wrap up

:: for the Sew-Along with Fresh Squeezed Fabrics...

A quick wrap skirt - well, quick I hope. I'll let you know. This is my current project. I ordered the fabric from fresh squeezed to join up with her sew-along. Randi initially sent me the wrong fabric - when I pointed this out she immediately sent me out new - and said "now you can make 2 skirts" - how fabulous is that customer service? Two thumbs up for sure.

This long weekend has been just full. My husband and I took Thursday and Friday to paint our kitchen/ dining area - which was all cooked up when we decided to purchase a new refrigerator. I have seen so much aqua and candy apple red over at Lovely Little Handmades that I just had to jump in and go a little funky in the kitchen. It is so much fresher looking with the aqua and red walls. Now I'm thinking I need to start working on this quilt for the blank canvas the paint job left behind. After the skirt, I am telling myself...MLE Knits is working one, and she sparked my love the little village. I think I will hand draw little houses and then paper piece - sounds over my head - but worth a try.



On Saturday, my sister and I went to Chicago on the train to celebrate our mutual birthdays. She was my 8th birthday present, born 22 minutes after my actual birthday. Exchanging gifts just feels silly - so we cook up things to do together, which has gotten increasingly tricky as she has entered motherhood - but all good things are worth the effort. We had drinks at Emerald, cupcakes at Sarah's (a staple of the trip - and I had to get her cookbook - such a book ho) and did a little shopping on the Magnificent Mile. We are always amazed how we go with money jangling in our pockets, yet still come home with almost nothing. Some Lush and lipgloss. But it's the fun away together that counts. We are thinking up something extra special amazing for my 40th next year. Can't wait. to. turn. 40. That's just crazy talk.

Yesterday we celebrated, again, with my folks. My mom has a little pool for the girls and serves her famous "man food" (grill = manfood at mom's). It's a bit of a tradition. I made some yummy gingersnap baked beans - the simple recipe to kick up baked beans is a keeper.

Anyways, today is a lazy old work day getting the kitchen put back together, farming the old fridge out and hopefully some quality time with my sewing machine. I hope your holiday has been fabulous - I feel a little spoiled - and I like it. I am sad to see my birthday month end...the older I get, the longer birthdays get to be celebrated, seems like a fair deal to me.

Lastly, if you are my partner from Amber and Sarah's Crafty Swap - I will try to be crafty - I have been in a lull, getting the house and yard ready for summer. I promise to beat it down to my sewing machine right now:)

happiness complete

Gosh, it's early on a Monday. I was up far too late watching the final chapter of LOST - and I admit I was up in the night pondering it. Wow, it's a lot to understand and my mind struggles to shut off when it should. So I will be tired today. Then, as much as I should still be sleeping, I am enjoying the silence in semi-darkness here, chatting to blogland. Though, I would be lying if I didn't say that I am slightly jealous of my entire family's uncanny ability to sleep soundly in 80 degree heat with traffic noise. And wow, the birds are so...happy. cheep cheep cheep.


my finished quilt...

At last my own tangible happy project is done. Here it is hanging on my blank white wall at work. I have really enjoyed having it in my office, though I am finding it almost distracting, in the most lovely way of course. My co-workers have all come in and commented - many remember their own banana seat bike. And the colors are kind of mesmerizing, a happy mess. I hope to keep happy-feel-good on the top of my to do list, by thinking of new things to be mindful about. I'm think that I am the type of person that has to be "doing" something most of the time, so I will think of my projects as stepping stones on the path of happy. Eyes on the prize, if you will.

The Monday morning question is, what's next?

birth.day :: happy

another happy block to celebrate!

I had the day off today to celebrate my birthday. People keep saying it's the "last in my thirties" - at 39 - makes me feel like I should go into hiding next year. Why do people associate 40 with black anyways? It's just a number, right?

Anyways, I love birthdays - and my own is no exception. For me it means a day off. I take the day off of work every year because it seems an apt gift to give myself. My husband and I went to lunch and then saw Iron Man II. Pretty low key, but it's not really about high expectations, it about relaxing and reflecting - plus there was car knitting.


Mason Dixon Dishcloths = car knitting

But the day is almost over - ack! I hate to see it come to an end. I am hoping to bind my "happy quilt" tonight so I can take it to work tomorrow to use it as a shroud over the piles. I hope you did something happy today too!

happiness continued...

Yartini Sunshine Stripe

Doesn't this skein just evoke happiness? I was able to trade for this, just to bask in the sunshine of it. Yarntini is a magician, not to mention kind and creative.


Yarntini Boardwalk Stripe

This colorway makes me think cotton candy and Icees. Which, I think was the point. :)


another block from my happy quilt

My happy quilt is almost ready for binding. It will end up being a simple wall hanging to put in my office right where I will look at it when I need it most.

Last up for a happy tidbit, Amber of Life in Color is co-hosting a fun little swap for crafters - she is so amazing. I'm excited to be part of this, I have dabbled in everything and most of the swap goodies are supposed to come from your stash. Oh, and how mine could be culled. Check it out here.

Lastly, a little update on my husband - he is doing amazing. Just 2 weeks post brain surgery, today we went out to lunch and have a movie date planned for Monday. Isn't that something of a miracle? I think all of your prayers really helped - thank you!

be happy!

Yarntini self-striping in Flirtini

My first "waiting" sock. My husband's surgery went well on Thursday - after the 5 hour delay to get into the O.R., that is. His doctor is pleased - he even gave the green light to bust him out of the ICU today to a regular room - ah, more time for naps. He is so nauseous - he just needs some rest now, and plenty of 7up. We're are not sure when he will be home, maybe even tomorrow, but til then our families have been Rock Stars - keeping our children occupied and making sure that we are okay. Thank you to all for your kind words - I have been flabbergasted by the amount of love and support we have received.

Waiting has served as good knitting time - I've dubbed these happy socks my "don't worry, be happy" pair. Seems fitting. When I knit I like to "knit" some of the things swirling around in my life right into the project - a nice way to remember each challenge and chapter. I was also able to finish the book Confections of a Closet Master Baker by Gesine Bullock-Prado (which I would love to link to, but Blogger is being unpleasant...). I really enjoy books with recipes as a thread throughout. I wish I had dog-eared some pages - I'll just have to go back with my mouth watering... She introduces some traditional german desserts and I would like to try the home made maple sticky buns - I like to futz with stuff. This next week off with my husband may afford me some time to experiment. He is going to have to just get hungry first.