new year's eve lunch

we had some lovely raspberry lemondrop martinis and coconut prawns. we managed to get some advice about libation mixing. so i went home and made a simple raspberry syrup, muddled some lemons, sugar rimmed the glasses and mixed some smirnoff raspberry vodka with chambord shake, shake, shake
we got new year's heaven! my newest fascination is with hula girl painting by auckland, new zealand's "misery" trendy, city artist. she does some great designs on all kinds of things from lunch boxes to sweet purses; it's goth, it's cute, it's contagious! check her out misery/illicit clothing company.

i resolve to evolve

i had so much fun making things for everyone else
so i am finally able to make something fun for myself.
my sp had sent this great wool in green so i ventured to
make the trendy shruglet- not a shawl & not a shrug.
i love the victorian style & the fun fur added a little balance. joanne's is so good with their diverse kits. this oriental purse was made for my daughter; if you can sew a straight line you can easily make one. she just loved it. new yr's= new attitude, new perspective and no resolutions!

Your Hidden Talent

You have the power to persuade and influence others. You're the type of person who can turn a whole room around. The potential for great leadership is there, as long as you don't abuse it. Always remember, you have a lot more power over people than you might think!

What's" Your Hidden Talent?

is there ever really enough time?

i have knit fever again! i love the color & textrue of the lopi hat and this cute target kit looks like fun!

deck the halls

from our home to yours: wishing you a joyous holiday season!

am i done yet?

have made yet another curly scarf in light blue & a scarf/hat set for my son-in-law. it has been fun but, i think i am almost all knit out. i love this mom & daughter photo of knitting. sweet :0)

snowflakes

when i was young we moved from puerto rico to stephenville, newfoundland. of all the obvious changes the one that most impressed me was the story of jack frost. i had never seen snow and ice crystals. my first experience with snowflakes really left me breathless. how perfect nature is: no two snowflakes are alike.
what a wonderful world we live in. now, whenever i see a snowflake i remember how delicate and perfect they are; it makes me smile :0) happy, happy holidays!

keeping some balance

with all the hulabaloo of getting presents made for my loved ones i am taking time to stimulate my brain; reading holy cow and fairy dust is going to be a good break from knitting. i love knitting but, my arms and wrist are in dire need of rest. i want to make time for some baking as
well! so many fun things to do and i will do it all! almost finished with yet a 3rd curly scarf & a hat. after the holidays i intend on making myself a couple of shrugs & finish my mohair scarf.
it's been quite chilly so my coffee comsumption goes up just to keep warm. happy holidays!

seasons of life

can't believe how quickly this year has gone by. i am also stumped by how fast my life is going by. birthdays have come and gone. one day i found out how vulnerable i really was about my age when i had to choose which age bracket i was in. egads! 45-60 yrs. of age. whew, i am suddenly quite tired; once i could salsa dance all night long. now, you can't even get me out to go dancing. although, i do dance at home i felt cheated; no lights, no heart thumping verberations of house music. so, this is how it feels to be older. somedays i am so light and cheerful i know that it is the inner child i have that holds it all together. i plan on salsa dancing til the day i die ;)

some of my favorite books

so much to knit and seems like not enough time! i love the sensation of knitting. while i lived on maui (2003- 2004) i knitted every chance i could. people ususally looked at me as though i belonged in a looney bin but, hey! what an excellent vice to have. now, everywhere you look trendy knit is in.

christmas in the city of lights

i think that there are a great many romantic places to spend the holidays. i would love to go to europe for christmas especially paris. as it is already called the city of lights the holiday festivities could only enhance the charm & seductive embrace of a city full of such love. one day, i will take my family & friends, rent a little place outside any city and enjoy the rural celebrations. to me, it doesn't
matter if it is spain or japan. the experience of cultural immersion is what i long for. how to better understand myself and my neighbors. my family has always traveled. the times that we settle down, the long periods in between short jaunts to see family friends is needed; mostly, we love to see how others live, love and celebrate life.

keys, locks & other necessities

You're a little gold key, and you unlock other
people's hearts. Your kindness and willingness
to be there for those you care about lets
people open up to you knowing they will be
accepted. People will rely on you, but be
careful not to give more than you have.


What sort of key are you and what do you unlock?
brought to you by Quizilla

lori higgins fest!

finished another curly scarf! i really want to knit something for myself but, i must wait... patience, patience. i found voice of choice for december has my favorite artist from maui- lori higgins! she pours herself into the aloha of painting island life. i just love her!

trip to mt. baker

took a spin up to mt. baker today. the sun was out and most of the snow down here had melted. so, going up the road for 45 min. we found ourselves in a winter wonderland. it was invigorating to inhale the crisp, cold air from the warm, cozy car. i had to take some shots of the drive. we stopped at milano's a great little place that has the best italian food. everything is handmade right on the premises. as we enjoyed our pasta we could see the whispy mists of clouds dematerialize and reappear as they crossed the base of the mountain. it was a wonderful drive; just loved it.

love this time of year

it's so great to have a craft that can be utilized in all kinds of way. my family has been good about not giving me grief about my "granny hobby." they usually smile when they see me bring my knitting bag to events to fill in the time in-between this and that. it's been slow going on projects for the family; mainly, deciding what to make and for whom. as i get inspired i immediately get started and commit so i won't change my mind. finished one of the many initial washcloths to go along with the kanji soap. it was fun to mix and match the batches of soap. i used honey and goat's milk. decided to add a few more flowers to my granddaughter's poncho- her american girl doll will also have a poncho as she will be getting one from santa. so they will match. am on my second curly scarf and i hope i have time to make a kimono style sweater for my isabelle. soon will be putting up more greenery to counter all the lights my bf has put up. the blinking of red and blue soften the living room at night. it has snowed on & off so the light falling snow has created a softness all around.

shout out to Karen, SP

a hug and a great big thank you to Karen of frog knits for spoiling me during sp6. i loved all the hello kitty stuff, the skeins of soft, soft wool and the luscious foot cream; it works way better than anything else i've tried. i am hooked on it- thanks for sharing that and everything else.
i fell in love with hello kitty while we lived in Japan shortly after hello kitty first came out. since then all the girls in my family have gotten hooked so it's something we all love to give & receive. Karen you have been a great inspiration to me with the great fiber intros; mohair is so awesome and i love the green of the skeins you've recently sent. it has been so much fun being part of SP6.

family ties

i greeted my daughter today on her return home from maui. my son and sister/family live there. they spent time enjoying conversations all inclusive of persuasive opinions now that they are all adults. the adult/child relationship takes a severe turn depending on the age of the individual where you no longer have to listen to others. it has been my pleasure to have adult children (what a term to set upon someone related who is now in their mid-20 something's) who have been able to freely express their opinions to me since they learned how to be cognizant of their feelings. they have always been real and honest with me; no tender withholding of information in order to spare my feelings! consequently, i have been able to let go of most negative situations. mostly, i feel blessed and compelled to believe that we must somehow choose the people in our lives in order to grow to be better beings. maui has also held a special spiritual quality for my family as we all love the peace we experience within whenever we go to the island. friends of friends, family - all indictative of ohana. a special word full of love and a place to be within a community. i hope to return one day; meanwhile i can dream of a little grass shack in hawaii.

fini

it's been so hectic at home with taking care of fish, cat and now a puppy. it's been fun but crazy. buddha kitty has fast become friends with puppy even as to share his food. who would have thought. finished the little poncho and added button's to the doll sweater. i am now knitting wash cloths to go with the little bars of soap that have kanji symbols; will take photos later. must go and get ready for work.

a day of relaxing

just an easy day of coffee drinking and watching the snow... have my heart set on finishing a few holiday presents but am in dire need of a small change in the daily rountine so i've checked these 2 great books for companionship today. i love historical fiction and marie's hidden diary is pretty intriguing. she never was apologetic about who she was or where she came from... what else could she do?

birthday celebrations!

had alot of fun today! dozen sunset roses from a good friend, a necklace from my sis, a beautiful nao girl from my daughter, chocolate liquer from my bf matching coffee mug to drink from, and this new little edition came by with his furry, cute self. had a great birhtday/thanksgiving day spent with family. didn't get to work on my lei as i ended up playing with my grandkids; they are active and creative :)

birthday eve & thanksgiving

what a wonderful life we have. we seem to have a holiday for almost every month in the year. i love holidays- the celebration of life, reaffirmation with family & friends of our joys & sorrows. i absolutely love people watching during those moments when we relive our childhoods by telling our individual stories that become the gossmar thread in the web of life. another more creative note i intend on making a lei out of silk & fun fiber. i picked up the book on maui and have made a few but never one for myself. so tomorrow for my birthday i will spend the day carrying my lei making items with me & see what comes out. a birthday lei for two celebrations. i hope to learn some creative tips too from by bf's daughter who's 14. she has quite an amazingly creative blog. i was intimidated. so i plan on asking for her help!

almost done with the cotton candy poncho for taylor. i have a few other small projects i have that i would like to make for family members. made some great goat's milk soap in molds that have kanji symbols for eternity, love, happiness and tranquilty in white. next batch will be rose colored with orange scent. i usually like to buy a few educational toys for the kids and make something for them to wear or use. it's exciting this time or year!

knitting for the holidays

reading yarn harlot has really inspired me, made me laugh and finally i realized it okay to be fiber obessed. i have loved all kinds of crafts from needlework to washi kit making but, nothing is as satisfying as hand made items to wear. my daughter has always been a big supporter of any of my hand made items and had actually encouraged me to go out & share my creations. she loves hats so that's how i got hooked on knitting instead of crocheting. i do prefer the diversity of knitting; not only is the weight, texture & designs of knitting more versatile but, the quality is more appealing. not to put down crochet as i have made many different beautiful items greatly appreciated by the recipient. for me the challenge of creating yet another genuine
long lasting body wear is better suited by knitting. finished a twirly scarf in a light furry blend, am working on a cotton candy poncho for my granddaughter. so happy to have found a sewing tin to put all my needles & spools of thread. mary englebreit is one of my favorite artist. she loves childhood and has a great sense of humor & good values to impart in her art. my tins says, "laugh yourself into stitches." by shakespeare believe it or not.