Sunday, January 30, 2011

English Countryside












I have recently taken a fancy to all things Brit. This Etsy Storque feature just made my love stronger. Cheerio.

Friday, January 28, 2011

A lovely feature

The sweet, sweet Red Otter has chosen to feature my latest on her gorgeous, delightful blog.



















Just lovely.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

I really should tell her...

Oh Sweet Sophie.













Someday I'm going to have to tell her that it's Alice in Wonderland, not Allison Wonderland. I'm going to have to break the news to her that we say at least, not ackleast. It's called a cupboard not a covered. And Honey, the story doesn't begin with Once upolla time.
She typically conducts business as if she is a grown-up. My heart fills up when she says these things because it reminds me how sweet and innocent she still is. And I don't correct her because I want her to stay that way. Forever.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Kick in the Pants

So I have this, um, friend who for the first time in a looooong time felt a little stumped for creativity this morning. She woke up to a beautiful white (and gray, and brown, and beige) frosty wonderland, drove her daughter to school, and came home and had no idea what she should do. She even thought about slipping back into bed. SNAP OUT OF IT! She thought to herself.
Desperate for a fix of something new for her eyeballs to look at she opened her "Inspired" folder in her "Favorites" file and clicked on a link to Bloesem Kids.









April Showers Collection by Polder (find the link on Bkids)

And then she heard harp music, saw a lightning bold, and felt one of those cute little espadrilles kick her right in the pants. 
Word on the street is that she is back to normal and back to work. Phew.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Happy Birthday Dolly

It's Dolly Parton's birthday, y'all! Since I feel the need to claim ownership of all things, Sweet, Baby, or Dolly, I thought I should acknowledge.





















If you need me I'll be Groovesharking a little 9 to 5 and making some serious promises to myself to never go under the knife.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Fab Foto Friday, Bye Bye Twins, Hello Bull.













All the hub-bub about the shifting of our zodiac signs inspired me to post this image of toddling twins (my aunt and uncle). I don't get too much into astrology, but I am a believer and a lover of all things hoo-doo.
I'm also a believer and a lover of funny, six letter, hyphenated, made up, rhyming words.
I was born a Gemini, ya know, the twins? But I always knew I was a Taurus. And now I can be. Phew.
Although in reading some of the articles on this topic you are technically supposed to stick with the sign you were born under, and there's some rule about the sun, and maybe you can be half one sign and half of another, blah blah... Like I said, I don't get too much into it, so I'm just gonna run with this Taurus thing.
Oh. That was so not supposed to be a joke about running with the bulls. Too. Much. Coffee.
But anyway, about the picture. Precious, isn't it?  Wouldn't you love to walk into each one of those homes and snoop around. Or take a ride around the block in one of those cars. It looks like Spring. Judging by their pristine little outfits, it might be Easter?  Oh! And those hats! I'm thinking I might have to get the needles out and come up with a knit version of a sailor hat before my caffeine wears off.
Happy Friday Kids!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Boot Fetish






















A-ha-ha-ha-ha. I love to say I told you so. My old winter boots had holes in them. So I did need new ones. I did. These boots are so completely beautifully functional, and you just can't beat the pink stitching (and the red soles! swoon). I will wear them until they collapse. And now I'm thinkin'...
The seed catalog arrived in the mail. It rained last week. Christmas is over and the snow has lost its charm. It happens to this Minnesota girl every year. The January Spring Crave-a-thon. I'm not longing for my flip flops yet, that happens in the end of February. Now I'm thinking about dirt. Sprouts. Buds. That fresh, wet smell in the air when everything starts to thaw.
...So back to my thinkin'. Golly gee I just realized my rain boots have holes in them too, shucks. I guess I'll have to start thinking obsessing about some new ones.
I was with my family when I stumbled upon them. I made a weird whispery grunting sound and pulled Sophie's hand to follow me. She saw them too and immediately said "Oh Mom those are You-ish."
My husband even agreed that I needed to have them. He understands the importance of proper footwear and that a country girl should not have holes in her boots.
So these too, WILL BE MINE. I'll wait a while, maybe I can catch them on sale. We've got a lot of winter left. I better go put another log on the fire.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Lesson #4 Less Thinking, More Dancing

Today I learned, thank you Utube, how to do a provisional cast-on. Doesn't that sound important? It's a knitting technique.















I watched several demonstrations before I found one that had no audio. I was able to just watch and learn. Then I started to get it, but my brain box was still overheating from too much thinking. So I watched another video with an instructor who kept repeating the words of the motions: Over under, under under, over under, under...  And I got into the rhythm. I started to think about how knitting is total muscle memory. The minute I start thinking about the technique, I end up in tangles. I realized it's probably a lot like ballroom dancing. I have been known to tune in to Dancing with the Stars (like you haven't), and I always hear the instructors telling the "stars" that they are thinking too much.  Almost instantly my own provisional cast-on words became One-Two-Cha Cha Cha.
No thinking, no tangles, just me and my needles. Dancing.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Stu Stu Studio

Loving some studio time today. Major multitasking going on here...

Working on some new designs for Sweet Baby Dolly on Etsy, quite in love with this one.





















Plus I had laundry going, banjo music playing, and I was keeping an eye on the big fluffy snowflakes that were falling slowly. Sweet Monday, or what?

New Year, New You?

Um, NO. Because there was nothing wrong with the old you.
Do you know that? Do you feel that? Because you should. Because you're perfect.
No need to resolve to make changes on January 1 just because that's what everybody else does. Because most of them will fail, beat themselves up, and turn out worse off than they were before. Only to do it all again next year.
Make your resolutions everyday. Resolve to love who you are, accept who you are, and understand what you are capable of. You are capable of much more than you often give yourself credit for. Do you know that? Do you feel that? Because you should. Because it's true.