Sunday, June 22, 2008

Going Green Little by Little







We live in a an arid climate. I love it most of the time; dry heat and dry cold are so much more bearable than the same with high humidity. It does create it's own unique set of challenges though and the big one is maintaining a lawn. Plus the water bill that comes with it and knowing that we are dumping mass amounts of precious drinking water on something that won't make it a day without water. The second year we lived in our house we tilled up the front yard and zeriscaped. I love sitting in front of our house and watching the bees and butterflies play in the Butterfly bush and Pincushion flowers. On one side we rocked in all but two small plots where we plant pumpkins. The kids really like this. The last grass we had was in the back and after at least 2 weeks of no rain it died. Deader than a doornail. So... we rented a rototiller and went to town. we are bringing the vegetable garden out further and putting down a flagstone patio on the remaining portion. I am excited to have more garden. With the price of produce and the salmonella outbreak I am looking forward to knowing where more and more of my food is coming from.
And I wonder why I am not getting any knitting done. I can't seem to stay out of the garden! Then I think about how wonderful my new patio will be: I can sit out there drinking iced tea and knitting. Ah yes, that will be the life.

Friday, June 20, 2008

New Listings





Hey! Back from who the heck knows where to share with you some newly listed/updated items in my Etsy store. The Very last bowl is not listed yet, I am just really excited about it and wanted to share.

Trying to get back on track here and scrambling to get ready for the big sale next week. Plus, big congrats to my hubby for finishing up with his degree this week. I am really excited to have him back from homework land and will be posting pics of some of the great hikes we will be able to do this summer now that he isn't tied to the computer.
Cheers!

Friday, June 13, 2008

Craft Show Coming Up!

So much for blogging every day! Life seemed to get away from me this week! My hubby is in his last week of school so I haven't been on the computer much.
I wanted to take today to mention the Craft Show I am in on Saturday the 28th of this month:

Huge Craft Sale!

Saturday, June 28th from 10 to 3

You don’t want to miss it!

Colorado’s Best Crafters

Over 30 Vendors!!

Located at 5235 Silo Ridge, Colorado Springs, 80917

Please contact me if you have any questions about the show. It is being held at a home in the Old Farm area of Colorado Springs and will be featuring mostly local Etsy sellers.
This is a great opportunity to see my felted pieces in action. I will have a large selection of coffee cup cuffs to choose from along with an assortment of bowls and more!

Sunday, June 8, 2008

New in my Shop!




Here are a few of the new things in my Etsy store. Enjoy!

Gratitude Day 8 & 9

Something really magical happened not long ago. I added a gal on to my friends on Ravelry (the knitting site) that lived here in town and I thought sounded pretty cool. She wrote me an e-mail about how we had so much in common i.e. knitting, kids the same age etc. and that we should hang out. So we went out on a blind knitting/drinks date. I am so grateful that she went out on a limb because I now have a wonderful new friend.
Dani owns Baby Cotton Bottoms where she sells cloth diapers and advocates for a world with less garbage and healthier baby butts. I used cloth diapers with Seamus for the first 2 years and loved it and actually lament that I did not continue. If there is a next time you will be sure I will go all the way.
Along with gaining my wonderful new friend Dani, we found out that her friend Molly is an acquaintance of mine: we had talked about getting together to get crafty together years ago and then never saw each other again. Dani reintroduced us and we have also become fast friends.
Here is her Blog.
So, I my gratitude for day 8&9 go to Dani and people like her who aren't afraid to say "hey you! Let's be friends!" I am so shy generally, I would have missed out big time on making 2 fast friends.

Friday, June 6, 2008

Gratitude Days 6 & 7

Yesterday I was not on the computer much. It was my brother's birthday so Seamus and I went to spend some good quality time with him. Our gift to him was a premium geocaching membership so that he can log all the caches we find now when he goes hiking with us. My gratitude for day 6 is for my brother. Love you bro! So glad to have you around:-)

Which Brings me here to Day 7. We had a wonderful rainy cool day yesterday and my garden is rejoicing. The Roses are blooming, the peas and beans are climbing and my pumpkins are sprouting. I am so grateful for the rain and how it makes my garden look today. There is enough spinach for another salad tonight and I can already taste it. It is funny how I always tend to come back to the simple things but those are what keep us humble I think and remind us to stay connected to our surroundings.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Orange Star Bowl



A new Etsy listing today! Here it is: Orange Star Bowl

As always, thanks a million to my wonderful photographer Graham Taylor!

This bowl sold on 6.6.08. I will probably be making more star bowls so if anyone has a color they would like to see, feel free to leave me a comment.

Gratitude Day 5

Today is a difficult day. I am feeling very sensitive to the suffering of others. I don't really feel like going into details; that is not the purpose of this blog anyway. I am having to look for the simplest of things to be grateful for today: there is a break in the heat. It is overcast and cool. Today is a good day to be mellow and contemplative. To be thankful for the things I have and to not be overwhelmed by what I have no control over. Today is a beautiful day.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Gratitude Day 4

I get so caught up sometimes in how 3 my child is acting that I often loose sight of the amazing things he is saying and doing. This has to be the most difficult and most amazing age all wrapped into one. Today my gratitude is for my son. He is my saving grace by keeping me from dwelling on my own issues for too long. He looked at me this morning and said "mommy, I am so happy." Isn't that all that really matters right now? That I get to share in that joy? I am grateful to be the mommy of a happy boy.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Skeleton Key to my Heart Bowl



I just posted this bowl in my Etsy store.
There is a wonderful song by Uncle Tupelo called "Give Back The Key to My Heart" that I can't get out of my head now.

Gratitude Day 2 & 3

Yesterday I wasn't able to get on the computer because Sundays tend to be all day homework marathons for the husband. So I will play a little catch-up today.
6.1.08
Yesterday I played catch-up too, but mine had to do with the piles of laundry and dust and dirt that needed to be dealt with in this house... can I say that I am grateful that we have a small house? :-) What I am really grateful for is that my garden is starting to produce and we had the most delicious spinach salad for lunch yesterday. I also picked a few young radishes and there was a small amount of lettuce but oh was it a treat too.
6.2.08
Today I woke up and checked my e-mail to find out that my cattail purse has finally sold. My Etsy store is doing better than I ever would have imagined! It is so amazing to think that my items are all over the country and the world now. I frequently need to remind myself that my little store is helping me to continue staying at home with my little guy and now it is actually helping me to pay off my college loans. I am very grateful for that and to everyone who has made it possible.