retro readers

oh, hooray!!!  I didn't need an excuse to read retro, but add to it that others whom I admire from afar are doing it and asked if I wanted to join, how could I say no?  I heart old-timey stories.  So, I joined!  Just like a club from childhood....  Wanna' join?  Who says you can't go back?

this moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Inspired by Soulemama.

this moment

{this moment} - a Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember. (inspired by SouleMama)

signs of summer

::: fireworks :::

::: veggie patch :::

::: water play :::

::: watermelon :::

::: flower garden :::

::: baseball :::

::: sunflowers :::

::: sunflowers :::

::: sunflowers :::

{this moment}

{this moment} - a Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A single, special, extraordinary moment. A moment that I want to pause, savor, and remember. This is my contribution to Amanda's {this moment} photo project.

{this moment}

{this moment} - a Friday ritual. A single moment - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember. This is my contribution to Amanda's {this moment} photo project.

Earth Day

I hope your Earth Day was beautiful!

best ~ Annri

away

I've been away from the blog, yes, but not away from town. Rather I've been all about town with my family, sisters, brother, nephew, parents, and friends. My sisters were both in town at the same time, by coincidence! It was the perfect excuse/reason to step away from the computer desk (lovely as it is) and enjoy the people who bring out the best in me, my family.

I've already started re-grouping by mopping the floors, the whole house needs a good once-over. I'm teaching a workshop at a conference in a few weeks and need to begin preparing in earnest. The yard, full of happy birdsong, is beckoning too!

So, in as much as I was "away", I'm back now. How've you been?

xo

{this moment}

{this moment} - a Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember. This is my contribution to Amanda's {this moment} photo project.

much anticipated

Much anticpated treasures have arrived! Spring has brought along with her many of her glowing friends: sweet crocus......an enrobed river stone......and humble bumble. Do you see him there?
Thank Goodness for Spring's arrival, for all of her glowing cohorts, and for Margie and her Resurrection Fern always full of Nature and inspiration for expansion (check out the link at the end of her post for today 3/24/10).

three little birds

Rise up this mornin'

Smile with the risin' sun

Three little birds

Pitch by my doorstepSingin' sweet songs

Of melody pure and true

Sayin' this is my message to you, 'ou, 'ouSingin', don't worry 'bout a thing

'Cause every little thing's gonna' be alright

Singin', don't worry 'bout a thing

'Cause every little thing's gonna' be alright! Thank you to Lucy of Attic24 for the perfect tutorial(s) for these whimsical little birds. They sing to me. Thank you to Bob Marley for the song they sing. Here's one of our favorite versions by Elizabeth Mitchell.

Have a great weekend, Everyone!

{this moment}

{this moment} - a Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember. This is my contribution to Amanda's {this moment} photo project. Lucky me, my days are full of these moments, I just happened to have the camera in my hands this time. :) If you'd like to see others' moments, check the comments over at SouleMama today.

Ahhh-choo!

So sorry to have disappeared like that.... A flurry of nasty colds has swept through the house, but we've come clear now. I'm going to re-group here quietly for a couple more days and plan to post again over the weekend. Thank you for checking in on us.

accumulation

An accumulation of gratitude, snow, and granola bars...

I thought I should drop in here to say, "Phew! February is on it's way out!" And I would like to say thank you for all the encouragement to be bold back to this longest shortest month, and return all the virtual high-fives you gave me about the Crafty Crow appearance. Thank You!This is some of the beautiful snow that fell last week. Here is what we did with some of it:*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

For some reason today, I just had to make granola bars. I haven't tried making it from scratch before. I've found it hard to find one that I really like at the store. I'm picky about the bars I buy; I don't tolerate cashews, don't want the chocolate (I know, I know, blasphemous), like a good portion of chew, a titch of salt, and not too sweet. Please. Oh, and I love knowing exactly what's in there. I guess it should have occurred to me sooner. I tweeked a recipe I found over at delicious Smitten Kitchen. My modifications: I only had whole almonds, so I sent them through the nut-grinder. I didn't have wheat germ, so substituted oat bran. In my impatience, I added the oat bran before I was instructed, so it got toasted with the oats, almonds, and coconut (unsweetened); no harm done. Our honey is very solid, so I melted it a bit before mixing it in. And I felt compelled to add 2 tbls of butter, melted (Deb said I could!) For fruit I used dried cranberries, dried apricots, and raisins. You can see the sunflower seeds on top; that's because I forgot to mix them in. I just pushed them onto the top of the granola bars after it was all pressed into the pan. YUM. I think you should make some too. {By the way, that rigatoni is calling my name!}

So, if you're reading, you've made it through February too! Hooray for us! I hope to have a finished object (or two) to share later this week. Time to check out the Closing Ceremonies; the Olympics really helped me through this last bit of the calendar. :)

moments like these

Often, when I cook, I visualize a scene of the ideal setting for the food I'm preparing (there's that optimism again). Sometimes, that fantasy can be the push I need to add just that extra side-dish, condiment, or garnish. Sometimes, more than not, the vision can lead to frustration too, wishing I had that sprig of parsley that would be so pretty or those olives that would be the perfect salty tidbit. Sometimes, though, the whole picture comes together like this... ... a new cookie recipe, a new knitting project, and a perfect cup of coffee in my favorite mug! I found the peanut butter cookies through Leslie, and with their perfect little garnish they sure make me smile. I'm knitting this top with a merino wool & silk blend which weighs next to nothing and is very soft. The silk gives the fabric a gloss and the rustic spinning keeps it all from being too sleek; a perfect combination in my opinion!

What moments are you savoring?

Oh, and guess what?! The Heart-felt Tutorial is in Crafty Crow, an awesome on-line craft project resource! I emailed Cassi of Crafty Crow to offer the tutorial thinking that it was a bit late for another Valentine's Day project, but feeling brave and that I should just try. I had cruised the projects for a week or so after I emailed Cassi, but didn't see it. Then just last week, I received an email from Helen of Curly Birds thanking me for the tutorial she found on Crafty Crow (Helen's heart pouches are so sweet). I had all but forgotten about the submission. I could (can) hardly believe it! Whoopee!!! Big news for little ol' moi. Thank you to Helen for the tip-off and thank you to Cassi for the link-up!

eternal optimist

My feelings about the month of February boil down to a feeling that it is to be endured. It has seemed this way since some time in high school, so some 27 (!) years ago. However, I am an eternal optimist; my husband has even called my optimism dangerous, as in it is dangerous for me to be optimistic about everything, it can cause disappointments (he says this out of concern for my well-being). He exaggerates, but in a way, he is right. Each year, as February rolls around, I give myself a pep-talk and make plans to power through. I tell myself, "Really, Annri, this is the shortest month; buck up, power through, it can't be that bad." And then, for the most part, February shows up and messes with me.

Now, I like to tell it like it is, not too much sugar-coating because I don't like to play Fool to Reality. Here we sit at the half-way point, and I'm still fighting back (imagine me in a put-up-your-dukes stance like the NotreDame leprechaun), so that's a good sign, right? And if I look at this February through my usual rose-tinted glasses, by George, I'm still standing! Sure, we were sick, but we're better now. Sure, February is grey, but we've got a bunch of snow now! Sure, the walls start to move in closer by this point in winter, but I got away last weekend! Sure, it's taken boxes of St.John'sWort tea (with orange rinds added!), but there's nothing wrong with that! I'm chipping away at the yarn Stash, that's good! I've enhanced the Stash, and that's always good! I'm finishing some projects that have been hanging around for a long time, that's good!

So to summarize, it seems that this year I am tipping the scales, folks! Call me optimistic, but I think that here at the half-way point, I'm staring February down, and I think I see its knees shaking a bit! Cheer for me, okay?

it's so cold...

...but the sun was out to play!::: eating cinnamon roll bread ::: thanks to Beth
::: knitting on a neighborly ::: thanks to Jennifer and Larissa
::: reading & cuddling ::: I can't wait until she's old enough for Pippi
::: drinking hot tea ::: St.John's Good Mood Tea, Traditional Medicinal
::: listening to some good stories ::: thanks to NPR
::: hoping that you are cozy & warm wherever you are ::: really!

eta: thanks to Heather too!

the view from here...

...is quiet today. When I feel overwhelmed, I find it helps to look up. These are some of the great trees we have in our yard. They serve us in so many ways: bearing fruit, lending branches to climb, creating shade, breaking the winter winds, sprouting branches & leaves & cones & acorns to play with, offering kindling, and improving our point of view. I really love these trees.

What helps you to refocus?

bottle this

I wish I could bottle the creativity that bubbles over from her. All of this in one day. One very good day.Finished a hat for Molly. She'll need her own Ravelry page soon. ;-)Built a playgym for the dollhouse kids.Figured out that you can hopscotch with snowshoes on! Thanks, Aunty!


:::


On my creativity front, I finished a couple of hats. Two heads worth of Malabrigo goodness!
On the left, a Felicity in the Whales Road colorway (just imagine the whales' journey). I'm hoping that blocking will relax the wool so the hat will fit an adult head. In the meantime, it's super cute on Hana. On the right, another Lyalya Hoodie. Hopefully, this one won't meet the same fate as the first! I used what was left of the Cuarenta colorway with some Teal. It is a great hat pattern and the wool is so soft she never complains of itches. {details on my Ravelry page}

I have been starting projects like crazy. I'm noticing that I get this startitis every mid-winter, once the knitted gifts are all given, usually in January sometime - ahem. Yesterday, I began a pair of Give a Hoot mittens for myself. They're almost done! It is an awesome pattern. I'm using the same Morehouse Farms Merino 3-ply that I used for Dad's leg warmer. Simply cozy!
Here's a pic of the first owl sans button eyes; I really hope the button stash is up to this job. I had to hunt for a while to find my cable needle; it had been a while since cables came off my needles. Someday, I'm going to make this owl-y goodness too! I hope you're having a cozy weekend. After our re-entry week and getting back to our usual school, work, play schedule I've ended up with a head cold, nothing serious, but enough to keep me quietly knitting. I'm kind of enjoying it. I know you understand.

best - Annri

don't play with your food!

Just kidding! Play all you want! Because these three squares are meant to be played with. :)

Sometime around the age of two, Hana received a generous, timely, we-can't-believe-our luck! hand me down gift of a beautiful wooden play kitchen. She has loved that toy so much! It's a rare day that goes by without Hana cooking up some kind of goodness there. At first, dry millet, a jar of little felt balls, water, and strong imagination were all the "food" she needed. However, by the time of her fourth birthday (she's five now), some real food was requested. So for her birthday I made her some of the food below. The invitation for her party were in the form of a simple menu, and guests were asked to rsvp with their "order". Between rsvp date and the party I got busy making, and each guest was presented their "order" as part of their party favor from Hana's Cafe party. It was so much fun!On the daily menu at Hana's Cafe: for breakfast, a shortstack of pancakes with maple syrup and a pat of butter. Yum. {knitted and felted from this pattern but smaller with Rowan Scottish Tweed DK, free-hand felt syrup & butter}Then for lunch, a mixed greens salad with carrots, cucumber slices, mushrooms, and peas. Yum. {lettuce & mini carrots with Brown Sheep Nature Spun worsted, cucumbers with Debbie Bliss cotton and Nature Spun worsted, mushrooms & peas were handmade gifts from a friend who knew the party theme, big carrot wet felted with Peace Fleece roving}Sushi for dinner! Salmon roll, cucumber roll, tuna roll, and salmon roe! Yum. {rice & fish in rolls needle-felted from Peace Fleece roving and wrapped with black nori/felt, little roe pieces wet felted into tiny balls then onto the rice, then wrapped} This sushi is a recent addition to the fare at Hana's cafe, you know, for the more mature chef. ;-)Dessert! Yea! An oreo-type cookie. Extra-Yum! {amigurumi cookie from Brown Sheep Nature Spun & Cascade 220 and a wee bit of felt & embroidery floss} This cute cookie is really one of Hana's dad's holiday gifts (he's an oreo fiend from way back), but he has "allowed" her to play with it in her kitchen.

For the party invitations, we also offered pasta with tomato sauce. I made bowtie pasta with white felt cut in small rectangles (approx 1"x1.5") with two long sides cut with regular scissors and the two short sides cut with pinking shears. I pinched the center and stitched it a few times to secure it; about ten pieces makes a nice serving. The tomato sauce was a "splat" shaped piece of felt. As is the way with the cobbler's children, Hana's kitchen hasn't received its delivery of pasta from the distributor, but don't worry, I'm on it! :)

I'm posting about this play food now because the colder weather means indoor play is gaining favor. As I put my mind to sprucing up her play areas to expand her options, I thought it would be nice to share these ideas with you. There are few things better than a little one witnessing the creation of a toy (or anything for that matter) just for them, or by them!

Just food for thought! {Gah! I can't believe I just typed that, but that's me, so there you go!}

xo - Annri