susabella's creative pursuits

♥ Japan ♥

2011-03-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

I took a break from work this morning and went to one of my favorite places, Descanso Gardens. As I walked by the Japanese Tea House and Gardens, I said a prayer for all those in Japan who are affected by this devastating earthquake and tsunami and also the nuclear disaster. My heart breaks for them, as I cannot imagine the untold suffering and utter despair that they are going through and will for a long time to come. How does one recover from something like this?

Having lived through a few large earthquakes, I cannot wrap my brain around the utter devastation that I see on CNN. Living in Southern California, we have always been told, as far back as I can remember, that the BIG one is coming and to be prepared (most are not). Japan is one of the most-prepared countries for such a disaster on the face of this earth; however, even they could not be prepared for what was unleashed upon them one week ago today. My mouth dropped as I watched the tsunami as it was happening, in real-time, a week ago tonight. I could not believe what I was seeing. The wave washed over farmland, carrying boats, houses and destroying everything in its path. I keep thinking that mankind, in its arrogance, thinks that it has everything "figured out". Not. We are in no way a match for nature and its absolute power. All we can do is be prepared, the best that we can, and if and when something happens, be there for each other.

What strikes me is the Japanese people's civility, even in the face of this unimaginable tragedy. No looting, no anger; such grace. I so respect them - I think we can all learn a lesson from them.

Spring Has Sprung

2011-03-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung! On a more serious note, my heart and prayers go out to the people of Japan and all who are affected by the catastrophic earthquake/tsunami. I cannot believe what I am seeing and it is just so unimaginable. I have been through a few large earthquakes, but nothing that compares with this and I pray I never will be.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T14:55:00.000-08:00

Wishing all of you a happy and healthy 2011!

Making Progress

2010-11-07T15:18:00.000-08:00

After a craptastic August and September, I seem to have lost my crafting mojo and it was nowhere to be found. Slowly, but surely, it seems to be creeping back.

I have had this Bernat "Galaxy" yarn (which sadly has been discontinued) in the Mars colorway for years, and finally decided to dig it out last night and start knitting a simple scarf for myself. I love when a yarn does "all the work" and all you have to do is mindlessly knit. I chose to do a simple scarf (I was "scarfed-out" from knitting so many when I first started knitting about five years ago), as I wanted a simple project to do while watching television in the evening. I just casted on 15 stitches and started knitting and will continue to do so until I run out of yarn! Hopefully the two skeins I have will make a decent-lengthed scarf.

What projects are you working on?

One Year Ago Today

2010-08-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

These are just a few of the images I shot a year ago during the Station Fire. We were asked to evacuate early the next morning, but it turned out to be a goof-up of the reverse 911 system, but it was very scary nonetheless. I will never forget the smell of the smoke; I think it will be a memory that will stay with me for the rest of my life. We were extremely lucky (we are very thankful) there was no wind; it would have been a very different outcome for our little valley if there had been; however, many people were not as fortunate as we were.

We love our firefighters.

Happy Memorial Day

2010-05-31T08:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day

I am grateful to all who have given their lives, have served and are serving now to give us all the freedoms we enjoy and all too often take for granted. Thank You.

A Profusion of Poppies

2010-04-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

I took these photos Tuesday on a trip to the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve. It is absolutely spectacular this year. What a difference a year makes; we had quite a bit of rain and that made all the difference! There were fields of poppies all over the valley. They almost looked as if they were glowing. Gorgeous!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T10:11:00.000-07:00

(Image courtesy of Karen's Whimsy)

Wishing you and yours a blessed and Happy Easter!

Welcome Spring!

2010-03-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T08:14:00.000-07:00

(Photo courtesy of "The Graphics Fairy")

May the luck of the Irish be with you today (and don't forget to wear some green)!

Sherman Library and Gardens

2010-02-20T09:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went with a friend to Sherman Library and Gardens in Corona Del Mar. We left the gray, drizzly foothills and an hour or so later were down in the sunshine near the beach. It was a gorgeous day. Neither of us had ever been there and we were pleasantly surprised at the scope of the gardens for its size. It is located right off Pacific Coast Highway in a lovely area of Corona Del Mar not far from the beach in a residential/business district. They also have a lovely gift shop!

We then had a wonderful lunch at Bristol Farms and made one more stop at Rogers Gardens which is amazing! I definitely want to go back around Christmas - they have an extensive selection of gorgeous Christmas ornaments by Christopher Radko, Debbee Thibault and others, and were putting out Easter items yesterday. Their selection of plants, trees, etc. is like none I've ever seen.

We then made the drive home in our "wonderful" LA-Friday afternoon traffic; our least favorite part of the day, but so worth it!

Blue Skies...

2010-01-24T12:16:00.001-08:00

We're still here and haven't washed away! After a week-long series of storms, we woke to snow on our mountains yesterday. Our poor, bald mountains were wearing a toupee of snow (as my cousin put it!). We were even treated to a bright, beautiful double rainbow on Tuesday. Yesterday was a beautiful day and I even managed to get some plants in the ground. We are expecting more rain tomorrow through Tuesday, so the threat of mudslides is far from over. We need the rain; just not all at once!

"It's a Beautiful Day..."

2010-01-10T14:48:00.001-08:00

"Don't let it get away,

It's a beautiful day..."

U2, "It's a Beautiful Day"

I hope everyone is enjoying their day.

To You and Yours...

2009-12-24T18:04:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas!

Sights Around My 'Hood

2009-12-22T19:51:00.001-08:00

Here are a few photos of two of the more decked-out homes around my neighborhood. The families start decorating right around Thanksgiving. That's a LOT of lights and a lot of work! My SIL's father has a saying for decorations like this - "Looks like GE threw-up on their yard!" It may be a bit much, but I think it looks magical.

Always Remember

2009-12-07T09:37:00.001-08:00

"...a date which will live in infamy..."

A Scary Experience

2009-11-29T14:58:00.000-08:00

This is the broken housing which caused the cruise control cable to get stuck while I was driving my mom's Ford Taurus on Wednesday while we were doing last-minute errands for Thanksgiving. I had been slowly accelerating to about 30-35 m.p.h. when the car just "took off" without me stepping on the gas pedal. I pressed on the brake pedal which slowed it a bit, but the car wouldn't stop. I was beginning to panic. I got the car to slow down enough to where I put it in neutral and then park and it came to a very abrupt stop, but the engine was really reving - it sounded like it was going to explode. I turned it off quickly and we both said "what the hell happened?" The gas pedal was not stuck, so we were not sure what had happened. I called both the Auto Club to get a tow truck and then my dad. He came down to wait for the tow truck with us and to see what the cause was. We waited for about 30 minutes and then he told us he would wait for the tow truck and that we should go finish our errands and he would call us when the car got to the repair shop. The above-photo shows what happened. The housing to the cruise control cable broke, causing the cable to get stuck. That is, in a nutshell, what happened. Our mechanic put the clamp on as a temporary fix to hold the cable to the housing, but it is now disconnected.

I am so thankful that this didn't happen while any of us were driving in traffic with cars in close proximity or on the freeway at 65 miles per hour - I don't know how the car could have ever been brought to a stop safely had that been the case. It is a very scary thought indeed. We were very, very thankful, to say the least.

A "Noble" Knit

2009-11-03T13:54:00.001-08:00

This is one of the knitting projects I'm currently working on. This is "A Noble Cowl" by Emily Kausalik. It is an easy knit and I love the pattern. The yarn I'm using is Shibui Baby Alpaca DK - it is so soft! I'm making this one for myself and one for my mother in blue. I love the subtle variations of color in this yarn. It is one of the softest yarns I have ever touched and is an absolute joy to knit with. I love me some alpaca!

I am also knitting Christmas gifts this year, but I can't share those with you right now because a few of the intended recipients read my blog. I'm really liking how those are turning out and I have almost two finished already. It will sure be nice having them done in plenty of time.

Are any of you making your Christmas gifts this year? If so, what are you making?

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T07:58:00.000-07:00

Here's wishing everyone a safe and Happy Halloween!

I Wish This Wasn't Necessary

2009-10-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

Cancer sucks. I'm knitting another chemo cap for one of my aunts; I wish it wasn't necessary. The pattern is one that I've unfortunately knitted-up before for another one of my aunts. I love the yarn - it's a very soft, machine washable DK weight and will be easy to just throw into the washer. The pattern is very easy and has such a pretty pattern at the crown. I will post a photo of it when I've finished. I found the pattern on the "Head Huggers" website where they have lots of patterns for both knitting and crochet, along with great information.

On a happier note, we survived the first rain of the season and the mountains have stayed-put for now. We are only about 1/2-mile away from the foot of the mountains and the mudflow has been forecasted as possibly traveling as far down as a mile to our main boulevard. The city and county are taking precautions very seriously this time around. We had a wildfire way back in 1978, which was nothing in comparison to what we just went through in August/September, and had mudslides as a result. It was bad. Come to find out that the debris basins had not been cleaned-out. Well, it's completely different this time around, thank goodness. We still have a long rainy season to get through and with an El Nino forecasted, we are still not out of the woods, so to speak. The danger of mudslides can remain for up to three years, but today is a beautiful, sunny, crystal-clear day with temps supposedly reaching into the 80s! Only in California do we go from the 60s to the 80s in the span of a day! Go figure

I am so excited for baseball tonight - the Dodgers play Game One of the NLCS against the Phillies. We lost to them last year. Hopefully, this year will have a different outcome. I'm dreaming of a Dodgers-Angels World Series! That would be so awesome!

It's All Greek To Me

2009-09-27T16:57:00.001-07:00

I regularly watch Food Network for four shows in particular: Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa & Back to Basics and Giada DeLaurentiis' Everyday Italian & Giada at Home. I find most of their recipes easy to make and absolutely delicious. I was watching this week when I saw Ina Garten make "Greek Panzanella" and decided to make it to have with barbequed chicken for our dinner tonight. It is absolutely delicious and the bread just adds to the texture and flavor of the dish. If you like Greek-style salads, you may want to give this one a try - it's a keeper!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-09T11:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, just a few. Here are some photos I took yesterday. I hope you enjoy them.

THANK YOU

2009-09-06T09:31:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU for putting your lives on the line for all of us and for keeping our city and homes safe. Thank you doesn't seem adequate, but it comes from the heart and we will be forever grateful. We mourn the loss of two heroes, Tedmund Hall and Arnaldo Quinones, who died while trying to find an escape route for their charges.

Fire Update

2009-08-31T21:05:00.001-07:00

This is how our mountains look from my neighborhood. A few of my neighbors and I walked two blocks up this evening to see how bad the flames looked from another perspective. Wow. This view is from a distance of ten blocks, which is still too close for comfort. They have evacuated the streets above this point; however, not everyone has left. We got an emergency mandatory evacuation order this morning at 2:15 a.m. We talked to the sheriff's officer and asked if we had to leave and he said no; we should do what we felt we had to do. We stayed (we are in no immediate danger). I'm not so sure about later tonight or early in the morning. Things can change so quickly, as we have all learned over these past 5 days and counting. My neighbors and I are going to go take another look in a bit to see how far it has progressed. This fire is massive and it shows no signs of ending any time soon. There is so much fuel that hasn't burned since 1976 and it is tinder dry from years of drought. Wouldn't you know that this would be the year that El Nino is supposed to show up. You know what comes next - mudslides.

I feel so emotional about all this and am close to tears this evening. One of my favorite places is on fire - the wilderness park that has brought so much beauty and joy to my life. My cousin and I loved to hike here. I also can't help thinking about all the wildlife; it absolutely breaks my heart. I know that people and houses are the first priority, of course, but this is their home too.

Mt. Wilson, along with countless other communities that cover something like 134 square miles, are in danger or have been burned. They say it will be September 15th before it will be under control - that's two weeks away. My heart goes out to everyone who is anxiously watching and waiting to see what this monster fire is going to do next.

Still Burning

2009-08-30T20:29:00.001-07:00

I haven't been doing any crafting or jewelry-making, as I've been keeping a close watch on the fire that is raging here. This thing is just massive and as of tonight, racing toward Mt. Wilson where communication and telecommunication towers that serve all of the greater LA area, as well as an observatory, are situated. The magnitude is just mind-boggling. I just spoke to my cousin who lives about six miles from here and it's raging where she is right now. There is just no end in sight. Two firefighters lost their lives today battling this monster. What they do is so brave and so appreciated. My heart goes out to their families. They are doing an absolutely amazing job.

If you are affected by this fire, stay safe.

God Bless Our Firefighters.

Here We Go Again

2009-08-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

This was the scene we had around 8:50 a.m. this morning from our backyard. A fire broke out yesterday afternoon and it was quite smokey for quite a while. Towards evening, the smoke seemed to have dissipated quite a bit and we didn't see any last night while taking our nightly walk, but it seems as though it has kicked-up again or this is a different fire. As of this morning, the "Station Fire" was only 20% contained. This seems like it is closer to us, although I'm waiting for the local news to come on and see what the heck is going on. I just went out to take a look and it has gotten wider by the look of the smoke. We are constantly hearing airplanes as they go back and forth getting boron or water for their drops. This is very unsettling. It's good that it is nowhere near human homes, but I always think about all the poor animals who are affected. It seems like they are always the forgotten victims of wildfires.

Look Who Visited Us Today...

2009-08-12T18:20:00.000-07:00

...Bob. As in Bobcat! This morning one of the scrub jays was outside having an absolute fit. I looked out the window and saw a cat under the lilac bush. I, of course, assumed that it was "Marmalade", my little friend who visits fairly regularly. I went outside and called him, but he wouldn't come out, which was very unusual. He usually runs out to greet me. I said, "Marmalade, what's the matter with you?" and upon looking more closely I realized, that's not Marmalade - THAT'S A BOBCAT! He was smaller than one we had that visited us back in January of 2008. I had some errands to run and when I returned he was laying on the cement in front of our windows that face out to the backyard. I was able to get these pictures (they aren't the best, but I had to take them through the screen and do it fairly fast as to not really scare him off). He ended up moving to another spot in the yard and was there until late this afternoon when he moved on. I was worried that Marmalade would come sauntering into the yard and become his breakfast, lunch or dinner, but thankfully, that didn't happen. If this had been a mountain lion, I would have been extremely concerned and would have called animal control to come and tranquilize it and move it back up to our nearby hills. They are around and a 200-pound cat was seen up at a popular wilderness park about a mile from here which, needless to say, put a kabosh on my hiking there. The park ranger said, "Oh, they more than likely are around, watching people hiking and you don't even know they're there." Somehow the thought of a 200-pound cat eyeing me and trying to decide if I should be its next meal doesn't make me feel very safe. Call me crazy. I'll stick to Descanso Gardens, thank you very much.

One Can Dream...

2009-07-23T16:55:00.000-07:00

... of cooler days! It is another toasty day here, but I met my dear friend "K" at one of our favorite spots, Descanso Gardens, this morning for stitching and good conversation. She is working on quilt pieces for a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt and I started a cross stich pattern I had bought last year. I figured if I start now, I'll have it finished in another couple of "stitching days" we meet for and will be able to hang it on my Christmas tree this year! I thought it was apropos to stitch this on such a warm day. While we sat stitching, we were fascinated by the dragonflys that almost seemed to be dancing from flower-to-flower around the pond. There were three large orange ones and about four smaller blue ones that almost seemed to glow in the sunlight. I think I made good progress on my first Christmas ornament for this season!

Absolute Perfection

2009-07-21T17:22:00.000-07:00

A week-and-a-half ago I met a dear friend for a walk at Descanso Gardens and lunch. After lunch, we went to a couple of local quilt shops where we each bought some fabric. After we said so long, I decided to go up to one of my favorite spots, that being Deukmejian Wilderness Park. The sky was absolutely stunning that day. It was very warm out, somewhere around 90 degrees, but there was a lovely breeze. I walked around the lower complex and ventured up one of the paths for a short distance, but not too far. There is a sign posted that a mountain lion has been spotted in the area and to be vigilent and not hike alone. This is one creature I never want to come anywhere near. I then found a bench under some pine trees and sat there taking in all the sights and sounds of this special place, high in the hills overlooking our lovely little valley and the Los Angeles basin in the distance. As I sat there with a wonderful breeze blowing, I was thinking that it didn't get much better than that. It was absolute perfection for that moment in time.

40 Years Ago Today

2009-07-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that it was 40 years ago today when Apollo 11 landed on the moon. I still get a kick out of seeing it and hearing those famous words uttered by Neil Armstrong, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind". Cool.

Flashback Photo Friday

2009-07-10T16:48:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd post a picture of my brother and I for "Flashback Photo Friday" (try saying that fast), since I'm working on a few things and I don't have much to share yet. I did have a very nice morning/afternoon with a dear friend and will share that with you soon.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I'm going to be spending tomorrow with three of my favorite guys tomorrow - my brother and my two adorable nephews. It should be fun!

Passing It Forward

2009-07-09T16:47:00.000-07:00

I received this lovely blog award today from Marie Segal. I got home from doing errands and checked my email and found a rather "cryptic" comment on my last blog post. I proceeded to Marie's blog, "Art From My Heart", where I found that she had awarded me this lovely blog award. I am truly honored and surprised that my little blog would even be considered for such a lovely honor. I am inspired every day by all the talented ladies out there whose blogs I follow.

Ces created the award and you can read about it at her blog here: The Bella Sinclair Award. Ces wrote "I designed this award to celebrate art in the blogs and to honor the value of friendship, sisterhood, sharing and caring. It is to be awarded to the gifted, accomplished, eloquent and talented blogger whose friendship and influence inspire us to do our best. That I named it after Bella Sinclair is because she epitomizes all of these things. She is an inspiration to many of us."

I must say that there are so many bloggers out there who inspire me every day. Marie asked the recipients to "...go out and pick other sister friends, spread the crown, give shade and comfort and caring to your blog and sister friends". I am doing just that - here are some of my inspirations. Thank you Marie and thank you blog sisters for inspiring me every day. Now pass it on!

Nina Bagley: http://www.ornamental.typepad.com/
Farmlady: http://overgoodground.blogspot.com/
Ellen Bloom: http://www.ellenbloom.blogspot.com/
Heather: http://humblebeads.com/blog.html
Carmi: http://carmicimicata.blogspot.com/
Sally Jean: http://www.sallyjean.typepad.com/
Julie Haymaker Thompson: http://juliehaymaker.blogspot.com/
Barbe Saint John: http://barbesaintjohn.blogspot.com/
Amy Powers: http://inspireco.blogspot.com/

You Ladies Rock!

Have a Happy Fourth!

2009-07-03T15:31:00.001-07:00

Here's wishing everyone an early Happy Fourth of July! We're having a BBQ with family and friends. My contributions are cupcakes and yogurt/Cool Whip pies. Our high school has fireworks every year which we can see them from our house, so we'll all just sit out on the front lawn and enjoy the show! We all laugh at each other's "ooohhhs and aaahhhs"!

What are your plans? Do you watch fireworks? Whatever you do, have a wonderful holiday.

The Fruits (and Veggies) Of My Labor

2009-07-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

This year I am growing three kinds of tomatoes and red peppers. There is absolutely nothing more delicious or flavorful than homegrown tomatoes; ones that are store-bought don't even come close. Other fruits and herbs I have in my garden are "Gordon" apples, white figs, basil, rosemary, two kinds of thyme, mint, (all I need is parsley and sage and I can go to Scarborough Fair!), and blackberries. All the fruits and veggies are at different stages of becoming ripe; I've had a couple of tomatoes already and lots of basil. I love putting it in anything I can! One of my favorite summertime sandwiches is Horizon low-fat cream cheese, tomato, basil, and some Garlic & Herb Mrs. Dash. Can you say "Yum"?! Cream cheese and cucumber is also very good. I'm hoping that I can harvest my blackberries when they ripen before the squirrels or birds get to them. I had one lolely little blackberry that was almost ripe and "somebody" got to it before I could! I'm hoping that won't happen this time; we'll see. The apples are so good in pies - my mom bakes a mean apple pie! I need to get her recipe and try making one this summer. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to get those apples at the top of the tree - it will be "interesting" to say the least! My brother's birthday is in September and he always requests mom's apple pie for his birthday dessert. I must say that it is a little difficult to put candles in pie crust!

My father planted the fig tree from a cutting that my uncle gave to him. Figs are not my favorite (it's a texture thing), but I have quite a few friends that like them so I will be able to indulge them with figs this summer. I think I may try finding recipe to bake some fig-type bars or cookies.

Do you have any fruits, veggies or herbs growing, and if so, which ones?

You Say Tomato, I Say Tomahto

2009-06-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

Actually, I say Italian Tomato Tart! I made this for dinner last night and it was very good. This recipe was also from the April 2009 issue of "Cooking Light". My friend and neighbor "J" got me the subscription for my birthday last year and I' m really enjoying going through and picking out new recipes to try. I'm also going through my "Everyday Food" issues and choosing recipes from there as well. So far, so good!

Two Chip! Two Chip!

2009-06-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

I took a break from my transcribing yesterday and made two different types of wonton chips: spiced and garlic/parmesan. I got the recipe for the spiced chips out of the April 2009 issue of "Cooking Light". The spiced chips call for Chinese five spice and the ones pictured above are a garlic/parmesan version I came up with - very simply, garlic powder with parsley and Trader Joe's Parmesan and Romano Grated Cheese. They are so easy: cut wonton wrappers into fours, lightly brush with dark sesame oil (or oil or your choice), sprinkle the wrappers with the mixture of your choice, and put into a preheated 450 degree oven for 3 minutes or until crisp. I must warn you though - it's very hard to stop at just a few!

To My Dad

2009-06-21T09:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day also to my dear brother and to all the fathers out there in name and spirit. Have a wonderful day.

A Good Day For...

2009-06-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

...ducks, cleaning and making jewelry! It's a very drizzly day here; a complete turnaround from the very warm, clear day we had yesterday. I do like this weather though because I know that hot weather is right around the corner.

I took advantage of the drizzle to go outside and take some photos. I think the rose leaves look like they have been sprinkled with decorator's sugar, chunky glitter or those clear beads that you fuse onto fabric or objects.

This is a good day for me to do what I've been putting off - clean up the mess that is my workspace; it's very disorganized at the moment, with bits and pieces of the project I'm in the middle of scattered about. Then I can make a "clean start" and get some other ideas I've had in motion. I also need to get things ready for tomorrow, as my brother and his family are coming up for a Father's Day barbecue. I hope the weather will cooperate!

Say Hello To My Little Friend

2009-06-19T11:35:00.001-07:00

I affectionately call him "Shashitska". I don't know where he lives or who he belongs to, but he always surprises me when I'm outside watering or doing yardwork. He starting showing-up a couple of months ago. This morning I was outside watering and he darted out from underneath the fig tree. He has startled me a couple of times like that! The only thing that I don't like about him (or any cat) is the bird-thing; I know it's their instict, but I feel so bad when I find feathers from a bird that has met its demise by this guy's paws. He is very sweet and disappears as fast as he appears! He stays for a little bit and then goes on his way.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend and Happy Father's Day to those of you who will be celebrating. My brother, SIL and nephews are coming up for a barbecue. It should be a fun day.

Lovely, Luscious Lavender - Part Deux

2009-06-17T13:52:00.001-07:00

These are some of the other photos I took last Saturday at the Lavender Festival. The different shades of the various lavender plants was really beautiful and their wafting scent was absolutely heavenly.

Lovely, Luscious Lavender!

2009-06-14T16:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to the Lavender Festival at 123 Farms in Beaumont with my dearest friend Carol and her husband Jim. This is one of the largest organic lavender farms in the U.S. It was a little chilly and overcast, but we really enjoyed the day. Carol bought some lavender essential oil (which smelled heavenly) and some culinary lavender. I also purchased the culinary lavender and am excited to start cooking and baking with it. They were also selling lavender lemonade which was delicious, bouquets of lavender, lavender plants, a lavender cooking book... you get the idea!

Carol and I took a "class" where we made a lavender wand. The smell was heavenly as we wove the ribbon to make the wand. The ladies who were teaching the class came all the way from England. They were commenting on how our weather was like that back in England and that they were told California was always sunny and warm! I told them of our "June Gloom" and that I was actually enjoying the cooler weather, as I knew what was in store for us (hot weather and soon).

We caught the very end of a talk where a couple was demonstrating how lavender is distilled. I can't remember the the exact numbers, but it was an incredible amount of lavender that is required to make a fairly small amount of essential oil. "Lavender water" is also yielded from this process, which is used for room sprays, etc. (the water-based product of the distillation process). It was quite interesting.

I have some more pictures of the lavender fields that I will share this week. It was a really lovely day.

"I Really Don't Know Clouds At All"

2009-06-02T15:43:00.000-07:00

I noticed that there were such pretty and unusual-looking clouds in the sky late this morning while I was out doing errands and was wishing I had my camera with me. By the time I got back home most of them were gone, but these two looked interesting to me - the top one looks like a lyre and the bottom one looks like a reindeer (well, to my eye anyway!). It reminded me of that Joni Mitchell song "Clouds": "Rows and flows of angel hair, and ice cream castles in the air, and feather canyons everywhere, I've looked at clouds that way...".

Sights Around the Arboretum

2009-05-26T15:53:00.000-07:00

My cousin and I went to the LA County Arboretum this morning. We were amazed at the beauty of the peacocks and peahens and how their feathers seemed to "glow"; the iridescence is incredible. Their call is really loud - it sounds like a woman screaming "Help"!

And The Winner Is...

2009-05-22T07:40:00.000-07:00

#5 farmlady!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2009-05-22 14:47:48 UTC

I gave each comment a number in the order that they were received:

1. julie Haymaker thompson - 5/15, 12:45 a.m.
2. Marilyn - 5/18, 8:21 a.m.
3. Marie Reed - 5/19, 10:43 a.m.
4. annemarie - 5/19, 11:00 a.m.
5. farmlady - 5/19, 11:38 p.m.
6. grace - 5/20, 4:51 p.m.

Congratulations farmlady! Just email me your address and I will send you your earrings.

Thanks to all of you for leaving a comment. Have a great weekend!

It's My Blogaversary!

2009-05-18T08:41:00.001-07:00

Today marks the one-year point in my blogging adventure. Just leave me a comment and you will be entered to win a really pretty pair of pearl earrings (I had originally asked for the comment to be on charm bracelets, but that is probably a little too limiting). I hope more of you will participate. I have extended the time I will be accepting comments until 11:00 p.m. Thursday night, so there's still plenty of time. Come on, don't be shy - I know you're out there! I will announce the winner Friday morning.

Blogaversary Giveaway!

2009-05-14T08:07:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that on May 18 (Monday) I will have been blogging for one year! It is an ongoing learning process and one that I find myself really enjoying - I wasn't sure I would! There are so many wonderful, interesting and talented bloggers out there that continually inspire me, so I hope I can add a little something to the mix.

I've decided to have a giveaway for my one-year blogaversary. I made a pair of pearl earrings to give to one lucky commenter. The pearls are a very pretty cream color and I've put them on a Swarovski crystal headpin. I can't seem to get a better photo of them, but they are really pretty. Just leave a comment telling me what type of charm bracelet (i.e. what kind of "theme" or subject) you would like to see made up; I'm trying to come up with some different ideas and would like your input. I will accept comments for the next five days, until Monday, May 18 at 11:00 p.m. PDT. PLEASE leave a comment - I would really appreciate your feedback. Thanks!

For You Mom...

2009-05-10T08:35:00.000-07:00

...and all the special Moms in my life, Happy Mother's Day! I hope you all have a wonderful day.

Earrings In My Shop!

2009-05-08T06:15:00.000-07:00

I am indulging myself in some shameless self-promotion today. I have listed three pairs of earrings in my Etsy shop.

On another note, my thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Santa Barbara who are dealing with yet another wildfire ("Jesusita Fire"). As of this morning, 75 homes have either been damaged or destroyed. It is absolutely heartbreaking. I only wish that we could afford to have our own Super Scoopers, as "fire season" seems to be coming earlier every year and now is really a year-round threat.

Have a good weekend. Stay safe.

Carousel Restoration Part Two

2009-05-07T15:38:00.001-07:00

These are the last of the photos I took last Sunday. It really was a very interesting afternoon. The top photo is of the antlers on one of the animals. A lady was telling me that they are actually real antlers, as the wooden ones they had used were always breaking from children hanging onto them. These won't break!

Another interesting fact she told me is that the "male" horses always have their tongue hanging out of their mouth. She wasn't sure why, but I guess it was a way of showing their "maleness"! Anyway, I hope you enjoy these photos.

Carousel Restoration

2009-05-04T08:24:00.001-07:00

My friend (and neighbor) got an invite to an "open house" from an acquaintance she knows from her volunteer work and invited my mother and I to come with her yesterday. The woman owns a "studio" (actually a warehouse) in Irwindale where she rescues and restores carousel animals. It was really fascinating to see them all in different stages of restoration. My favorites are the carved wooden animals that are European (there are three different materials that were used to make them: wood, fiberglass and aluminum). It was really interesting to learn little tidbits about this unique artform. I hope you enjoy these photos - I have many more and will share them with you in another post this week.

My "History"

2009-04-30T12:57:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about my family history. This photo is of my grandmother as a bridesmaid at her sister's wedding circa 1916. It is one of the precious few photos that I have of her. She was about 16 years of age when this was taken. She and her family came here by ship from Sicily in 1912. I cannot imagine how hard that must have been. My mother remembers my grandmother telling her stories of how hard that vogage was and the hardships that everyone endured to come here to the United States. She was only 12 years old when she made that voyage with her parents and two sisters. They, like so many immigrants, went through Ellis Island. What I find so remarkable is how much she and I look alike - it is like looking into a mirror and seeing my reflection when looking at this photo. The resemblance is uncanny.

Both of my fathers' parents were immigrants from Italy; my grandmother from Palermo, Sicily and my grandfather from a small village near Naples that bears my surname. I loved hearing stories from my grandfather while he was alive (he died in 1994 at age 99) about his life and how he met my grandmother. My cousins and I got together one evening many years ago and decided to tape my grandfather telling us the story of his life. I am so thankful that we did and that we each have a cassette of that family history; however, I have yet to transcribe it. I know it's silly that it has been so many years, but I think I may finally be able to listen to it and hear to his voice again. I was very close to him.

My grandmother (whose picture is above) Ester, died when I was four, but I can still remember going through her jewelry box and being mesmerized by all the sparking pins and necklaces that she had. I have some of those pieces now, which I treasure. I know that this is where my love of jewelry began. Even back then, I felt that it was such a priviledge to be given the "permission" to go through her jewelry box, especially since I was so young. I only wish that she had lived long enough that I could have known her better. It tugs at my heartstrings when I remember those family members who were so important to me who have passed, but I hold onto the promise that we will be reunited one day and hold on to that, especially the older I get. It does bring me a sense of peace.

"Crafting" Picnic

2009-04-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

I met my dear friend "C" on Saturday at a little park in So. Pas. It was a lovely day; breezy and a little cool. We sat and talked quite a bit and then had a bite to eat. I made cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches and she had brought some fruit to eat, although we only ended-up eating the sandwiches! We sat at the picnic table for quite a while before it got really breezy and a little chilly, so we decided we'd like to be a little warmer and moved to her car. She is working on granny squares for an afghan - the center is a really pretty red and the main square is an ecru color. The outside round is black, which is a really hard color to see without having really good light. I suggested she go buy an Ott-Lite; I love mine. JoAnns has them for 50% off, but I'm not sure how long that is good for. I worked on one of my WIPs, Aibhlinn from the 2004 Winter Issue of Knitty. I just got the one picture of her working on her square and a few of the park while I was waiting for her to arrive. I will try to take more pictures next time we meet to do our crafting.

We then drove over to San Marino to Julienne for a treat. They have wonderful food there and next time we decided we'll get something from there, as they have food-to-go. They have a great selection of sandwiches, salads and desserts! We both got an espresso and a coconut macaroon - YUM!!! We sat and talked for a while at the tables outside until they closed at 5:00 (there are heaters set up outside so it was very comfortable). We then said goodbye with plans to get another get-together on the calendar very soon. It was a wonderful day with a wonderful friend, even if we did end-up talking more than doing any actual knitting or crochet! Time just seems to fly by when we get together.

Happy Friday

2009-04-24T10:11:00.001-07:00

Happy Friday everyone. I hope you all have a great weekend. I'm off to help my SIL paint my nephews' bedroom today. Tomorrow I'm meeting my dear friend "C" at a lovely little park; we're going to have a "crafting picnic". We're both bringing a project to work on and goodies for lunch. I'm hoping this will turn into a regular get-together for working on craft projects.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, whatever it is you'll be doing.

April Arrival

2009-04-16T11:14:00.001-07:00

Every April, these Black-headed Grosbeaks show up at my feeders. They stay for a while and then move on to wherever it is they go. I just love the markings on their wings and their bright orange color. It's hard to get a closer photo, as they fly off at the slightest sound. I had to take these photos a farther distance away than I would have liked to, but I'm glad I at least got these. There are just two of them right now, but usually more show up. I'm hoping they do!

And the cute, furry little character in the bottom picture gets into my flower pots I have on my front porch almost every morning! We have our little ritual - she digs in the pots, getting dirt all over the place, and I then go out, sweep it up and put it back in the flower pots! You can't get mad at a face like that!

Easter Flashback

2009-04-11T19:04:00.000-07:00

This is a photo of me, my brother and my cousins on Easter Sunday at my grandmother's house, oh so long ago. I hope all of you who celebrate Easter have a wonderful day tomorrow.

Speaking of Crochet...

2009-04-09T09:48:00.000-07:00

I finished this little cutie up this morning. This is another free pattern, this time from the very talented Mia Zamora Johnson of "Owlishly". She calls this one "Huevitos - Amigurumi Easter Eggs". I decided to do a different pattern for my older nephew, whose favorite color is blue, and to give "Bunny Boo" to my younger nephew.

You can get this adorable free PDF pattern by clicking on the link I have listed above to Mia's blog. There is even an Owlishly Flickr Group! Fun!

Crochet Can Save Your Life!

2009-04-09T07:39:00.000-07:00

This is amazing: I just heard this remarkable and happy story, amid so many heartbreaking ones, coming out of a tiny village near L'Aquila, Italy where they experienced the devastating earthquake earlier this week. A 98-year-old woman, who was pulled-out alive, said she spent the time (not knowing if she would live or die) crocheting as she awaited being rescued.

Amid Italy's earthquake rubble, 98-year-old woman is pulled free
John Hopper in L'Aquila
The Guardian, Wednesday 8 April 2009

Whatever faults Maria D'Antuono may have, wasting time is not among them. The 98-year-old villager, from Tempera, near L'Aquila, yesterday became one of the latest survivors to be dragged from the rubble left by Monday's devastating earthquake in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. For 30 interminable hours, she lay below the ruins of her house, a few miles from the epicentre.

So what did she do to while away the time, not knowing whether she would live or die as rescue workers dug towards her? The answer, it seems, was "crochet". According to the Ansa news agency, D'Antuono was pulled from the rubble to cheers from the crowd and briefly answered questions from a reporter for Silvio Berlusconi's Mediaset television network before she was taken to hospital. Asked how she had passed the time since her house had collapsed on her, she reportedly said she had been busy with her hook and wool.

Living here in Southern California and having lived through two moderate quakes and hundreds of smaller ones, my heart goes out to the Italians. It is extremely disconcerting to have the ground underneath your feet, which you think of as "solid ground", shake, rattle and roll and bring such devastation and death. You never get used to it.

Cute Amigurumi Bunny

2009-04-08T16:39:00.000-07:00

I received an email offering this adorable free amigurumi Easter Bunny pattern for "Bunny Boo" by Tamie Snow who has a blog called "Roxycraft" and just had to make one! This was my first-ever amigurumi project and I found it to be fun and easy. This is the first one I finished this afternoon and I will be starting another one this evening. I'm making them to put into my darling nephews' Easter baskets - I hope they like them! The lighting is not real good in these photos, as it's been a very cloudy day with intermittent sprinkles at times.

Make sure to check out Tamie's blog. She also has her adorable patterns available on Ravelry.

Poppies? Here? Who Knew?!!!

2009-04-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

I find this so ironic: my neighbor's yard has more California Poppies than what we saw out at the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve last week! Funny how that works - sometimes beauty is right in front of our eyes and we only have to take the time to stop and observe it. Have a beautiful week and make sure that you take the time to observe the beauty that is around you - whatever it may be!

Just a Few Reasons Why...

2009-04-02T11:14:00.001-07:00

...I love spring! The fruit trees are becoming full of blossoms and the rose bushes are beginning to wake from their winter pruning. This is the first rose from my "Just Joey" rose bush. My brother and sister-in-law bought it for us 10-1/2 years ago when my nephew was born. This is definitely a wonderful time of year; so full of the colors, sights and sounds of new beginnings and rebirth. I think we can all use a little of that.

Poppies? Where?

2009-03-30T15:49:00.000-07:00

Today my mom, cousin and I took a drive out to the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve to see the poppies and other wildflowers. I read on their website that this year there are not many poppies and that the grasses have taken over. I remember going about 20 years ago and there were poppies as far as your eye could see - it was spectacular. This was the first time my cousin had been out there and I was hoping it would be that way this year, but it was not to be. There were a few spots where there were poppies, but mainly what looks like what we call foxtails were everywhere. There was a meadow-like area where there was a large field of Goldfields that was beautiful. We didn't walk out that far, as the wind was blowing wicked strong and it was a brisk 56 degrees (don't laugh - that's brisk for us here - we're very spoiled). The flowers we did see along the trail we took were Bigelow Coreopsis, Blue Dicks (my cousin made a good joke about this, but I shall refrain from repeating it here!), Fiddleneck, and Pygmy-Leaved Lupine. It was awfully hard to get a good picture because of the wind, but I did manage to get a few good shots. I couldn't get many closeups though - the flowers were blowing around too much!

On the way back, we stopped for lunch at Camille's Sidewalk Cafe. My mom had the Napa Valley Chiken Panini, I had the Veganini, and my cousin had the Sonoma Veggie Wrap. We each enjoyed our selection (they were delicious) and we will definitely go back again.

A Must-Have

2009-03-26T10:05:00.000-07:00

I just want to give a shout-out for a wonderful must-have product by a super-nice lady. Rosanne Adreas, of the Beaded Phoenix, originally created the "Bead and String Reference Chart Poster" back in 1998 and has since updated it . I purchased mine about ten years ago and use it all the time. It really is an indispensible tool for beaders and jewelry-makers alike. It lists, among others things, sizes for beads, cabachons, wire, beading filament, etc. It is laminated, which makes it extremely resilient and will definitely last a lifetime of beading and crafting. You can purchase it at her website here. She was even nice enough to include my comments in her review section - thank you Rosanne!

I love mine and use it all the time. It is so nice to have such a wealth of information all in one place. I have mine prominently displayed on my craft cabinet where I can access it easily (and do so all the time).

Spring Flowers

2009-03-24T17:55:00.001-07:00

Here are a few examples of crocheted flowers that I'm making up as part of a joint "project" with my sister-in-law Maria. I'm using a #9 steel hook, which is fairly small. It was a little hard getting used to at first (my hand kept cramping-up on me!), but it's getting much easier. I've gotten about 25 flowers made so far. I make them at night while watching television. They are a pretty fast crochet and I especially love the effects I get with the variegated threads. The largest flower I'm doing is the size of a half-dollar and the smallest so far is the size of a quarter.

Happy "Official" First Day of Spring

2009-03-20T07:22:00.001-07:00

Today is the "official" first day of spring, although we have been enjoying the signs of spring here for a few weeks already.

Happy Friday!

Spring Has Sprung

2009-03-18T09:15:00.001-07:00

Spring is in full swing here. It was an absolutely beautiful day yesterday and my cousin "C" and I spent the morning at one of our favorite places to walk - Descanso Gardens. The lilacs were especially beautiful - the smell was unbelievable! I was wishing that my camera could capture their scent so that I could bring it home with me! I love autumn and winter, but I must say that there is nothing more glorious than the sights, sounds and scents of spring. It was just amazing to hear all the birds yesterday and to see all the flowers coming into bloom. Ah, spring!

On the crafting front, I've been busy finishing a couple of charm bracelets and ordering supplies. I've got lots of things in the works.

Here are a few photos I took during our walk yesterday.

Have a great week!

One More!

2009-03-02T09:04:00.000-08:00

I am going to add this bracelet to my Etsy shop this morning. This one has a nursery rhyme theme. After listing this bracelet I'm going to finish-up my wedding charm bracelet and hopefully get some good photos of it and will be listing it soon.

Have a good Monday!

I've Been Busy!

2009-03-01T14:31:00.001-08:00

These are my latest creations that I listed in my Etsy shop this afternoon. I'm working on a few others and should have them finished some time this week hopefully.

I think I may take a break from jewelry-making and take a walk. We are having absolutely gorgeous weather - it's in the low 80s and I can feel a slight breeze as I sit typing this. The sky has such beautiful wispy clouds again today - they were so beautiful yesterday. Supposedly we are in for a change with a chance of showers tomorrow. I do hope we get some more rain - we are still about two inches below the average. There is already talk of water rationing and it's only the first of March.

Etsy Shop Update

2009-02-28T14:03:00.000-08:00

I have finally listed two of my bracelets in my Etsy shop this afternoon - the St. Patrick's Day charm bracelet and a Mother's charm bracelet. It's a start - I have a few others to list and will do that as soon as I get the photos taken - hopefully this weekend. I'll keep you posted!

Finished St. Patrick's Day Charm Bracelet

2009-02-26T09:32:00.000-08:00

It's finally finished! I really like how this one turned out. I think the copper really goes nicely with all the colors of the beads and charms. Now I am working on a wedding/bridal bracelet. I just finished making the charms and will share photos with you soon.

I will be listing the bracelets that I have finished in my Etsy shop next week. Now I just have to take the photos and come up with a "name" and description for each. I'll keep you posted!

A Work in Progress

2009-02-21T09:52:00.000-08:00

I don't have a lot to share with you, but I am currently working on this St. Patrick's Day charm bracelet. I still have lots to add to it, but I thought I'd show you what I have done so far. This is the first one I have done in copper and I do like how it's turning out. I do have five other bracelets done that I have to photograph and write-up descriptions for that I will be listing in my Etsy shop soon. Taking good photos of my creations is always the hardest part for me, as the lighting, etc. is so hard to get right to take advantage of all the sparkle of the jewelry. That just doesn't come through very well in the photos; the pieces are always so much prettier in person.

Well, that's it for now on the creative front. Will you be watching the Academy Awards tomorrow night? I have only seen one movie that is up for awards - "Slumdog Millionaire". It was intense, but very good. I have seen Dev Patel and Irrfan Khan in other movies/shows and always enjoy their performances.

Finished Charm Bracelet

2009-02-12T10:49:00.000-08:00

I finished one of my Mother's Day charm bracelets. The lighting is better in these photos, but I'm still not happy with it. It is so hard to capture the beauty of the Swarovski crystals and all the other beads in photographs; it just doesn't do the bracelet justice. I have more jewelry in the works and will be listing them soon. I want to be able to have more done so I can spend a good chunk of time listing them in my etsy shop all at one time instead of piece-by-piece.

A Charming Day

2009-02-10T14:44:00.001-08:00

I've finally been working on some jewelry. I've got some charm bracelets in the works for Mother's Day and a couple of fairy tale ones, among others that I will be listing in my Etsy shop in the next few weeks. These two charms will be for necklaces. The "fly" charm features a feather donated by my lovebird Gioia. The colors are so pretty and I really wanted to be able to use them in some type of jewelry. My photo-taking skills need some work in the lighting department. I think I need to do some research on making myself a lightbox. I just can't seem to get the lighting right. It's harder than it seems to take good photos of jewelry, at least for me. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Two in a Day!

2009-02-08T11:52:00.001-08:00

I was sitting at my computer later in the afternoon yesterday when it started to sprinkle. The sun was breaking through a bit, so I thought I'd go outside and take a look. I looked toward the northeast and lo and behold - another rainbow! I ran inside to grab my camera and got some shots. This rainbow wasn't quite as bright as the one in the morning, but it was still beautiful.

Happy Saturday!

2009-02-07T08:28:00.001-08:00

We awoke to see this beautiful rainbow this morning! There is a second, very faint one above it in the bottom photograph - it is difficult to see, but it is there.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. It's going to be a great day to do some crafting!

Cavalcade of Camellias!

2009-02-04T08:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my cousin "C" and I went for our weekly outing to Descanso Gardens, which is one of our favorite places to go. It was an absolutely beautiful morning; the sky was clear and blue, and the temperature was in the mid 70s. The camellias right now are absolutely gorgeous! The number of varieties is simply amazing and this is just a sampling of what is there. Descanso is known for their camellias, among so many other things. If you're in the La Canada area, you must go there. It is so much fun to see all the different flowers and plants at different times of the year. You may even see a deer or two as an added bonus! I hope you enjoy these photos that I took yesterday.

Oh Happy Day!

2009-01-20T11:33:00.000-08:00

Here's to a new beginning! Happy Inauguration Day!

All Blocked!

2009-01-19T13:29:00.001-08:00

My cousin's birthday gift is finished! I blocked it yesterday using TIG rods (used in welding) and quilter's T-pins. The top two photos are of it in the process of drying - they aren't very pretty, but it sure worked like a charm! I didn't want to have to buy blocking wires right now, so I researched blocking techniques on Ravelry and read about using the TIG rods. My dad has them, so it seemed like a no-brainer!

I think it turned out great, especially for my first time blocking something, albeit this was a very easy blocking project and a good one to start out with! My cousin's birthday is today, but we are getting together tomorrow to go see a movie ("Slumdog Millionaire") and I will give it to her then. I hope the weather cools down so that she can wear it soon!

Knitting Break

2009-01-17T16:28:00.001-08:00

I'm taking a break from knitting "Poinsettia" for my mom to do a little crocheting on this afghan that I had started over a year ago with some leftover yarn I had from another afghan I had finished. It's hard to see, but I attempted to get a good closeup shot of the blackberry stitch that is done with the variegated yarn. It gives a nice detail to the otherwise basic ripple pattern. This pattern is called "Springtime" (#4 on the back cover) from an "American School of Needlework" booklet that was published in 1978 that I had picked-up years ago at one of the Super Yarn Marts in the Los Angeles area. I loved that store. It was really the only place that had a great selection of yarn and patterns at that time. Our choices were more limited then; there were not all the great independent yarn shops or the craft stores that we have now and there was no internet. Boy, have things changed!

It has been in the 80s for the last week here in Southern California. It feels like spring. I was out picking up leaves from all the wind we had last week and replaced a lavender plant that died. My lilacs even have a few blooms on them which is amazing, since it's so early and my roses are doing great. I had cut them down in November, which was a little early (I usually prune them down around New Year's) because the leaves were looking so bad, but now they are doing great, save for the damn aphids that seem to show up every year. Ugh. I just keep wiping them off with my fingers while holding the hose and spraying them off. I don't use any type of pesticides in my garden and I was able to keep them pretty much at bay last year by doing this. I then put down some shredded western cedar in the planters around all the roses and plants, which besides looking really nice, says it repels pests (I'm not sure which ones - certainly not aphids!), helps keep the soil moist and keeps the weeks from sprouting up. The garden is coming along. My next project is to get the backyard fixed-up. I have my work cut out for me! Tomorrow I will be blocking my cousin's scarf so that I can give it to her this week for her birthday/belated Christmas gift!

I'm Still Here!

2009-01-09T14:30:00.000-08:00

It seems like such a long time since I last posted. I woke up early New Year's Day with a horrible sore throat and it has progressed to one of the worst colds I've had in years. I have had laryngitis for almost one week now and a cough that is very annoying. I do feel a little bit better today though.

The top picture is of the Stealth Bomber (B2 Bomber) that made flyovers at the Rose Parade and at the Rose Bowl game on New Year's Day. It is so thrilling to see it so close. There were actually two of them, but I could only get a picture of the one. It flew really low over our house, but by the time I could get my camera ready, I had almost missed it and this was the best one I got. I got some really great pictures of it in years past, but I think those pictures are on my old computer and I need to sit down some day and go through all of them and put them onto CDs.

The knitting project I'm working on now is for my Mom. It is "Poinsettia" from the Winter 2008 knitty.com. I'm enjoying working on it and I'm over halfway done, so I'm hoping to finish it up this weekend. The yarn I'm using is Classic Elite's "Alpaca Sox" yarn which is 60% alpaca (I LOVE alpaca), 20% Merino wool, and 20% nylon - it is so soft and luxurious, and I love the slight variations in the colorway.

I finished my cousin's butterfly muffler/scarf and now just have to block it so I can give it to her for her birthday, which is fast approaching. I had hoped to give it to her for Christmas, but I wasn't able to get it finished, so now it will be her birthday gift!

How I Spent My Sunday

2008-12-21T18:06:00.001-08:00

I spent my Sunday decorating cookies and covering pretzels and peppermint sticks with chocolate. These are the handmade goodies I give out to my family/relatives at Christmas every year. I think the pretzels are my favorite. It's the mix of the saltiness of the pretzels with the sweetness of the chocolate that is just yummy! These have become a family favorite.

More chocolate-covered pretzels and peppermint sticks.

I finally found peppermint sticks this year right around Halloween at Cost Plus World Market. What I really like about these are that they are soft and chewy. I have been wanting to cover peppermint sticks with chocolate for a few years, but had never been able to find peppermint sticks - you see candy canes everywhere, but the peppermint sticks are not that easy to find.

I made the dough for these gingerbread cookies on Friday night and chilled it overnight. I baked them yesterday and decorated them today. I found this really cool edible glitter (gum arabic) at my local cake decorating shop and I really like the little extra "sparkle" it gives the cookies, although it's a little hard to see in this photo. I am a firm believer that you can never have too much glitter!

What kind of baking do you do each year for Christmas? Do you have a special recipe or cookie/treat that your family and friends look forward to each year? I'd love you to share some of your baking traditions. I think it would be fun next year to do a virtual "cookie swap" where we could all share what we've made with each other. And there's no calories!!! I have some cute tins to put the peppermint sticks and gingerbread cookies in that I had bought last year at JoAnns (and they were like 75% off!), and some cute cellophane bags that I bought at Michaels this year to put the pretzels in. I'll post those photos soon.

It was a very productive day, but I still have lots to do, as we are having Christmas Day at our house this year and I also still have knitting that I'm trying to finish-up. I don't know if I'll be able to finish them to give on Christmas though, as one project has to be blocked after I finish knitting it. I have a feeling these gifts are going to be a little late this year, but that's okay. I should have started sooner, but I thought I would have plenty of time. There's a saying...

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-19T17:56:00.000-08:00

With Christmas only six days away and with all that I have left to do to get ready yet, I'm going to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy Hanukkah a little early. Here's wishing that wherever you are, you are with loved ones and that you have a wonderful holiday.

Santa Came Early!

2008-12-16T09:18:00.000-08:00

My SIL sent me this little poem that she found on the internet and I just had to share it with all of you. I bet a lot of you can relate to it ( I know I can!). It gave me a good chuckle:

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, I'm glued to the tree.
I'm wondering what Santa brought just for me.
Could it be cardstock or chipboard or lace?
"Or a Cricut," I said, with a smile on my face.
And that's when I heard him, "Hi Santa!" I said.
"You know....good little girls should be in their beds."
"I know I should Santa, and now I've got caught.
But I was just so excited to see what you brought."
"Well, let's take a look in this room where you work."
He shook his head quickly, and left with a jerk.
I heard him exclaim as he put it in gear...
"You've got enough crap, I'll see you next year!"

I finally got my TagMate System with sterling silver tags to use for my jewelry and I'm so excited. Infinity Stamps is having a Jewelry Artist Holiday Sale now through January 1st. They are a very easy company to deal with and it only took two weeks to receive my personalized stamp system from start-to-finish. I love the resulting stamp and feel like this is the "icing on the cake", as far as finishing-off my jewelry creations! What are you hoping Santa brings you this year?

One of My Treasures

2008-12-03T14:21:00.000-08:00

This is one of my absolute treasures. This is my favorite Tasha Tudor print and the fact that she had signed it makes it even more special to me. My dear friend Karen and I both bought this print, "Laura in Snow", back in 1991 and had Ms. Tudor sign them for both of us. It was known that this was one of her favorites too. I can't believe I've had it that long and that I finally got around to matting and framing it just yesterday. I had always meant to do it sooner, but like a lot of things, I put it in a safe place and never forgot about it, but always thought I would get to it a lot sooner! I always seemed to really remember it around this time of year, but now it finally has a home hanging on my office/craft room wall. I just love being able to look at it - it just brings a smile to my face.

Tasha Tudor was not only an incredibly talented artist and author, but her life is an incredible story in itself. She really lived life on her own terms. She passed away on June 18th of this year at the age of 93! Her family has a website where her prints, books, etc. can still be purchased and her legacy lives on. Be sure to check it out.

On The Needles

2008-11-21T12:24:00.001-08:00

This is what I have on one set of needles at the moment. It's a pattern from Susie C Shore Designs called "Butterfly Kisses". The pattern ended-up having a mistake in it, which is noted on the website now. I had emailed them saying that I thought there was something wrong with the pattern and they checked it out right away and were so gracious about it. They sent me two free patterns for emailing them and letting them know about it. I was just so glad just to get the pattern corrections that the offer of the free patterns was above and beyond nice! You can't really see the pattern too well, as it will have to be blocked. I will post pictures of the finished muffler/scarf. This is going to be a Christmas gift for my cousin "C". Hopefully she won't read this post!

I also have a fun Christmas Tree Hat on the needles for my little 3-1/2-year-old nephew. He loves to wear hats and he's still young enough to not mind wearing really silly/fun ones! I figure I can only get away with this for maybe another year or so!

What projects are you working on for Christmas?

Unbelievable

2008-11-15T18:46:00.000-08:00

These are just a few of the unbelievable and heartbreaking images we in the Los Angeles area have been dealing with since late last night. There are over four major fires going on here in both Los Angeles and Orange Counties at the same time. The two bottom pictures from Yorba Linda, which is in Orange County, show a multi-million dollar estate burning to the ground with an infinity pool in the foreground; the top picture shows both the Yorba Linda fire and the one burning in the Newhall Pass, which is in the northwestern part of Los Angeles County. It seems like there is no end in sight. The fires just keep hopscotching because the embers are being carried by the wind and are starting more fires miles away from where they originally started. There was a major fire that started last night around 10:30 that ended-up totally burning over 500 homes to the ground in just one mobile home park. There were reports of the wind being 70 m.p.h. This all just makes me heartsick. It's so hard to watch, but it's like an accident - you just can't help but watch. We had a horrendous fire about five years ago in the San Bernardino area in which hundreds of homes were also lost at this same time of year and one in the San Diego area. This has always been the fear when the Santa Ana winds pick up and when it has been so hot (records were set again today) and everything is so dry. As one newscaster just said, this is a dire situation and to add insult to injury, there are reports of looting. I don't understand the mindset of some people.

Beaded Hearts Charm Bracelet

2008-11-10T15:53:00.001-08:00

These are the best photos I can get. I ended-up using my Ott light inside the house, as I couldn't seem to get a good photo outside. I have a lot to learn about taking good photographs, especially with lighting. There is a tutorial online that deals with making your own lightbox that I need to investigate. I'm hoping that will vastly improve my photos.

I wore this bracelet yesterday when I got together with two of my dear friends and got a lot of compliments on it. My friend "K" wants me to make her one! We met for lunch and some shopping. I bought some really pretty vintage German glass beads that are in the shape of acorns, some Swarovski crystal drops (I love Swarovski crystal) and some goldstone beads. I have ideas for all of them!

Election Day!

2008-11-04T07:26:00.001-08:00

Everyone, please get out there and vote today. As we have seen in the past, every vote counts and we should not take anything for granted. I feel very priviledged to live in a country where a woman can vote; it wasn't always that way. Enough said.

Finally, It Feels Like Fall!

2008-11-02T10:59:00.000-08:00

It finally feels like Fall here in Southern California - yay!!! It rained yesterday and it was the perfect day to make some chicken stoup, which I did and it was yummy. I have enough leftover to have for lunch today. It is a very cloudy, beautiful day today with a temperature of 66 degrees. I love this kind of weather - especially since we just had the warmest October ever recorded (since the 1870s or thereabouts when they started keeping records of the temperature).

Today I'm tidying-up and organizing my office/craft room a bit so I can get busy making jewelry for my Etsy shop in time for Christmas. I've been missing my crafting mojo lately, but I think it's starting to come back. I perused some of my jewelry books last night for inspiration; I find that usually helps, and it did. I'll keep you posted (no pun intended) on my progress and share some of my creations here on my blog.

It sure is nice to have gained an extra hour - any extra time for creating is a bonus! Have a great day!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T08:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! Have a safe and fun time out there!

Halloween "Hike"

2008-10-28T12:37:00.001-07:00

I took these photos this morning during C's and my weekly "hike" at Descanso Gardens. It is such a beautiful, clear fall day - it would be perfect if it wasn't so dang hot. It's been in the 90s for the last week and it was getting rather toasty by the time my cousin "C" and I had finished our hike/walk at 11:30. They were filming something there today and using a smoke machine which was nasty-smelling, but the effect it had on the rays of sunlight coming through the trees was spectacular! Lyrics from "Stairway to Heaven" came to mind ("..Rings of smoke through the trees..."). The trees look so pretty as their leaves are changing to their fall colors. I love this time of year.

They had decorated one of the trails with homemade Halloween decorations that were really clever using rakes, brooms and pumpkins. Toward the end of our hike we came upon the set that they were filming with the smoke machine - it was marked "Hunting". We could see some of the actors taking a break - they were dressed as cavemen! It reminded us of those silly Geico commercials. We came upon the other set marked "Garden of Eden" but couldn't get close enough to see what they were doing. Living so close to "Hollyweird" (as we call it), we see film sets quite often.

I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween!

Flashback Friday

2008-10-24T10:05:00.001-07:00

I'm taking a cue from various bloggers and posting a Flashback Friday photo since I don't have anything on the crafting front to share with you right now. I'm still trying to get a good picture of my beaded heart charm bracelet, but I haven't had any luck with the lighting. It's so frustrating. So, today I'm posting a picture from long, long ago! This is me and my cousin at her house. My uncle made the swing - I love the bright yellow color he painted it. I'm the rather unhappy-looking kidlet on the left. I never liked having my picture taken and still don't - that's probably why I'm not smiling.

I hope everyone has a pleasant weekend. I sure hope the temperature will go down a bit for Halloween next Friday. I mean, it's going to be 90 degrees today. Enough with the heat already! Sheesh.

Halloween Decorations

2008-10-13T14:49:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the Halloween decorations that I have put out this year. The little "ghost" candy container (that's what I call it - I'm not really sure what it is!) was one I got at Michaels last year that was on clearance right before Halloween. I thought it could use a little sprucing up, so I covered it with glow-in-the-dark glitter. You can't really see it in the photo, but the glitter makes such a difference!

I found the spider with the party hat and treat bag at my local Hallmark Store. I just cracks me up, even though I hate spiders. I have lots more decorations, but these are just a few of my favorites.

Bats, Ghosts and Glitter, Oh My!

2008-10-05T10:09:00.000-07:00

I love glitter. I love glitter despite the fact that I find it on myself and on the table days later, no matter how careful I am.

I bought this Debbie Mumm "BOO" sign at JoAnns on Friday. I thought it was really cute and it was even 40% off! I thought that it could use a little sprucing up though, so I got out my glitter, glue, and paint brush, and went to work. I absolutely love Barbara Trombley's Art Glitter - it is the most beautiful glitter, the colors are just gorgeous, and there are a lot to choose from. (Martha Stewart's Glitter is a pretty close second though and you can find it at Michaels.) For the letters in BOO I used Art Glitter #156 Chartreuse Ultrafine Opaque. For the purple background I used #203 Eggplant Ultrafine Transparent, which has little flecks of green in it. For the ghost I used Martha Stewart Crafts Crystal Fine Glitter. It's hard to get the full effect of the glitter due to the fact that the lighting isn't the best and I had to use the flash on my camera, but I think you get the idea. Just know that it is much "prettier" in person, which I think is usually the case (at least with my photos!).

I love the added sparkle. I had glittered a plain wood BOO sign last year that I bought at Michaels and really liked how it turned out, so I wanted to do some more this year. I will be getting my Halloween decorations out and putting them up this week and I will share some of my favorites with you later this week.

What fun Halloween crafting projects have you done or have planned?

Descanso Gardens

2008-09-30T14:30:00.001-07:00

My cousin "C" and I went to Descanso Gardens this morning, one of our favorite places to walk. We got there a little after 9:00 and it was blazing hot already. I thought it was Fall! Ugh, I am so over this HOT weather. Tomorrow is the first of October and it's 100 degrees outside. I guess the weather is making up for the relatively mild summer we had.

Anyway, we started out and came upon the sustainable garden they have and saw the biggest squash we had ever seen. Some of them were taller than we are! They are "Italian Trombone Squash".

As we walked along, we noticed there were an awful lot of spiders - they were everywhere we looked it seemed, even way up between the trees. And they were rather big. I have arachnophobia, but I just had to get some pictures of these guys. My cousin said they are always around this time of year. I've never seen so many before. Boy, I'd hate to walk into one their webs, which are a little hard to see sometimes depending on the lighting. We made sure we were careful where we walked! One looked like it was getting ready to eat its "lunch"!

I was finally able to get pictures of a gorgeous Monarch Butterfly that landed on a butterfly bush - how fitting! I've always seen them fluttering around, but I've never been able to get pictures of one, until today! "C" calls them "little flying pieces of art" which I think is very poetic and a perfect description.

The rest of the pictures are of some of my favorite sights of the morning. I hope you enjoy them!

Halloween Jewelry

2008-09-22T16:36:00.000-07:00

I finally added two items to my Etsy shop this afternoon - a charm necklace and a pin. I have more jewelry to take photos of and list in the next day or so. I love making jewelry, but I think if I had to pick a favorite kind, it would be my charm bracelets. They are a lot of work and take the most time, but I think the results are really worth it. They are so much prettier in person (my photography skills, or lack thereof, just don't do them justice).

Fall has officially arrived today - yay!!! This is definitely my favorite time of year. It was such a nice, mild day today but I hear that the Santa Ana Winds are going to pick up at the end of the week and it is supposed to be around 90 degrees. Ugh - I am so over summer weather. I don't mind the wind, in fact, I actually like it, but the threat of fires here in So. Cal. has everyone on edge this time of year. We've had some really horrific fires in the past this time of year. I pray that this year we will get through it without one.

Have a wonderful week and please check out my Etsy store for more additions. I will be blogging about them here also.

My Answers in Pictures

2008-09-18T20:01:00.001-07:00

I haven't done much crafting or really felt like it the last week-and-a-half. I have been, however, reading my favorite blogs and searching various crafting sites for inspiration. One of the blogs I read is by Mary-Heather whose blog is rainydaygoods.com. She did a post back in June where she answered questions with pictures. I thought I would give it a try since I don't really have anything to show you right now. This is how it works: (1) Type your answer to each question below into Flicker Search, (2) Using only the first page of results, pick an image, (3) Copy and paste each URL into fd's mosaic maker, and (4) Blog it!

The Questions:

1. What is your first name? Susan

2. What is your favorite food? blackberries

3. What high school did you go to? Crescenta Valley

4. What is your favorite color? turquoise

5. Who is your celebrity crush? Lee Pace

6. What is your favorite drink? coffee

7. Dream vacation? Tuscany

8. Favorite dessert? My mom's apple pie

9. What do you want to be when you grow up? wise

10. What do you love most in life? My Family

11. One word to describe you? dependable

12. Your Flickr name? susanc - this was the closest I could find!

I plan on taking some presentable pictures of my beaded heart charm bracelet this weekend and will post them when I do. Until then, enjoy my answers in pictures!

P.S. I'm not exactly sure how to link each photo to the original so that I can give credit to the photographer who posted the pictures. I will try to get that figured-out soon. This blogging stuff is all rather new to me and I still have loads to learn.

Grief

2008-09-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

My family and I just got devastating news that my cousin, who was only 58-years-old, died some time last night or this morning. His son, who was moving back in today, found him. I can't even imagine. I am in a total state of shock right now. I can't imagine life without him being here. My poor aunt and cousins. OMG. Please keep my family in your prayers. I will probably be absent from my blogging for a few weeks. Just make sure that you tell your loved ones how much you love them each and every day. Life is too damn short. We always think we have much more time and put things off, etc. Boy, are we wrong.

Just. A. Visitor.....???

2008-09-05T12:15:00.000-07:00

This is the "visitor" I'm referring to. A peach face lovebird. She/He has been "visiting" now since last Sunday. I was out in my backyard doing some yardwork when I heard what I thought was a parrot. We have wild parrots in our area from time-to-time and I thought that's what I heard. Close. I walked over to the big oak tree that overhangs in one corner of our yard, thinking that's where the sound was coming from, but when I stepped up on the planter to get a closer look, up flew a small bird from where the hydrangea is. All I could see at that point was yellow and a beautiful blue color, it all happened so fast! I mimiced it and it flew over onto my neighbor's roof in her backyard and I was able to better see what it was. A little lovebird! I knew it must have gotten out of someone's house or it's cage, so I went next door and tried to coax it onto my finger. Yeah, right! It was not afraid of me, but it just wouldn't walk onto my finger (like I really thought it would - not!). It got close to me but when I put my hand up, it would back-up. I went and got our cat carrier (I was glad I had kept it, as that was the only thing I could think of being able to possibly get the bird to go into) and put some water in a lid and some seed that I have for the birdfeeders in our yard, and set it right inside the door. My neighbor and I watched as the bird cautiously approached the water and food. As soon as it got inside, I closed the door and it was safely inside! I was concerned for its safety, as we have two different hawks that come to the birdbath in our yard and it wouldn't take much for it to become a "snack" for one of them or the other various predators around. Later that afternoon, I was glad the bird was inside, as one of the hawks flew by. Phew!

Since Sunday afternoon, I have been looking for posters or signs, checking Craig's List, The Recycler, and all the local newspapers hoping someone will post a lost bird ad. Nothing so far. I just don't know how long I should keep looking. The bird will need a cage and I will get one if need be, but I just want to make sure someone isn't looking for it. I can't imagine they wouldn't be, but in the meantime, it seems content in it's improvised "home". I'm just glad that it's safe and well-cared for until we know whether it will become a member of the family or not.

On the crafting front, I finished my beaded hearts charm bracelet. I tried taking some pictures of it, but I didn't like the way they turned out. I have to get some good pictures of it, and as soon as I do and I'm happy with them, I'll share them with you. I'm trying to become a better photographer with each picture I take, but I have LOTS to learn! But then, everything in life is a learning process. Isn't it? That's what keeps things interesting, I think.

Fun at the Aquarium

2008-08-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to the Long Beach Aquarium with my SIL and my two nephews, as this is the last week of summer vacation before school starts. We had a fun time and both of my nephews enjoyed getting to see and touch the sting rays and sharks at the "Shark Lagoon". It was interesting to feel the difference between the rays (very slick and smooth) and the small hammerhead shark (almost like human skin). A lot of the pictures that I tried taking inside the exhibits didn't come out, as you were not allowed to use the flash when taking pictures (very unstandably so), but these are some of the better ones I was able to get. I especially was intrigued by the seahorses and seadragons. There was one called a "leafy sea dragon" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leafy_sea_dragon) and is the one in the photos - it was just fascinating! We also saw sea lions, otters, various fish, big clams (I had never seen one opened before today - it was amazing to see their "mouth"), and small jelly fish that were incredible - they looked like little neon signs with different colors - they were really something to see. They had tube-like structures that looked like those lights in tubes that change colors and flash. Really wild! I wish I could have gotten a picture of them.

I hope everyone had a great summer. It sure did go by fast. We've been very lucky here in So. Cal. not to have had a real hot summer, but I'm sure that will change - it always does when the kids go back to school. It always seems to heat-up and stay hot until October, when the Santa Ana Winds kick-in. I just pray that we don't have any wildfires this year.

On the crafting front, I have completed my heart charms, added them to the bracelet, and am now in the process of making charms with crystals and then it will be finished! I will share pictures of it in the next day or so. I think it turned out really cute and I know I will be wearing it a lot.

Slowly But Surely

2008-08-18T13:06:00.000-07:00

I have made some progress on the beaded heart charms for my bracelet. I haven't been able to work on it as much as I have wanted to, but I pick it up and so some beading whenever I have a few spare minutes.

The weather here has been beautiful lately (knock on wood). Today it has been extremely mild - I love it! As I type this, it is only 81 degrees at 1:15 in the afternoon. I know that when school starts after Labor Day it will be HOT - it always is.

Saturday was my birthday and my family & I enjoyed a wonderful dinner at my favorite local Japanese restaurant. It was so amazing to see my 3-year-old nephew gobble up the miso soup and the rest of his dinner! I don't know many kids who would actually care for the taste, but he loves it. After each spoonful he would say "ahhhh". He especially likes the pieces of tofu. It was so cute. He is such a little foodie! My 9-year-old nephew would have none of the miso soup but absolutely loves the teriyaki sauce, especially on his rice! We had a nice dinner and then went back to my brother and SIL's house for rum cake from my favorite Italian bakery (which is right in their neighborhood) and coffee. It was a quiet day, but the evening was fun and I always look forward to the times we get to spend together.

I hope everyone is enjoying the last few weeks of their summer. It's hard to believe that it's almost over, although I know of at least one mom who will be so glad when school starts again! I always laugh when they show the commercial where families are shopping for back-to-school supplies and the song playing in the background is "...the most wonderful time of the year!" whose title escapes me but I know it's actually a Christmas song. Very funny.