A Simple Breath

My Favorite Things

2011-12-22T17:01:00.000-08:00

A list to remind me for those times "when the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad..."

Tiny skeins of DMC embroidery floss and Appleton Crewel Wool
Rowan Alpaca Chunky and Lima yarns
A cute snouted Cavalier named Daisy
A beautiful diamond ring I was gifted six years ago this Christmas

His blue eyes
Tea
The English Home Magazine
Snuggling under a pink fuzzy blanket in the early morning hours
The beautiful forest park that is my backyard
Music... Katie, Dave, Michael, Classical KING, ...
Bloggers ... Alicia, Jane B., Susannah, Amanda, Jane C., Cassandra, MAV and Stephanie, Erin, Joanna, Yvonne, Kate, Christina, and Charmian
Liberty of London Tana Lawn fabric
Gingham Checks
Vintage Flowers
Hatha Yoga

The memories of the British countryside
And this...

Have a very Happy Holidays and the Merriest of Christmas!

A Ginger Winner

2011-11-18T17:07:00.000-08:00

The winner of the Winter can be Crewel giveaway is motherof2miracles. She stitched this lovely Daisychain Sampler you see above. It was fun to know that motherof2miracles was stitching away on this in her home as I did the same in mine. I'll snap a picture of my own just as soon as this PNW weather brings us a slightly brighter day. (In other words... don't hold your breath. Reports are for snow this weekend!)

A gingerbread heart mobile kit is on its way to you motherof2miracles. I'll think of you as I stitch mine up this December! Who else will be joining us?

Happy Stitching!

Winter can be Crewel

2011-11-03T14:32:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow Embroidery Companion embroiderers!

Here is the November's project, "Snowflake and Pine Tree Hot Water Bottle Covers". A bit late due to some self inflicted power outages while my husband worked these past few day to replace our main service panel to the house.

These lovely water bottle covers seem so cozy, yet decadent to curl up with on the cold winter nights. Working with the crewel wool yarn also seems perfect to be stitching in winter. I love this photo below of little Clover curled up and peeking around. Daisy's the same way but cuter in my opinion, no offence to Clover or anything!

If hot water bottles aren't your thing you might stitch up one of the motifs to make an ornament for the Christmas tree.

A sneak peak to December... the Gingerbread Heart Mobile. Those who post new photos into the flickr group between now and November 15th will be entered to win materials to work up this cute holiday decoration. The photographs can be any one of the many embroidery projects we've done over the course of the year, complete projects or incomplete, it doesn't matter.

Happy Stitching!

Bored (or Genius) Sheepherders

2011-10-27T15:30:00.000-07:00

I was literally clapping and cheering out loud as I watch this in utter amazement. WOW!

(A good 200th post celebration I think!)

Thursday's Lunch

2011-10-27T14:49:00.000-07:00

Kale dusted popcorn made for a perfect light fall lunch. Followed by a sunny stroll with Daisy.

Loving

2011-10-26T16:54:00.000-07:00

Notes from More & Co. especially "I See Dancing Everywhere"
Katie Herzig
Walking through red, orange, and yellow leaves
Making lists, trying to focus on my own 'things that are good' versus 'things that are *%!#'
Fall soups, I'll share a few with you soon but here's one from last year
A grown up playground
I need to get my hands on this magazine
Sitting on the couch and daydreaming to pictures from Pale and Interesting
Pure Style
The Purl Bee's latest projects especially this sweater, this throw, this quilt, and this rug
Things to do after nap
Just a thought
Rowan helped rekindle my love of fall this year
Her royal style
Hatha Yoga with Jodi
Excited to see Love Stories
Wild Feminine
Drinking tea, wishing I had tea cups like those on this cover
These look yummy, I'll let you know how they turn out

The Morning After

2011-10-10T14:54:00.000-07:00

The weekends lend themselves to playing around in the kitchen and trying something new. Sunday evening it was "Squash Soup with Smoked Peppers and Pumpkin Seed Puree" from last fall's 3191 Quarterly. We paired it with the homemade seed bread adapted slightly to include pumpkin and sesame seeds and the beautiful seed topping that Stephanie shares in the same quarterly.

MAV's notes at the top of the soup recipe state, "This soup is so pleasing and very easy to make." Pleasing? Yes, very much indeed! Easy? ... Uh no. By the time we finished making dinner I was too exhausted to even think about lifting a dish bush to clean something. Needless to say this morning the kitchen has a pretty bad hangover.

(I hesitated to share these photos with you, not because of the mess but because of that hideous outdated microwave. Oh well if I'm going to be real in showing the mess, I gotta be real in showing the microwave too! )

Breaking Free

2011-10-06T14:33:00.000-07:00

Zenos Frudakis "Freedom"

The moment you can visualize yourself being free from the things that hold you back, you have indeed begun to set yourself free. ~ Unknown

Things for me seem to be unfolding in just this way. It's very exciting, overwhelming at times, scary at others, and pure joy and bliss for the rest.

Hoping that you are finding your freedom!

(Image and quote found via a friend's facebook posting.)

One of those magical evenings

2011-10-05T17:30:00.000-07:00

Taken by our dear friend Rick

Eating dinner of steak, sauteed kale and apples, and homemade seed bread. Resting on the couch embroidering and listening to some good old 45's on this lovely jukebox. Receiving the warmth of a puppy curled up on my chest and occasional sweet kisses from my husband.

Giving you a little magic from my evening to make one of yours special.

Homemade Seed Bread
Adapted from The River Cottage Family Cookbook

Dry Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose white flour
1 cup amaranth flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 packet or 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1 handful of sunflower seeds (or any seeds you have on hand)

Wet Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sugar
~1 1/4 cups warm (110F) water

butter or olive oil for greasing pan

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl until combined. The original recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of salt and I'm considering reducing the salt even more. In a glass measuring cup spoon in olive oil and sugar and then fill with warm water to just over the 1 1/4 cup mark. Stir well. Pour the wet ingredients a little at a time into the flour mixture stirring after each addition using either a spoon or your hands until it's a slightly sticky dough. I found it easier to use my hands towards the end. Flour a work surface and knead dough on surface until it's smooth and bouncy, about 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and place back in the bowl. It is not necessary to wash the bowl. I rubbed a little olive oil in the bowl and then turned the ball in the bowl to help prevent a crust from forming on the top of the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel. Allow the dough to rise until doubled for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. After rising punch down dough. Place dough on floured work surface and kneed 10-15 times. Shape dough into a fat sausage. Place in greased bread pan. Set oven temperature to 475F. and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 400F and bake for another 10 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and gently lift and turn the loaf upside down in the pan. Put in oven again from another 5 to 10 minutes to brown the bottom. Tap the base of the loaf, if it sounds hollow it's done! I love this baking method. It makes for a pretty loaf of bread. I typically start checking for doneness after 5 minutes and then every 1-2 minutes after that if it's not done yet. This bread tastes very earthy and rustic to me, great for fall!

Sorry I didn't get a picture of the bread, could not resist diving in and devouring it before a photo could be taken!

It's all a work in progress

2011-09-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

July/August's Strawberry Tablecloth: Those long and short stitches are not my favorite.

September's Harvest Apron: Doing three motifs on the bottom hem might be enough for me.

Happy weekend to you!

Daisy in the Sunshine

2011-09-29T10:32:00.000-07:00

There's still a little pink in that cute Cavalier nose.

A Sample of Samplers

2011-09-28T14:50:00.000-07:00

Fellow Embroiderers,

October is Sampler Month for the Embroidery Companion Sew Along. Won't you join in working up a beautiful sampler?

First up we have the Eyelet Sampler. This sampler made it into my hoop nearly a year ago and at near finished I put it aside never to find my way back to complete it. This sew along is just the kick in the pants I need!

Next up we have the Black work Sampler. Besomom has a beautiful take of this sampler on flickr.

Last but not least we have the Folk Sampler which I am hoping to get a start on this month. Of course after I finish the Eyelet Sampler first.

Now I realize a month may be a short length of time to complete these samplers for some, at least it will be for me. So please don't hesitate to post up 'in progress' photographs in the flickr group. That's what I'll be doing!

If you don't have the Embroidery Companion and would still like to join us with a sampler we'd love to have you. Alicia has another great one up in her shop as well.

Happy Stitching! 

A Quick Note

2011-09-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

Hi all A Simple Breath readers!

I apologize for my absence here of late. Sitting at a computer for any stretch of time is somewhat difficult for me right now. Low back and hip pain will do that to a person. Please know I haven't forgotten this space and miss it a great deal. Little stories pop into my head all the time that I want to share. Believe me when I say I'll be here when I can. Hope you have an enjoyable weekend!

~Annette

Number 13: Paddle a Canoe

2011-08-24T17:18:00.000-07:00

Back in July while visiting family for our annual mountain cabin trip I had a chance to paddle a canoe. It's funny because when I put this on my list I envisioned that I'd be first paddling at the Washington Arboretum. We've gone to the same cabin every summer for the last five or six years but this is the first year they had the canoe. It was definitely a hit with my family. Yes the pond was small but it's perfect for my little nephews have a solo ride. And perfect for me to try out paddling! My brother-in-law was kind of enough to help take me out. He had three rules for riding in the canoe. I can't remember for the first two now but the last one was: Don't Panic! You know how to swim so if you fall in just swim to the side. "Don't Panic!" is a good life rule!

My nephew Tanner and Daisy watching me paddle the canoe.

I'm in the process of reworking my 30 things list. There were a few I didn't get to during the course of the year and a few I'd like to add. I'll be sure to share soon!

Oh Daisy!

2011-08-23T13:43:00.000-07:00

Poor Daisy has had a rough couple of weeks first with really bad diarrhea and then she had to have a little surgery to remove her lady parts. But she is hanging in there with the sweetest spirit. Oh how much I love this little Cavalier!

Embroidery Companion Sew Along: Gingham

2011-08-23T13:09:00.000-07:00

Gingham, don't you just love it? It's classic, homely, and easy on the pocketbook. As I was skimming through Embroidery Companion I noticed how many projects use this wonderful fabric. From the beginning I knew I wanted to make the "Harvest Apron" for September. But if that's not your cup of tea maybe one of the other gingham projects will be.

The "Chicken Scratch Shelf Edging" would be a great way to brighten up a shelf in the kitchen or perhaps the fireplace mantle which is where I hope to put one. Or you could adapt it to use on an apron. If you're still trying to hold on to summer the "Farmstand Baby Bibs" would be a fun choice. No babies around? The pattern could easily become framed wall art for the kitchen or fun dish towels. The "Plum Tree Tablecloth" is another gingham project in the book that could be quick way to freshen up the dining room for fall.

Which ever gingham project you choose just be sure to have fun with it!

Here are a couple links to get you excited about gingham:

Here's to happy September stitches!

Any Way the Cookie Crumbles

2011-08-22T18:11:00.000-07:00

Gluten Free Masa Cookies
adapted from Good to The Grain

1 cup corn flour
1 cup Gluten free all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 ounces (1 stick) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heave cream
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 375. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Sift dry ingredients into standing mixer. Add butter cut into ~1/4 inch pieces and mix with paddle attachment on low for 1-2 minutes. Increase speed to medium and mix for another 4-5 minutes or until butter is as course as cornmeal. Add heavy cream and eggs and mix until combined. Scoop dough about 1 tablespoon and place on baking sheets. Flatten each ball with the palm of your hand. Bake for 15-20 minutes rotating baking sheets half way through.

Tuesday Treasures (on Wednesday): Little finds

2011-08-10T15:29:00.000-07:00

Tuesday slipped away from me real fast so now here are my little finds from the weekend's antique shopping. Aren't they cute? Antique shopping can become overwhelming for me sometimes. There are just too many pretty things out there and I don't have the space to bring them all home. For now I've decided that have ground rules with the sort of things that come home with me.

Blue and White: I'm in the process of decorating my home in these base colors.
Flowers: Mostly roses and either on china or botanical prints.
Handwork: embroidery or lace work that is either functional or that I could use to turn into a quilt like this one here.
Something functional for my home. For example Patrick and I have been scouting for a old fashioned milk shake machine. We did happen to find a nice one on Saturday but the price tag was a little steep.

I'm sure there will be things I find to break these little rules but it's a good start.

Antique Shopping

2011-08-08T17:51:00.000-07:00

Saturday was spent with my cutie in Snohomish. We went to pick up some of that excellent fireweed honey and stopped for a short browse through the antique shops. This lovely didn't make it home with but a few other goodies did. I'll try and share tomorrow with a Tuesday Treasure!

Little Random Thought: When faced with any sort of an incline hill while walking I often feel dread, like I'm never going to make it up that hill. More and more on my walks I've been pushing my self to see those hills as a challenge and not a threat. One thing that's helped is to focus on pushing down through my feet. On my walk with Daisy today I had this thought or as my mom would say "a reflection from the path"...

Pushing down into the hills flattens them out.

Maybe that could apply to other areas of life, eh? Hope you had a lovely weekend and enjoy the week ahead!

August Break: At the Stormwater Pond

2011-08-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

A stormwater pond might not sound that glamorous but it's amazing what hidden little treasures can be found!

August Break - Crochet

2011-08-04T15:26:00.000-07:00

A beautiful few moments spent outside on a blanket with a bit of yarn and an adorable Cavalier. I have to tell you though that this pure bliss moment was interrupted by an annoying squirrel who squawked at me and Daisy from our giant maple tree for a good ten minutes straight. It sounded like he was trying to impersonate a crow only to come out sounding like a sick bird.

Strawberry Fields

2011-08-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

Hi all~ I realize that I've been a terrible host of the Embroidery Companion Sew Along the last couple months. Will you please forgive me? Summers seem to do this to me. Don't get me wrong though crafting has happened here just not much of the embroidery kind.

When last we met on the blog the Hipstamatic Hair Wear was the project and that was in June! I left a little blurb on the flickr group last month announcing the July project as the Strawberry Tablecloth. As you can see I got only so far as purchasing the materials. Let's keep August simple as kids start back to school and the last summer vacations are enjoyed. It's catch up month here on the Embroidery Companion Sew Along. Have a crack at the Strawberry Tablecloth or perhaps like me you have a couple loose ends to finish up on other sew along projects of the past months.

Would you ladies care if this sew along spilled over into 2012? There are just so many wonderful projects in this book and it's hard to fit them all into 12 months. Looking ahead there are some samplers in the book that may take a little longer than a month to complete. I was thinking of doing a pick and choose on the samplers. I can't tell you how excited I am about the folk sampler. Of the projects left in the book which are you looking forward to doing most?

Until next time.... Happy Stitching!

Wanna go for a walk?

2011-07-20T14:27:00.000-07:00

Those are magic words to a little Cavalier's ears. Once said there is a five second delay while Daisy processes what those five magic words mean and then she bounces on your head like Tigger. Soon you are covered in a mass of puppy kisses. She is practically chomping at your heals to get out the door. Wanna join us for our walk?

Where a bear will wave a little hello.

Wild roses are in bloom.

Blackberries are starting to grow.

There are old familiar smells.

Adventures that lie ahead.

Pink roses stand tall.

At the park you can take a little break in the grass.

And watch the kids swing and slide.

Enjoy the neighbors pretty gardens.

Back at home fresh blueberries wait.

I think she thought some rabbits or crows might stop by for a visit.

Tiny red strawberries can make an excellent snack.

Pink Azaleas bask in the sunlight after all the cloudy days of late.

And one little yellow quince waits for fall. (But let's not rush into that just yet.)

Thanks for walking with us!

Petunia Bookmark

2011-07-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

June was filled with exciting travel so this little guy, using Alicia's headband pattern, was stitched in all sorts of wonderful places. Time was found on a long flight, during train rides across England, and in the evenings at the B&B's after a long day sightseeing. You see the travel was so exciting it was hard to embroider for longer than 15 or 30 minutes at most. But each moment stolen to stitch added up to create this beauty. The lace at the top was gifted to me from my grandma's stash.  It will be fun to see it peeking out from a book.

Now I am trying to find a book to read. In all honesty it's been a long time since I've sat down and read a book.  Reading finds it's way into my everyday life but recently it's been only blogs, magazines or home decor books.   The Wind and the Willows and Watership Down both made it home with me on recent trips to the bookstore. Have you read either of these? I'm looking for a book to get swept up in, one that you don't want to put down but also a classic title. Any ideas for me?

Also did you hear about Borders closing it's stores? This made me sad as I worked at a store in Colorado on and off for three years in college. I loved it. There was/is something about the smell of the books. Helping customers find that one book, you know that one with the red cover by that one guy, was like a treasure hunt. Working in the children's department meant I was able to watch the joy kids got at learning to read, and share with them my favorite childhood stories. When I first moved here I would go into local Borders store almost daily just to be amongst the books and have a piece of home with me somehow.  I knew the place and all it's little secrets to hunting down titles. Hopefully another bookstore will find it's way into that space otherwise it will be a great loss.

The Pantry

2011-07-18T19:40:00.000-07:00

This wasn't on my list on Friday but I've been meaning to share this with you for some time. Back in the spring I had a major clean out of the entire kitchen. Literally everything in my kitchen was pulled out of the cupboards and sitting in my dining room. It took me nearly a month to go through everything, edit out some of our kitchen supplies, and reorganize it all back into a place that was more functional for our needs.

One of my favorite transformations was the pantry. Trust me when I say you're glad I didn't take a before picture. It was awful! Paper bags from the store held beans, rice, and nuts. Cans were stacked up to the top, wobbly and always threatening to break our wedding china that used to sit a few shelves below. Grocery bags sat in a giant pile on the floor, along with other random supplies so that one had to hope the pantry door closed again after opening it. Such a pain!

Now everything has it's place. I can't tell you how much easier it is to find things. It's a relief to not have to pull half the food out of the pantry to reach that one can of tomatoes in the back. Now if only I could get the rest of my house this organized.

In case your interested:

White plastic storage bins and glass jars are from The Container Store.
Shelf lining paper is from Fred Meyer.
Baskets, not pictured, that house paper bags on the floor of the pantry are from Cost Plus World Market .
Grocery Bag Tube hanging on the wall is a pattern from Sew What! Bags

Updated: I'm having some issues with being able to comment back to you under the comments section. Thank you for your kind comments on my last post. It's so nice to know that people are reading these ramblings. For those of you who asked the banner picture was taken in the Lake District of England. The lake is Esthwaite Water.

Even more unfinished business

2011-07-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

Hello Strangers!

Us at Moss Eccles Tarn

There is a lot of unfinished business around here. A giveaway winner to be announced, sharing of June's Embroidery Companion Sew Along project, a glimpse at our AMAZING trip to the UK, a review of that 30 things list, and didn't a blog anniversary go by unnoticed. Anyways let's just say there is much to catch up on. How about we meet up here on Monday and we'll start crossing off some of this unfinished business of this list, shall we?
Have a great weekend until then!!!

Another Sunday afternoon at the theatre

2011-06-05T18:08:00.000-07:00

Playing at the Book-It Repertory Theatre

Dallas and his Quilt

2011-06-04T19:09:00.000-07:00

His momma sent me these pictures and they're too cute not to share them.

Read about the making of the quilt here. Thanks Becca for sending me these!

Unfinished Business

2011-06-03T18:48:00.000-07:00

Catching up on posting pictures of my Embroidery Companion Sew Along projects. First up, April's project, the Karin Curtains. Both of these panels were completed as of April 30th, however the actual curtain portion of the project has yet to occur as you can see. That's the reason I've held off sharing is because I wanted to wait and show you a completed set of curtains but alas it's not done yet. I love how they turned out and I love stitching these. Many a night was spent curled up watching something on TV and stitching away. The second panel went a lot quicker than the first and was completed in half the time. I'm excited for when I'll be able to hang them up in my studio.

One of these things is not like the other...

(If you can see some of the errors made in these panels, shoot me an email at annette at sunday-special dot net with your guesses by June 12th and I'll have a prize for the winner, or randomly chosen person if there are multiples. Please note the winner will not be announced or notified until the end of June as I will be travelling.)

Now for May a completed quilt top. It is so colorful. As you can see I made mine a bit bigger by adding a scrappy border. Many of the fabrics used were from my scrap bin, stash, and a few were purchased new for the quilt. I love that some of the fabrics hold special memories for me. A couple of my favorites include some that came from my Grandma's stash that she gifted me over Christmas. One in particular is the tulips on a white background which is two below the pig. Some are from my first quilt that actually still hasn't been finished. (Sometime soon.) And that blue and white polka dot next to the ducks was used when I first was starting to relearn embroidery.

I decided to prequilt the batting and backing together separately as the batting I purchased suggested it be quilted 3 1/2 inches apart. Whoops! The quilting is finished but now I'm worried the quilting lines I marked with a dressmaker's chalk are not going to come off. AHHH! Oh well no one looks at the back of a quilt right? Right? I do still plan on hand quilting the top. So the backing will look all sorts of interesting with double quilting lines and dressmaker's chalk.

Aside from the quilting lines issue on the backing there are a few more things I would do differently next time. Use a solid border to highlight the embroidery squares or perhaps use a log cabin style block with the embroidery squares at the center. I've been hugely inspired recently by the Modern Log Cabin Quilting book and can't wait to try her technique of making log cabin blocks.

Until we meet again... Happy Stitching!

Hipstamatic Hair Wear

2011-05-26T18:30:00.000-07:00

Originally my plan for June was a bigger project from the Embroidery Companion book but with travelling to England and Scotland for a big portion of the month I decided to rethink that idea. The Embroidery Companion Sew Along project for June has the theme of hair accessories which I think will be super travel friendly.

First Option: Petunia Headband and my first choice to make from this set.

Second Option: A little cross stitch number.

Third Option: The Apple Blossom Kerchief. I'd really like to stitch this one up as well if it works out.

How are your Country Time Quilts coming along? Me, I just finished the last embroidered square today and still have several blocks to cut out - so SERIOUSLY behind. My hope is with the long weekend I can get the quilt top made and sandwiched up and (fingers crossed here) get started on hand quilting.
Head over to the flickr group as Delilah37 put up some beautiful photographs of her quilt. I love how she added another little friend to the group!

Some other crafty fun around the web:

Anna Maria Horner has a new Needleworks line!
Colette Patterns just put up fun, free downloadable top pattern
If you haven't seen their tutorials on fabric grain line check it out here and here.
This little stump project was totally inspiring to me since I too was coveting the West Elm table.
Check out this creative lady's blog. She gave up much of her wardobe a year ago and vowed to design and sew all her own clothes. In the process she has created some amazing clothes.
Fabric braids!

If I don't get in tomorrow have a lovely Memorial Day weekend!

this weekend

2011-05-23T15:57:00.000-07:00

I dominated the dominoes table at our regular monthly ladies domino game night.
Rediscovered the joys of baking with whole grains with "Lemon Barley Scones" made on Saturday and "Rhubarb Tarts" enjoyed on Sunday both recipes from the wonderful Good to the Grain .
Spent most of Saturday cuddled up on the couch with an adorable Cavalier and a good book.
Purchased some much needed travel gear for our upcoming England/Scotland trip.
Plus a couple new things to wear on the trip.
Spent an half hour at my favorite fabric store picking out pretty calicos.
Finished the third of six embroidered squares for the Country Time Quilt. Crossing my fingers extra hard that I can somehow miraculously pull off finishing this project by month's end.
Watched all three of the Masterpiece Mystery! Sherlock episodes on Netflix.
In all of the goodness in my weekend I must confess I was also doing a bit of an avoidance dance of some emotional work that needs to be done. Here's to staring fear in the face and trudging on!

Thought of You

2011-05-13T22:38:00.000-07:00

Thought of You from Ryan J Woodward on Vimeo.

A beautiful collaboration of dance, art, and music.

Hope you dance through your weekend!

Wasn't it beautiful?

2011-04-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

My friend Susan and I got together to watch the beautiful wedding festivities of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Flawless, beautiful, touching, breathtaking, It's hard to pick a favorite part about this beautiful wedding. I now I realize that I've said beautiful at least five times!

The trees that lined the aisle, her dress, the way Prince William would wink to his bride during the service, driving themselves in that classic car, those would be a few of my favorite moments.

In reading more about her wedding dress, the lace was hand stitched by the Royal School of Needlework using a technique called Carrickmacross lace. The Piecework magazine has a lovely article regarding this technique in their May/June lace issue. While browsing more through the Royal School of Needlework's website I came across this lovely sampler to honor the big day.

I'm so excited that in less than two months time I will be able to walk through Westminster Abbey myself! Patrick and I are going on a English holiday for two weeks in June. I can hardly believe it.

On a personal note: Today is my sister's 29th birthday. Happy Birthday to my beautiful sister! Her husband got up early with her to watch the royal wedding has a little birthday gift. How sweet is that!

So did you watch the royal wedding? What were your thoughts of the celebration?

Cheers to the Bride and Groom and hope you all have a happy weekend!

Getting Lost in Seattle: The Quilt

2011-04-27T16:26:00.000-07:00

Do you remember last fall my nephew Dallas came to visit for five wonderful, fun filled days? I put together a little tour guide of Seattle based on his visit. You can check out the posts here, here, here, and here. There was meant to be a part five which was going to be about the Space Needle and a ferry ride. Would you still be interested in hearing about it? If so I'll put a little post together for you.

Halloween 2010 photo by Dallas' parents

Dallas is the oldest of four siblings, with two brothers and a sister. All the brothers share a bedroom with a custom built triple bunk. His younger brothers each have a handmade quilt made by their Grandma, my brother in law's step mom. For one reason or another Dallas didn't have a quilt of his own. My mom urged me to make him a quilt when I first started taking quilting classes. I was a little hesitant about making him one because I didn't want to take over a special thing his Grandma might do for him. Worrying can be silly sometimes, most times, because in my opinion one can't own too many blankets!

When Dallas came to visit many, many photographs were taken. I wanted him to have a special token of our time spent together using those photographs. Scrap booking has never been my thing, my cousin Carrie and my sister Becca have that gene. Seeing Alicia Paulson's Stitched in Time provided some great inspiration. Through out the book Alicia created beautiful projects using a technique of transferring photographs to fabric. An ink jet printer was purchased and the fun began!

All the photographs from my camera and iPhone, my parents camera, and Dallas' camera were curated into a collection of sixty. Making sure each wonderful moment was represented from the breakfasts our little B&B has become famous for to the sight seeing adventures. The photographs were then cropped and edited to make sure they would print out well on the fabric.

Next came the selection of fabrics for the remaining pieces of the quilt top. This was achieved in one quick visit to the quilt shop. My patient and helpful husband carrying around bolts, nodding as I asked one more time if he thought it would be okay to use a flower print in a boy's quilt. Cutting the fabric went surprisingly fast considering there were 560 total squares to be cut, including the sixty fabric photos that had to be fussy cut. I did make a happy mistake when cutting the solid blues squares and ended up short on fabric. Seven orange squares were added to make up for it. Orange, because it is Dallas' favorite color and seven because he was seven at the time of his visit.

A little Daisy helped in the chain piecing!

The quilt top was completed at my in laws home in Estes Park so I could give Dallas the quilt top for Christmas. When Dallas opened it I could tell he was so happy. He curled up in it immediately. Sadly I had to explain that it wasn't quite finished and he would get back for his birthday in March. Fortunately he seemed to understand that quilts take lots of time to make.

After the big rush to get the quilt top done for Christmas I took a break from the quilt for a bit. Thinking his birthday was in a few months and I still had plenty of time to quilt it. As March approached the anxiety started. Never had I basted a quilt of this size before. I won't say how long I thought about basting it before it actually happened but let's just say it was more than a few ~~hours~~ days. My husband came to the rescue and basted nearly half of the quilt himself. Both of us spent the evening on our hands and knees on the hard kitchen floor poking our little figures like they were pin cushions.

A few more days past, edging closer to his birthday deadline. The actual quilting still to be done. I decided on a "simple" stitch in the ditch using invisible thread on the top so as not distract from all the photographs. Never had I used invisible thread but had heard of using it in a machine quilting class. On the first quilting day, I was a wreck! The weather was unusually warm and gorgeous outside and there I was bundled in four layers with a mug of hot water sitting by the machine. My body was literally shivering and felt week. No I was not sick, it was fear. That first quilting session was TOUGH. Patrick sat at the computer desk in the same room as moral support. He didn't make any comment when I went once again to lay down on the couch for a break. Fortunately the next quilting sessions were much easier.

Then the binding... I hemmed and hawed over how I would cut the binding fabric for almost (gasp) a week. It finally dawned on me how ridiculous I was being while explaining the "binding conundrum" to my dear friend one night after a ladies domino game. The next morning the binding fabric was cut and stitched onto the quilt.

I was optimistic however in thinking that hand stitching the binding on the back would only take me an afternoon. It took almost a week by itself as my little hands could only handle about an hour or two at a time.

And then just like that, my first quilt was done!

Oh wait, don't forget the quilt label!

Dallas Gets Lost in Seattle Quilt Details:

Pattern: Ollalieberry Ice Cream Quilt Twin Size
# of fabric sheets used for photographs: 15
Photos of the quilt by: Patrick

Dallas finally received the quilt last week, over a month late. His mom tells me that he pulled the quilt out of the box, curled up in it on the couch with a book and said "It's so comfy, and cozy, and beautiful!"

All the hard work, anxiety, and fear were totally worth it.

Patrick, Daisy and I want one of our own now!

PS. This means I can scratch #3 of my 30 things list.

Good Ol' Country

2011-04-18T17:32:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the blog silence of late. For awhile there our kitchen was sitting in our dining room. Literally everything was taken out of the kitchen cabinets, new shelf lining paper was put in, and a whole reorganization of the cabinets and pantry was done. A few more loose ends to tidy up in there and then I'll post some pictures for you. Let's move on and talk about some happy embroidery for a bit now, shall we?

For the month of May the Embroidery Companion Sew Along project is the Country Time Quilt! Little animals being born in spring, the return of farmer's markets, all made me think of this beautiful quilt. I can't tell you how excited I am to pick out some cute little calico fabrics.

The embroidery would lend itself easily to travel I think as you could take a square to work on with you while you're out and about town, having those good ol' country dreams. If you are not up to stitching up the entire quilt you could also just choose a design or two to decorate some other fun home item or gift. I'm going for the whole kit and caboodle myself.

On the April giveaway front... a change up this month. You won't have to have completed the curtains project to be eligible for this month's giveaway! I made a couple errors whilst cross stitching those Karin Curtains. When I post photos if you can spot my mistakes you will be eligible to win. The prize you ask... well I have a couple ideas up my sleeve and will keep you posted.

How are those curtains coming anyway? I am nearly done with the first panel. Hopefully the second one will stitch up a bit quicker as we've past the half way point of the month. Looking forward to seeing your beautiful embroidery over on the flickr group!

Happy Stitching!

March Meadowflower Tote

2011-03-31T16:00:00.000-07:00

Introducing the March Meadowflower Tote! The cross stitch was so fun and relaxing to do. The tote itself came together in just a hour or two. As you can see it's actually not quite a tote yet as it's missing some handles. I'm on the hunt for the elusive 1/4" leather lacing. Next to try is Michael's then a leather store downtown. If both those fail to produce the leather lacing I have another trick up my sleeve.

I was out taking Daisy for a walk this afternoon, grumbling to myself that I had made this beautiful tote and couldn't carry anywhere. Suddenly inspiration struck the leather leash in my hand seemed close to 1/4" wide!

Once at home I pulled out my trusty ruler and checked. Sure enough a smidge over a 1/4 inch. Don't worry Daisy I won't cut into your leather leash. I'll go buy a duplicate to chop up but hopefully it won't resort to that as those leashes are expensive.

Looking forward to checking into the flickr group to see your waste canvas cross stitch projects!

Tuesdays Treasures: Weaving

2011-03-29T18:16:00.000-07:00

Do you remember my great grandmother's work basket? This is one of the many treasures found within, a little sampler of Swedish Huck Weaving.

What treasures to you have hidden away?

Curtain Call

2011-03-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

April's project for the Embroidery Companion Sew Along is....

drum roll please...
....

CURTAINS!!!

In case you couldn't tell from the title of the post! The curtains won the poll by a nose although only three voted but the curtains have it either way.

Here are some options for you this month. One is cross stitch and one is decorative embroidery for which ever mood you're feeling.

Option One: Karin Curtains

A lovely cross stitch pattern done as a ode to Karin Larsson wife of Carl Larsson. This is the set that I'll be making for sure. They're to be hung in our studio once completed. I thinking I'll try and work on the two panels at once instead of finishing one entirely before starting the other. This way hopefully both panels will be completed instead of one sad little panel without a companion. Over on the flickr group I'll try and post in progress photos and give people rough weekly goals to help get them completed.

Option Two: Dot and Daisy Curtains

A quick, simple lazy daisy stitch done over dot pattern fabric. I tempted to make these just because it has Daisy's name in the title but I fear I'll have my hands full with the Karin Curtains. They'd hang either downstairs in the laundry room or maybe in the kitchen so more could see and enjoy them.

Not to worry we will come back and do the pillows here real soon.

Happy Stitching!!!

Seven

2011-03-25T16:20:00.000-07:00

Taken at my Uncle's house early in our courtship.

Seven years ago today I met my husband on a blind date. Yes, we were one of those lucky few who actually connected on a blind date. Here's our little story...

On a whim I asked a friend of mine, we were in the same dance ensemble, if she knew any "nice guys" she could set me up with on a date. I'm not sure what even possessed me to ask that day. Really, I didn't want to be dating anyone. I had just gotten used to the idea of being happy just as little, solo me but I did. My friend was gracious and said she'd think about it and let me know if she thought of someone.

The next week at our dance rehearsal she came bounding up to me saying she had found the "perfect guy" for me. He was someone for her office. She was the receptionist and he was a computer software engineer. She began to describe him a super nice, kind of quiet, bald but very cute. Apparently according to my friend, he had asked her to set him up as well. Patrick actually claims it was another guy in the office who asked to be set up but he went along anyway.

We tried for a few weeks to set a double date with her and her husband. It became too difficult to arrange a time for all of us to meet up that Patrick and I decided to go it on our own. He suggested we go swing dancing at the Mercury Cafe and offered to pick me up. I was a little nervous about this as I was living at my parents house at the time and wasn't sure how I felt about introducing him to my parents on the first date. More on that in a minute.

Once the date was set many, many outfits were scouted. I think I tried on ten or so outfits at the mall narrowing it down to two different ones. I mean what do you where swing dancing with a guy you've never even met? The trick for me was to be comfortable, alluring, but not too sexy. A black boat neck tank top with white piping around the shoulders, a lacy black shawl, and a dark pair of jeans won the outfit contest. I still have the shirt and shawl. The jeans were confiscated by my sister at some point. You know how sisters operate.

The night of the date I was looking in on the neighbor's dog while they were out of town. My mom had walked over with me and I was getting nervous that Patrick could be arriving at any moment. I remember rushing back across the street as a blue Subaru WRX was coming down the road. My heart skipped a beat worrying it could be him. It turned out it was him but I was able to sneak in the house before he parked and made it to the front door. Now my parents did try to meet him when he came to the door. I was quick to grab my purse and shut the door behind me before they could make any kind of exchange.

He wore a crisp blue button down shirt that made his blue eyes shine and a pair of black slacks. Definitely a nicer dresser than any of those I'd dated before. I remember thinking, "he's a man, not a boy, but a man. Wow, am I old enough to be going on a date with a man?"

We hit it off immediately chatting much of the car ride to the Mercury Cafe. I felt instantly at ease with him, like I could really be myself and it wouldn't matter. At first I thought it was because it was a blind date and so it didn't matter too much if he didn't like me or something I said because I wouldn't have to see him again. But now I wonder if it wasn't also because of Patrick that I felt calm, content, myself.

The Mercury Cafe was full of people dancing. Patrick showed me the basics of swing dancing. Back in college I had taken a social dance class as a PE credit but my mind was foggy of the steps and it was fun to have him show me. It came back quick and soon we were giggling and dancing the night away. Patrick bumped into an old friend while we were there and we traded partners for a song. I heard later that I got the thumbs up from him.

Between songs we caught our breath, had a drink or two at the tables skirting the dance floor. He noticed that my pinkie on my right hand is shorter then my left, that my thumbs are shaped more like toes than thumbs. This made my heart go pitter, patter, no guy had ever noticed that before. We talked and talked and talked. Now if you know me and Patrick you would be flabbergasted that the two of us managed to keep a conversation going all night. We're both pretty shy at meeting new people.

After dancing we were both starved but it was pretty late and most places were closed. All except a Village Inn back by my parents house. I ordered a veggie omelet and probably scarfed it down, forgetting my manners. My mouth was probably full of eggie goodness while we chatted some more.

Afterword he drove me home, walked me to my door, and then......

......

say thanks for a nice night and walked back to his car. No kiss, no hugs, no handshake, no promise to call. Nothing. I went in the house, to my waiting parents, kind of stumped. Did he have a good time? I had a good time. Will he call me? Should I call him?

Patrick claims later it was all part of the game. Leave the girl wondering and wanting more. It worked I guess! He has told me since that he fell in love with me that first date. It took me a bit longer to realize it but I'm so glad I did.

In case you're wondering he only waited two days before he called me. The next date was playing pool, both of us were comically terrible at it. And he did make a move for a kiss then. ;)

-------------------

Addendum:

Patrick would like me to say that in fact he did give me a hug at the end of the date. He remembers it vividly!

I wish this was a peek into my kitchen!

2011-03-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

Photo care of: Yvonne Eijkenduijn

With spring in the air and a few lovely decor books like this one, this one, and this one. I'm dreaming of fresh, clutter free, beautiful spaces. Then anytime I visit a blog like Yvonne's I'm amazed how she pulls it all together!

My Creative Space and a Question

2011-03-23T16:39:00.000-07:00

Sitting on the couch, working on my cross stitch. Daisy's not the one cross stitching mind you, she doesn't have aposable thumbs! But she snuck into my spot when I went to grab my camera.

I am really loving doing some cross stitch again. The colors of the embroidery floss for the flower sections have lifted my spirits and made me think of spring. I actually think the act of me stitching those colors brought the sunshine out for a beautiful day today. It's gorgeous. I would be cross stitching on a blanket out in the back yard but we haven't put up a fence yet and I don't have the heart to tether Daisy up. I mean how could you? Look at that sweet face!

Okay so originally I was thinking that next month we'd do the Dahila Field Pillow for our monthly Embroidery Companion Sew Along project. (The Berry Border Pillow being an alternate choice. I wasn't interested in doing this one as much but that doesn't mean you wouldn't want to do it!)

But now after getting back into the cross stitch again I aching to start the Karin Curtains. (The Dot and Daisy Curtains being the alternate choice here.)

Either way we'll get to both projects at some point. But what are you ichin' to do right now?

I'll let you know on Monday March 28th what the concensus is.

More creative spaces here.

Tuesday Treasures: Spring Walks

2011-03-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

On the Powerline Trail with my two hearts!

What's your treasure this week?

How to Be Alone

2011-03-14T15:36:00.000-07:00

Found here.

Getting Arty!

2011-03-10T16:29:00.000-08:00

My sister is THE party planner. Every year see throws four fabulous birthday parties, one for each of her four kids. There is always some theme that fits exactly to that particular child. Everything from the invitations, to the cake, to the games played at the party, to the party favors fit into this theme. It's incredible!

This year for my nephew Tanner's sixth birthday it was an art themed party complete with an art auction. I decided very last minute to sew him this from Sew Liberated.

Of course being last minute I didn't get it finished in time so it will be on it's way to you soon Tanner. Just as soon as I finish up another little something for your older brother. Save on shipping, you understand.

Petal Pillowcases

2011-03-03T17:50:00.000-08:00

Do you remember how much I was stressing over these padded satin stitches?

Well many, many, MANY padded satin stitches later, they're not all that scary anymore. And rather fun really!

I'm really pleased with how these pillowcases turned out. How I wish I would have stopped stressing and gotten a start on them sooner so I could have finished the Storybook Pillowcases also. Will you hold my feet to the fire and make sure I make a set of those pillowcases too? I just LOVE the Storybook Pillowcases and I've have all the thread to make them so really there are no excuses. Check in with me at the end of March, will ya?

If you played along, and trust me I know February was a short month, please put a link to your beautifully finished pillowcases in the original announcement post and you could win a copy of The Embroiderer's Handbook. And hey if you embroidered any design onto a pillowcase this month you are eligible to enter. It's the inspiration that counts. The giveaway has been extended to Monday March 7th.

Tuesday's Treasures: Great Expecations

2011-03-01T14:49:00.000-08:00

On Sunday I had the honor of seeing these great actors put on Great Expectations. Really, truely it was an honor to watch this play. AMAZING, BREATHTAKING! If you are anywhere close to the Seattle area run to see this play. The Chinook Coupon Book has a two for one admission coupon.

Pip (Lee Osorio) & Estella (Sylvie Davidson). Photo by Alan Alabastro

Include your link below if you're playing this week!

List Twenty Four: Winter Essentials

2011-02-25T15:53:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the winter issue of 3191 Quarterly? If you haven't I encourage you to get yourself a copy, a whole year's subscription if you can swing it they are all wonderful! Stephanie and MAV share a list of their winter essentials and it inspired me to think of my own.

Yarn, thread, fabric. Must have something working in my hands to keep them warm.
Tea. A warm cup of tea to warm my insides. I love also just sitting the cup against my chest and breathing in the steam and aromas of the tea.
Learning a new skill. I realize each winter for the past three years I've taken a class of one sort or another. First, international ethics for my bachelor's degree, beginning quilting, and this year the art of knitting!
Netflix. Ahh netflix, what would we do without you?
Reading materials. A book, a magazine, and a warm blanket to cuddle up with in the mornings on the couch or in bed during the dark evenings.
Pink Fuzzy Socks. They keep my toes warm and toasty. Hopefully next year I'll have a pair of homemade knit ones!

What are your winter essentials?

My Creative Space: Yarn and Classical Music

2011-02-23T18:05:00.000-08:00

My wonderful husband helped me ball this yarn last night. We sat on the living room couch taking turns balling or holding the yarn. Classical music filled with quite evening as we wound and wound and wound the yarn.

We made it this far when there was a little snag in the yarn. Both of us were too tired to try and figure it out so it's sitting on the dining room table waiting to be wound some more!

Details:

Beautiful laceweight silk/yak yarn from here. Super speedy delivery by the way!
There is another beautiful skein waiting to be balled and then I'll begin making this shawl. Wish me luck, this is first thing I've tried making using laceweight yarn and following such a pattern.
Check out other creative spaces here!

(Please ignore the graininess of the photos, bad lighting and iPhone, you understand. Also don't mind that water stain on the dining room table either. Note to self next time put a tablecloth down!)

Get out your wasted canvas ladies! --- EC Sew Along Month Three

2011-02-22T17:03:00.000-08:00

The month of March is all about wasted canvas and those beautiful X's for the Embroidery Companion Sew Along. Again you have a choice of a few different projects with various levels of extra finishing sewing required. I certainly hope you'll join us.

First Option: Blossom Napkins - minimal extra sewing required. Quick, simple, beautiful! I might make a couple more of these to add to my collection. This time I might change up the colors of the blossom!

Second Option: Meadowflower Tote - a medium amount of finishing sewing. This is the one I'm going to be doing for sure. It's begging to become a "project" tote for my latest crochet, knitting, or embroidery project. Hopefully I can find a lovely calico like Alicia used here. My favorite parts are the lace paired with the leather. A fun little combo I think. And make sure to read the intro into this project it just makes me giggle.

Third Option: Monogram Album - a high amount of finishing sewing just to make sure the cover is snug around that album. If you didn't want to do the album this little monogram would look lovely on a number of different items. A hand towel perhaps?

For February's Giveaway:

I'll be giving away a copy of The Embroiderer's Handbook to one randomly chosen winner. Leave a comment on the month two announcement posting with a link to your completed pillowcases. If you completed both sets of pillowcases this month then you may have one entry per set equalling two entries into this month's giveaway. A winner will be determined on Saturday March 5th.

Happy Stitching!

Tuesday's Treasures: Honey Pot

2011-02-22T13:33:00.000-08:00

A new honey pot that reminds me of Winnie the Pooh, filled with local fireweed honey.

Add your link below if you're playing along this week!

That Darn Padded Satin Stitch

2011-02-16T11:00:00.000-08:00

That darn padded satin stitch kept taunting me saying, "You can't make me look nearly as pretty as Alicia Paulson's beauties from the book. You don't even know how to make a padded stitch. You're going to ruin the pillowcases. The iron on transfer is not going to come off now so what do you think you're going to do?"

After consulting the illustration and instructions in the back of Embroidery Companion three or four times along with the fabulous The Embroiderer's Handbook a few more.  I finally worked up the courage to...
put pencil to paper. Yes I first carefully drew the stitches onto the enlarged copy of template. Practicing where I would carefully place each stitch.  Then I looked back at both books again and finally said, "Screw it! I've never made a padded satin stitch before. How can I expect it to look perfect? This is just for fun and it looks like I have to do a LOT of padded satin stitches on this design so I'll be a pro by the end of it."  Carefully threaded the needle and took the first stitch.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who hears stitches talking to me!

A copy of The Embroiderer's Handbook will be February's giveaway for being brave, staring down those darn padded satin stitches and completing those beautiful pillowcases. Same rules as last time.  I'll fill you in on the deadline for entering the giveaway as we get closer to it. I'll be back again this week to let you know March's project.

Also pop in to kootoyoo to check out other Creative Spaces!

Tuesday's Treasures: Wedding Embroidered Pillowcases

2011-02-15T19:29:00.000-08:00

I was rummaging through a box full of things from our wedding this weekend. The box is full of the old centerpieces, leftover napkins, my BIG three ring binder where I kept all the vendor information for our wedding, and other odds and ends. That stuff that I can't seem to quite let go of because it's from such a special day in my life. I was searching for a voice recorder that Patrick and given me I didn't find it in there but I did come across these beautiful embroidered pillowcases. They were a wedding gift from Beverly, a close friend of my extended family.

The joke with Beverly is that she was considered the forgotten sister/daughter that lived under the stairs at my grandma's house. She would always pop in for family gatherings and liven up the party! I have to admit when I received these I thought they were pretty but selfishly thought they didn't go with any of my bedroom linens. So I stuffed them back in the gift bag and into the wedding box and forgot about them. I did not appreciate the amount of love and attention that must have gone into these lovely pillowcases. Now that I've taken my own hand to making some embroidered pieces I realize the effort these must have taken. Thank you Beverly! They've been put on my bedroom pillows and you know what they look splendid!

Not only did she embroider the pillowcases but the wedding card as well! Isn't it one of the most beautiful wedding cards you've ever seen?

Feel free to pop in and add you link to your treasure!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and a sweetheart filled Valentines!

Crocheted Dishcloths

2011-02-10T15:34:00.000-08:00

Sherry asked if I would share the pattern for the crocheted dishcloth I made for the giveaway. Of course I'm happy to share! But it got me to thinking about another dishcloth I made for my sister-in-law for Christmas. My husband's family had agreed not to exchange gifts for Christmas last year but this little blue guy above was already on my hook for her. She and my mother-in-law were the ones to show my how to crochet last Christmas! I felt a little silly just handing over a dishcloth and nothing else so I gave her the little dishcloth pattern book as well.

Dishcloths by the Dozen was picked up on a whim while walking through Jo Ann one afternoon. On thinking of making something for the sew along giveaway I immediately thought of this pattern first. It had been so fun and easy to hook. Sadly when I returned to Jo Ann to find a second copy none could be found.

But I spotted this wonderful book instead, Big Book of Dishcloths, Pot Holders, & Scrubbies. It was a bit more expensive then Dishcloths by the Dozen but had three times as many patterns including pot holders and scrubbies! The granny square dishcloth was designed by Katherine Eng and was really very easy to follow. I haven't tried any other patterns in this book yet but would like to try a few others. Oh my project list just gets longer and longer!!!

Tuesday's Teasures: Angel Wings

2011-02-08T17:41:00.000-08:00

These angel wings were given to me as a gift from my dearest friend Liz some years back. She painted them herself! I feel so blessed to have a few of her works in my home. The angel wings are one of my favorites, although it's hard to have a favorite.

In each place I've lived the angel wings have been one of the first pieces of art to adorn the walls. I stock out the place to find just the right spot for them. The angel wings are not out in the public spaces for everyone to see. They rest instead on a small space of wall between our two closets in our master bedroom.

Put your link below if you're joining in this week!

Embroidery Companion Sew Along Month One Winner!

2011-02-07T15:32:00.000-08:00

Hello Lovelies,

We have internet connection back here finally. Sorry I wasn't able to get into this space to announce the giveaway winner for the Sew Along. But as only one person entered it shouldn't be too much of a surprise as to who won!

via

Andrea, prairieknitter01, is the winner for the January Days of the Week Dishtowel challenge. I love how Andrea set the designs in the corner of the dishtowels. This helps them to hang so lovely. Another beautiful touch is how she used different colored thread for each day, giving a rainbow effect to the week! Beautiful work Andrea! Thank you for participating this month.

Andrea be contacting you shortly via email so I can send you your prize, a little crocheted dishcloth. I know a few of you got started and weren't able to finish up the dishtowels before the month was up. No worries, things have to happen in there own natural time. Join us when you can. And please don't hesitate to tell me if you feel like we need to take more time on a project. I'm happy to accommodate!

Daisy kept sitting in front of the stove as I was taking this photo just begging to have her picture taken. Isn't she cute! As you can see my dishtowels are getting used already. Hope yours are too!

How are the pillowcases coming? Truth be told the sewing goddess has not come out yet. No work has been done toward the pillowcases nor the Men's Shirt Sew Along. The Men's Shirt Sew Along might have to wait until another month because I have a few too many other projects up my sleeve as well.

Be back tomorrow with a Tuesday's Treasure.

Month One: Days of the Week Dishtowels Finished!!!

2011-01-31T19:11:00.000-08:00

I completed my Days of the Week Dishtowels for Embroidery Companion Sew Along Month One!!! These seven lovelies were finished up the middle of last week as I was getting over my cold. It was nice to curl up on the couch for a few days watching the BBC miniseries Wives and Daughters on Netflix instant and stitching away between the sniffles.

As you might be able to see I made one small change to the dishtowel set, switching Friday and Wednesdays little activities. Usually Wednesdays are my big clean day. Patrick takes the car into work so I'm stuck at home with my rags, mop bucket and vacuum to spend the hours away. I dream that on Fridays I do nothing but sit with a sewing project or a bit a yarn. This hardly ever happens but its always my goal!

I don't know about you but I didn't seem to stitch these dishtowels in day of the week order. I happily skipped about the week in a random order. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to do that in reality! Saturday was the first one in my hand and the only one I actually used an embroidery hoop. The rest I just held in my hand and stitched as you often see women doing in those Victorian movies. The simplicity of the back stitch led itself to be out of the hoop. However with the pillowcases next its back in the hoop for me! (This seems like it should be riddled with metaphor but it's not.)

So the promised homemade giveaway item will be using these little granny squares. They will be stitched up to create a little crocheted dishcloth! Perfect to go along with the dishtowels don't you think? To be entered into the giveaway place a comment in the original post announcing this month's pattern with a direct link to your blog post or flickr page showing your beautifully completed project. If you do not post a link you will not be entered in the giveaway. The winner will be randomly selected in the evening of Friday February 4th and announced here on Saturday.

Be sure to check out the flickr group to see some beautiful completed dishtowel sets. Thank you for stitching with me and keeping me motivated.

PS. I went out and bought all the beautiful embroidery floss for the pillows and am excited to get started! And don't worry if you missed out on this month you can join in with us in February or whenever the embroidery bug bites!

Happy Stitching!!!

Side note: I am without a internet access at home this week so Tuesday Treasures will be taking a week off. I'll try to check in here as I can on my handy iPhone and when I make it into the library.

Tuesday's Treasures: Cinnamon Toast

2011-01-25T16:56:00.000-08:00

image via

Growing up whenever I was sick or wasn't able to sleep at night my mom made me cinnamon toast and hot chocolate. Since I've been feeling under the weather my husband was kind enough to pick up some bread for me at the store so I could have cinnamon toast. Amazing how a little thing can make a person somehow feel so much better!

Feel free to share your treasure by adding your link below!

List Twenty Three: In my kitchen

2011-01-22T09:47:00.000-08:00

Hi guys and gals! Hope you're enjoying your weekend. I was wanting to sleep in a little longer this morning but the alarm when off at 7:15am and I didn't manage to get back to sleep. :( But oh well it gives me some quiet time at the computer for a bit. It got me thinking that I haven't done a list in awhile. Whoops! So without further ado...

List Twenty Three: In my kitchen

1. Red Lentil Veggie Burgers- I found this recipe in American Lifestyle magazine that our realtor sends us, sorry I can find a link to it anywhere for you. It was hard work to make these but worth it I think. Especially knowing that you can freeze them for later during those week nights when the last thing you want to do is cook.

2. Mango ketchup for said burgers which was more like a salsa I think. And really if you decide to make the burgers don't skip out on the mango ketchup it really does add a lot.

3. Sweet Potato fries. This was my first time making my own fries straight for the potato. They didn't really turn out crispy like fries but they were still yummy!

4. Creamy Potato Leek Soup a standard winter soup in our house.

5. I served these tasty biscuits up with the soup. They made me want to try biscuits and gravy for breakfast. Hopefully this weekend or next.

6. Honeyed Parsnips - I got this recipe from a nutritionist so it must be good for you right!!! Super easy too!
      3 large parsnips
      2 Tablespoons olive oil
      2 Tablespoons honey
      pinch of salt
   Part boil parsnips until tender but still firm, drain and combine parsnips and remaining ingredients in a   nonstick roasting pan and bake at 450 for 20 min. until parsnips have partially browned.

7. Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits! These were a HUGE hit with me and my husband. I see many, many goat cheese drop biscuits in my future. Just don't touch the hot skillet with your bare hand only moments after taking it out of the oven using a hot pad.  OUCH!!!

Now off to scour more of Joy the Baker's blog for more baked goodies!

(PS. I wish I was one of those people who could take gorgeous photographs of their food during the making process and before consuming, but I'm not. I'm learning to be okay with that.)

What's going on in your kitchen these days?

Embroidery Companion Sew Along Month Two: Pillowcases

2011-01-20T21:56:00.000-08:00

Storybook Pillowcases

A few of you had asked me to announce February's project a little earlier to allow for time in ordering supplies, so here you go! Don't worry if you're not ready to start this project yet. (I'm still plugging away on my dishtowels. Man... is it just me or did Sunday take FOREVER to stitch!)

I just love this little shot of Clover Meadow!

If you can't tell by the title of this post our project for February will be the your choice of the Storybook Pillowcases or the Petal Pillowcases. Or if you're feeling like a stitch goddess, BOTH! I'm going to shoot for stitch goddess status. February is the shortest month of the year and I was thinking about joining in on Male Pattern Boldness Men's Shirt Sew Along. The Colette pattern just arrived in the mail today! That little sidebar to say that it will be a challenge to get both sets done but I think I'm up for it!!!

Petal Pillowcases

Quick question for you on the Petal Pillowcases, do you think I should use our last name initial on both pillowcases or go for a his and hers kind of thing? What are you going to do?

Don't forget to post a comment with a link showcasing your beautiful dishtowels under last month's announcement in order to be eligible for the giveaway. A similar routine will occur for February's giveaway as well. More details on what will be given away in February later!

Happy Stitching!!!

Tuesday's Treasures

2011-01-18T18:21:00.000-08:00

Beginning today I am starting a fun weekly show and tell of sorts. Tuesdays will be treasure day here on A Simple Breath. Every Tuesday a photo and perhaps a short accompanying story will be posted featuring a lovely little treasure that has made it's way into my life. Tuesday's Treasures will be a small, little reflection of simple joys. Feel free to join along with me each Tuesday by including your link below!

This is my great-grandmother, Florence's work basket. I never had a chance to meet my great-grandmother as she passed away six months before I was born. This work basket was the one that was with her in her final years. I imagine her sitting there in the evening, listening to music or a program on television, quietly stitching or doing handwork of one kind or another. This basket has many stories to share I'm sure!

My grandma inherited this work basket after her mother passed. This basket set untouched beside a recliner in my grandma's front room for the past thirty years. I am embarrassed to say I had never even noticed it before. And believe me when I say my grandma's was like a second home to me, it still is. So it seems crazy to me that I never even noticed it before. It hid in plain sight, I guess.

This Christmas my grandma gifted this lovely work basket to me and all that it contained. How special I feel to be able to hold the things she held. To see what little things she kept her hands busy with each quiet evening.

Even though I never met my great-grandma she is very much part of me. She crosses through my thoughts nearly every day. Florence knew my mom was pregnant and was so very excited to meet me. Her middle name became my middle name. She left me with another gift as well...

Ok, so it's hard to tell from this poor iPhone picture but just imagine that you're seeing splotches of red on the back of my neck there. A birthmark that I was always told was given to me by my great-grandma. They are kisses she gave me as we passed each other in heaven. A very sweet thought!

If you'd like to play along in this week's Tuesday's Treasures add your link below for all of us to see!

Sidebar: For those of you doing the Embroidery Companion Sew Along stayed tuned later in the week for the announcement of February's project.

A new stitcher in our sew along!

2011-01-14T15:53:00.000-08:00

How are your Days of the Week Dishtowels coming along? I have to admit I stalled for about a week or so on actually transferring the patterns to the dishtowels. Something about that permanent marker and transferring the lines accurately frightened me. But then I buckled down, taped the towel to the window and didn't look back. Seriously I thought I would have hesitated just a bit when pen came to towel but nope I went full force. They turned out wonderfully. I felt proud of myself for climbing that little hill, silly as it may seem.

Transferring the patterns was done in our front living room so this window faces out onto our street. It's not a busy street by any means but I did see a few starring eyes. They're probably wondering why I had pieces of paper and towels tapped to my window. Me too actually... must get light box! Winter light in Washington is not the best to transfer patterns by as Alicia so exquisitely described today in her post. (PS. Don't you love, love, LOVE that little red sweater!)

Now I'm working on stitching the towel. Miss Daisy cuddles up in my lap keeping me nice and toasty while I stitch. Finishing is something I still working on, anyone have any tips on leaving clean little knots? Alicia suggests running the end of thread back under the last few stitches. Will that really hold up threw several washes these towels are sure to see?

FYI - I found this great explanation on Threadneedle Street's website on beginning the thread with a loop. You can find it under their "Helpful Hints." For those of you in the Seattle area this is a great little shop full of all things embroidery and cross stitch. They do mail order as well!

And by the way I know I don't say this enough but thank you for all your kind comments, it's so fun to hear from you!

Updated: I forgot to mention about the giveaway this month. One participant chosen at random will receive a little special handmade item from me. To be entered into the giveaway place a comment in the original post announcing this month's pattern with a direct link to your blog post or flickr page showing your beautifully completed project. If you do not post a link you will not be entered in the giveaway. Happy Stitching!!!

Enjoy the weekend!

In A Word

2011-01-08T17:56:00.000-08:00

Susannah's was the first place I saw regarding using a word to symbolize what you might want to see manifest in the year ahead in lieu of the traditional New Years resolutions. I actually saw it last year but was intimidated to only have ONE word for a WHOLE year. Can a person really do that? It was enlightening to see over the course of the year how Susannah's word unfolded for her. This year after seeing this "word" idea pop up in a few other places like here. I decided to give it a go myself.

I sat a pondered this idea of finding a word that could sustain itself through a course of a year. One word that could propell me to dig deeper, stretch farther and grow. I bobbled a few words in my head for awhile but nothing felt right. At the moment when I'd given up finding a word, it found me.

Invigorate!

Invigorate verb [prob. French. in- + vigor] (1646): to give life and energy to: ANIMATE; also SIMULATE

Since invigorate means in~vigor let's also look at the definition of vigor.

Vigor noun [Middle English vigour, from Latin vigor from vigere to be vigorous] 1: active bodily or mental strength or force 2: active healthy well-balanced growth 3: intensity of action or effect : FORCE

To be honest I'm a little daunted by this word ~ invigorate. It's a big challenge for me to be active, strong, giving life and energy to all the areas in my life. But I think I can do it. The Little Engine That Could comes to mind. "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can." Hopefully at the end of the year I'll be saying, "I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could!"

via

I heard a story about a Norwegian man who made his own set of wood skis. First he found some beautiful, strong wood and carved it to a nice point at one end. He then built a hot fire, gently placed clamps over the pointed end of the ski and ever so carefully began to bend the front of the ski over those hot, hot coals. Slowly, almost imperceptibly he bent that wood into position. Had he tired to bend it in one instant the wood would have split in two. This is what I must remember, don't try to change everything all at once you'll only end up beating yourself. Consistent energy over time will create the change.

Here's to invigorate in 2011!

Embroidery Companion Sew Along Month One: Days of the Week Dishtowels!

2010-12-29T21:11:00.000-08:00

The first project for our sew along will be the Days of the Week Dishtowels. (I am currently visiting family in Colorado and neglected to bring my book with me to snap a picture of this beautiful project from the book.) These dishtowels seem to be a great introductory project to embroidery as the only stitch required is a simple backstitch, a must in every embroiderers' bag of tricks. It also will be great practice for transferring designs to fabric since they are seven dishtowels to make. I must admit I am a little hesitant about transferring designs as I've only ever used iron-on transfers before. But I did recently get the pen Alicia recommended, the Micron marker, and am hoping to get a light box soon to help with this endeavor. I know we can do it together!

Another great thing about the Days of the Week Dishtowels is that if sewing is daunting for you, or perhaps you don't have a sewing machine at home, there are many simple dishtowel sets out there that could use a little handmade touch. Alicia also has a great free tutorial for a similar set of dishtowels on her blog if you haven't been able to procure a copy of Embroidery Companion yet.

And finally the dishtowels seem to me to be a great way to set two little New Year’s Resolutions for myself, one of creating happy stitches all year long and to create a more organized way of keeping house. (Something I can always use help with!)

A few other notes and details:

If you haven't signed up on the flickr group yet make sure to do so.
My husband and I are still working on the badge for you to use on your own blogs. In the meantime feel free to copy and paste the image above and link back to any sew along post.
I'll check in with you all mid-January to see how progress is coming on your dishtowel set. At that time I'll give you further details to if and how a giveaway might occur for those who participate this month.
MOST IMPORTANTLY: This sew along is meant to be a fun way to encourage each other and keep one another motivated to complete Alicia's beautiful designs. If you can't join us this month, no worries we'll be here again the next month. Join in when you can!

Happy Stitching!!!

Embroidery Comapanion Book Giveaway Winner!

2010-12-13T15:25:00.000-08:00

The winner of the signed copy of the Embroidery Companion by choice of random.org is....... ~~Sue Prindle~~ Wendy.

Sue, I tried to find contact information for you on your profile but I didn't see it. Please contact me so that I can send you your lovely copy! Sue if I don't hear you by Saturday Decemeber 18th I will chose another person.

Wendy has been contacted via email and hopefully will be able to recieve her book soon. Thank you for all your lovely comments. How I wish I could have sent you each a copy. Looking forward to stitching together!
I will be taking a break for a few weeks to spend time with family and friends in Colorado. I hope you each enjoy this holiday season. Please check back at the end of the month to find out the first project for our sew along!

PS. For those who've asked about Miss Daisy, she is doing really well, minus a few housetraining errors. She turned three months this past weekend. Sadly she won't be able to travel with us to Colorado. : ( But Daisy will be with close friends back at the breeder's house. It will be a Blue Christmas without you Daisy.

Community

2010-12-10T17:23:00.000-08:00

Daisy and her chippy!

A few days ago the writing prompt for #Reverb 10 was Community. I desperately wanted to write about it that day but this little precious one kept me pretty busy!

Here is the full prompt:

Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011?

The first spring in our PNW home 2008.

In 2010 for me there have been many communities of varying kinds. They have built up around me without much thought or effort unlike the first year of moving here. When we moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2007 it was a constant effort to build a new community, find new friends, new activities. It felt an awful lot like the horrible dating process or clothes shopping. Trying things on, trying out new people to see which ones really fit the best. But now living here for three years the community I've created is thriving and lively. I've even found ways to reconnect with my old community back home in Colorado!

My online community has grown in 2010. First I began commenting more on other blogs that I really enjoyed. Not surprisingly many of them commented back! The online community that I've stumbled into has been very kind and encouraging. In August I participated in Susannah's August Break and while I didn't participated every day like I had wanted it was fun to be part of a fun little project like that. In this group I met some lovely ladies, Jude and Lisa in particular. These two ladies have become faithful commenters which only keeps me excited to write and share with you each day. Others I "met" stretched my thoughts about photography and made me gasp at the simple beauty they created. In particular, this one, this one, and this one.

In the year ahead I hope to stretch my online community by hosting the Embroidery Companion Sew Along and perhaps participating in a online sewing swap or two. PS. There is still time to comment to win the Embroidery Companion book. Comments will close on Sunday at 8pm PT.

The Gingerbread House Decorating Contest entry by me, Shay, Susan and little J

My community otherwise: My community has grown to include a group of lovely women who support one another in faith and fun. We shared a Bible study on friendship this summer and we hope to keep the group together with another study this winter. Once a month many of us gather for a regular Mexican train domino night with appetizers and dessert. There is always much trash talk of who is going to win the night and to be honest I usually win! So look out ladies I'll be there in January! The past two Christmas we've held a Gingerbread House Decorating Contest. Here is my entry from this year. Much better than last year in which we won the "habitat for humanity" award. (A gentle way of saying it was rickety and barely standing!)

Then there is my dance community. Nia has been a great home for me since I left my dance group back in Denver. It has provided me not only with physical exercise but an emotional outlet. Bonus: the people I dance with are fun and silly just like me! (Up there is a little promo video my Nia teacher and dear friend, Pauline, did of class. Can you pick me out?)

Goofing off at Thanksgiving

My husband and I have been able to establish a little second family here. Those friends that we go camping with, celebrate holidays together, and generally are there for each other to help out when needed. This year in 2010 was the first time the group felt solid and really there to support one another and most like extended family.

Finally I've also been able to reconnect some with my Colorado community this year. My friend Liz and I have been faithful in having weekly chats on Wednesdays in which to gossip, encourage, and celebrate our friendship. It is so nice to have our weekly visits. I can't express how much she lifts my spirits! Maybe in 2011 we can plan another girls' trip like this one of us in San Francisco.

Somehow I also managed to become the coordinator of a somewhat monthly book club done via Skype with my mom, sister, mother-in-law, and two cousins. We expanded our group last month with the inclusion of my aunt. Each member has gotten to chose a book and we find questions to ask for discussion. Most of the time we are able to stay on topic but it is fun to have something fun and silly to share with my family. So far we've read Winter's Garden, The 19th Wife, The Film Club, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and most recently The Help. Our meeting for Christmas is Guernsey style with each member reading a Christmas story of their own choosing to share with the group. I found a fun old copy of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol that I hope I can read in time and I picked up a book titled An Amish Christmas which look intriguing. Hopefully 2011 will be filled with more reading, enlightening discussion, and fun family time.

Hope you have a great weekend surrounded by community spirit!

Saint Nicholas

2010-12-06T23:53:00.000-08:00

Image via Nest Full of Eggs

I love this beautiful celebration of Saint Nicholas featured on Nest Full of Eggs! This site also has some wonderful information about Saint Nicholas and this special holiday if, like me, you just thought Saint Nicholas was another name for Santa Claus.

My husband and I seem to split our Christmas festivities between are two families and rarely have a quiet celebration for ourselves. Saint Nicholas Day might be a way we could celebrate just the two of us!

PS. Aren't those wooden shoes beautiful!

List Twenty Two: Things I forget

2010-12-05T16:04:00.000-08:00

Walk downstairs only to turn around blankly starring wondering why I went down there in the first place.
One random item on my list at the grocery store, usually deodorant or toothpaste.
Birthdays in time to send that birthday card or present in the mail. I'll think of the birthday two or three weeks before but then it seems to early to send something and I'm sure I'll remember once it comes around to it.
Changing over all the calendars in my house. Come to think of it the one in my bedroom is still on November.
Eating. Occasionally if I'm really stressed about something going on I'll forget to stop and eat which of course only makes the forgetting more prevalent not to mention making me cranky with a headache. So overall not good.
To do these lists each week.
Make my bed. I hate crawling into an unmade bed at night so sometimes my bed is only made up for few seconds before I crawl into it.
To take pictures during a party. We had a joint surprise birthday party last night for my husband and a close friend and not one single picture was taken. :(
All the things I meant to put on this list in the first place when I was thinking of it last night!

Do you ever find yourself forgetting things?

One thing I did not forget was to tell you all how amazed I am in the interest in the Embroidery Companion Sew Along. Thank you to Alicia for mentioning it on her blog. I'm excited to begin stitching with you all in the coming year ahead!

Announcing Embroidery Companion Sew Along

2010-12-02T15:32:00.000-08:00

If you've been reading for awhile you know I am smitten with Alicia Paulson's latest book Embroidery Companion. First it was the "blossom napkins" and then the "eyelet sampler." Nearly every project out of the thirty brings me inspiration and a desire to stitch. What better way to stay motivated to complete these lovely projects then with a Sew Along!

Alicia has included embroidery projects for each and every level. She has an excellent way of explaining each project so that it feels easy and doable even to the novice sewer. In all honestly I haven't been doing embroidery for very long myself. I know if I can do these projects each month, you can too! We'll both be amazed with ourselves when we look around and see all the beautiful creations we've made.

The Embroidery Companion Sew Along will be a monthly sew along all through 2011 beginning the first of January. This will give everyone time to order their books or perhaps you could put it on your Christmas wish lists!

How the Sew Along Will Work!

I will announce the embroidery pattern on or around the first of each month. A few months may have an bonus project. I'm not sure if we will complete all thirty projects but we will do a majority of them.
You will need to join the Embroidery Companion Sew Along Group on Flickr. This way we can each ooh and ahh over all our lovely stitches! It is very easy and free to set up of Flickr account if you don't have one already.
When you finish the month's project take some pictures and post them on Flickr and your blog if you'd like. Please be sure to link back to this post. (My husband and I are working on creating a badge button for you to use.)
I am also trying to organize some monthly prizes to those who participate. More details to follow on that. (If you'd be interested in donating something as a giveaway item please contact me at annette (at) sunday-special (dot) net.)

To kick off this Sew Along, Alicia has been very generous and sent me a signed copy of her book, Embroidery Companion to give away to one lovely reader. To be entered leave a comment on this post telling me of your experience with embroidery. Comments will close on Sunday December 12th at 8pm PT. The winner will be selected and announced on Monday the 13th. Good luck and happy stitching ahead!

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UPDATE:

~~Sue Prindle~~ Wendy was selected as the winner of the signed copy of Embroidery Companion. Wendy has been contacted by email. Thank you to everyone for your lovely comments. How I wish I could send each of you a copy.

Introducing Daisy

2010-12-01T13:37:00.000-08:00

Patrick and I brought Miss Daisy home with us on Monday evening. She is the most adorable, soft little Cavalier puppy. Her favorite things to do are lick your face, cuddle up in your lap, follow your every footstep, and play with her chew toys. We're so exicted to have her as part of our family!

Getting Lost in Seattle Part four: At the beach

2010-11-28T09:24:00.000-08:00

When visiting the Seattle area I feel it's important to take a moment to check out a beach or spend a day near the water. In Larry Gets Lost in Seattle the author mentions Alki Beach which is a great place to visit. It was the first area that settlers landed in November of 1851. Located in West Seattle, Alki Beach offers many great views of downtown Seattle and the Olympic Mountains along with a sandy beach, a great waterfront dining.

For Dallas however I opted to take him to the Mukilteo Lighthouse Park. It is located close to the ferry terminal which takes you across to Whidbey Island, another excellent place to visit in the area. There are many lighthouses to be found in the Puget Sound region and I suggest you seek them out. If you'd like to tour inside one do check ahead of time as many have limited visiting hours. Lighthouses of Washington is a great guidebook to all the lighthouses in the area. If you decide to take the ferry over to Whidbey make sure to check out the Admiralty Head Lighthouse as well!

Grab some fish and chips at the Ivars Fish Bar and have a little picnic on the beach like we did. (We actually grabbed our fish and chips up from a little place in Everett that I can't recall the name of but Ivars would do the trick.)

Make sure you take the time to stroll along the beach looking for

mussell shells

or starfish skin (aka sea kelp),

skipping rocks, walking along the driftwood, and hunting out abandoned forts!

List Twenty One: Thanksgiving Gratitude

2010-11-25T12:11:00.000-08:00

Taken at Thanksgiving last year!

A short and not at all a comprohensive list of things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving.

My in-laws for coming out to visit and making Thanksgiving a little more special.
Hearing my mom's giggle on the phone this morning as she called me from the car with my dad and grandma to wish me a Happy Thanksgiving.
My dear friend Liz who is such a comfort to talk to on the phone and who is a second sister to me. I am thankful for our Wednesday afternoon chats!
My husband for all he does for me including brushing my tangling, wet hair after a shower.
Homemade rolls that my grandma always made and now is my honor to take to our Thanksgiving. How I hope they taste as good as hers always have.
The expectations of a new addition to our little family... more on that next week.
Warm blankets and big comfy sweaters to keep me warm on this unexpectedly cold Thanksgiving.
Old friends who I'm able to stay close with by way of facebook!
My Seattle family, Derek and Tatiana and Pauline and James, who make the holidays easier to be so far from home.
Sausage from PCC, because it was SOO good in my scrambled eggs this morning and I know it will be delicious in Patrick's stuffing this afternoon.
My friend Susan for making me laugh and bringing such warmth into my heart.
My nephews and niece who fill me with joy and awe. (Bonus: it's so fun to make little gifts for them at Christmas time. If only I can finish them all.)
All my family whom I miss so much and can't wait to see at Christmas.
To you lovely readers who continue to bring such thoughtful and kind comments into this space. It's been so fun writing for you and taking the time to breathe that Simple Breath.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Snow Day

2010-11-22T18:03:00.000-08:00

Enjoying the white little snow flakes especially since it's meant cuddling inside with my husband all day!

List Twenty: Christmas Cookies to make

2010-11-20T13:43:00.000-08:00

(Insert photograph of a beautiful stack of your favorite holiday cookies here!)

With one radio station playing constant Christmas music, an invitation to a Holiday Cookie Swap party, and after reading this post I thought a list of Christmas cookies was just the thing for this week's list.

Short story first! For my speech class a few years back I did a group persuasive speech on the BEST holiday cookie. Each member in the group brought their star cookie in to share with the class and then gave a brief speech on why their cookie was the best. In my humble opinion my cookie and speech was the best of the group however members of the class felt the Chocolate Pixie wasn't as good as someone's Chocolate Chip (which really wasn't all that great.) Whatever, they obviously wouldn't know a good cookie when they ate one!

1. Chocolate Pixies

2. Ginger Cookies

3. Peanut Butter Cookies

4. Caramels (ok it's not a cookie but you have to make caramels at Christmas time)

5. Fudge (ok not a cookie either but...)

6. No-bake cookies

7. Christmas Wreaths (made from corn flakes and technically not a cookie either probably... umm.. perhaps I should have named this list Christmas "treats" to make instead!)

8. Gingerbread Men decorated up with red dots, icing, and lots of sprinkles of course!

9. Any of the special Christmas cookies in this book!

What fun Christmas cookies or "treats" do you plan to make?

Have a happy weekend!

(And no I haven't forgotten the Getting Lost in Seattle series, it's just that my internet connection is pretty intermittent and hopefully will be fixed soon.)

Thanksgiving Challenge: day twelve

2010-11-12T17:22:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for a negative dog allergy test. I did however find out I'm allergic to juniper. Who knew?

(I know you're probably thinking "What happened to day ten and eleven?" Well... I am thankful that I came out of the funk I was in on both those days.)

List Nineteen: ten things that make me smile

2010-11-11T17:05:00.000-08:00

On a chilly, rainy day.

Piles of blankets lying on the couch waiting to be cuddled under.
Tea pot cozies warming a little pot.
Standing under a hot shower.
Pink fuzzy socks that Santa gave me for Christmas last year.
The floor vents in our car.
Holding a hot beverage.
A handcraft project sitting in my lap.
Turning on every light in the house so its doesn't feel so dark so early.
Laundry warm from the dryer.
Chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven.

Thanksgiving Challenge: day eight and nine

2010-11-09T17:33:00.000-08:00

The Thanksgiving Challenge: to write, photograph, or otherwise document one thing that you are grateful for each day until Thanksgiving. Feel free to join in by linking your Thanksgiving gratitude in the comments below.

Day eight: Today I am grateful for indulgences. Time to cuddle up under a blanket with a bowl of microwave popcorn for dinner and watching some fun dancing! Kyle Massey is one of my favorites. I can't believe those instant dances, WOW!!! Do you have a favorite on DWTS?

Day nine: Today I am grateful for learning to play Samuel Barber's Canzone (from the second movement of the Concerto for Piano, Op. 38). The flute's melody is haunting, moving, and breathlessly beautiful. I LOVE the high pitched running phrase in the middle and how those low C# sound at the beginning and end of the piece.

Getting Lost in Seattle: Part three, Microsoft, Seattle Aquarium and SAM

2010-11-09T17:05:00.000-08:00

During the plane ride Dallas had put together a list of all the things he really wanted to see and do while he was in Seattle. Seeing where Uncle Patrick worked and the Seattle Aquarium were high up on his list.

Dallas had a great time playing on Microsoft Surface at the Microsoft Visitor Center! (Me too actually!)

Many of our friends and family are interested in seeing the Microsoft campus. Once we had a person from Canada stop us to ask for directions as they were sightseeing. Microsoft boasts a great visitor's center and company store. The visitor's center offers a look back at the company's history and features some innovative products that Microsoft is developing. Just released last Thursday is the Kinect, where you are the controller playing the video games. Patrick and I got it on Thursday and tried it out, amazing technology and so much fun! (Ok sorry I'm starting to sound like a Microsoft advertisement! Moving on...)

Dallas LOVES going to the aquarium, any aquarium. So I knew he would love to see the Seattle Aquarium. The Seattle Aquarium is located on Pier 59, right on Elliot Bay. The aquarium showcases many of the sea life found in and around the Puget Sound region along with sea otters, river otters, and sea lions.

Dallas especially loved the Underwater Dome. He could have sat there staring and photographing all those lovely fish for hours.

Both of us were a little scared of the touch pools. But we got brave and were able to touch some pretty neat sea cucumbers, sea stars and other cool things.

He was one of my favorites! Just chilling out enjoying the Seattle drizzle.

After a visit through the Seattle Aquarium's gift shop we headed up for a quick peek at the Pikes Place Market to see the flying fish and

making sure that coin went in the giant piggy bank!

a visit to Rachel the pig. The market can be a crazy place to take small kids or (wandering adults for that matter) during peak hours. To avoid crowds I recommend going to the market first thing in the morning, during the middle of the work week, and/or last thing in the evening if you don't mind not having to much time there.

Apologies for the poor picture quality.

Next we trotted through the rain to see the Hammering Man which stands stoically in front of the Seattle Art Museum. Dallas and his brothers know all about the Hammering Man from Larry Gets Lost in Seattle. My sister told me that on Labor Day morning they all ran into her bedroom excitedly announcing that the Hammering Man was not hammering in Seattle today. Labor Day is the only day of the year that the Hammering Man does not hammer away.

We had originally planned to take the Monorail over to the Space Needle but when we popped out of Pikes Place Market the rain was pretty heavy and the skies were a thick grey. (Not the best weather for viewing from atop the Space Needle.) Thankfully Dallas had another suggestion. We headed into the Seattle Art Museum for a tour of the galleries. I could tell it wasn't all that interesting to a seven year old but he did like a few of the pieces. Like this one above titled Some/One by Do-Ho Suh.

He's favorite part of the museum had to be the kid's play area that was tucked at the top of this grand staircase. You actually don't have to pay to get into the museum to access this area!

It was so fun to watch him create this piece. Dallas marched right up to the easel with three big markers in his two small hands and went to town. I love that he titled and signed the piece, totally without prompting! He gave the picture to me and I'd love to figure out a way to have it framed so it could hang somewhere prominently in our home.

After the some drawing Dallas became a sculptor. Creating a masterpiece with giant building blocks which he titled Sky City. There are some interesting things going on within this wood sculpture including lots of balancing acts. Again it was a joy to watch his mind work and create!

We headed home after another long and wonderful day getting lost in Seattle!

Some other places of interest:

Around the Seattle Aquarium:

The Waterfront
Ivar's
The Ye Olde Curiosity Shop
Argosy Cruises (The Locks cruise is one of my favorites!)
Olympic Sculpture Park (a free 9 acre park filled with art and sculpture presented by SAM)

Pikes Place Market

Food & Wine

La Buona Tavola Truffle Cafe and Specialty Foods (knowledge staff on small vineyard Italian wine, wine pairings, amazing balsamic vinegars)
Le Panier
Beecher's Handmade Cheese (There is a great window where you can watch the cheese makers at work!)
Local Color: Art, Coffee, & More
The Original Starbucks
Perennial Tearoom
Crumpet Shop
Rose's Chocolate Treasures

Shops

Dragon's Toy Box
Metsker Maps of Seattle
The multitude of flower stalls throughout the market are a must see!

Here's part one and two if you missed them. Up next... a lighthouse and exploring the beach.

Thanksgiving Challenge day six and seven

2010-11-07T17:38:00.000-08:00

Day Six: Today I am thankful for a quiet day at home with my cutie playing one of our new board games while drinking tea and eating ginger and lemon biscuits.

Day Seven: Today I am thankful for a unexpected phone call from a dear friend just to chat about all things crafty!

Thanksgiving Challenge: day five

2010-11-05T17:38:00.000-07:00

Today I am thankful for this lovely woman, my grandmama, Margery. Today is her birthday and it was a joy to call her and sing to her all five verses of the Happy Birthday song listening to her giggling on the other end of the line. How I wish I could be there to celebrate her day in person.

In case you wanted to know here are my family's five verses to the Happy Birthday song:

1. Happy Birthday to you,

happy birthday to you,

happy birthday dear Grandma

happy birthday to you!

2. God bless you today

God bless you always

God bless you and keep you

God bless you always

3. For she's a jolly good fellow

for she's a jolly good fellow

which nobody can deny!

4. Three cheers for grandma

Hip Hip Hooray!

Grandma, Grandma, Grandma ... Yea!

5. Three cheers for the red, white, and blue,

grandma to she's the finest of all girls alive.

She's not handsome it's true but when she looks at you...

da da da dah da da da dah

The song ends with a Grandma locomotive... (spelling out the person's name faster and faster until all you can do is whistle and cheer!)

G -- R -- A -- N -- D -- M -- A

G - R - A - N - D - M - A

G-R-A-N-D-M-A

GRANDMA

WHOOO!!!!

Thanksgiving Challenge: day four

2010-11-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

The Thanksgiving Challenge: to write, photograph, or otherwise document one thing that you are grateful for each day until Thanksgiving. Feel free to join in by linking your Thanksgiving gratitude in the comments below.

Today I am thankful for head hugs. Patrick and I have this little thing where we are cheek to cheek and squeeze our heads close together. It always makes me feel so loved.

Getting Lost in Seattle: Part two Fremont and Ballard

2010-11-03T18:34:00.000-07:00

via

When someone comes to Seattle for the first time I often like to take them on the Alaskan Way Viaduct into downtown Seattle. In the span of a few miles you can see the harbor and Elliot Bay, the Smith Tower, the backside of the Pike Place Market, both sport stadiums, Starbucks headquarters, and the Space Needle. It is also just a neat drive to see yourself driving along high above Elliot Bay and the city one second and then driving into a tunnel underneath the city the next. It just shows how hilly the downtown area is.

If you stay SR 99 you soon pass Lake Union home to many famous houseboats, most notably the Sleepless in Seattle house. Right after crossing the Aurora bridge take the exit to the neighborhood of Fremont. There is a troll that lives under the Aurora bridge that you won't want to miss!

He is fun to climb on and stare in wonder at too. Under his giant claws he holds an actual VW Beetle, using the hub cap for his eye.

A few blocks away is another fun art installation, Waiting for the Interurban.

These people have been waiting for a bus for over thirty years. The people of Fremont enjoy dressing them up for different occasions. When we went the were dressed in bright t-shirts and handing out free soda!

If your tummy's are beginning to growl Fremont offers tons of great restaurants. We walked right across the street to Blue Moon Burgers and ate a delicious lunch. Blue Moon serves local grass fed beef, a big plus in my book.

Make sure to take a stroll along the Lake Washington Ship Canal on the Burke-Gilman Trail. Fremont also offers a walking tour guide highlighting other interesting sites to see in Fremont.

A short drive from the neighborhood of Fremont and you're in Ballard, another fun artisan neighborhood. Here you'll find the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. The locks help keep the fresh water of Lake Union and Lake Washington from mixing too much with the salt water from Puget Sound. They also allow boats to pass between the water level of the lakes and the Sound.

Make sure to cross the locks following the markers in the sidewalk to the fish ladder. Here you can view the 18th step in the ladder and watch as the salmon make their trek back from the salt water of the Sound to the fresh rivers of their birth.

If you didn't catch lunch in Fremont not to worry there are some great restaurants in Ballard too. People's Pub and Delancey are two of my favorites. There are some great shops in Ballard as well, Space Oddity Vintage Furniture, Secret Garden Books, and Bop Street Records to name a few.

We were done touring for the day and headed back to my house. Exploring the backyard, finding some last blackberries of the season, and playing at the nearby playground. It was a fun first day with my nephew!

Up next: Microsoft, Seattle Aquarium, and what to do when it rains!

Thanksgiving Challenge: day two and three

2010-11-03T16:55:00.000-07:00

Day two: I am thankful for the flexibility in my schedule. It's nice to be able to be there when someone needs you.

Day three: I am thankful for old friends. Wednesdays are starting to have their own special ritual of chatting with my dear friend Liz in the afternoon while her two kids take their nap.

Thanksgiving Challange: Day One

2010-11-01T18:48:00.000-07:00

Today I am thankful for the postman for delivering my copy of 3191Q at just the right moment. I had just completed a little meditation practice, put on a pot of chamomile tea and snuggled down under the blanket to enjoy slowly savoring each beautiful page. Perfect way to spend all fall afternoon that looked like this!

Getting Lost in Seattle: Part One

2010-11-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

Before I share the stories of my nephew, Dallas' visit (hopefully I'm not hyping his visit too much) I wanted to share with you our inspiration for the tour of our little city.

Back when my sister had visited a couple years back she picked up this book as a souvenir for her little ones back home. Apparently it has become one of her kids' favorite books to read! (FYI... Larry also gets lost in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco)

Larry, the dog, gets lost in the big city of Seattle and stumbles upon all sorts of interesting sites on his quest to find his family.

Dallas had read the story many times and had a few places in mind he definitely wanted to see during his trip here.

My hope is that after sharing this little series on Dallas' visit you will be armed with a personal little travel guide to this beautiful city I'm lucky to now call home!

Stay tuned!!!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T14:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon we had friends over for pumpkin carving. My family's traditional Halloween chowder was served along with spiced apple cider and Stephanie's scrumptious sweet potato biscuits.

Seeds were saved to be toasted later.

To celebrate our beautiful creations we lined them all up along the fireplace mantle as we sat in awe and horror!

Annette's Halloween Chowder or

Sausage Bean Chowder

1 pound pork sausage
crumple and cook until red color is gone (drain fat)
add:
2 15 ounce cans of diced tomatoes
2 15 ounce cans of red kidney beans
1 medium onion chopped and 1/2 green pepper chopped
2-4 medium potatoes diced

1 tsp seasoning salt
1 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp of garlic salt
1-3 bay leaf 1 tsp thyme
salt and pepper (usually you do not want to add any more salt it is salty enough with all the other salts added)
Cook slowly on medium low heat for about an hour. Stirring occasionally.

In my family this recipe debuts for the season during Halloween festivities and retires on New Year's Eve night. It can be easily doubled and like with any good chowder is even better the longer the ingredients sit together so it makes excellent leftovers.

Spiced Apple Cider

Your favorite 100% apple juice or cider like R. W. Knudsen Apple

2-3 cinnamon sticks

1-2 teaspoons whole cloves

1 star anise

1/2 orange sliced with rind

Warm over medium low heat.

Happy Halloween everyone!

It's been awhile.

2010-10-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't have this gone perfectly with this post.

Well... it's been awhile since I've written in this space. Longer than I had intended. To be honest I'm a little stumped for words. Much has gone on since I wrote last. We painted and reorganized the office to now hold a little sewing studio space as well. It is so wonderful to have a little dedicated space for my sewing/quilting projects. I can't believe how quickly some of the room came together and how slowly other parts are taking! Do you find that happens to you when you've redecorated a room?

My nephew and parents visited for a whirlwind adventure tour of Seattle. Great fun was had by all! (Hopefully next week I will be able to share some of his visit with you.) And then it's just been trying to get back into the swing of life afterwards. It always seems to take me a week or two after people visit to ... recover, if that's the right word.

There is so much I want to share with you and many things I want to work on in this blog. Maybe if I write down what is it I want to share then it will hold me a bit more accountable! (And hey, I'm due for another list anyways, right?)

To Share:

1. My nephew's visit

2. Recent baking adventures

3. More creative spaces

4. Tour of our new office/sewing studio (don't hold your breath on this one though because I want it to be just right before photographs are shared.)

5. Book reviews

6. New music finds

7. And I still have yet to share about my beautiful vintage flute

Blog Housekeeping:

1. A new title banner

2. Streamlined side bar. (It's getting a little crazy over there on the right don't you think?)

Hope you have a spooky and safe Halloween weekend! We're having friends over tomorrow afternoon for a pumpkin carving party. I am making my Halloween chowder and serving up some hot apple cider. Do you have any Halloween traditions?

Radio Silence

2010-10-11T23:57:00.001-07:00

Hello you lovely readers! There is going to be some radio silence this way for a bit as we've been redecorating our office and turning it into a a shared sewing studio and office. (Photos to follow once it's all fully completed.) And even more exciting still our seven year old nephew is coming out to visit!!!!

Here is a little play list to fill the void until I can return.

Number Sixteen: Walking Green Lake

2010-10-06T13:33:00.000-07:00

Monday morning I arrived in Green Lake neighborhood too late to take my usual yoga class. This made for a excellent opportunity to scratch another item of my list of 30 things, walking around Green Lake.

The day was one of those beautiful crisp fall mornings. There was a chill to the air but the sun was shinning gloriously. The rays warmed my face while to breezes made my hands a little cold and wishing for some mittens.

I delighted in listening to little ones giggling on their tricycles, mommies enjoying in companionship pushing their strollers, older women having a lovely chat around the lake, and dogs barking at the water fowl.

Portions of the walk reminded me of my beloved Bear Creek Greenbelt trail in Colorado. Little bits where I could sneak off the paved route onto a less traveled dirt path providing me with moments of walking meditation.

There were lovely wild flowers grazing along the waters edge

and lily pads too. (Although I didn't see Mr. Jeremy Fisher there was a fisherman hoping for a catch.)

Beautiful fall leaves delighted my eyes and ears as they crunched underfoot.

There were two wonderful sights I wish I could have captured toward the end of my walk around the lake. First was one darling little girl with strawberry curls held back with a pink headband. She rushed out to walk on a dock posted out in the water as her grandpa called her back to wait for him. Her little hand reached out to his and they walked onto the dock together.

The second image was this wonderful woman jogging. She had a huge smile on her face that was contagious. I literally lit up in a smile from ear to ear as I passed her. What a gift she gave me that morning! I wonder how many others were effected by her smile or by the one she left on my face?

At the end of my walk I took a rest on this bench and listened to the mallards as the cackled and laughed (at least that what it sounded like to me, a grinning fool). In the moment I was caught up in listening to the ducks that I hadn't noticed the beauty of the sun rays shinning through the tree branches. Thank goodness for film (or rather the Hipstamatic iPhone app) to document the beauty for me so that I may appreciate it later!

List Fifteen: things that made my week

2010-10-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

(I think I got one week behind so bonus list this week!)

1. A little table for one at Sunlight Cafe while eating a most delicious nut burger.

2. Sinking Friendships by Jonsi and this song for urging my body and soul to let loose and dance!

3. Lovely lunch conversation with a dear friend.

4.

This cutie holding a little gift I sent him for becoming a big brother.

5. My strong husband for holding me in his arms when all I could do was cry.

6. Ending the week with gorgeous sunshine!!!

Have a wonderful weekend! I will be hosting a tea party for some close friends. What are your plans?

The Bike Walk

2010-10-01T10:57:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we were lazing around the house when my husband asked if I'd be up for taking a bike ride. Sadly, we hadn't been out all summer with our bikes and mine was in need of some new tires. He graciously worked away to get my bike all prepared for our little field trip.

Down the hill we flew, wind on our faces. It felt so good to be out in the fresh air. The two of together enjoying each other's company. We made it down to the river trail and decided to take a left down the trail since we hadn't explored that way very much. There were walkers and fellow riders out on the trail. One family was adorable with a tandem bicycle or rather a three person bike for the little guy and a trailer hitched on the end for the baby.

We were happy in our bliss until moments after this photo was taken when we realized that his bike had blown a tire. :( With no repair kit we were forced to turn around only moments after beginning on the river trail.

He rigged up his tire to keep it from flopping around and injuring the rim. And up the hill we turned to hike back.

My Creative Space: Little White X's

2010-09-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a little cross stitch sampler from Alicia's amazing book Embroidery Companion: Classic Designs for Modern Living.

See more creative spaces here.

Dreams of the Lake District

2010-09-30T14:16:00.000-07:00

Photo via Yvestown

One day I will go here, take in the air and the magic of this place. Read about Yvonne's travels in the Lake District here.

List Fourteen: My Morning Cup

2010-09-29T11:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of a few of my favorite teas I brew at home:

1. New England Harvest by Bar Harbor Tea Company

2. Chamomile with rose buds

3. English Breakfast

4. English Rose Tea from Jewell Gardens in Skagway, Alaska that my in-laws picked up for me while on a cruise. (Sadly it doesn't appear that they sell this tea online and I have a very tiny amount left which I hoping to use to figure out exactly what's in it so I can reproduce it myself.)

5. Organic Nighty Night Tea by Traditional Medicinals for bedtime.

6. World Peace Blend from Perennial Tea Room

7. Other assorted loose leaf teas from Everything Tea in Snohomish, WA. (A great place to buy wonderful loose leaf teas, taste a few samples they're brewing while taking a break from antique shopping.)

PS. I learned of a fun new flickr group which celebrates the Morning Cup found via Nova from a cuppa and a catch up.

I heart Vera Bradley

2010-09-24T17:53:00.000-07:00

The Vera Bradley winter catalog arrived in the post yesterday and I had a smile from ear to ear while looking through it's pages. Now I realize that Vera Bradley bags may have become a little cliche to some and certainly I realize I could make similar bags of my own design. But why when these are so beautiful!

The first thing I love about this catalog are the shooting locations. How lucky are these girls to be standing in a canoe looking out at the mountains, riding in the back of a vintage pick up through the valley, or dancing in a field.

That smile... that's the same one I had!

Vera's new bag designs are beautiful. My favorites are the Versailles, (pictured above), twirly birds navy (the girl in the canoe), and buttercup (not pictured here but imagine a brown background with big pink and yellow flowers.) Oh, Patrick I think I might have to get myself into trouble. Seeing as I already own a few of Vera's lovely bags... a few in Calypso and the On the Go handbag in Sittin' in a Tree. A girl can't own too many bags right? :)

Do you think a carriage ride comes with a purchase? Oh I hope so!

My Creative Space: Covered Buttons and Rose Bud Booties

2010-09-23T17:36:00.000-07:00

These covered buttons are so easy and fun to make that I don't know why I have never done them before. The little "pop" sound as the backing fits into place is very gratifying. The anticipation as you pull the button out from the mold to see if it all really fit to together right is exhilarating. Many more little covered buttons are in my future I can tell already!

I ~~will be putting~~ put these little guys onto the (now corrected) crocheted baby booties. See my Raverly notes here.

PS. Thanks to this handy dandy tutorial on the Purl Bee which made covering buttons seem easy peasy compared to scary directions on the back of the button kit package. I going to have to try doing the little embroidery they show next time.