On My Nightstand

For me it was one of those rare evenings...

Dinner cooked, eaten and dishes cleared,

The boys hunkered down in their rooms playing video games doing homework,

hubby downstairs, happily at one with the sofa and TV,

doggies fed, walked and settled in.

Oh too good to be true...it's 8:00pm and I can happily retreat to my comfy bed with a cup of tea and a good read.  I love these moments to myself.  It's one of those quiet joys in life :-)

On my nightstand:

Notebook to jot down all those yarn projects I will start someday

The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom

A Japanese crochet book

Cottage Style by Country Living Editors

A rose-scented candle

Good night!  Hope you enjoy some "you" time :-)

Almost Autumn

Techinically it's still summer, but today's weather hinted at the coming days of Autumn.  Living in a coastal climate, the days start with some morning fog, clearing to an afternoon of glorious sunshine.  Many summer days start this way as well, but there's a distinct coolness in the air that whispers a change in season.

  A new hydrangea flowering bud ready to greet Autumn days.

The same hydrangea plant with a flower that has been in bloom since Spring.  Still going strong. 

Same for my potted rose still a-bloom.  I expect one more burst of buds all around through the Fall.  And a continued battle with the bugs that love my roses just as much!

15 years ago we planted a row of poplar trees.

They now tower about 25 feet tall.  The rustling of the leaves signal cooler days ahead.  It's an incredibly peaceful sound.  I love to just be still and listen.

Enjoying it all with a cup of tea and crochet out on the picnic table...and determined to finish this granny blanket before the official onset of Autumn.  I've got 2 days!

Enjoy the rest of your week :-)

Pink Obsession

Thank you so so so much for your kind words on my last blanket.  Your comments are a joy to read!

Lately, anything with a pink hue is catching my eye.  I can thank Blogland for this...there seems to be a lot of posts about 'pink' lately and I'm happily being sucked in.

Case in point.  I love to scour thrift and antique shops whenever I can and recently was able to steal away for an hour to browse through one of my favorite antique collectives.  Within 15 minutes I found this set of little pink French cups.

To make sure I wasn't being completely impulsive, I wandered around the shop a little more...

And came back for a second look...

The third time around I knew they were coming home with me.

So here they are...mini-cups filled with mini-roses

Overflowing petite pink posies

These dainty cups are dotted around my work spaces at home...

One next to my pink ripple in progress...

Another one on my desk as I jot down notes for a crochet pattern I have in mind...

And one last look before saying good night.

I LOVE these cups.  They are of no practical use except to sit there looking pretty.  My little indulgence.  I think I needed to post something pink and pretty to give me a lift today.  It was either this or my chocolate obsession.

I hope you enjoy a little indulgence this week :-)

May Day...Kitchen Facelift

Happy welcome to May, my friends, I hope Spring is treating you well.  As for me, my home-sweet-home is a little topsy turvy at the moment.  A little kitchen renovation is in the works and I'm SO excited.  It's been a long time coming and our humble kitchen is getting a much needed makeover...

Our kitchen since we moved in 14 years ago.  Time took its toll.  There was termite and water damage in some of the cabinets and general deterioration overall.  It was definitely time to rescue it. 

It took all of half a day to go from this...

...to this

...and this

The kitchen cabinets and counters install is scheduled over 2 weeks and while I'm excited, I also feel a bit anxious over not having a kitchen for this long.  Nowhere to hang my apron!

I'm a bit of a neat freak so to see the dust and grit and general disarray of this part of our home...well, let's just say it will be a challenging 2 weeks for me to get through. 

Can I just hibernate with my hook and stash and emerge when it's all done?!

** Edited to add **
So 4 weeks later...our kitchen is almost back to full function.  New kitchen cabs, counter and recessed lighting installed.  Dust and grit all cleaned up.  The last phase is painting the walls which will happen in a week or two.  So for now, we're enjoying our new kitchen.  Freshly baked brownies on the counter and apron back on its hook...ahhhh, home sweet home.

Sending you wishes for a home-sweet-home day :-)

Mischievous Mutts

My pups.  They look sweet.  They look innocent.  Ha!  Check out what these darling little creatures are capable of...

They will eat, chew or take a bite out of anything...ANYTHING...when you're not watching. 

The minute your back is turned...they're into something they shouldn't be.

Most of the time I just roll with it.  Then there are days when they truly test my patience.  I come home from work and see this...yup...a down-filled cushion on our sofa.  Count to 10 and b-r-e-a-t-h...

They especially seem to prefer teenage boys' socks (gross), boxer shorts (ick), jock straps (eeewwww) that are casually tossed on bedroom floors.  Decided to spare you those photos.

YOU are ALL in BIG TROUBLE...

Well okay, not really.

The truth is, you each chose me and stole my heart the minute I looked at your faces.

Have a mischief-free day...or not?  :-)

Sunday Serenity

A new week begins...and I had a rare opportunity for me-time at home today.  The Boys had things to do elsewhere and amazingly enough, for several hours, I found myself alone in the house.  Not much planned.  Just me and the Dogs.

A late, lazy breakfast.  Just for me.



Loving my potted tulips and enjoying the solitude.

And what would solitary time be without a little hooking?!

In no time, the Boys were home and the house was a buzz once more...

Have a great week :-)

Good Eats and a Wish

I'm a bit tardy in posting the New Years Day food fest we hosted in our home.  Not a huge party, but a simple small luncheon for 8 of our family.


Our table setting in a casual, neutral palette.



No wine glasses here... just sparkling punch for drinks (which I neglected to photograph!)



A prime rib roast was the star of the show.  I'm of the "low and slow" school of roasting meat.  325 degrees Farenheit, 15 minutes for every 1/2 pound or until meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees for medium rare.  Mashed potatoes with buckets of gravy, mushrooms, onions on the side.  And a light corn salad (another thing I forgot to photograph before it was all gone!)

 

Best things last... brownies with peanut butter chips for dessert

 

And peppermint bark...oh how I could devour tins of this stuff

We also served a large tray of crackers topped with sour cream and caviar, a lovely luxurious gift sent by a friend which we shared with our loved ones.  Another thing I didn't have a chance to photograph because they were gone in 10 seconds flat.  Come to think of it, that was pretty much how it all was.  Spent 5 hours in the kitchen preparing and cooking, food on the table by 12 noon.  Said Grace and by 12:20 everything was pretty much inhaled off the plates.  Done before I could even say "Bon Appetit."

We are grateful for our bounty and can't help but think of those who are experiencing deep challenges right now.  Prayers for our friends who have loved ones deployed in dangerous parts of the world.  We also send our wishes of hope and faith to those who are struggling right now to sustain their families and keep food on the table.

I hope you experience all that you wish for this new year :-)

I 'Heart' Hearts

Heart = Love

This festive heart is perfect for the holiday season, but it hangs in my home all year long!

I found this heart recently by accident.  Went to a store selling handmade items and it was stuffed in a little basket on the floor.  It's a felted beauty embellished with ribbon, yarn, buttons and felted bits.

Turn it over and the back is knitted with stripes.  Such wonderful handmade goodness.

And just a final thing to share with those who need some last minute gift tags.  I found these via My Sweet Savannah, but you can go right over here to download the free template.  They're really wonderful.  Make a bunch of them to have on hand any time.

Merry holidays, blessings and joy to you all :-)

Little Luxuries :: Soap

I'm off to work shortly, but wanted to share some purchases I made this past weekend.  I love a good deal and am always looking for bargains.  So off to my local Ross store I went - prepared to face brutal parking and crowds this time of year.  I was pleasantly surprised to find neither (I must have gone at the right time!).  My aim was to find soap to go with the washcloths I've been making as gifts.  Oh my, I wasn't disappointed...

Handmade and triple-milled soap made in Italy

Sweet-scented rose and lavender

The loveliest vintage-y packaging

And the best part was the bargain:  nothing above $8.00 (and that was for a box of 12)

My photos don't do these soaps justice, I'm still working on my photography skills and will get the lighting right one of these days...

Make your day a beautiful one :-)

November Days Rambling

It was a topsy turvy week in my household as we replaced all our worn carpet downstairs with wood flooring (thanks to our doggies).  Much moving of furniture and all our stuff - from one room to another and another and another, like musical chairs - and then all back again.  Not fun.  Fortunately, this is when it starts paying off to have 2 teenage boys.  Taking out the trash and moving furniture.  Life as Mom gets better and better :-)

We are pleased with the result...

Our living/dining room.  The "After," unfortunately wasn't able to snap a "Before."

It's called African Zebra Wood.  Characterized by bold graining in the wood.  We used this in a total of 3 rooms.

To maintain my sanity through all this, I managed to steal some moments of Autumn.  We don't get a true Fall season where I live so I sort of create it.  On average, November days are 70 degrees and sunny, just like today.  So here are some snapshots I took in an effort to collect some of the beautiful colors of the season.

And finally...I managed to do some stash busting using leftover yarn bits.  Came up with a couple of crocheted hot pads.

The solid centers are Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in half dc.  Since it's an extra chunky yarn, the disc came out very dense and firm.  Perfect for the Thanksgiving table.

Happy home-y Autumn days to you :-)