Giant Tumbleweed and Back to Blogging

I've lived around tumbleweeds most of my life.  So, when I got a big response on my blog and Instagram from the photo of tumbleweeds in a field near my home, I was surprised.  I didn't realize there were so many people who'd never seen them before.  It's exciting to share something that some people haven't seen.  So, I made sure to get another photo on my next bike ride to show one of the large ones.

This huge tumbleweed is up on it's side and against a fence.  We pulled it down after the photo and roughly measured it to be about 7' wide by 6' tall!  Crazy, huh?!  And, it's just one of many this year.

I haven't been posting on my blog for a while because I've gotten much more enjoyment lately from Instagram.  It's so much fun!  And, unlike blogging that takes me hours to create a post that I get very little feedback from, Instagram takes minutes to post, feedback is immediate and I get a lot more of it.  

I've been blogging for years and have enjoyed it a lot but I have to admit that the slow pace it's taken to grow my followers and the small amount of feedback I get is disappointing sometimes.  I've participated in two "Grow Your Blog" parties that grew my blog from around 25 to almost 150 followers.  That's great!  But, after all these years and all the blogs I follow and have commented on, I'm baffled.  Especially when I see newer blogs that have many times the followers and comments.  Even when I've been good at posting a minimum of three times a week for long periods of time it hasn't helped.  But, on Instagram the followers grew fast.  And, that's even with all the ones I deleted/blocked because they were spammers(?).

I just can't figure out the secret to blogging success.  But, I love it enough that I won't give it up for good.  So, here I am, back at it and with lots to catch up on.  I hope you enjoy what I post!  I appreciate every one of my few followers and, especially, those who take time to leave comments.  That means a lot and always brightens my day!  Thank you!

Happy blogging...and Instagramming!  ;-)

It's Party Time!

It's that time of year again!  Vicki, at the "2 Bags Full" blog is hosting her second annual "Grow Your Blog" party.  Over 500 bloggers have signed up and the fun will begin on January 25th.

She'll have a list of all of the participants and links to all of the wonderful blogs that are participating.

To join in on the fun, visit her blog by clicking HERE.  Visit as many blogs as you'd like.

There will even be give-aways on many of the blogs.

I love blogging and have been doing it for years.  I find it to be rewarding in many ways.

I love the creativity of putting together a post.  I love hearing from wonderful people and knowing that others are reading and enjoying what I have to share.  And, best of all, I love meeting and making friends with so many awesome people.  Blogland is a wonderful place!

If this is your first visit to my blog, allow me to share with you a little about what you will find here.

I'm a fiber arts lover and post a lot about knitting, crochet, spinning, weaving, needle felting and more.  You'll see posts about cooking, gardening, crafting, sewing, and life.  I also love the outdoors and traveling.  So, I love to share my outdoor adventures and trips.  My trips are often much more of an adventure as I love to not only see new things but do new things as well...like mountain biking, canyoneering and hiking.  And, many of our trips include camping.  

I also share stories about my family.  Especially my wonderful daughter.

She's my best friend, she's fun, smart, amazing and she's a harpist.

I'm pretty sure I'll be doing a give-away for this party.  I just haven't had a chance to decide on a prize yet.  I'll post it soon and will probably provide some options to be sure the winner gets something they'd really like to have.  To enter, simply leave a comment on this post and/or any other post over the next month.  If you're a follower of my blog, you'll get an additional entry.  So, each comment and each follower will count as an entry.  I'll use a random number generator to pick a winner at the end of February.

Thank you so much for stopping by for a visit!  Enjoy the party!

Blue Finch

The recent "Grow Your Own Blog" party hosted by Vicki at "2 Bags Full" was so much fun!

And, the fun continues...  One of the blogs I visited during the party was "Blue Finch".  I enjoyed her blog and began following it and left a comment.  I don't think I realized that she was giving away

a pair of earrings to each person that commented, followed her blog or emailed her.  But soon after I had left a comment, she emailed me to let me know she'd be sending me a pair.

After receiving her email, I popped over to her blog for another look and noticed that she had over 60 comments on that one post.  That's a LOT of earrings to give away.  Not to mention that it would be costly to send all of them.  I wanted to ease her burden and asked that she not send any to me.  But, she insisted.  I think she had a LOT of work ahead of her as she was just recently able to finish all the earrings, pack them up, and ship them.  I received mine this last week.

They're pretty!

They arrived in a fancy box and the earrings were attached to a cute little card stock finch...

I'm excited to wear them!  I really need more earrings as I always wear the same few favorites.

I think these will become part of my regular rotation!

It turns out that Rachel makes lots of beautiful jewelry.

She sells it from her online store... bluefinch.co

Thank you, Rachel, for your generous gift!

March Give-Away Winner

I promised a March give-away to show my appreciation of everyone who takes the time to read my blog and leave comments.  When you leave a comment for me it brightens my day.  I love hearing from each and every one of you.  Your kind words, your opinions, and your thoughts matter.  And, I so appreciate you sharing them with me.  It's a big part of what makes blogging so much fun! Thank you!

I try to respond to every comment through email but I often cannot because of "no-reply" tags and lack of email addresses.  So, if you haven't heard from me after leaving a comment, that is probably why.  But, thank you!

Every comment left on my blog during the month of March was entered into the drawing.  

I used a random number generator to choose the winner.  And, the winner is...

Sweet Posy Dreams

Her blog is filled with cozy, yummy, and beautiful things.  She shares recipes, her beautiful hand made projects, her cozy and pretty home, nature, her adorable dog, Alfie, and much more.  

And, I noticed on her profile that she likes NPR.  That's very cool!  I love NPR and listen to it just about every day.  Stop by her blog for a visit when you get a chance.

The prize is a set of hand knit wash/dish cloths in the color of your choice.  Just let me know what colors you like and I'll get started.  I'll send you an email to find out about colors and

get your address so I can send your prize to you when it's finished.  Congratulations!  

And, thank you again too all my blog friends.  :-)

Happy April!

Sweet

The fun continues with Vicki's "Grow Your Own Blog Party".

I received another prize this week that I won from one of the many give-aways.

This one is from Carol at "Art and Sand".  Thank you, Carol!

The timing for this prize to arrive this week is perfect!

It's fits right in with Valentine's Day.  

It's a sweet, handmade gift...

 When I opened up the package, there was a tin inside.

Inside the tin was a sweet little red heart sitting on top of a drawstring cotton bag.

When I opened up the bag, this was inside...

It's a little spool, tied up with a cord and pretty little hearts.

On the spool are words of wisdom about the heart.

It's all handcrafted by Carol.  Isn't it cute?!

There are hand drawn hearts on the other side.

I like the red gingham strip that attaches the paper to the spool too.

It warms my heart to receive this handmade gift.

Thank you, again, Carol.  I love it!  

If you get a chance, be sure to pop over to Carol's blog, "Art and Sand", for a visit.

She has a beautiful blog.  I can't help but smile and stay a while whenever I visit.

It's so colorful and happy.  She shares pictures of her lovely home and garden,
wonderful things she makes, and paintings done by her husband who is a talented artist.

Happy Valentine's Day! 

Welcome to the Party!

There's a party goin' on!  I'm so glad you were able to come!  There are lots of wonderful people, great things to see, interesting stories, and endless inspiration.  There are hundreds of guests.  You and are are just a few.  The gracious host is Vicki at "2 Bags Full".  She came up with a wonderful idea for us to find new blogs to follow, meet other bloggers, and make new friends.  I loved the idea and didn't hesitate to join in on the fun.  My blog is just one of 400 that signed up for this international event.

When you visit my blog you'll find stories and pictures of things that I love to do...knitting, crochet, weaving, sewing, quilting, needle felting and more.  You'll find yummy recipes that I create using fresh, delicious ingredients.  You'll see stories of my adventures in travel, camping, and exploring slot canyons, caves and other exciting and beautiful places in the western United States.  You'll see lots of beautiful wildflower photos.  And, you'll enjoy stories about my wonderful family, including our adorable Airedale, Salsa and our soon to arrive new baby kitty, Penelope (we just picked her out at the shelter yesterday and get to bring her home on Monday...we're so excited!).

This month, I'll be having give-aways!  I'm still working on what the prizes will be.  So, be sure to come back and see.  To enter, simply leave a comment each time you stop by.  I love comments!  They add smiles to my day.  I try to respond to each and every one of them.  If you don't receive one, it's usually because the comment has a "no-reply" on it and no email address to write back to.  Each comment from all of the January posts will go into the drawing(s).  You can receive one entry for each blog post that you comment on.  If you're a follower or become a new follower, you'll get an additional entry.  I'll be drawing the name(s) of the winner(s) on February 1st.

I hope you'll come back for more visits.  While you're visiting today, click HERE to pop over to Vicki's to find more party goers and wonderful bogs to visit.  She has all the participants listed and linked so you can easily visit lots of them.  Have fun!

Short Days and Long Lists

Lately, the days seem incredibly short. I feel like I barely start the day and then it's time to figure out what's for dinner. It seems like I just can't catch up on my to-do's! Not to mention all the yarny things I want to do.

I've been so inspired and excited about knitting, crochet, weaving, and so many other creative things lately but I just can't seem to fit in as much of it as I'd like. I have managed to fit in a little each day but it's not nearly as much as I'd like or that I'd do if the days were longer.

Blogging? I've been wanting to do that too but it just hasn't worked out. That might be about to change. My daughter has an appointment in Carlsbad tomorrow...near the beach. What a perfect opportunity! She'll be available to model my projects and we'll have a beautiful setting. So, today, I've been getting some of my recently finished projects ready for the big day. I even blocked my Maia shawl. It's gorgeous! I hope it's dry in time!

I can't have more hours in the day, but I'm hoping for some great pictures tomorrow so I can work on one of the many things I've been wanting to do...blogging!

Just Curious

The number of hits to my blog are at an all time high. And, I have more followers. I love that! But, the amount of comments I recieve seems to down. I'm not quite sure why that is. Something that really has me curious is a regular visitor from Mountain View, California. They visit often and seem to only visit my old posts. I'm not sure if they've ever left a comment. I'd sure like to hear from them and about what keeps bringing them back so often...sometimes daily and sometimes more than once a day. I love blogging, but, to be honest, if it weren't for comments, I'd probably stop doing it. They mean a lot. Even though I'm getting lots of hits, the comments show me that I'm not just talking to myself. I love hearing what readers think of what I say and pictures I post. I love getting feedback. And, I just plain love hearing from you. Thanks for visiting! :-)

Lil' Honey Bee

My daughter has a blog and has posted some of the cool stuff she's made. Check it out. It's called "Lil Honey Bee". Be sure to scroll down to see the red dress she sewed and the leather wallet she made. Don't forget to leave a comment. They always mean so much to us bloggers. :-)

New Look

Ok...I tried to fix my blog. I tweeked it and tweeked colors and I just wasn't happy with how it looked...Until tonight. I think I finally found a look that I'm happy with. It's fresher and brighter but it still has color, which I love...and it's blue, my favorite...and I have some interesting pattern on the sides. Yay! :-) What do you think?

Please Pardon My Dust...

...my blog is undergoing a bit of repair work. I checked my blog this afternoon and the background had been deleated. I finally figured out how to get it back and now I'm tweeking text colors and sizes to try and get everything to look right. The new Blogger Design feature is nice but troublesome!

Kreativ Blogger Award

Sue, at the "Life Looms Large" blog surprised and honored me this week with this...


Thank you so much! It means a lot to me to get this and know that someone is reading and enjoying my blog. I enjoy every comment that I get too. It's great to know when someone has noticed my blog, read it, seen my pictures, and takes the time to share their thoughts. I love blogging but I have to admit that if it weren't for the people who read it and communicate with me I might not do it...or it wouldn't be as much fun. And, knowing that someone likes it enough to give me an award is like icing on the cake. :-)

Here are the rules for receiving this award:

1. Thank the person who gave this to you.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link the person who nominated you.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that no one would really know.
5. Nominate seven 'Kreativ Bloggers'.
6. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them.

Seven Things About Me...This is the reallllly hard part to figure out...Hmmmm?...ok...

1. I love to travel but I hate the part of planning way ahead. I'd love it if we could just go places without making reservations. Especially because we love doing things on a whim.

2. I think recipes are great but I'm really bad at following them. I tend to just use them for inspiration. Although, with baking, I do follow them for the main ingredients...but, it's fun to throw in a little twist.

3. Even though I love trees, greenery and water, I've found out the past few years that I realllly love the desert too. It's awesome, beautiful and full of amazing surprises.

4. I tend to be a sensitive person but I like to think that I enjoy and feel life all the more intensely that way. It's not uncommon for me to cry during a movie, Oprah, weddings, and even when I visit a place with amazing beauty...like Yosemite!

5. I love people and try to look for the best in them. I think we're all amazing and weird at the same time and that makes us all so special. I find it hard to understand why some people can only be friends with people who fit a small checklist of their interests. I'm noticing that a lot of people are like that and I think they really miss out. We can all learn so much from one another. And, where would we be without other people?!

6. I'm definitely not a hoarder type of person. I like to only keep what we need or love. I am always on the look out in our house for things we don't need or use anymore and have a bag of stuff to donate building in a corner of our office...or in the truck, on the way to donate it.

7. Some of the things I love...besides yarn...are transferware, quilts, antiques, art, hands (like glove forms and other sculptural things that look like hands), books, rocks, shells, plants and herbs...and so much more. Isn't life amazing and awesome?!

Seven Kreativ Blogger Nominees...

I have to say that some of my favorite blogs are ones that I've been reading for a while and have given awards to before. So, I'm going to nominate seven great blogs that I haven't given awards to before and have found fairly recently. One of them would have been "Life Looms Large" but I received this from Sue so I don't think I can give it back. But, be sure to check out her blog. She's always up to something fun. It's hard to narrow this down to just seven because there are so many great blogs but here we go...

1. Two and Six - The photography on this blog is simply stunning! So much so that I can get pulled into it just looking at the pictures alone and it's hard to leave. What a talented photographer!

2. Pineneedles4's - I "met" Vanessa through Ravelry when she wrote to me asking about California. We've been reading and commenting on each other's blogs ever since. She blogs about beading, knitting, travel, and lots of other interesting things.

3. Evergreen Knits - Karen at Elderberry Street recommended this blog to me recently and I instantly loved it and added it to my list of of blogs to follow. When I read her blog it reminds me of me!...knitting, the great outdoors, travel and lots of pictures of nature. It's a beautiful blog!

4. Deep End of the Loom - This one is a really new find. She posts about weaving, cooking and more. It's fun to visit.

5. Yarns from the Southland - I met Lenora at a local yarn shop a few months ago. She's a talented knitter and I've found out by reading her blog that she's also very talented with words too!

6. Nancy's Daily Dish - This blogger just found me and what's not to love about her blog?!...transferware, food and more transferware. A beautiful and fun blog to visit.

7. Live From the Backyard - I enjoy reading Jomamma's stories about her life and her family...knitting, cooking, music and so much more. Her daughter's blog, "Adventures of a Gypsy Pirate Wench", is fascinating too...she works on a sailing ship!

I never imagined when I started my blogging journey a few years ago how much I would love it and how I'd meet so many amazing people. I feel like I have a whole bunch of friends in blogland. I love communicating with you and I appreciate you all very much. Thanks for your friendship, inspiration and all that I learn from you.

Thanks for stopping by. :-)

Happy New Year!

I hope 2010 will be a happy, healthy, wonderful year for you!

Thank you for stopping by and reading my blog. And, a special thank you to all who leave comments. They always brighten my day and I appreciate every one of them.

I really enjoy blogging... taking the pictures, editing them, selecting the right ones, arranging them, and the writing. And, it makes a great journal to look back on and see what has happened in my life and to look up notes about projects I've done. But, your comments with thoughts, advice and kind words really make it all worthwhile. I feel like I have friends in "blogland" and I enjoy visits on your blogs and mine. It's a lot of fun! Who knows... to those of you who I don't already know...maybe we'll even meet in person someday.

Honest Scrap

I've just been surprised and honored with a blog award from Margaret of the blog, "Facts From Fact Woman". Thank you so much, Margaret! :-)

Here are the rules of the award:

1. Choose a minimum of seven blogs to give this award to that you find to be brilliant in content and design.

2. Show the 7 winners' names and links on your blog, and leave a comment informing them that they have been given the "Honest Scrap."

3. List 10 honest things about yourself that people may not know.

Although I'm honored and thrilled to recieve this award, I have to admit, the rules are tough! There are a LOT of wonderful blogs out there! I follow many and I'm always adding more. I'm constantly impressed and inspired by other bloggers with the things they share, the things they do and create, their photography, and so much more. That makes it hard to choose only seven...just like it's hard to narrow the many that I follow down to just a few to list on the front of my blog. If I follow your blog but don't list it in this seven, please don't feel left out. I would list so many more if I could. Some of the things that helped me choose the top seven are one or more of the following: they post often; comment often (that means a lot to me); inspire me....etc. So, here they are:

1. Sel & Poivre - We've been reading each other's blogs for quite a while now and consistently post comments on each other's blogs. I love that! I also love seeing all the great things that Marie knits and does. And, I like seeing and reading about her summer adventures at her cottage. Fun!

2. Elderberry Street - Karen posts a lot and I can tell she puts a lot of time and love into doing so. Her blog is always filled with beautiful pictures and inspiration. Karen loves life and it shows.

3. Syrendell - Jennifer and the whole Tan family are so inspiring and amazing. I love reading their posts and being whisked away into a peaceful and wonderful place where they do so many fun things as they home school their children and enjoy life and the world around them.

4. Mocha Me - I just recently found this blog when I was searching for inspiring cooking blogs. This one definitely inspires! Every post has a recipe that looks and sounds so good that it makes my mouth water and makes me hungry! I want to try so many of them...if not all!

5. Smatterings - I've been reading this one for a few years now and I love it as much now as I did when I first found it. My favorite thing about it is "Walk With Me Wednesdays" where she posts beautiful pictures and stories about walks she goes on that whisk me away to a different world...so different than the desert I live in. I love it! She knits beautiful things too!

6. Claudia's Blog - This is another blog that I've been reading for several years and I still love it and read it regularly. Initially, what caught my attention is that she and her husband ride a tandem bike. My husband and I ride a tandem too! The picture in the corner of her blog with sock knitting in a tropical place caught my eye too. But, what keeps me coming back is her regular posts...usually on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays...,the interesting variety, knitting, biking, adventure, photography, her kitties, and fun surprises.

7. Basically Benita - I just recently found this one. She spins, weaves, dyes, knits...and seems to have a love for life and sharing it with others. Her blog is filled with great pictures, stories and inspiration that keep drawing me in to read more.

I can't give an award to Margaret because she already has one. But, be sure to check out her blog. Her energy and zest for life are contagious and she's always posting new and interesting facts...after all, she is "fact woman"! :-)

Okay...now, on to the next hard part...10 things about me. That's even tougher than the first part of this award. Hmmmm?

1. I love my husband and daughter more than anything!

2. I'm a stay-at-home mom and wife...which is the best job in the world!!!

3. I love to find and do new things. Sometimes that involves things with a bit of a thrill...hiking slot canyons, rock climbing, wind surfing, mountain biking, skiing, travel....But...I'm also a big chicken sometimes!

4. I find it hard to sit still and have to always be doing something. Even when I'm sitting and knitting I have to have the radio on to listen to NPR, the news, or music.

5. I use to be a sign language interpreter.

6. I went to school for interior design and have my own design business (residential and commercial) that was doing well but I've been more interested in being mom and living life the past few years and have let my business slip away to almost nothing.

7. Even though I went to school for interior design, English, and art, and have done many other types of jobs...I'm still not sure what I want to be when I grow up!

8. I love kitties and llamas and Airedales soooooo much!

9. Even though I think it would be great to read fiction, I just can't get into it. Give me a book about real life anyday...biographies, knitting, self improvement, decorating, gardening, cooking, etc... I am so curious about so many things and love to learn!

10. I love and am addicted to blogging, Ravelry, yarn, knitting, weaving...all things fibery, antiques, bargains, trying and learning new things, quilts, cooking, flowers, photography....life!

Surprise!

I received an email this week that was quite a surprise! It was from the America's Knitting website and they were asking if they could feature one of my projects (the magic ball shawl) on their site for the month of September. I wish it had been one of my projects with better pictures but I was thrilled to be asked and quickly said, "yes". And, now it's on their site, along with projects from other knitters that live in this beautiful state of California...the featured state for September. Check it out...HERE.

Kreativ Blogger Award

Just about every morning, I sit down at the computer to check email and visit some of my favorite blogs. Today, as I visited one of my favorite blogs, Sel and Poivre(click to visit), I was surprised and delighted to read that she gave me a Kreative Blogger Award!


I'm honored to receive this from Marie. We somehow found each other this last year and we're regular visitors of each other's blogs...as well as regular commentors. I'm always excited about what I'll find on her blog. She posts several times each week and tells about wonderful knitting projects she's working on, delicious foods she has made, and interesting things going on in her life. She's a creative writer and I always enjoy her posts. I also enjoy all the comments she leaves for me on my blog. If I could send the award to her, I'd do it in an instant! Thanks, Marie!

I follow quite a few blogs and I'm often on the look out for more. I love to see what kinds of projects people are working on and I delight in seeing the creative things bloggers come up with. I also enjoy reading and seeing different ways that people live in different parts of the world. I have my top 10 favorites listed on my sidebar. I love so many, but for this award I can only nominate five. So, in addition to Marie's, here they are...

1. Handweaving Today - I found this just a few months ago and it quickly became one of my favorites. Dave's blog is so beautiful! He's an awesome photographer, weaver, spinner, and a kitty lover! I always enjoy seeing his many new weaving creations...they're gorgeous! He is so creative with how he uses colors and yarns. And, I love reading stories and seeing pictures of his two beautiful kitties, Dusty and Miss Lulu! Thanks, Dave for sharing your creativity and delighting readers several times each week with your beautiful photos.

2. Sailing Knitter - I found this one recently too and, like Handweaving Today, it quickly became a favorite. Jonesy and Terry decided to give up life on land for a while to live on their boat and see the world. Their adventures are fascinating! There are so many things that can happen while living on a boat that I never would have imagined! Their blog transports me away to other lands and cultures. Through their stories, I get to enjoy an adventure I'll probably never experience (I get verrry sea sick). Terry also knits...that's always a plus! :-)

3. Knitspot - I bet a lot of people know about this blog. And, how could you not love it?! Anne is such an incredibly talented knitter and designer with some of the most gorgeous lace I've ever seen. She's also an amazing gardner who shows mouth watering pictures, during the summer, of her garden bounty. And, one of my favorite posts ever was her trip to New Mexico when she attended a knitting weekend and visited weaving studios and yarn shops. I was so glued to the screen that I stopped blinking and my eyes watered...I couldn't wait to read each word and see all the great pictures. You can read it here.

4. Claudia's Blog - I've been following this one for a quite a while. It initially caught my eye with the picture on the top left corner of a sock knitting project with a gorgeous tropical ocean view in the background. I was hooked when I read that she rides a tandem. My husband and I ride a tandem too and it's not very often that I see others that do...especially on a blog! Claudia is also a knitter. And...she combines those two loves as she raises money each year for an MS ride. Her blog fans donate yarny prizes. When readers make $ donations their names go into a drawing for the great prizes. Claudia was the top fundraiser this year and won a trip to Maui! She also encouraged readers last year to exchange at least one car trip each week with alternative transportation...like a bike. She called the project BAT/KAT for Bicyles As Transportation / Knitters Alternatively Transporting. Readers checked in with her each week and she kept a tally...together, we all logged over 2008 BAT/KAT trips in 2008! Very cool! Her blog is creative, funny, real, and sometimes unexpected. I love it!

5. Knit One Quilt Too - This blogger posts a lot of eye candy. She's a talented and creative quilter who creates an abundance of fun, colorful and beautiful quilts. She knits too!...Sometimes. :-)

Thank you to my top favorite bloggers, and the many others that inspire and entertain me. Blogland is such a great place to visit, learn, and be inspired. Here's to blogging and the creative wonderful people who do it! :-)