Pretty Penelope

Our little Penelope is growing up fast!

She's almost seven months old already!

Seems like just yesterday that she was a tiny kitten.

I haven't tried to weigh her lately but I know she's grown a lot

She's been slowly loosing her kitten features and looking more and more like a big girl.

We love her so much and we're so glad we picked her!  She seems very grateful that we picked her too.  She gives us lots of kisses and she's the most loving kitty we've ever had.  She likes to start each and every day with snuggle time before we get out of bed.  She likes to gaze into my eyes and put her paw on my face while I rub her belly and back.  So cute!  And, she likes to be next to us or in the same room just about all the time.  She even loves our doggy, Salsa.  They love to play and chase each other.  Penelope likes Salsa's bed too.  She'd probably snuggle up with Salsa but Salsa's isn't quite sure she likes that.  So, she always gets up and lets Penelope have her huge bed while she lays on the floor.  Pretty funny!  

We love our little furry family members!

They put smiles on our faces every day and warmth in our hearts.  

World Wide Knit in Public Week

I took a break yesterday from most of my projects.

It was the first day of World Wide Knit in Public Week 2013 and I just had to join in on the fun!

I put a couple of projects into my bike basket and headed out

early in the morning to meet a friend at the Marketplace.

We locked up our bikes and grabbed our things...

...and went into the Breakfast Club.

The weather was beautiful and we were lucky to get a table outside.

Of course, I had to get a yummy soy vanilla latte to enjoy with my "California Omelet"

that had tomatoes, avocado, bacon and artichokes hearts in it and some fresh salsa on top

(I had them leave off the cheese).  It also came with a bowl of delicious fresh fruit.  Yum!

After breakfast, we moved our bikes to another area of the Marketplace and sat at an

outside table with an umbrella to do a little stitching.  My friend worked on crocheting

a cute and handy basket.  I worked on my new crochet shawl with some of my new yarn.

I later pulled out a knitting project and worked on that for a while.

Hubby surprised us when he biked up on his cruiser and sat with us for a while.  

We popped into Starbucks to get some chilly drinks, visited a while longer, 

and then we all hopped on our bikes to ride home. What fun!  

Are you participating in World Wide Knit in Public Week?

"A" is for Airedale

I've decided to play along and participate in Basically Benita's challenge of taking

photographs of things that start with the letters of the alphabet...a different letter each week.

It sounded like fun and could push me to think of new things to photograph.

Although...I ended up with something this week that I photograph quite often...

Salsa!

She's an "Airedale" and how about that "Adorable" "Airway" (nose) she has?!

I had a hard time coming up with things that start with "A".

Maybe this will be a little more challenging than I thought!

I'm still in though.  It sounds like a lot of fun.

I'll try to do better next week.  :-)

If you'd like to join in on the fun, I'd love to know so I can see what you come up with.

And, be sure to let Benita know.  I think she was planning to share the posts of other participants.

She did awesome this week with the letter "A".  Pop over for a visit to see.  Be sure to say, "hi"!

Summer Fun

Summer doesn't officially start for a couple more weeks.  But, for us, it's already here.

Our daughter is home from college for the summer.  The weather is warm.

And, we're busy planning and doing lots of summery fun things.

A lot of what I've been doing is trying to work on projects that

 I've been needing to do or finish for a while.  I'm on a mission!

I'm having lots of fun with it.  But, there are so many things I want to do that

 I sometimes don't know where to start.  But, I'm trying to keep moving and 

not get stuck.  I'd like to cross a lot of things off of my mental to-do list

and see lots of finished and wonderful projects by the end of summer.

We recently re-planted our front flowerbed.

We planted two Madame Julia Correvon Clematis and some Society Garlic, Marigolds,

Alyssum, and Lobelia with the Baby Tears that were already growing there.

The vines and most of the flowers are doing great.

Except for the Marigolds.  Some kind of critter has eaten most of them.

I love the purple/blue color of the Lobelia.

Sometimes it seems to glow.

We finally planted something in the flowerbed at the side of the our house.

It's something we've been meaning to do for a long time.

We decided on a Star Jasmine.  It's right near where we store our trash cans.

So, the floral scent will be nice over there.

Hubby built a trellis for it.  I love how he wove the wood.

This flowerbed and trellis line up with our office/soon-to-be-guest-room window.

It should be really pretty when the vine grows up.  And, it will provide a little privacy.

I finally got around to painting our family room.

The paint color doesn't show up very well in the photo.  It's actually a lot warmer and prettier.

The color is Benjamin Moore, Everlasting.  The room looks so fresh and pretty

with it's new coat of paint.  It was just builder white (Swiss Coffee) before.

I originally blogged about the room make-over HERE.

Life just got busy and then it was winter and a bit chilly to have the windows

open for painting.  But, now it's warmer and I'm on a mission to finish projects.

Hubby still needs to install crown moulding and mount the speakers.  And, I need to sew the curtains.

We got the moulding last week.  I'm planning to look for hardware today.

I'm hoping the room will be complete by the end of the month.

I've finally worked up the courage to try and figure out how to re-cover my dress form.

I found it a few years ago at a thrift shop.  It's in good shape but the purple color

doesn't look good with most of the projects I want to photograph on it.  

So, I've been working on making a pattern...first with tissue...

Then, I used the tissue to cut out white fabric pieces.

I've pinned them on and adjusted it a bit.

Now, I need to sew the fabric together to make sure it works.

If it does, I'll use that as a pattern for the neutral fabric I have to re-cover it.

Wish me luck!

Another project that's been waiting around for way too long is a rug hooking project.

I bought it years ago on a trip to Texas.  I didn't enjoy doing it as much as I thought I would and

it's been sitting in the closet ever since.  I pulled it out the other day and I'm trying to work 

on it a bit each day.  It makes my hand hurt.  So, a little each day is better than nothing.

It'll be nice to finish it and enjoy it instead of moving it out of the way

when I need to get things out of my craft closet.  

I wound my new yarn from the Yarn Over Truck and bought the pattern for the shawl I plan to make.

So, I'm all ready to get started on that.  Yay!  I'm so excited!

But...

Last night, at knit night, one of the ladies (who also dyes yarn...Inner Yarn Zen)

showed me some yarn she'd just dyed.  It was LOVE at first sight!  It's gorgeous.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to capture it's beauty in a photo.

She asked if I'd like to test knit it for her to see how this new base yarn is to work with.

Of course, I agreed!  Eeeee!  I'm so excited to play with this beautiful yarn!

I came home and started searching for patterns and have narrowed it down.

Last weekend, my daughter hosted a party to view the film she worked on this past school year.

The film was created by a student for his masters project and it's based on the true story of a harpist. 

My daughter wrote and performed harp music for the film, acted as a hand double for playing the harp, and coached the main actress how to sit at the harp and look like she was a harpist.  We were very impressed by the film.  It was so well done that no one would guess it was made by a student.

It helps that the college has a top notch film school with great equipment, facilities, and instructors.

We are so proud of her!  And, very grateful for all the wonderful experiences she had this last year.

Besides the film, we enjoyed the company of family and some of our daughter's friends.

And, she made Sangria and a delicious tart that was gluten and dairy free.

It turned out beautiful too!

There are just so many fun things I want to do this summer!

I just wish the days were longer, that there were more days in the week and weekends,

and a few more months in the summer because I know it's going to go by very quickly.

Although, that kind of adds to the fun, I guess.  It makes it a challenge and

 a bit of a game to see how much I can squeeze into it.

I've heard several other people talk about how they're also on a mission to try and finish lots of projects.  What are you up to this summer?  Are you on a similar mission?

Rockin' Out and on the Edge

I had so much fun crocheting the red lacy rock cozy that I just couldn't stop!

I've made two more so far and I know they won't be the last!

I used more stash yarn for this one.  It's an old ball of ecru cotton that I inherited decades ago.

It was probably old when I got it.  They sure don't make cotton thread like they used to!

This was so soft and silky to the touch and so different to work with.

I used a size 6 hook again and this one is completely improvised.

The shape of this rock brought a nautilus shell to mind.

So, I started out with a nautilus shape for the center and went from there.

Here's the back...

This round rock seemed perfect for a flower.

The gray color of the rock seemed perfect for pink.

I happened to have some coral/pink thread in my stash.

This one is improvised too.  I really like how it turned out.  Here's the back...

I'm having so much fun crocheting with cotton thread that I decided

to try something I've wanted to do for years...crochet lace edging.  

I flipped through a bunch of my patterns and decided on one this one...

I tried a smaller hook but realized that a six is probably the smallest I want to go.

The next size smaller made the stitches too small to see.  Crocheting with size six still bugs my

eyes out a little but keeps the stitches small enough to make the lace somewhat delicate.

I'm using Aunt Lydia's size 10 cotton crochet thread from my stash.

I started it morning.  I just have a bit more to finish on the edging.

Then, it'll be time for blocking.  I can't wait to see how it will look when it's finished.

Yarnover Truck / Girls Day Out

Yesterday was a girls day out for my friend Judy and I.

We found out that the Yarnover Truck was going to be

in our area and planned a whole day around it.  

Our adventure started out with a 45 minute drive to Escondido and little antique shopping.

Judy got a great little antique table with a bowl/box top.  It's really cute!  

I think it could work great as a knit or crochet project holder next to her favorite stitch spot/chair.

You can see it in her blog post HERE.

Our next stop was lunch.  We found a BBQ restaurant and enjoyed yummy food and chat time.

Then...we were off to visit the Yarnover Truck!

If you haven't heard of it yet, it's a yarn shop on wheels that just opened this year.

They travel all around Southern California and provide yarn shopping fun at various places and events.

They were at two wineries this weekend, Orfila in Escondido on Saturday

and Oak Mountain Winery in Temecula on Sunday.  We went to Orfila Winery.

Here it is...The Yarn Over Truck!...

There were two tables set up outside for Baah Yarn and Ewe Ewe Yarn.

The colors were amazing!  So vibrant and gorgeous!

The truck itself is small and only accommodates a few people at a time.

There was a short line for waiting to go in.  It didn't take long and it was worth the wait.

The side walls of the truck are lined with shelves that are very organized and filled

with beautiful yarn.  Knitted and crocheted items are on display near the yarn 

each one is made from.  And, each one has a tag telling the pattern name, the yarn used, 

and how many skeins are needed for that project.  I love that!

I fell in love with a lacy crochet shawl.  It's very different from the ones I've been making

and exactly what I've been searching for.  It required two skeins of "Spud & Chloe" fine 

sock yarn.  I had no trouble deciding on a color.  My eyes went straight to this beautiful

pale turquoise...a color I've been wanting to make a shawl with.  In fact, I don't

even remember what other colors were available.  This color was it! 

It's superwash Merino and silk.  It's so soft and pretty!

There was a little check stand in the front of the truck to purchase yarn.

They even wrote the pattern name down for me so I can purchase it on Ravelry.

Judy bought a skein of yarn that was dyed specifically for the Yarn Over Truck.

It's called "Keep on Truckin'".  It's blue and teal and beautiful.

You can see it on her blog post.

The weather was spectacular yesterday and so was the scenery.

A perfect day and place to kick back, relax, and enjoy!

The winery was small and really nice.

I'd definitely like to go back there again someday.

We walked around and enjoyed the views and took a few pictures.

We had fun looking at the nearby houses and picking out our favorites.

Some of them were huge!

After the winery and yarn truck, we decided to head to the beach town of Encinitas.

It was only about 20 minutes away.  We visited two yarn shops that Judy had never been to, 

Common Threads and Black Sheep.  After walking through town, we took a walk on the 

beach and gathered some rocks to decorate with crochet...like the one in my "Rockin'" post.

We headed back home around six and the hour drive gave us more chat time.

What a fun day!  And, now we have more yarn and rocks to create with!

Rockin'

Blog land is such an inspiring place.

One of the blogs that has been inspiring me is, "T's Daily Treasures".

Her crochet covered rocks always catch my eye.

I've been admiring them for a while and couldn't resist any longer...I had to make one!

I made sure to pick up a rock when I was at the beach last weekend.  

Yesterday, I pulled some red crochet cotton from my stash and a size 6 crochet hook.

I found a pattern on Ravelry for "Lacy River Rocks".  It had three different options

and the directions were very clear and simple.  I made option three.

The pattern leaves a big hole in the back but I wanted mine to completely surround the rock.

A little improvising did the trick.  I wrapped the front and side section

 around the rock and crocheted it closed in the back.

My daughter thinks this is a bit silly and I understand...that crossed my mind too.

But, there's something about them that just drew me in and I had to try it.

Now, I'm addicted!  This was so much fun to make and I love how it looks.

I can't wait to make another one.  I have a feeling a trip to the beach is in my near future!

I like to think of it as natural, earth friendly art.  It's just cotton and a rock. 

So, there's nothing to harm the earth.  It can be used for decoration or as a paper weight.

And, it's fun and allows for creativity as no two are alike and I can do some improvising on each one.

Summer Splendor

My Summer Splendor doily is done!

I crocheted it with a size "H" hook and about 1.25 skeins / 800+ yards of Handicrafter Cotton.

I enlarged it a bit by repeating rounds 18-22 several more times and using some treble crochets

and improvisation on the final rows.  It helped.  However, if I were to make it again,

I'd start enlarging it earlier on in the project to make the larger size I wanted.  

The warm temps this week are perfect for blocking.  I blocked it outside so it would dry quickly.  

Our round patio table helped me to keep it even as I stretched it out to the size I wanted.  However,
I had no way of fastening it down to the table and it dried to a smaller size.  I had wanted it to be big enough to reach the edges of our kitchen table.  Oh well.  I love it anyway.

It looks great over our solid red table cloth.

I've been wanting to make a chunky, cotton, lacy doily for our table for a while now.

I can't believe it's moved from my imagination to my table!

Bloomers

Just thought I'd share photos of some of the pretty flowers blooming in my yard right now...

We just planted two Clematis a few weeks ago.  

They seem to be very happy and are blooming and growing like crazy.

I love the purply color!

These Amaryllis haven't bloomed in years.  I'm so happy to see them again!

The bulbs belonged to my grandmother who passed away when I was about 10.

So, these flowers are extra special to me.

Our Butterfly Iris is on it's second big bloom this year.

They're so pretty looking across the yard at them from my kitchen window.

And, the details up close are even prettier.

Have a beautiful day!

Beauty Beyond Words

Yesterday morning, my daughter finished her last final exam and her first year

at the university.  I drove over and picked her up after she was finished. 

We planned to spend the day together to celebrate.

The weather was gorgeous.  Especially, near the coast.

It was sunny and warm with a perfect breeze and just the right amount of moisture in the air.

We decided to visit a nursery I've heard about for decades but never gone to...Roger's Gardens.

I expected it to be nice but that would be a HUGE understatement.

This place was a FEAST for the eyes.  There was beauty beyond words everywhere we looked.

I wasn't sure if it was ok to take photos but I couldn't resist.  If I'd only had my camera!

Thank goodness for the camera in my phone!

I think the Hydrangea area was my favorite.

They were grouped by color and soooo beautiful...

Gasp!

My daughter was lost in the beauty as well.

She was just as busy clicking away with her camera phone.

These purply/pink/green ones were her favorite.

I have no idea what these are.  I had so many plant names floating around

in my head by the time I saw them that I didn't even bother to look at the tags.

They look like tissue paper flowers.  So pretty!

Their hanging baskets were the prettiest I've ever seen!

They had lots of flowers, roses, garden plants, herbs, tropical plants and so much more.

 The succulent area was wonderful too.  I love how they surrounded this little potted tree with pretty

succulents and that the pot has holes around the side that they're peeking out of as well.  So cute!

I think this table/bench filled with succulents is wonderful too...

They had many wonderful indoor areas to shop in.

There were seeds, tools, planters and pots, fountains, garden furniture, and supplies you'd expect.

They also had decorator items, shells, Christmas decorations, fairy garden supplies and much more.

I like these paper flowers that were displayed in one of the buildings...

Some of them were displayed on branches high on the wall.

I'm not sure if the branches were metal or wood but I sure love the idea and the look.

I liked these chains with rocks and glass.

I think they're for rain water to come down to prevent splashing.

We don't get a whole lot of rain where I live but I think they'd be pretty as decorations.

Here are some that were made with smooth stones.

I think I like them even better.

There was a planter near the center of the nursery that had a big tree surrounded with
Baby Tears plants, flowers, and a big bunch of glass mushrooms and worms.

So colorful and cute!

This is just a small sample of the wonderful things to look at, enjoy, and buy

at Roger's Gardens.  I could probably spend a whole day there.  It's wonderful and such a

feast for the eyes.  I can't believe it took me so long to go there.  I'll definitely go back.

They had lots of plants I wanted to buy.  But, we had plans for the day and I knew 

the plants wouldn't be happy waiting around in a hot car all day.

My daughter and I had a wonderful day together.  We shopped, had lunch, relaxed in the jacuzzi,

and she cooked dinner for me.  She'll be coming home this week for the summer.

We're making plans for more fun day trips, crafty goals, and enjoying time together.

I'm so excited!  And, she's really looking forward to a break from her very intense school year.