i took a photo of manlyman on his way to the office this morning.

ok, you have me - manlyman doesn't work in an office, & i wasn't out of bed at the crack of dawn today to take a nap, let alone a photo. we have had some wild rain this week though. if we get another storm tonight, our backyard will surely flood - in which case i shall have to sneak next door, & steal borrow rubelin's canoe.

the knitting is coming along nicely. i don't think i'd be doing so well if it weren't for soap. she's been ever so helpful, (patient) & has been quick to offer advice (when she spies me making a mess of things.) thehobbit loves that i'm knitting a blanket for his owl cage, but when i showed him the almost-finished blanket, he informed me it needed to be bigger. "pig needs to wrap up in his blanket." pig is quite the picky owl.

if i have not yet explained: pig is a stuffed animal. in our home stuffed animals are very real. he believes that when we are asleep, or away from home, they all come to life. i believed that too when i was little (i may still believe it at times, but i'm not admitting anything.) there was a book that i loved... i wish i could remember the title. it was a family of dolls in a dollhouse. they came to life at night. there was a cherry bomb somewhere in the story as well. if you know this book, please tell me its name.

not much else is going on in creative-land. i added a lake, & stepping stones to thehobbit's forest play set. all that is left is a fish, & a bush (his requests.) the patchwork quilt is still in want to mode, as are the curtains. oh, i did get a few gnomies made on tuesday night. that's it though. i had intended on getting to the next stage of the bizzie once christmas was over, but i think i'll let it wait until after thehobbit's birthday.

the party's theme changed by the way. i allow one change per year, (did i already babble about this?) then all is set in stone. it's still a tea, but now it's winter faery tea. as there are only two weeks until the party, i have to say i'm finally glad he refused to have an actual party with all his friends. a tea for 4 kids i can do last-minute. easy peasy. i think.

mmmmm time to go. a certain manlyman just sat down next to me. he's too cute to ignore.

~peace.

in peace

this is one of thehobbit's most favorite of movies. it's played in our home so many times that i know nearly every line. over the years it's been the inspiration for many make-believe adventures, & the theme of last year's birthday party.

thank you.

1979 - 2008

back to life

manlyman went back to work today, & i'm well enough to venture away from home for a bit. even through the pestilence, i enjoyed our day & a half of together time. it was so lovely to shut out the rest of the world, & focus on we three for a bit.

now it's time to get back into the swing of things. blah & yay... blah because i really don't want to get dressed, & brave the wold just yet. yay because we are low on comfort food, & out of soycream for my coffee. well, not yay to the lack, but yay to repleneshing at the market!

as you know, we're reading little house in the big woods with the book-craft group. thehobbit is starting to really get into the story, so i thought i'd look for books to enhance the experience. here is what i found at the library last week:
acorn pancakes, dandelion salad, & 38 other wild recipes
children of the frontier
a little house traveler
i'm very picky with books of this sort. thehobbit & i get easily bored, so i look for things that are interesting, or unusual. these seemed the most fun, & so far we're enjoying them. the second is mostly photos from the time! thehobbit keeps picking it up to poke through.

i really love this book-craft gig. it allows us to revisit beloved stories, & to discover those we missed while reading harry potter books for the umpteenth time. the best part is that it keeps the reading bond alive. i don't understand why so many people stop reading to their kids when they hit their tweens. yes i know that they have long been reading on their own, but why should that mean that they shouldn't be read to as well? one doesn't negate the other. i could go on this rant for quite a while, but i shan't.

go to the library, & take a peek at the books i listed! if you get the first book, let me know which recipes you tried.
~peace.

not what we had planned

instead of rushing home to snuggle with his (stunningly beautiful, brilliant, & perfect in every way) wife, manlyman did the following saturday eve:
got a flat tire, found his spare also had a flat, learned that costco (the only place nearby with tires) didn't accept the credit cards we use, got to the bank too late, waited nearly an hour for aaa to rescue him, arrived at the auto shop after they'd closed, took a (very pricey) cab back to the place he had been staying, & slept another night far, far away.

finally arriving home yesterday, he was greeted by a sick (yet stunningly beautiful, brilliant, & perfect in every way) wife. the stomach pestilence has hit the belfry. fortunately it only hit me, & very fortunately there has been no vomiting.

i have been on the couch for most of the last few days, yet not in the way i'd planned. wink, wink, nudge, nudge. still... i'm so happy to have my manlyman back home. thehobbit & i don't function well with him away.

i did get more knitting done! the couch is very good for that sort of thing. friday's success has been put aside for framing, & i am currently knitting a teeny blanket for thehobbit's owl cage. i think i'm nearing ready to learn a second stitch. perhaps.

back to the couch for me. i hope you are feeling better than i.
~peace.

one long week

wow. that's it really... wow. manlyman is due home tonight, & not a moment too soon. i adore my little hobbity boy, but wow. he's a really easy kid, so i don't feel overwhelmed having no second parent all week. what's driving me to drink is how much he misses his daddyo. it's been like living with a wee manic-depressive. one moment he's having a grand time, & the next he's seriously pissy or sad. just boom! wild.

hahahaha! the lunatic in question just walked through the room wearing jams, non-matching socks, winter coat with the hood up, harry potter glasses, & using a baton as a cane. he was mumbling something in an aussie accent that i didn't catch. at least this aspect of his personality is still intact.

the potions corner of thehobbit's nook:


last night i finally mastered the first knitting stitch! i wish you could have seen me... sitting alone, watching my brit-coms, & grinning like a loon. each time i completed another row, i stopped to admire my work. i only have 7 whatchamacallits per row, so i haven't a clue what i shall do with it. if i don't frame it; which is entirely possible; it will most likely end up a scarf for one of thehobbit's many dolls/animals.

speaking of knitting... yesterday at hogwarts, the kids made knitting needles. that morning thehobbit announced that he did not want to make needles, because he had no intention of learning to knit. after a few hours knitting imaginary things with minipaper, he announced he wanted to knit, so i should let him know when auntiesoap's class was to be. funny kid. btw, when i say announce, i really do mean just that. he'll walk into the room, say his bit, then walk out again.

another glimpse into the world of hobbit fashion:


have i shown that pic already? most likely. i'm afraid my swisscheese brain is in full cheese-mode these days.

time for me to get cleaning. it's amazing how messy a house can get when one person is away on holiday, & the other two aren't picking up after themselves. i should like to ignore the mess, & spend the day outside instead, but i keep tripping over things, & have run out of clean bowls. by bowls i mean all dishes. it's not pretty.

have a happy saturday!

how much sleep does one really need?

i feel like a guinea pig in a sleep-deprivation study. manlyman left yesterday for his annual artist retreat (read: bob hope golf classic.) neither thehobbit nor i was able to sleep much without him here. the poor little hobbit was so miserable, that when he did fall asleep, it was with his face & pillow covered in tears. just about broke my heart. yes reader, we are mushy for our manlyman.
every time i would get to sleep, thehobbit would wake, & need something. then; to enhance the study; he got up before the dawn.

to avoid the week painfully dragging, i've packed our schedule with all the activities i could find. if we don't get any sleep tonight though, it may be more painful than i'd anticipated. a nap perhaps? is it wrong to desperately crave a nap early in the morning?

a glimpse into the world of hobbity fashion:

here we have the famous leopard hat, & the too-small uniform shirt. fancy, no?

before manlyman left on his holiday, he tackled the larger issues on the farm. most of the weeds are gone, the ground around the raised beds is free of growth, & that bleeping ivy is no longer creeping out into the lawn. he only has the back fourth of the yard left to tend!
i don't think i mentioned that the growth around the beds was up to my knees. you can imagine that made tending the plants a little difficult. after he got that under control, i was able to weed the beds, & even pull some delicious carrots for our salad! mmm. later this week i hope to get some things transplanted, & start more seeds.

enough babbling for today. we have a few things to take care of at home, then we're off for errands, & a new adventure.... a japanese dollar store! we recently learned that our beloved dollar store in little tokyo is no longer there. i hope this one is at least as fabulous! i'll let you know.
have a lovely day, & if you're able to nap, sleep a little for me please.
~peace.

techno-woes

every so often, the world of technology realizes i don't really belong, & tries to chuck me out. some think i'm at home in this world; with my yahoo groups, website work, & now the blog; but it's not as comfortable a fit for me as it appears. i do so want to be here though, so i shan't give up.

as i said; technology is trying to shove me back to my unplugged world! something is up with the swanky laptop, my cell keeps running out of juice quickly, the rabbit ears for our television keep breaking, & elvie (slower than dirt pc) is now behaving as if she were attempting to swim through mud. there's more, but i shall spare you as i really only needed a little venting. all gloom aside...

you have you see what my sweet oddsox is up to! her new blog is lovely, & her felting!!! take a look, & please leave her a comment.

i managed a bit of work in the back this weekend. oh reader! the farm is in such a sad state. only a few things growing in each bed, dead plants here & there, & the weeds! the spring seed catalog arrived, so i'm looking to it for the nudge i need. there's much work to be done if we're to add new raised beds for spring planting. i have dreams of a salad bed, an herb bed, & one just for thehobbit to grow whatever pleases him. i also want to move the kids' butterfly garden closer to the house, & get the arbor built over the digging spot. & on & on... ad infinitum.

that's it really. i haven't anything to show, no sewing/crafting/etcetera-ing to write about. i was merely going a bit mad without computer access, so was giddy at the chance to pop on to say hello. have a lovely day, & wish me luck with my techno-woes please.
~peace.

look what the owl brought!

manlyman must have ordered this from diagon alley, because i found it sitting on the porch, directly beneath thehobbit's owl post box! that explains why it took so long to arrive.
oh it really is the prettiest camera, & it's mine! i was shocked at the amazing photos it takes. i knew my old camera was the most basic (in which "basic" means "crap") of models, but i had no idea!

for ages i've wanted to make a patchwork quilt. i can see it in my head: all big squares of the same size, thin, & looking like it's been in the family for generations. i want it to be mostly cream, & taupe, with some sage green, & barn red here & there... but faded, not bright. the thing is; i'm rubbish at starting something i've never done before. i know i could make a quilt, i just... well i just can't get myself to try. same with curtains. we've lived here almost 3 years, & still have no proper curtains. we clip fabric up on most windows, & use the blinds that were already here on others. pathetic really. i digress... i'm determined to make the quilt this winter. i've seen new quilts all over blogland of late, & it's inspired me to finally make one of my own.

i need your help... have you any advice for me? tips? things i should know about making a quilt? i do know how to patchwork at least. beyond that i shall be guessing, & making it up as i go.

chickpea no-tuna salad

*1 can chickpeas, rinsed

*mayo to taste

*salt & pepper to taste

*1tsp kelp flakes

*1-2tbs lemon juice

*1/2tsp parsley

*1/2 a zucchini, shredded

*whatever you like(d) in tuna salad (onion, celery, etc.)

1) put chickpeas into a medium-sized bowl, & mash.

2) add the rest, & mix.

3) taste, & add more of whatever you feel is lacking.

4) spread on your favorite bread, with whatever else you like! (i like my bread lightly toasted, & i add a few dashes of tobasco, & some lettuce. mmm)

***manlyman says to use 'miracle whip' in lieu of the mayo. (gag)***

he is also playing with my pretty new camera, which i must put a stop to! goodnight!

~peace.

ps... sweet valentines!

marrrrrrrrr-ion. madam librarrrrrr-ion.

oh reader... tuesday was just glorious! the shorties made soapballs (plops really,) then ran off to play. we mamas got our hogwarts calender set for the next few months, & poked through some fun books. for those confused by my talk of lessons & calendars... yes we do unschool, but hogwarts, & field trips take mama-planning.

then!!!! yes then! before i knew it, it was time for book club! ahhhh the food, the conversation, the laughter... better than medicine. if you would like to read along with us, here is our list for the year ahead: (the month written is the month we meet for that book's discussion; so you should start reading feb's books now.)

february and this
march
april
may
june
july
august (& september) (& woooohooooo!)
october
november
december

yes, more than a few lighter reads. i think last year's heavy book list, (& the busy holidays) left all of us longing for more fun books to look forward to. still... it's not all fluff. did you happen to see the aug/sept book?! did you!?

my! is that really the time?! i have to run... if i'm to get any books, i really need to go pay my huge library fine.

~peace.

manlyman took us on a spur-of-the-moment adventure sunday night! in the pouring rain, we drove out to hollywood for dinner! thehobbit requested that daddyo dress fancy with him, & my sweet manlyman obliged. he is such an amazing father. happily i wasn't asked. i love dressing fancy, but it was pouring, & i was cold. i would have, had he asked, but whew.

we finally found ties for kids! let me be more specific; ties that are affordable for kids. a local shop had silk ones on sale, so we were able to get thehobbit 2! he chose a black regular tie, & a striped clip-on. sadly, no gryffindor-looking ones, nor bowties were to be had.

this morning he woke (before the dawn,) & got dressed. i have to say that he looks utterly adorable in a tie. now if he'd only wear the 'new' dress shirts that fit him, instead of the old one. i know he loves it so, but it's two sizes too small! i imagine eventually it will split, or turn to dust, then he'll have to wear another. now all that's left are vests, & sweater vests... thrift shopping!

today is tuesday, you know what that means... book-craft day with his best minis, & mama-only night with a few of mine! this tuesday is ultra special, for it's bookclub night! it began years ago, as a large group of homeschooling mamas who met monthly to discuss classic books. over the years it's gotten smaller, but it's still going strong. tonight we're choosing the books for the year ahead. it's exciting... creating the list, looking forward to what we shall be reading. yes i know - i am a bookdork.

one part of the bookclub i like is that we all have a say in what gets chosen. there have been books i didn't want to read, & disliked every moment as i read them. however, there have been ones i was loathe to read, & found that i enjoyed them very much: this, this, & this! ok that last one i destested, but it was amazing, & worth reading. i usually go for shakespeare, austen, & the other usual suspects, so to have to go out of my tastes, & into another's has been a wonderful experience (usually) for me. thus far i've been unable to get them to agree to the faery queene, and the canterbury tales. i just may have to tackle those on my own.

well i see i've babbled on for ages. the roots growing from my arse to the stool are telling me it's time to get on with my day. plus, we need to read a chapter before we head out. one of the things that's wonderful about his book-craft is that i get to read to him. he's long been able to read on his own, so having an official 'together' book keeps that alive. i still enjoy being read to, so perhaps it's not something he'll outgrow. we shall see.

have a glorious day! make sure you craft something, or meet with a friend. better yet... do both!
~peace.

mama babble

how i wish you could see what i see! thehobbit is on the floor, with his arms folded beneath his head, his legs crossed, & up against the tv cabinet. he's watching this, & wearing quite the morning ensemble: multi-colored, striped knee-socks, white jam bottoms with black, vintage televisions all over them (jam legs tucked into socks,) a green m*a*s*h tshirt, hogwarts robe, daddyo's slippers, & glittered, 2008 sunglasses.
(update: done with tv, he has added the leopard-print cowboy hat.)

i meant to tell you of this the other day. moon sand is thehobbit's latest obsession. he learned of it through his love of infomercials, & has longed for it ever since. i try to keep his toys, & craft supplies all-natural, but this time i could not turn him down. i had finally agreed to the coveted, not natural model magic, told a relative he wanted it... but he received regular clay instead. fine by me, but he wanted a clay that was already soft, & squishy when he took it out (& he liked how clean it was.) when we tried to exchange it, that store no longer carried tubs of model magic. wee, hobbity sadness shone from his eyes... then he saw the above, & squealed! how could i say no?

i have to admit it's brilliant! it feels like damp sand, with the strength of clay. he can mold, & remold it, & it never dries. it isn't actually wet, if you were wondering. it scores a 10 with thehobbit, & a 6 with me; i don't like that it's not natural.

one last hobbit-related thing today... i'm desperate for a vegetarian marshmallow recipe. i've found many, but thehobbit can eat neither soy, nor corn products. if you come across one, please let me know. i don't know how many more campouts he can handle, sans roasted marshmallows.

i'm off to rest my weary head; i slept poorly, & woke with a wretched migrane. i'd love to hear about toys/products that your shorties adore.

~peace.

ha!

i did not succumb to the urge to craft yesterday! you were sure i would; but you were mistaken. have you so little faith in me?! i think i am a bit insulted by that.
list? what list? oh that list... well no. no, i didn't get everything to-done. but! let's focus instead on the fact that i did not craft, as you; oh faithless one; believed i would. moving on...

i went out for a fancy, mamas' dinner last night! wonderful conversation, & delicious food, followed by more conversation (fire-side) at a coffee house. i don't know what i'd do without my regular mamas-only outings... nor without my mamas. that time to connect, to laugh, to talk, to just be; it's so necessary. i honestly don't know how i managed for so long without these weekly outings.

no more time for babbling; today is hogwarts! the holiday break had sounded like a good idea; back in september; but thehobbit has been miserable without his saturday classes. the moment he popped from bed this morn, he was in his uniform! not the usual, andy griffith uniform of late... hogwarts is black slacks, white dress shirt, & sweater vest with gryffindor stripes. let us not confuse the various uniforms! if he hears we did, the next thing you know, he'd be dressed in the other uniform, & writing us tickets.

have a beautiful day!
~peace.

of fuzzy, dimly lit acorns

my new camera is still on back-order, so i was unable to get a better photo of the felted, acorn necklace. i had to borrow my old camera, as we gave it to thehobbit for christmas. he named it opie, if you were wondering.

i really love how the necklace turned out, & plan on making more to sell. so far i've two orders! well one was from thehobbit, & the other from minisoap, but it's a start ;-)

once again i have a huge to-do list for the day, & once again i am aching to sew, or felt, or silently curse at my knitting needles. all things on my list require me to stay home, which is a good thing in that i find it too easy to skip an errand in favor of going to a thrift shop. although... we do need to go thrifting. thehobbit has requested more sweater vests, & other fancy attire. oh & i am running low on wool sweaters. plus i need to find damask curtains to make manlyman's piratey frock coat.... no! i must stay home, & get it all to-done! must, must, must! *sigh*

i cannot call friends for help keeping me grounded; because they would all ask if we would swing by to pick them up instead. wretches the lot of them! hmmm... an idea! i shall use you to keep me on the path. i'll post what i have to do today, & hope that shame of public failure will keep me focused. here is my list for today:

clean the kitchen & bathroom
get jan & feb meetings set, & onto our roots&shoots calendar
finish lesson for tomorrow's hogwarts class
create owl post, & sneak it into the owl post box
put bazillion loads of laundry away
choose ancient s. american culture for this month's history club
research for hsla's feb/mar issue

all of that, & i didn't list the usual daily things. wow i'm daunted by my own list. wish me luck my sweet, & only reader! (don't be too harsh on me tomorrow when i tell you of all the fun things i did instead.)

~peace.

joy

i woke today thinking of the long list of things that needs fixing: loose toilet base, cracked floorboard, wonky thermostat, etc. just when i was about to sink into the gloom, i heard a soft sigh. turning over i saw a sleeping hobbit, & all the gloom melted away. those thick, black lashes against that soft, pale skin gets me every time.

watching him sleep for a bit helped me de-gloom, & i've been in a happy, peaceful mood since. i thought i'd spread a little of my joy...

a friend shared her copy of a wonderful new magazine at last month's knitting circle. it is fantastic! the mag has been getting passed about, & just yesterday came to me! woohoo! i cannot wait to start crafting. soap subscribed, & we were discussing going halfsies. the last thing i need is more mags, so i shall just scan the pages i really want, & let her keep the actual issues. if you enjoy crafting/creating with natural materials, you must get this mag.

i made these tiffin buckets the other night. the idea had been in my head for weeks, but i just hadn't the time to have at them. they are lined with wool from sweaters i shrunk. the buckets are to protect the tiffins from dents & scratches, as well as to insulate them. the handles aren't meant to carry them about all day, so i was able to use fun, lightweight fabric for the exterior. these buckets were prezzies; hence the neon wrapping tissue. they turned out just as i'd hoped, so i shall have to make one for my own tiffin next! i may even offer them for sale... who knows?

time to get on with my day! the farm needs watering, & i promised thehobbit i'd take him to exchange the clay he got for christmas.

have a happy, peaceful day!

~peace.

happy new year!

our night was great fun! we dressed in our fancies, & had dinner at home. even manlyman got into the spirit, & i must say he looks dashing in a top hat & cravat. thehobbit goes to bed pretty early still, so we rang in the new year with rio de janiero. as the clock struck 12 (6) we went outside, & threw a zillion snaps at the pavement. then back inside for a family concert. we had thehobbit on cigar box/drum & guitar, manlyman on other guitar & wooden pizza cutter/clacker, & yours truly on plastic microphone. we really should go on tour ;-)

today was quiet in our belfry. manlyman had to work, so thehobbit & i watched the parade, played in the backyard for a bit, then built a fort in the bigroom. a damask fort at that!

i felt a strong urge to create today. after i cursed silently at my knitting needles, i felted myself an acorn necklace! i think it is utterly sweet, & of course have yet to take a photo of it. i will though, i will! next i braved my new rotary cutter. that didn't go as pleasantly. don't get me wrong; it cut like a dream. it's just that... well let us say that i'm thankful for manlyman & bandages, & leave off there, shall we?

that's it really. nothing wild, nothing profound. another year gone, & tomorrow our lives return to normal.

i hope you were able to spend your day in a way that made you smile. ~peace.