Color!

My spring cleaning quickly turned into deep cleaning with going through everything (I still have a LOT to do) and that quickly turned into a big decorating project. And, now lots of things are out of place to make room for all the work being done. Everything in the master bedroom closet is in the loft while hubby has built shelving for better use of that space and for painting. A lot more stuff is in the loft from the master bedroom as I'm painting that room. We have a growing collection downstairs of bags and things for a yard sale or donation. The new color on the wall is looking great and we're so excited about it. But, before we have a pretty new bedroom and nice new closet, the house looks pretty bad! lol

On Saturday, while the paint was drying on the half of the room I had painted, I worked on a little project in a space just outside of our bedroom. We have a framed metal sculpture hanging on the wall. And, while I like it...


I thought it would be even nicer with a little color behind it...


I love this color of blue. And, I love that the shadows of the vines and the glass buds seem to show up more with this blue than with the white. It was a quick and easy project for a punch of color and a smile everytime I walk by. :-)

Fishbone Lace

I haven't been doing much knitting lately, but I did manage to finish up this little project over the weekend...


It's the "Fishbone Lace" cowl from the book, "Ocean Breezes, Knitted Scarves Inspired by the Sea" by Sheryl Thies. I love this book and want to make a lot of the things in it. So, this is probably the first of many more sea inspired projects for me.

I made this cowl with Caron Spa yarn. It contains some bamboo and I love this color soooo much. It's called Rose Bisque. It looks like an antique pink to me. So pretty! This is an easy pattern that has NO purling. It's a simple combination of knit stitches, yarn-overs, K2tog's, and PSSO's. Here is the "right" side...


This is the "wrong" side. I think I like it better. It looks more lacy and adds to the antique kind of feel of the color. This is the side shown in the top picture.


Overall, I'm pretty happy with this project. I'm going do a little research though and see if there are any other ways to bind off than the standard way I always use. I'd like the bind off edge to be a little stretchier.

Wildflower Week - Freaky Friday

Wildflowers are pretty, but some may also be considered a little odd or "freaky". I've saved some of these for "Freaky Friday"...

This is "Common Fiddleneck". The color is intense and gorgeous. It can turn entire hillsides a beautiful orange/gold color. But, don't touch it! Those little hairs will make you feel like you have splinters of glass in your skin. Pretty to look at but not to touch!


These little guys were out walking along the trails in great numbers last weekend. Salsa (our Airedale) had fun watching them. I wonder what she was thinking?! They're so cute and fuzzy looking...until you blow up the picture for a close up! Click on the picture and you'll see that those little hairs look like tufts of needles.


I don't think this plant is especially beautiful but the waves on the leaves are pretty cool. Here's the whole plant...


And, here's a close-up of one of it's wavy leaves...


I'm like'n this! Sorry, I couldn't resist a little punny! lol But, seriously, I do like "lichen"! And, after reading a little bit about it, I have a bigger appreciation of it. It's used for medicinal purposes, dyes, perfumes, and a way to measure air quality, the depletion of the ozone and more. There a a few different kinds on these branches...


If you're interested in reading a little more about it and seeing pictures of other types of this lichen, click "here".


I haven't been able to figure out the name of these yet. We refer to them as poppers or popcorn. The pods are hollow and, if you accidently step on one, it makes a pop sound.


I wonder what will be blooming this weekend?!

Have an awesome, beautiful weekend and Easter! :-)

Wildflower Week - Magical

These flowers look like they're hugging. They're so cute!


Butterflies like them too. This one was so much bigger and heavier than the flowers that, when it landed on one, the flower would bend way over and bounce around. I love butterflies! They're magical! I followed this one around a bit until I could get a good shot of it. I love how the sun is shining through it's wings, making them glow.


This plant reminds me of Lamb's Ear but I'm not sure if it's the same plant or not. But, it's just as soft and beautiful. This tiny little bug seems to be enjoying it. It must be like walking on a thick, soft carpet.


Come back tomorrow for Wildflower Week....Freaky Friday!

Wildflower Week - Checkerblooms

This seems to be a great year for "Checkerblooms". There are so many more than usual and they seem much taller than usual. I love these flowers! They're one of my favorites. I'm not sure how they got their name. I just think of them as really pretty pink flowers. There are so many things I love about this flower...the color, shape, the adorable twisted buds (click on the pictures to get a closer/larger view), the light centers, the delicate veins, and that there are a lot of flowers on each stem...




...Simply, beautiful!

Check back tomorrow for more wildflowers.

Wildflower Week - Spring Walk

The sun is shining and the temperatures are warming up! Southern California is brimming with blooms, colors, and the music of nature. The landscape is stunning and offers treasures for the eyes and soul everywhere we look. The landscape changes daily. So, each day may hold a surprise of new colors, flowers, scents and sounds. I try to capture as much of it in my mind and camera as I possibly can because I know that what I'm seeing at that very moment won't last.

My husband and I and our dog, Salsa, went for a walk last Saturday near the beautiful Santa Rosa Plateau. I got a lot of great pictures that I'd love to show you. I plan to post them throughout the week. So, check back daily for more. And...

Sit, relax, and enjoy the show...


I love this area sooo much. The landscape scenes are stunning. There are miles of trails. And, there's an occassional bench to sit on and take in the view.


The Lupines are really tall this year and beautiful, as always.


I just can't get enough of them! They're so beautiful!


Most of them are a bluish-purple color. But, there are a few that like to stand out...


I love the colors!


Come back tomorrow for more spring treasures.

Have a wonderful Spring day! :-)

Wishing for Warmth

I'm so tired of being cold! I'm ready for warm weather...or, at least, warmer weather. Just when we thought the warmer seasons were here, it's cold again. And, it's suppose to be a little cooler tomorrow. :-(

So, until the warm weather does finally arrive, I'll enjoy any warmth I can find...cozy under a quilt with my knitting, in the car on a sunny day (the heater may have to be on), and thoughts of warmer places, like this...


A warm, sunny day in Anza Borrego. Ahhhhhh!