I was invited to share my first CSA experience with Community CROPS on their blog. While I was writing, I realized I had some pictures from the Farm Walk that would be fun to share. It was a lovely evening and my daughter had a blast. If you’re local, I recommend going next year. It will be at their new farm.
Anyone want to guess what vegetable comes from the plants in picture number three?
What is it about hanging threads that we just can’t leave alone? It never ends up good, especially with decorative stitches. One quick pull and half a letter is gone in an instant.
I’m not a big fan of satin stitch. It requires a precision that I just don’t have in me these days. I actually considered fixing this with thread. The thought was so mentally painful that I put it off for months. Then one day I thought to try embroidery floss. Brilliant! Once finished, I can hardly tell the difference. Not the neatest job, but it looks great from across the room.
I once saw a woman doing satin stitch embroidery on a windy day at the park. That’s dedication. Her work was beautiful.
Anyone else out there have a talent for tiny perfect stitches?
I spied this little bat over the summer in Kearney, Ne. It was the only one I saw in all of downtown. Not sure if there is a meaning behind it or not. Google couldn’t give me any answers.
It makes a nice desktop background for October.
Feel free to download and share.
The necklace turned out nice! My only complaint is that the hole was drilled through the bead from top to bottom. I had to make a new hole so the little skull wouldn’t be laying on its side. It’s not super noticeable, but I’d rather not have two empty holes in my necklace.
Yay for thrift store bead collections!
I’m not one to wear bats or skulls as jewelry during the month of October, but when I spotted this little bead in my daughter’s collection, I knew I had to make it into a necklace. I have been thinking a lot about mixing yarn and beads lately, and this finally convinced me to sit down and get to work. I’ll post a pic when it’s finished.
The city library’s book sale was this week (and still going on if you’re local) and I exercised great restraint. I limited myself to two hours and $20 and spent less than that in both time and money. Even more surprising: I didn’t buy anything for myself. Since downsizing my personal collection and getting an e-reader, I’ve been very picky about what I purchase for permanent storage on our shelves. I also happened to be listening to Throw Out Fifty Things on the drive to the sale, specifically the chapter in which a woman had let go of twelve boxes of books in her attempt to declutter her life. (Maybe the universe was trying to speak to me?)
I found a few illustrated German dictionaries to add to my daughter’s collection and a very cool National Geographic Picture Atlas of Our World. Serious stuff aside, I bought some fun things including these Charlie Brown comic books.
I remember spending hours as a kid devouring these over and over. After my daughter became addicted to this Mutts book, I knew she’d enjoy them. She commented that they were a little worn and was sad that someone didn’t take very good care of them. I had to remind her that they were printed the same year as I was born, ahem, and that they had indeed been well cared for over the (cough — many — cough) years.
Add in a few chapter books and a dinosaur drawing book and I had a very happy girl. Watching her read brings such joy to this mama. I hope she never loses her insatiable appetite for the written word.
On the way to school: “Mom, my legs are cold.”
On the way home from school: “Mom, my legs are hot.”
I have a theory. Sometime, way back when, a child uttered those phrases over and over in a whiny voice, until her mother couldn’t take it anymore. The mother grabbed a pair of scissors and jeans with holes in the knees and BAM. Cutoff shorts were invented.
I’d like to thank her for that moment. You see, shorts and skirts are too cold for 50 degree mornings. Jeans and leggings are too hot for 80 degree afternoons. Cutoff shorts are just right. (This is starting to sound like a fairytale.)
My daughter just might wear these everyday until the first frost. Thank goodness I made two pairs.
