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.

wedded bliss!!

my sister finally got married to a really great guy! joyous union and the happy couple have an envious life on maui enjoying island life & now each other to share their everyday things! i wish them long love, long life and much happiness...

lucky me !

i have received some great stuff via snail mail which i feel is the best way. emailing and instant messaging is a high demand convenience but, rather than opt for instant gratification i feel it's good to wait... my SP is absolutely an attentive and generous gal. i screeched today, much to my daughter's dismay, when i saw the hello kitty in a kimono from my SP. kudos! she really made my day. these comfy shoes from www.chinadirectstore.com are one of 2 i indulged in getting for myself as festive wear.

lots of love to SP!

oh happy day!

lucky me! i went to check my mail and there was a wonderful package from my sp ;0) inside i found some great hello kitty charms to add to my charm bracelet, some hello kitty candy (they have free stickers inside) & the yarn harlot book!!! i've been wanting to read yarn harlot; sp you must have read my mind. my SP is awesome! thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

bella as the little devil!

altered halter & a doll sweater

ahh, a room with a view...

mehndi

henna tatoos are so intriguing. i love the repetitive design; scrolls, leaves, flowers. i have this urge to do a henna design since i'm not working i can sit and enjoy doing the design myself. can't wait to try to make this design around my foot/ankle.

in the beginning..

i sometimes wonder if eve had the same kind of problems getting adam to understand her as most women have with men today. that said, if we (women) were taken from adam's rib how can we be so far removed from men when it comes to communication? it is the plague of our century... epidemics, pandemics are mere tools of our "world" in keeping a balance in this living system we call mother earth. in essence it is such a dilemma, this difference between the sexes.
still i am hopeful that the sweetness between the sexes can cover a multitude of misunderstandinsgs between men & women, men & men, women & women...please hold all
complications. my poor fishtail scarf! i was 2/3's finished when i noticed that the scarf had started to grow somewhere in the middle therefore fatter than the rest. i had to rip out 30 rows... boo hoo... however, no amount of blocking would have been able to cover-up that mistake.

now that's a pair of socks!

i would love to make these socks from this incredible book!!
:0)

fever!

tell me quando, quando, quando! hottie micahel buble has made me re-exam the brat pack music. he sings smoothly.
i am convinced he is more than a crooner; he feels that
time of innocence and romance. even more so on his come fly with me cd/dvd he says to the camera, "i believe if i work very hard that i can take this world to a different time." he certainly does. he is popular worldwide. he's from burnaby, vancouver, bc. just over the border from where i live. wow, i am impressed...(sigh) must add him to my cd collection.

Happy Halloween!

it is just chilly enough to go running through the fall leaves on your way door to door for treats! my grandkids are on their way over to show me their costumes: taylor is stephanie from lazy town; stripped pink & purple dress i made w/white piping, a pink wig. jaiden is spiderman- his most favorite character besides spongebob. bella is this little devil just like the hello kitty on this post! it is good to see them excited! they plan on attending a costume party forgoing the door to door excitement. they are so cute! can't wait to take their photos :)

at last!

after tossing & turning for the most of the night i was so delighted when i heard the phone ring & it was my mom. whewwww... my bf had called again this morning on his cell to see if the landlines were working. in times of stress it's good to have angels in our lives who are here to guide & comfort us. mom said most people still have no electricity. the main reason why she ended up with both phone service & electricity is because she is a heart patient. otherwise, she would be waiting. what a relief! on a happier note i have finally finished the altered halter & must block it. i am still plugging along on the fishtail lace scarf. life is good :)

what a day!

i've been trying hard to be distracted as i have had some challenges the last couple of days;
just everyday stuff that doesn't necessarily happen everyday! waiting to see
if my mom in miami has survived wilma; she is a heart patient and stayed at home while the storm came through. i spent most of the day on the phone calling one place after another trying
to contact someone to check on her. after much dismay i must go to my local police department and ask for a welfare check to be sent teletype before the local law enforecement in miami can go out to check to see if she is there. i am full of hope and uncertainity all at the same time. i think not knowing can be more detoriating to the spirit than facing any challenge head on.
they say tomorrow will take care of itself.

what kind of chick are you?

You are AMANDA. On the surface, you've got the
bright and shiny life we all want. You're rich,
gorgeous and your Am Ex will buy you the
designer clothes of your dreams. Being the
popular party girl comes easily to you. It's
getting close to friends (or boyfriends) that's
a challenge. Maybe if you unloaded that big
secret of yours, you'd feel less need to keep
folks at arms length. In your Kate Spade
knitting tote is all the fuzzy, novelty yarn
you can carry.

Which Chick Are You?
brought to you by

what kind of shoe are you?

You are Barefoot! You're a total free spirit, go with the flow girl You can't be restricted by shoes for very long And unsuprisingly, the same goes for men Your match is out there - and he's as carefree as you are What Shoe Are You? Take This Quiz :-) Find the Love of Your Life (and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.

leap year baby

i was born 1/2 hour before lunch on thanksgiving day during a leap year. this year my birthday falls on thanksgiving day; i will definitely count my blessings since my hours at work for december are non-existent. in this high-tech world working seems to be a priviledge; even more so when you are under union rules: can't do this, can't do that. so, how will i pay my bills for december and january remains a mystery to me but i will press on find out how to make ends meet. find another job, you say. absolutely! however, this a small community full of over educated people serving coffee while paying for their student loans. it is a challenge :)

born on a holiday

***Your Birthdate: November 24***
Born on the 24th, you have a greater capacity for responsibility and helping others than your may have realized. You may also become the mediator and peacemaker in inharmonious situations. Devoted to family, you tend to manage and protect.
This birth date adds to the emotional nature and perhaps to the sensitivities. Affections are important to you; both the giving and the receiving.

books, books, books!

i have a fascination with trendy multi-colored items and i have some wonderful holiday gift ideas that i plan on making from these books. hanknit holidays has some great pieces; one for each of my girls to enjoy. this book is priceless. my lys has just relocated to a historical bldg. northwest yarns for all things for handknitters and spinners. their grand opening is the 1st week in November and i am stoked!

waiting for winter

we've had a few days of sunshine and a few more of rain. i never realized how many different kinds of rain there are! misty rain, sideways rain, large drops enough to create a deluge, drizzling rain. however i look at it, it all requires a way for me not to get soaked while i wait for the bus. self opening umbrellas are the best yet mine has taken a new form as it has projectiled it's handle and now looks like a weapon without the handle. still, it does a good job keeping my head dry, it still opens at the command of a button. i haven't had the heart to replace my umbrella. when i get a new one it will be bright & beautiful. i will be proud to own it. i am now 1/2 way done with my fishtail lace shawl made out of the gorgeous mohair my sp sent and i need to complete the back of my altered halter. i feel so self satisfied when i am close to finishing projects. must sneak way now to knit, knit, knit!

faeries & koi

today was a busy day for me. lots of errands; a hunt for educational toys for the grandkids. after some california rolls for lunch i went to fairhaven park with my daughter & bella. we saw a man on a powerizer. a most amazing device; looks rather sci-fi'ish and fun. bella was more intrigued with the girls rolling down the hill and was happy watching them roll down and then immediately they would run back up the hill to do it all over again. today was also a faerie day. while window shopping i saw a beautiful book called faeriedust and the egg. then while at the park i almost walked into a faerie ring! i thought this must be a sign of good fortune. we decided to end the day with a bubble tea from our fav cafe the koi cafe. it's sweet place with high ceilings, wood floors, an exotic flower shop next door and decor is all koi- koi in glass, koi in wood and their 100 gallon tank is full of multi-colored koi. as i have a fascination with carp i am instantly transported to contentment & peace. koi are sign of prosperity!

blue c sushi in fremont!!

had a great & lively weekend with the family. my daughter took me to sushi at a great place that has a conveyer belt; you just pull off what you want, the plates are different colors for the different prices. it was tres delicioso! afterwards we went to uwajimaya for honeymoon bubble tea in peach. window shopping is always at it's best here for me. hello kitty, chocolate moshi, red miso soup and tantalizing delicacies at every turn. i love seattle for daytrips. we walked and walked and walked. life can't get any better... i am content...