I am once again getting amazing photography prompts via email every morning from Tracey Clark via Paper Coterie. I [Read More...]]]>

Day 1: Holding on to gratitude.


Day 2: Re-framing the season.


Day 3: All you need is love.


Day 4: The key [to my peace of mind].


Day 5: The view from here.


Day 6: Every little thing.


Day 7: Expressing myself.

I am once again getting amazing photography prompts via email every morning from Tracey Clark via Paper Coterie. I am ever so thankful because my Project 365 was starting to feel very tiresome. I guess the end of the year is just draining a lot of my creativity and so photography got put on the back burner. I’m happy to start feeling excited about it again!

Aside from the obvious–family, friends, etc.–something that means a lot to me is my ability to create. I love to knit and crochet and make things with my hands. It means a lot that I can make things with a simple piece of string!

This was my shot for Project 365 on Thanksgiving [Read More...]]]>

Aside from the obvious–family, friends, etc.–something that means a lot to me is my ability to create. I love to knit and crochet and make things with my hands. It means a lot that I can make things with a simple piece of string!

This was my shot for Project 365 on Thanksgiving day. It is usually a day for family. I bring along my camera with the best intentions of getting lovely shots of people enjoying each other, but then I end up being one of those people and my camera stays safely tucked in my bag. I only remember it when we’re already on our way across town to visit even more family. I know the same thing is going to happen–I’ll get lost in conversations and chasing littles around and my camera will stay in its place–so I take a photo of what I do between meals. Knitting.

Thursday was day 300 of the year and day 300 of my Project 365 of 2011! Are any of you doing a Project 365, this year? How exciting is it to get to 300??! I can’t believe there are only 65 days left of 2011. WOW. Let’s make them matter. — [Psssst! Don't forget [Read More...]]]>

Thursday was day 300 of the year and day 300 of my Project 365 of 2011! Are any of you doing a Project 365, this year? How exciting is it to get to 300??! I can’t believe there are only 65 days left of 2011. WOW. Let’s make them matter.


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[Psssst! Don't forget to enter the giveaway! It ends in TODAY. Also, if you're interested in sponsoring this blog, please check out this post! Thank you.]

A pretty pretty golden yellow waste bin for my yarn. I immediately came home, lined it with some fabric, and filled it with balls of yarn.

Before cursing my needle for poking me while sewing patches on my son’s very first Cub Scout uniform, I had a very delicious slice of pie. A slice of the very first pumpkin pie of the season. It’s a day for firsts, I guess. I had a slice because I KNEW I needed some [Read More...]]]>

Before cursing my needle for poking me while sewing patches on my son’s very first Cub Scout uniform, I had a very delicious slice of pie. A slice of the very first pumpkin pie of the season. It’s a day for firsts, I guess. I had a slice because I KNEW I needed some sweet fuel for this sewing task. It isn’t so much difficult as it is TEDIOUS! Holy tiny stitches. Plus, I’m sorta-kinda a perfectionist, so I may have ripped it out a time or two.

This isn’t my first time baking a pumpkin pie, but it IS my first time making a crust from scratch. SO EASY. Cut half a cup of butter into 1 1/4 cup of flour mixed with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Add in 1/4 cup ice-cold water a tsp at a time until a ball forms. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Roll it out to a 12″ diameter circle and then press it into your pie dish. I don’t have a rolling pin, so I used a glass. It’s perrrrfect! I think I’m going to skip dinner and just have a slice of pie again. My boys are with my mom at a party, so I don’t have to worry about what a HORRIBLE EXAMPLE I am. I might even have a can of Pepsi on the side.

After my month of color, I decided to dedicate this past week of my project 365 to black and white.

Monday- the straight lines. I observed the beauty of these lines on the highway. It was Independence Day and we were searching the outskirts of the city for fireworks. Alas, a ban was [Read More...]]]>

After my month of color, I decided to dedicate this past week of my project 365 to black and white.

Monday- the straight lines. I observed the beauty of these lines on the highway. It was Independence Day and we were searching the outskirts of the city for fireworks. Alas, a ban was in place on account of the drought. Boo.
Tuesday- the kid in the pool. Evening– it’s the only time the sun isn’t plotting to kill us.
Wednesday- the life of a kiddo. Andrew completely gave up the opportunity to nap and instead jumped on my bed trying to do somersaults. He failed.
Thursday- the zinnia bouquet.While the boys tried to trap ants in circles of chalk, I picked these zinnias. most of them were on their last breath and the stems had already put out more stems, so I should see a few more blooms soon.
Friday- the remote photographer. Andrew likes snapping photos of himself. I have to chase him in the viewfinder, as he often leaves the frame.

I’m proud to say I’ve completed my first month of Project 365: 2011! These are a few of my favorites. You can see more/read more at my Project 365 blog: Vivacity.

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I did a re-shoot of one of my favorite products in my shop, at the moment. All that yellow [Read More...]]]>

I’m proud to say I’ve completed my first month of Project 365: 2011! These are a few of my favorites. You can see more/read more at my Project 365 blog: Vivacity.

I did a re-shoot of one of my favorite products in my shop, at the moment. All that yellow & gold! Big sigh! It’s currently on sale, so snag it while you can. I don’t know when/if I will make more of these.

My last project of 2009: a beret for…me! After the 14 handmade Christmas gifts, I finally made something for myself. A simple knit beret wit a few eyelet rows thrown in. A day after I made it, I added a big ol’ red pom pom on top. [Read More...]]]> Any decade resolutions? Knit more, yell less.

My last project of 2009: a beret for…me! After the 14 handmade Christmas gifts, I finally made something for myself. A simple knit beret wit a few eyelet rows thrown in. A day after I made it, I added a big ol’ red pom pom on top. I feel it completed the look.

I hope everyone has gotten off to a good 2010. Feel free to share your resolutions. Do you plan to blog more? I do. I mean, I’ll definitely try harder to blog more.

gift #12 was completed yesterday.

It’s a simple DC scarf. 16DC, including the turning chain, for approx. 100 rows with a SC border, using a 6.5mm (K) hook. Lion Brand Homespun yarn in “bourbon.”

Gift #13 is waiting for my DPNs. Gift #14 may get the axe.

My baby turned 19 months old, today.

He’s a jack of all faces. See 2 more on my flickr page, [[here]].

Since this seems to be the week of Rudolph, here is our favorite rendition of the [Read More...]]]> I went to pick up Nathan at school and came home with a Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer-boy! I kind of love Pre-K.

He’s a jack of all faces. See 2 more on my flickr page, [[here]].

Since this seems to be the week of Rudolph, here is our favorite rendition of the classic “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” song, Jack Johnson’s version:

His teacher bought stockings and asked for stocking stuffers, so I bought some stickers, pencils, erasers, and we put these [Read More...]]]> On Saturday evening, Nathan I put together two dozen candy-cane Rudolphs. I remember my mom making these when I was little, so I thought it’d be a cute little party favor for his class.

His teacher bought stockings and asked for stocking stuffers, so I bought some stickers, pencils, erasers, and we put these together. I think I might buy some individually-wrapped fruit leather, as well. Other parents will be contributing as well, so these kids are going to get a stocking stuffed with goodies a whole week before Christmas!

I’m so excited about his first school party! Being in the AM class at his school means this is going to be a breakfast party. He goes in at 7:50 and I’ll be joining him a little after. Party ends at 9:25 (early dismissal)!

It will also be the last day of his first semester of school. I’m so proud of him! He got a report card a few weeks ago and he had met all of the goals that the district (school? teacher? someone?) set for pre-kindergarteners. He knows his ABC’s (what they look like, and the sounds they make), many different shapes & colors, can count, and is “very nice and extremely helpful” amongst other awesome things. So, while he is the one person in the world who knows how to push the exact buttons to make me spontaneously combust in sheer rage, he also makes me laugh the hardest and my heart beat the fastest. School has been a wonderful step in his life. He’s made friends and is starting to become more and more independent. I can’t believe he turns FIVE in 6 short months! That’s half a decade, man! I should start planning a big birthday party. It’s not too early, is it?

Anywho, these candy cane reindeer are supremely easy to make. I didn’t take any photos during the process, but here are some pithy directions, including a materials list.

Materials:
candy canes
pipe cleaners
jiggly eyes
pom poms
little bells
glue

Directions:
1. Thread bells onto pipe cleaner and shift to center. Twist pipe cleaner once, to secure bell in center.
2. Attach to candy cane at the top of the arch and twist a few times to secure.
3. Wrap antlers around a pencil or knitting needle to make a coil. Remove pencil and shape antlers.
4. Attach pom pom noses and eyes and let dry.
5. there is no 5. you are DONE.

super easy, no? Nathan helped by attaching all the bells and pulling them to the centers (I had already bent all the pipe cleaners in half). He also would pull out the knitting needle after I coiled the antlers.