cabled headband

Our weather here has been crazy.  Just yesterday we had ice and freezing rain in the morning and today the high was 67!  So this new cabled headband that I knit will have to wait until Friday when the high temp is forecast to be 30. I originally saw it on Thimbleanna's blog and I loved it.  The pattern is a freebie and it is a quick and easy knit.   If you're new to cables, this would be a great pattern for learning how to cable.

You knit the entire piece flat and then sew the ends together to form the band.  I had some leftover yarn from my Diamond Cable Gilet so you could definitely knit this with some leftover yarn and use up some of your stash.

Thanks to Maggie for being my model....she's a sweetie!  She's eating a chocolate chip cookie in that picture....can you tell? Anyways, I hope your week is going along smoothly (weather aside) and that you have time to steal a chocolate chip cookie or two!

jumping back in

I've been having a hard time getting to this space....obviously!  And after being gone for almost 2 months, I decided that I just needed to jump back in and start rolling with things again.  I have missed being here, and so my goal is to be a bit more purposeful about posting.  With that said though, I fully recognize that our family is in the middle of basketball season and things are just busy all around.  But if I'm being honest, they are always busy and I have realized that it's important for me to take some time here for reflection and sharing and recapping. (if for no one else but myself) So, I'm hoping to be back here more regularly.  I won't pigeon hole myself to a certain number of posts, but I know that as with everything in life, if you want something to happen you must be intentional about it.

 I've started back in with Project Life and my daily pictures are out on flickr.  The link is on the side bar.  I missed doing that last year, but I truly did need a change of pace and the year off from taking daily pictures was a good thing.  This is the year, my oldest graduates from high school and so big changes are on the horizon for her and for us...it will be a grand year to document!

I've been working on some cross stitch projects.  The finished snowman was actually completed last year and I finally got around to 'framing' it.  I followed the awesome directions on this blog!  I love the felt around the edges.   I followed the directions for the Felt Mounted Ornament.

I also found out that you shouldn't put your plastic shower curtain liner in the dryer!  I'm not sure why I even thought that was a good idea...but lesson learned!  I laughed so hard and then called my husband..."honey can you stop by Target on your way home and pick up a shower curtain liner?...I sort of shrunk ours!"  Who knew that plastic could shrink!  What a great way to start off the new year...learning always!

I hope your new year is off to a great start!  It's always exciting to begin a new chapter in life...here's to hoping this year is a page turner full of blessings and awesome memories!

insta friday

 I'm linking up again with Jeannett at Life Rearranged for Insta-Friday!  

Here are some sneak peeks into last week...all taken with my cell phone:

A dear friend brought over some sweets and we caught up over coffee....it was a great way to start off my day.  She made me feel very special with the gourmet box of goodies.

 I was hosting book club on Saturday, so on Friday I made 2 kinds of muffins:  blueberry  and good morning muffins.  The favorite were the blueberry!  We also had egg muffins, fruit and wonderful conversation!  It was one of those relaxing, sit back and chat kind of mornings...I needed it so much!

 Our book club ladies are so generous...they often have little gifts at the table.  Since it was my month to host, I made everyone a bookmark (I know, how original!) and I packaged them with a a highlighter (for marking quotes) and sticky page tabs (for finding those highlighted quotes).

Someone is also playing some type of ball...these just stay on our entryway bench, waiting for the next player to grab them and go!   Someone is always heading somewhere! I'm just trying to 'roll' with it!

 I think I've finally finished gathering up all of our school supplies....we start on Monday!  yikes!!

 This is my mom's car.  She has little notes and scriptures and recipes tucked all over the place.  Her cup holders are full of coupons and fliers and reminders.  We went shopping on Thursday and I had to get a picture of it.  She calls it her brain!  Without those little pieces of paper...she'd be in a mess.  Too funny!

Me and my kiddos....they really are the best kids a mom could ask for.  I'm a very blessed mama!
It's fun looking back over my cell phone pics and seeing all the silly, wonderful, crazy blessings that fill up my days.  I hope you can find the blessings in your life too!

right now

Which season do you think is the busiest?  Fall, with back to school activities?  Maybe winter with Christmas and all the holiday happenings? I always think that the next season will be less busy but then I get to it and it's just as full as the one I just left.   I'm convinced that the busiest season is whichever one you're in....  No matter what season it is, it seems that the one in which you find yourself in is just as busy as the last one...but it's all good, isn't it?  These seasons are what make up a life....I'm learning to enjoy each and every minute of them.  My mom always told me not to hurry and wish your life away....she was so right!  There are blessings to find wherever you are.  

This season finds us:  

Enjoying Improv hour as Maggie performed (this was before the performance)

and Mckenzie watched on...she's such a great supportive sister!

 enjoying the wonderful weather outside 

(molly loves to sit on the deck and watch for the horses and squirrels) 

slowly getting started on a project...cutting 6 inch squares for the beginning of an hourglass quilt 

our boy is learning to mow the grass on the lawn tractor....I think his daddy was surprised that his legs were long enough to reach the brake....a key essential in mowing!

enjoying my plants - fiddleheads as they emerge from the ground all curly and green

bleeding hearts...

forget me nots

huechera...this one is called Peach Flambe....it is gorgeous!

working bit by bit on my favorite scarf ever...

it's so easy, I've actually got the pattern memorized.  

We're also into baseball season and basketball as well...but I'm having trouble uploading any more photos into blogger...oh well, that might by my cue to stop and go do some laundry.  It's always laundry season!  Enjoy your seasons and the days that make them up!  

simple pleasures

It's been nice to have some things lighten up in our schedule lately and I've found myself with some time to:

*enjoy my neighbor's hellebores.  The common name for these beauties is Lenten Rose.(today is Ash Wednesday....how appropriate!)

*put away packaging from Christmas...this has been sitting by our bedroom door just waiting to go downstairs.  I've walked by it every day for weeks  months and for whatever reason, I finally got it put away!  go figure!?  (does anyone else saving packaging from electronics, just in case?)

*pick up a long lost (started years ago) cross stitch sampler.  This is Harbison Chapel from my Alma Mater - Grove City College.  After all these years, I still really like it and would love to finish it.  Maybe this is the year!

*put away the snowmen....we've barely had a trace of snow here all winter.  I'm done with the snowmen taunting me.  (now it will snow, right?!)

*use my coffee beans in a new way.  With all my snowmen put away I was needing something to fill in a spot, but it's way too early for bunnies and daffodils, so coffee seemed like a good move!

*start on a hat.  You've got to wonder why I'd start a winter hat with a forecast that includes temps in the high 60's but I had the yarn and the pattern...and I got an itch to start a new knitting project.  The perfect storm...yarn, pattern, desire, time!

So, that's what's going on around here... a bit of this and a bit of that.  Hope you're finding time for some simple pleasures as well!  

clean slate

I spent some time last week cleaning out my craft room studio.  The word studio makes me laugh...it's really just a spare bedroom turned into a work space for me and my crafting tendencies.  It also doubles as a guest room, holder of all secret presents, winter home for plants and a laundry drying area.  I guess I come by the need for a creative space honestly, as my mom always had a craft space when I was growing up.  Her space is a closet that she turned into a sewing room.  She has a counter, shelves, filing space and a board for inspiration.  She doesn't sew as much as she used to, but she can still sew circles around me.

(all fresh and clean)

Anyways, back to my clean space.  I purged and reorganized and made room for my computer back on my desk.  I didn't do any major furniture moving, but a few simple shifts and the entire space feels new to me.  Isn't it funny how a couple of little tweaks can make all the difference?  Before I had space issues when I sewed and now just moving the bookshelf down a few feet has opened up much more room for me to sew or scrapbook or blog.

 (before the reorganization)

I've also been working on my project 365 scrapbook for 2011.  All the photos are taken (one for each day of the year), printed and slipped into their spots.  Now, I'm just working on writing out the journaling cards.  Stink...if I'd just done it a little bit all year long, I'd be done.  But I do have to say, I'm enjoying the detailed look back at the year.  Writing out the cards and looking back over the photos reminds me of all the blessings that 2011 contained.  This is my 3rd year of doing 365.  You can see my flickr photos here, here and here.

For 2012, I'm planning to revamp my approach to project 365.  I'm taking photos as usual, just organizing them a bit differently.  Instead of doing weekly spreads, I'm planning on doing thematic spreads.  For example, one will focus on John Samuel's basketball, one on a week in the life of our homeschool, one on  vacation....you get the idea.  It'll allow me a bit more freedom with pictures and hopefully the new approach will re-energize me with my photography.  I found myself waning at the end of last year.

That's all that's going on here if you don't count school and basketball....We're dribbling our way through the winter....we had 7 games this week.  (it's not hard with 3 players and one coach under the same roof).  Hope all is going well with you and your family...any reorganizing going on at your house?

from strength to strength

Sipping my morning coffee and reading the Word, I came across Psalm 84: 

"Blessed are those whose strength is in You, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.  As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.  They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion."  (v. 4-6)

As I read the phrase "they go from strength to strength" I found myself praying...."Lord, help me to journey through life from strength to strength.   I sometimes feel as though I'm going from crisis to crisis or prayer need to prayer need." 

You know what I mean?  It seems like certain stretches of road have me going from drama to drama (maybe that's because I have teenagers) or concern to concern. Don't get me wrong.  I count my blessings every day and I know my cup runs over with abundance, but when I hit those places in the road where things are tough I find myself wanting the gentler road...the one without all the mud and all the mess.     That's when I long for the pretty path with flowers and paved roads. 

And then I quietly heard in my heart the Lord whisper to my spirit, "It's not your strength that you go from, it's Mine.  In those times of crisis or trouble or drama, it's My strength that you land on and take off from."  That Valley of Baca is a reference to a place of tears.  As I walk through the places that make me cry (and I will walk through those place...we all do), I find comfort and refreshment in Him.  He is the source of my strength. 

See, I was backwards in my thinking.  (again) What I was really wanting was 'cake walk' to 'cake walk', but I know enough to know that during those hard times, that it has been His strength that I've encountered and that has supported  me and held me up.   It's particularly during the hard times that I find myself leaning in to Him.  It's His strength that gets me through one trial and onward in my journey.  If I didn't have to pass through those Valleys of Tears, I wouldn't know His strength the way I do.  I'm so blessed.  I have been all along.   He reminded me that I have been walking from strength to strength.....not mine.  His.

In the end, it doesn't matter what condition the road is that I find myself traveling on...

just that I am found traveling in Him.  I've set my heart on pilgrimage and I'm so thankful that He supplies His strength for each mile of the journey.  

the bliss of autumn...outside and in

We're right in the middle of peak foliage for our state.  It is beautiful outside. Ordinary yards are transformed with brilliant colors and the woods are just magical.   Today John and I took a drive to our favorite heirloom pumpkin stand.

 This is one of my favorite places to visit each autumn.  I always take loads of pictures....the place is pure eye candy!

 I saw these cheese gourds and took this picture specifically for Jodi.  (check out her squash edition..it's very helpful!)  The tag said that the Long Island Cheese was perfect for pies and stored well over a long period.....I think one of these would make a really big pie!

These peanut pumpkins were really fun and unusual.  Two ladies came by and picked one up without any hesitation....they were on a mission and apparently it involved unusual pumpkins. 

 We lingered around the stand taking pictures and watching the chickens and then we took the long way home through the creek.  It was a great little getaway!

Inside, I've been decking the house with these great fabric pumpkins.  These were made from a Patchwork Pumpkin pattern that I bought from RetroMama.   There are three sizes and I made several of each. 

 Kim did a great job writing this pattern. It is chock full of tips and tricks and the photos helped so much.  They were so fun to make.  I held myself to using fabric that I had on hand.  (a self imposed challenge....and it helped use up some of my fall scraps)

 I ended up making 6 pumpkins.  After the first one, I had the hang of it and they went together pretty quickly.  My favorites are the two wool plaid ones which were made from an piece of fabric leftover from a vest my mom made many years ago.

 I gave one to my mom and she showed it off at book club this morning.  All the ladies want me to make them one now!....they are really cute!    I have a feeling I'm not done making these pumpkins.... but for now, I'm going to head out and enjoy the beautiful autumn scenery!

Hopefully you'll find some time this weekend to enjoy the scenery around you....Happy Fall!