An Angel's View

What, can not believe ◆

2010-11-22T08:44:00.001-02:00

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So worth it!! m

2010-11-21T15:27:00.001-02:00

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should buy a lot of gifts to our family
and our friends,so you can have a look ,This is a big wholesale company , sell electronic products to all
the world,such as laptop, camera, phone
and so on
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Dear,good day!▲◆llt⊙☆!

2010-11-08T12:04:00.001-02:00

Hey，good day!
I find a good online shop: chen-chun2.comIt is a electronic wholesale site. the price is very cheap. And the shipping cost is not very high.
Besides ,the after-sale service is very good,we can get the warranty for one year in our country.
I have buy something as gift to my friend. they are very satisfy with the quality.
If you have time , have a look at it. Maybe you will be interested in it.
Give my best regards to your family.

angelvista
8/11/2010 22:3:53

ngysmdoz
□ ◇ ⊙ ◆ □

Things learned from a 10 year old

2008-10-16T01:27:00.002-02:00

I found out today that 10 year old boys are carp. Princess had the day off from school and had plans to spend a large chunk of the day at the playground with her BFFs. Princess kept trying me to let her go out to play wearing her good clothes. I jokingly asked her which boy she was trying to impress and her response was "if I wanted to get the boys to look at me I'd wear something shimmery". All I could think of was the shimmery lures my father used when he went fishing. Who knew 10 year old boys were carp.

Faye's Rainy Day Catch Up

2008-08-29T19:01:00.003-02:00

It's a nice, rainy day around here thanks to the Former Hurricane Faye. I've been cleaning house and catching up. Yeah! Someday I might even get a head.

Things around here are calmer, Princess has gone back to school. She's attending a new school this year and was a little nervous on her first day. She got off the bus raving about how great her teacher is and how great the school is. She got the grand tour the first day and the kids are really friendly. Somehow I found the school of kids just like Princess (ah! The Horror! The Horror!). Her BFF is not only at the bus stop with her, but they sit near each other in class. I was worried about the move this summer, but it seems Princess not only survived, but is thriving.

We're all thriving around here. My muse has returned and boy has she been keeping me busy. The little knitting bag at the top is a pin that I just made. I'm working on a bunch of them in different styles. They are just so cute and fun.

We went to our first Stitch & Pitch last Saturday. It was sponsored by the Uncommon Threads. We had a blast. It was fun to take in America's Past time and knit at the same time. The base of the purple hat was knit at the game. And in a thrilling 9Th inning the York Revolution won the game! Yeah! After the game we had fireworks. I can't wait until next years Stitch & Pitch.

This is my latest baby hat. Purple Malibrigo. It's so soft and cute. While Hubby was sick on Sunday, I sat and untwisted all the yarn in the pom-pom to make a puffy ball. It was worth the effort.

The Doll Muse has Returned

2008-08-05T10:40:00.003-02:00

For the past year or so, I've had little interest in making dolls. I just totally lacked the inspiration to give one life. Well, I guess it's another weird side-effect of the move, but I now am inspired to make dolls. I have all these ideas floating around in my head and I really want to give them life.

My first doll from this new burst of inspiration is Masego. Masego means blessings. She is a natural goddess that loves bringing happiness to everyone she meets. Masego is a pin doll. She's meant to be worn.

If you would like to adopt Masego, she can be adopted at my etsy shop or at Cherie Anne Designs at the York Central Market.

A Few Favorite Things

2008-07-29T12:18:00.002-02:00

Since the move is done, life is returning to "normal". I thought I'd take a few moments and share a few of my favorite things.

Socks on the hook. I'm in the process of crocheting a pair of socks. They are from my own toe up pattern and crocheted on a size D hook (small hook) from Lorna's Laces yarn. I'm loving them so far. I love the snug feel of a crochet foot . I'm thinking of transferring to knitting needles for the cuff. I can't remember the color's name or number at the moment, but it's just like a party for the feet.

Homemade iced lattes. They are so simple to make and so yummy. Nothing like cold caffeine to pass the time in the Summer. I have room on my kitchen counters now to keep my espresso maker. Yeah!

Empty boxes. Every time I unpack a box and get to yell "dead box" (our term for an empty box) I get a little thrill. We've done a lot of decluttering in our lives the last few months and put so much of our lives in boxes, that it's nice to find a place for things. Not that we are anywhere near done unpacking, but things are taking shape. I"ll have to share a picture of my studio with you soon.

Princess. I have discovered that she will do just about anything to avoid cleaning her room. She has taken to doing the laundry and loading/unloading the dishwasher. I'm not going to complain. She has also learned that the sooner the housework is done, the sooner we can go to the pool.

For the sake of balance in the Universe, I'll list my not favorite thing: Dial-up Internet. Until Friday, I'm on dial up. After 2 years of DSL, I forgot how slow dial up is. I admit it, on the Net, I am a speed girl. I like fast connections. The area we moved to doesn't have DSL coverage, so on Friday, a nice gentleman is coming to install a High speed cable connection to the Internet and cable TV. We are not going to know what to do with ourselves.

We are Moved!

2008-07-24T23:38:00.002-02:00

I realized on Saturday, I have this odd habit of moving on the hottest day of the year. We started the move on Friday and finished on Sunday. Saturday was the big move day. I am however, trying to figure out who has been storing their stuff in my house. There is no way that three people and a cat can own that much stuff.

I am really thankful for the help of my brothers and two of my nephews. They did a fantastic job of moving all the heavy furniture and making it look easy. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I owe you all a dinner. I'm thinking enchiladas in the fall for everyone.

Now I have the task ahead of unpacking and finding a place for all my stuff.

Packing, Packing, and Bench Decorating

2008-07-11T00:30:00.002-02:00

My life continues to be packed into boxes. I'm still aggressively getting rid of the junk. Will this move cure me of being a pack rat? I don't think so. I just think I'll be more willing to clean stuff out more often. One of my goals is an every 6 month clean out of my art supplies. It will do me good to see what I have on a regular basis.

I have been busy with things other than packing. I'm decoupaging a bench for in the apartment. We don't wear shoes in the house, so I thought it would be cool to have a bench by the door to sit on and take your shoes off. I'm taking my hold bench that has been in my family ever since I can remember and repainting it and decoupaging flowers on it. The bench was starting to show it's age and not in a good way. Now it is colorful and fun. The bench looks like I bought it in a boutique. I have a little decoupaging and a little painting to do, but it looks great.

I never knew I owned so much

2008-07-05T23:46:00.002-02:00

I've been busy preparing for the move. Did you know that I have a least 4 bins of yarn and a bin of sweaters to recycle. Should all the sheep get mange (goddess forbid) I will have enough wool to survive until they can get the sheep producing wool again. I've been busy cleaning out. The local Freecycle group is benefiting from my packrat ways. I will have more living space in the new apartment, but I will have less storage space.

The image on the left is the basic floor plan of my new home. It's very roomy with lots of nice details. I'm now getting very excited about getting the move over with.

We celebrated the Forth with dinner with a friend and some packing. Quiet fun is sometimes nice. The humidity has been horrid so I've been doing my best to stay cool. I can't do the heat and humidity. I'm a winter baby, happiest when it's cold.

Great News

2008-07-02T01:15:00.002-02:00

We have found our new home. It's a nice two bedroom is a wooded apartment complex. Princess has already decided that she is going to spend the rest of her summer by the pool at the complex. I've never lived in a complex before, so this should be an adventure. It's a nice, roomy place for the price and I'll have ac and a dishwasher again. Ok, I'm a little spoiled. All three of us are quiet happy with the new place and they are fine if Harry joins us. It is so hard finding a place that will let you have a cat without demanding an exorbitant amount as a pet fee. Come on, he's a cat, his hobbies are sleeping and sleeping on top of the computer monitor! What's he going to do? sleep too much for the neighbors?! I'm just glad we found a place, there's just something depressing about house hunting on a budget. This whole ordeal has been tiring. Now the chaos of packing begins. I will never figure out whose stuff we have because we have too much stuff here for just three people and a cat. Maybe the cat is the one collecting stuff. We are also clearing out a lot. The local Freecycle is going to love us.

Searching

2008-06-24T13:11:00.002-02:00

The home hunt continues. We have two choices so far that we like. I won't tell you much about them yet because I don't want to jinx things if one is to be our new home. We have seen some scary places. I tend not to want to live in any place that would require the services of a hazmat crew and/or an exorcist before I can move in.

Hubby, Best Friend, and I went to hear another friend of ours speak last Friday. He's a paranormal researcher (aka: a ghost hunter). I've always loved ghost hunting and would love to get into it. Now that Princess is older and after the move, I'm thinking of trying a few public hunts. I grew up in a haunted house (it was a friendly house) and have always been facinated by spirits. The lecture was excellent and it was nice seeing my friend again.

Soon to be Homeless

2008-06-11T00:10:00.002-02:00

I received some very bad news this week. We have 60 days to find a new place to live and move all our belongings. Our landlord sold the house we live in and the new owner wants us out. It seems the new owner is going to level our house and put in a chain resturant. At this time I have no idea where we are going to live. We've made calls to people listing homes in the paper and none have called back. I've been sorting and tomorrow I plan to do more packing. It's a shame, I love this house. It's a cute little cottage built in the 1950's and in a little over 2 months, it will be no more. All for the love of money.

If anyone has a lead on a 2+ beadroom home in a nice school district at a decent place let me know.

I survived Maryland Sheep and Wool

2008-05-07T14:38:00.003-02:00

and I so want to go back next year.

As a first time festival-goer, I managed to get a really cool behind the scenes look. I went down on Friday with Uncommon Threads and helped them to set up. It was hot, heavy work but the store away from the store looked great when we were finished. I never really thought about how much work goes into setting up a stand at events like this. The really nice stands put hours of work into getting the booth looking eye catching and tempting.

I also took a walk around the festival on Friday before dinner. It helped keep me from getting visual overload on Saturday. It was also nice to meet the sheep and goats before they got stressed out by the crowds on Saturday. I really want a sheep now, but alas, the township still won't let me get one.

Saturday was a blast. I was blown away by the shear number of people who love all things woolly and fibery. The yarns were beautiful. I spent quite a bit of time checking out the fleeces. I didn't buy one, but it was cool feeling the wool off of different sheep. There is such a texture variety, not to mention color range.

I don't know the breed on this sheep, I forgot to write it down, but he is my favorite hairdo of the weekend. I love the dreadlocks.

I returned home Saturday evening very tired and look what greeted me....Princess had her Spring Fling at school and Daddy took her. She had her hair sprayed pink, a flower painted on her face, and was dressed for summer. By the sounds of it, we both had a wonderful weekend.

I did manage a little shopping at MSWF. I brought home 4 Cherokee Purple heirloom tomato plants (the family's fave tomato), a Thai basil plant, and a Woad plant (it was a gift for hubby). I bought the coolest licence plate for my car from an artist names Connie Togel and a glow in the dark sheep toy for Princess. Then there was the yarny goodness. I did a bit of a sock tour at Sheep and Wool. I bought sock yarns I've heard about but can't get at the local yarn store. I bought 2 skeins of Lorna's Laces in the Sweetie colorway (OK, this was a purchase from Uncommon Threads), a superwash merino in purples and greens from Pucker Brush Farm, a purple sock yarn with no tag, a skein of Aussie Sock in the Plum Rosie colorway, a skein of Blue Ridge Yarns Kaleidoscope in the Ocean Waves colorway, a skein of Fleece Artist Merino in a blue, orange and yellow colorway, 2 Tilli Thomas sock kits (one pinks, one blues), and two skeins of the coveted Socks that Rock yarn. Oh, and I forgot, a skein of Noro sock yarn. It was like learn geography through sock yarn when I got home, I really did do a world tour.

I can't wait until next year.

Crocus in the Snow

2008-04-29T00:32:00.002-02:00

I love rich colors and eye catching patterns. This shawl looks perfect to me. It's a triangle shaped shawl made from reclaimed yarn. Trust me, the pictures don't do it justice. The texture on this baby is awesome.

In other news, I"m off to Maryland Sheep and Wool this weekend. I'll be there on Saturday. I'm planning on making the Etsy get-together and the Ravelry Meetup, if I can separate myself from the fibers and shopping. If you are going, drop me a line and maybe we will get the chance to see each other.

A New Stand

2008-04-24T09:56:00.003-02:00

For those who have been to the stand at Market and loved the old white stand, I'm sorry, it is no more. On April 12th, a group of us, lead by my one brother, tore out the old stand and built a new one. The new stand is more like a little store inside market or an old fashioned outdoor market stand than the dingy white stand that was there. We really stand out now. My brother designed the stand and assembled most of the pieces in his home, then we moved all the pieces in and built the stand. Cherie and Steve (my brother) along with a lot of helpers worked hard to make this stand come together. The picture to the left shows only a small section of the pre-fab pieces that we put together.

I will be taking pictures of the finished stand this weekend. It rocks. And it even has a ceiling fan, how cool is that. If you are in the York, PA area, stop in at the York Central Market and check us out.

Shop Updates

2008-04-18T15:11:00.003-02:00

I've been a busy little girl lately. The other night I had the urge to dig out my jewelry tools and beads. I created several pendants during my little jewelry frenzy. I love the way beads catch the light. Even though, I am primarily a fiber artist, I do enjoy a little jewelry making. It spurs my creativity.

I've added two of my pendants to the etsy shop. The one on the right is called "Mia." It's named after the character in the Princess Diaries movies. I just love the way the pink beads catch the light. It's such a light Spring piece. The other day I saw a prom dress in a shop window that would go great with this pendant; the dress was just a simple pale pink dress with little beads on it that look like the clear beads in this pendant.

My other pendant creation is a little more dark and Gothic. I love the look of goth jewelry. I guess it's a good thing I look good in black. This pendant is called "Arsenic" and it just reminds me of Victorian mourning jewelry. It's just beautiful, elegant, and mysterious. Perfect for the femme fatale.

I have a few more simple pendants to post yet, but I need to finish the pictures of them. I'll keep you posted.

I learned a new skill

2008-04-07T21:01:00.002-02:00

Sorry about being missing for a month. Where does the time fly when you are busy. I'm still looking for a job. In my free time, I've been busy making stuff to sell and learning new skills.

I'm still doing my weekly carding and I'm starting to develop some cool techniques. I've been playing with fun colors and playing around with striping the batts. The nice person I make the batts for really likes my work. Yeah! I love playing with the fibers and colors. The pictures are of my two latest batts. The top one is called "tequila sunrise" and the bottom one is sunrise over the field".

The pictures are a little blurry because I took them with my new camera phone. I finally joined the 21st century and got a cell phone. I'm not a big fan of the things. I think too many people are addicted them them. Mine is to contact Princess and for emergencies. Princess likes it for the games.

I've been busy working on items for the etsy shop. I have a purse, two cupcake toys, and a whole bunch of pendants to go down. I also make myself a little cell phone pouch and have people wanting me to make more.

Before I forget. I learned to spin today. My sister in law found a Lendrum wheel at a great price and we worked out a payment deal. It's no good to have a cool wheel if you don't know how to use it, so today I started spinning lessons. I make a bobbin full of wool yarn. I'm going to spin more next week and then learn how to ply. I'm so happy. It's a lot of fun, but it takes more coordination than a video game.

Princess's Rug is Finished

2008-03-01T23:35:00.001-02:00

It has taken several months, but I do believe that Princess' rug is finally finished. On to the stats:

Pattern: my own pattern, nothing but single crochet.

Square size: 6x6 inches, 24 sc by 24 rows

Rug size: 4x5 1/2 feet

Yarn: double strand throughout, I used yarn scraps. No joke, this rug has acrylic, wool, silk, mohair, apaca, and a few other yarns in it. I'm afraid to figure out how many yards of yarn went into this creation.

Number of Stitches in Rug: 52, 888 stitches not counting the single crochets used to join squares.

Date started: September 2007

Date finished March 1, 2008

I started this rug because the hardwood floor in Princess' room is always cold. It took me 3 tries before I came up with a pattern that I liked.

Crochet Class Update

2008-02-20T13:01:00.003-02:00

Last night, I taught my first crochet class at Uncommon Threads. It went great. I have six students in the class and they all did very well. It's such a great feeling to be able to share one of the great loves of my life with others and empower them to have the skills to enjoy it to. We worked on the stitches last night and once they learned the trick behind crochet stitches it was like magic. I can't wait until next week to see how they did on their practice. Next week we are learning pattern reading and how to make the granny square.

I also got sock time yesterday. I worked the Cherie Ann Designs stand at Market and worked on my latest sock. The yarn was a handpainted yarn that I picked out at the Alpaca show on Mother's Day last year. It was my Mommy's Day present from my hubby and daughter. It's a superwash wool/nylon belended handpaint from Creatively Dyed Yarns. It's soft and in my favorite colors. I'm knitting it up using the Dublin Bay Sock Pattern from Mossy Cottage Knits. It's a nice simple pattern that makes a nice pair of socks. I choose this pattern because it gives me a chance to practice the yarn over/knit two together thing that I fear. I know simple stuff, but i do manage to mess it up. I cast these socks on at the beginning of "Medium" on Monday night and I'm already almost finished with the instep stitches on the first pair. Yeah! I'm getting much faster at this sock knitting thing. My first pair of socks took me over a month to knit just one sock.

A Morning of Batt Making

2008-02-15T18:15:00.002-02:00

Princess and I spent the morning carding fiber. The first set of batts we did we nicknamed "Petting Zoo" beause it contains alpaca, mohair, and wool. It's a brownish yellow batt that should make a nice yarn. Judging by the amount of alpaca and mohair in it, it will be a soft yarn.

The second set of batts we created is called "Lovebug". Princess snagged a few bags of her favorite colors and I made a striped batt. It contains wool, mohair and glitz. It's a fun batt.

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T11:32:00.003-02:00

Happy Valentine's Day! It's cold and icy here; the perfect weather to snuggle with a love. Unfortunately, the only one home to snuggle with is Harry the Cat and he's avoiding me. That's ok, I'm making the family thier favorite dish for dinner tonight, General Chang's Spicy Chicken.

My Etsy shop is running a Valentine's Special until Friday night. If you pay with PayPal and put the words "My Love" in the comments to seller area, I will refund you 15% of the cost of your order. This includes if you do a special order. The address is www.mwstudios.etsy.com .

My you all have a safe an happy Loved Ones Day!

New in the Shop

2008-02-11T17:11:00.000-02:00

Light on the Water Chopstick Holder

Thousands of trees die each year so we can enjoy sushi and Chinese food with disposible chopsticks. There is an environmentally friendly way to use chopsticks and not hurt the Earth, use reusable chopsticks. This little chopstick sleeve is great for keeping your reusable chopsticks clean and safe between meals. I use one to keep my chopsticks clean in my purse. And chopsticks come in handy for more than just eating sushi; I use mine as coffee stirrers at the local coffee bar and they are perfect for eating salads. Just remember to rinse or wipe off your sticks before putting them back into the sleeve.

This chopstick sleeve is hand crocheted from a colorful recycled acrylic yarn. It is big enough to hold a pair of reusable Chinese style or Japanese style chopsticks (sleeve comes with a pair of semi-reusable bamboo chopsticks). It is also great for holding knitting needles and paintbrushes.

Care Instructions: remove chopsticks, machine wash and dry.

Please note: I would love to make you a holder for your chopsticks, just email me and we can work out the details.

Chopstick holder can be found in my etsy shop www.mwstudios.etsy.com

A Crochet Class Announcement

2008-02-07T23:19:00.000-02:00

Beginner's Crochet Class

Learn to crochet.

February 12-- the basics of crochet--> hooks, stitches, yarns, how to read patterns, everything you need to get started

February 19--The Granny Square --> learn to make the best known of crochet items and find out fun ways to use it.

February 26--Crochet Flowers --> learn to make crocheted flowers to dress up your projects and learn to make a bouquet scarf.

Supplies List: worsted weight yarn like Lambs Pride. Size F,G, or H hook

All classes will include a handout of class material and patterns for the projects done in class.

Classes are held at Uncommon Threads Yarn Store from 6-8 PM on the dates above.

Cost is $45 for all three classes.

For more information or to sign up for the class contact:
Uncommon Threads
294 W. Market Street
York, PA
1-866-323-9276

I'm teaching the class and I look forward to seeing you there.

Closing a Door

2008-02-06T18:52:00.000-02:00

Earlier this week, I recieved some sad news. I was laid off from the candy store. It's been a fun year and a half. Most of all I will miss the people I got to know during that time.

But when one thing ends, another begins.

Sunset Shawl Finished

2008-02-04T16:04:00.000-02:00

My prefered team may not have won the SuperBowl last night, but I made a goal. I completed my Sunset Shawl. Last spring, I found this sweater at the Salvation Army that looked ugly, but had beautiful yarn in it. I figured I give the poor thing a second chance at life and make some summer socks out of the yarn. It's a lovely cotton yarn blend. When I started to unravel the sweater I realized my original plan wasn't going to work. Everywhere the color changed there was a knot. For those who don't know, knots are not a good thing in socks, they hurt the feet. MudPuddles! The yarn was too beautiful not to do something with. After much debate I decided to make myself a shawl, I love my white one, but it shows dirt too quickly. So I started a half-granny square shawl using a size E crochet hook. The hardest part was deciding on an edging. I wanted something that flowed with the shawl yet gave it a touch of fun. What I ended up doing was continuing the half granny but adding a few extra chains between each 3DC group. Sunset was finished off last night after the SuperBowl about 15 minutes before House ended.

Adventures in Crochet: In the Begining

2008-01-10T00:57:00.000-02:00

I learned to crochet when I was a wee thing. I'm the youngest of six kids and between me and my older sisters are three brothers. I admit it, I was a tomboy. When we would visit my father's parents, I liked to run around the farm with my brothers. Life was good when I was chasing geese and making mud pies. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, my mother and grandmother didn't think it was becoming for a girl to be covered in mud and heaven's only knows what muck. They decided that I needed a feminine occupation to keep me busy when I was visiting. Making gourmet mud pies, I was informed, was not a feminine occupation.

At the age of 5, my grandmother sat me down, put a size F Boye hook in my hand, wound some yellow acrylic worsted weight around my fingers, and taught me to make chain stitches. I made lots of chain stitches that summer. Grandma wasn't going to teach me more stitches until my tension was perfect and I wasn't allowed to go play in the mud. So, I kept practicing and when I got to the end of my yarn, I learned how to tie another ball on. By the time I got my tension perfect, I figured I crocheted at least a mile of stitches. My father and my brothers decided to see how long my chain really was. I held on to one end and they started walking up the road towards my Aunt and Uncle's house. A while later and it seemed like forever to me, we got a call from my aunt. The chain reached as far as her garage. It was official, I chained a mile of stitches.

Part of me wishes I still had that chain. It would be cool to look back at it now and see how much my stitches have chained over the years. But being the frugal farm women types that my mother and grandmother were, they wasted nothing. All that work was pulled out and the yarn was reballed. Did I ever mention that I'm a Master Yarn Ball Winder? This was where I learned to wind neat yarn balls.

My next crochet lesson was where I learned that Grandma was just a little bit of a perfectionist. Not that being a perfectionist is a bad thing, but when you are 6 it is very annoying. I learned early to fix mistakes when they happen rather than let them in and hope they aren't noticed. Grandma would undo all the crochet until she got to the point where the error was made. It didn't matter if it was the first row and you just finished your 50th row. As much as I hated it then, I'm a perfectionist in my work now. Flaws in my work and others work drives me nuts. So far I haven't unraveled someone Else's' work.

After I mastered the mile of chain stitches, I was deemed ready to learn the standard of all crochet patters: The Granny Square. I learned how to make granny squares while sitting at the stool by Grandma's knee. My first squares were made from the yarn I used for my chain stitches. My first squares were joined in a blanket that was donated to Grandma's church to raise money for the poor.

Finally, I ran out of chain yarn and the next adventure was about to happen, My mother was going to take me yarn shopping.

Please note: The graphic is not mine. I found it on the internet and can't fine the name of the person who did it. I thank them and when I find their name I will post it.

New Year's Blessings

2008-01-01T13:30:00.001-02:00

Wishing you all a healthy, happy, prosperous New Year.

My New Year's Blog Resolution: Blog at least twice a week!

I want to Stay Inside and Crochet

2007-12-13T19:48:00.000-02:00

Who wouldn't want to be inside them you have this lovely yarn begging to be used. They were b-day presents. The yarn on the left is Malabrigo in violet from Uncommon Threads . I bought it with my birthday money, not sure what I'm going to do with it, but I've been having lots for fun snuggling with it. The yarn in the middle is alpaca dyed by Cherie Anne Designs. I love alpaca yarn. It is like the Malabrigio in my stash, I've been happy to snuggle with it. The last yarn is sock yarn. I'm not sure who makes it but it's cotton and will be socks by summer.

So, why am I so determined to stay inside and knit. Other than, Hello!, I have yummy yarn to play with. I want to stay inside, drink coffee and knit because the weather outside is icy. I love snow, but ice is so not my thing; even if it does make the tree out front look pretty.

I Made Cupcakes

2007-12-11T01:35:00.000-02:00

Don't get too excited, I didn't bake them. I did bake a white cake with shocking lavender colored icing the other day, but that's not what I'm happy about.
I love cake, it's one of those delightful things that is great in any weather. I'm not a big chocolate cake eater, unless it's a from scratch chocolate cake. My favorite cake is carrot cake. I grew up on spice cakes, but carrot cakes are just better.

Sorry, I seem to be rambling tonight. I guess it was that piece of cake I ate earlier.

Back to the cupcakes I made today. They look yummy, they have no calories, they are high in fiber (polyfil fiber to be exact), and they are sugar free. However, unless I had a strange diet, I would not eat them. They are pin cushions and they are almost cute enough to eat. They just remind me of little fairy cakes ready for a tea party.

The bases are chenille yarn and the frosting is acrylic with glass bead sprinkles. I stuffed them well so they will last for a while as pin cushions.

The Fairy Girl's Birthday

2007-12-03T18:26:00.000-02:00

My friend's daughter just turned two. She's a sweet little girl who just brings smiles to everyone who meets her. Princess helped watch her at Market this summer and the two of them are BFF's. I wanted to come up with something special for her for her birthday that wasn't a) the same as what every other two year old girl was getting and b) fit the fairy girl's personality. I came up with the idea of a fairy skirt. I think it turned out great. FairyGirl wanted to wear it yesterday at the party and she loved it. I think it turned out really cute. The skirt came with a matching wand because everyone knows that a fairy needs to be properly accessorized.

The cake was made by one of the restaurant owners at Market and it was delicious. It was a candy carousel. How cool is that? I'll have to try to find one of the pics I took of it. It was a gathering of family and friends. Princess took over corralling the little ones and it wore her out. It was nice hanging out with grownups and socializing, even if I hurt all over.

This morning I woke up in pain still. My right arm hurts and my shoulder is very stiff. My knee still looks raw and skinned and I can't put any pressure on it. I'm taking it easy today, watching movies on Netflix and working of the flowers for Princess's curtain. Tonight, hubby is going to give my shoulder a tiger balm massage.

Operetta and the Song of Pain

2007-12-03T00:34:00.000-02:00

That one's bound to get a few interesting searches pointed this way.

The necklace pictured was a project I've been meaning to try to a long time. I've seen similar necklaces on the web and I think they are so cool looking. They just look so fun and funky. This one is from the Berraco website and I added the black beads. My sister in law gave me a ball of this beautiful wool that is a black and grey mottle. When I finished it it realized it needed a little shine, so I added a few jet glass and black glass beads. I love it, it's got that whole goth-Victorian-dramatic feel about it.

Maybe I should wear it while I sing my song of Pain. A friend's daugther had her second birthday party today. I'm not sure what happened but while walking from the car to the party, I tripped on a crooked piece of sidewalk and had a nasty fall. I remember loosing my balance, grabbing for my hubby in a failed effort to stop my fall, and hitting the ground. I landed with enough force to knock the wind out of me for a moment. I didn't' break anything and for that I'm thankful. I did however skin my right knee and twist my back. I'm sore and achy tonight. I scared Hubby and Princess and two nice gentleman who were leaving the nearby church. I don't know what happened, it just felt like I was tripped and pushed down. In reality, I think I"m just a klutz and my Doc Martin mary janes tried to kill me. I feel like such a weirdo because my first thought when I hit the ground was not if I was OK but if the camera I was carrying was OK. I'm such a geek.

I'll have to share pics from the b-day party tomorrow. It was a nice party and the birthday girl loved her gift from us.

When the Weather turns Cold

2007-12-01T00:28:00.000-02:00

Oh when the weather is outside is frightful, your hands will be warm and fashionable, with your new gauntlets you glow, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

The fingerless gloves in the picture I started to make for myself. I almost has the first one finished when a customer stopped by and saw them. Needless to say, my gauntlets were sold before they were finished. They are made from a recycled yarn with a fiber content of cotton and ramie. I love the colors, they are just so fun. I have enough yarn left over to make myself a pair.

They are perfect for the joyful weather coming our way. According top the weather-dude there is snow coming our way. As soon as the first flakes show up tomorrow, mass chaos will ensue. I love snow, I always figured that if you have the cold, at least you can have the snow to make things look pretty. Besides, I prefer to drive in snow rather than rain.

I can tell I'm getting old. After I picked my car up from it's inspection, I stopped at the local grocery store to get gas. The store has this thing that if you spend so much you get 10 cents per gallon off. It's been a while since I cashed in my points. I paid 69 cents a gallon for gas, yes you guessed it, my car now has a full tank (the first in a long time). Hubby scanned his card and got gas for 89 cents a gallon. We compared how much me paid and just kept giggling like school kids. With gas at $3.09 a gallon, this was a big thrill for us. I think we need to get out more often.

Zen and Sushi

2007-11-17T17:24:00.000-02:00

I was having my usual Saturday sushi fix at Round Eye Sushi at the Market and I started joking with the guy preping wasabi that I wanted my wasabi shaped like Buddha. I learned never to joke with the wasabi guy. He made me a wasabi Buddha. I mean no disrespect to any Buddhist who may read the list, but you have to admit he is adorable. The only problem was I couldn't use him on my sushi then, it just felt like I was dishonoring him.

Sushi

2007-11-04T00:13:00.000-02:00

Anybody who knows me knows I love sushi. Several years ago, when Princess was still a baby, hubby and I went out and had sushi for the first time for his birthday. He was fascinated with the idea and we decided to give it a try. I really didn't think I would like it. The thought of eating raw fish just didn't sound good to me. But I put on a brave face, packed my Rolaids, and we tried sushi at the only place at the time that sold sushi in the area. The waitstaff was great that night, they came out and explained to us what we were eating and how to eat it. After the first bit of salmon nigiri, I was hooked. The flavors were incredible, the textures we appealing. Eating sushi is a sensual activity. It is almost meditative. To enjoy it, you need to focus only on what you are eating and allow your senses to guide the experience.

A few weeks ago, a sushi bar moved into the York Central Market and they are really good. There is a limited menu at the moment, but everything I have had has been excellent. They inspired me to try my hand at making felt sushi. I made a California roll, a salmon-avocado roll, and an Ikaru (salmon roe). I designed them that not only can they be played with, they can be hung on a tree or a key chain. I'm working on my sushi menu. The ikaru is sitting by the register at Round Eye Sushi at the York Central Market.

Ichigo Finished

2007-11-02T16:52:00.000-02:00

It has taken me almost a year to make this pair of socks but I'm proud to announce that last night they came came off the hook. Last fall, I got the brilliant idea that I would knit a pair of socks for Princess who always has the coldest feet. Why do people with cold feet or hands have the urge to put said cold body parts on your comfortably warm body? The socks were to be part of her Christmas stash. So I cast them on in November. They didnt' get finished for Christmas. Last June, I finished one and had her try it one. Darn Twerp's foot had grown since I took the original measurements and cast on. In total, this pair of socks has been knit or crocheted 10 times. Some frogging was due to sizing and other frogging was due to my errors. Needless to say, they are DONE!

Name: Ichigo Socks (the name means Strawberry in Japanese. The colors remind me of strawberries and besides, strawberries are Princesses favorite food.)

Yarn: Palette by Knitpicks in Black and Memories by Knitpicks in Geranium.

Implement of Construction: Size E crochet hook

Pattern: None. Using a pattern would have made this easier except I suck at reading patterns and following direction. I know crochet sock construction and did what I know.

Princess's Response: She loves them. She put them one as soon as they were finished last night and hasn't taken them off since. She wore them to schoool today and even made a point of showing everyone at the busstop that her mommy made her socks.

The little twerp is too smart for her own good. Last night she put on her new socks, looked at me and said, "Since it takes a year to get a pair, I would like to order a pair for next year in pink."

My little Devil Girl

2007-10-24T23:19:00.000-02:00

I recently started making devil horn barettes to sell. Princess was forced to sit still and model them for me. They are sequin covered felt horns that can be made in any color. I'm working on a pink pair and a purple pair at the moment. I saw a picture of them and thought "Hey, I can make them. I'm pretty creative." They are really fun.

Domesticated Geek

2007-10-21T12:16:00.000-02:00

I'm sitting online this morning, playing my favorite mmmorpg and I realized that I would blow the minds of a lot of the little geek-boy players on this game. My favorite online game is Tales of Pirates and I play a female sharpshooter. She's pretty cool with blue hair and a gun that can kill anything. I'm a fairly low stress, go around and shoot things for points type of character. I gather up items and bring them back to town to sell. My character is in town this morning selling stuff at a market stall she set up. While running a stall, you can't really do anything, so I'm sitting here in front of computer working on my daughter's crochet sock. I"m a domesticated geek. Instead of chatting with online friends, I'm crocheting.

The New Bathroom Rug

2007-10-07T22:53:00.000-02:00

This rug is approved by Harry Potter the Cat.
I needed another rug for in the bathroom. It seems that every time Princess (also known as Godzilla in Tokyo) takes a bath she manages to flood the bathroom so much the rug gets soaked. Last week we saw a little Noah sailing an ark across the rug. So I set about making a rug or two for around the house. I wanted something that would last, look good, and absorb the water from Godzilla's bath. It took about a week to make but I think the rug is awesome. It's double strand, single crochet in a pattern I made up. It is 1/4 inch thick and is so nice to step on. The white yarn is acrylic just because I couldn't find my white cotton. All the yarn comes from recycled sweaters. Hubby now thinks I should make rugs to sell.

As soon as I finished the rug and laid it on the floor, Harry claimed it.

See a Need, Fill a Need

2007-09-22T23:42:00.000-02:00

Princess is 9 years old and that means that everytime she takes a bath, the bathroom rug gets soaked. We have yet to figure out how this happens. Our problem is that we have only two rugs for in the bathroom (small room, you need tiny rugs). So I see a need, we need more rugs for in the bathroom. I'm working on filling that need by making a few rugs for in the bathroom using recycled cotton and acrylic yarn. The first one is red cotton single crocheted into a big rectangle. It's two strands of worsted weight held together, so it is a nice thick rug.

My Yard and the Deathly Hollows

2007-09-09T00:47:00.000-02:00

First, this is the botah scarf that I finished the other week. It's crocheted out of red reclaimed wool. It will be a nice warm scarf for someone once the weather cools off. Right now, it's at the Central Market stand looking for someone to take it home.

At some point, I'm going to learn that my yarn hates me. I know hate seems like such a strong word, but in this case it fits. Last weekend, I was helping hubby with the yard by pulling some weeds (the township for some reason has a fit when the weeds are taller than 6 feet) and mowing the grass (I love pushing a mower). The yard got it's revenge. I ended up with another bout of poison ivy. I am so not happy with the yard. Thank Goddess for homeopathic poison ivy cures and calamine lotion.

In an effort to keep myself sane (for those of you who've never had poison ivy, when it itches it feels like thousands of little bugs crawling all over your skin, and you can't scratch it), I escaped into reading. I read Harry Potter & the Deathly Hollows in three days this weekend. I'm sad to see the series end but the story rocks. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to yell at the characters, and, most importantly, I forgot all about scratching for a little.

In other news, Mr. Tibbles has found a roommate. He now resides with a cat named Miss Lily. Miss Lily took an instant liking to him and has been chewing on him ever since. Now I just need to make a companion for Mitzi and find them homes. Making the mice is fin and each one takes on a personality.

Mr. Tibbles

2007-08-28T06:13:00.000-02:00

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Mr. Tibbles and I am a member of the rare Wool-Silk Crocheted Catnip Mouse Clan. Don't le the long name fool you, I'm just a humble crocheted mouse with a wool-silk body filled with cotton and organic catnip. My hobbies include playing hide and seek with felines (I'm very good at hiding). Like all my family, I find it most relaxing to be chewed upon by a cat (massage at it's best). I'm looking for a playful feline roommate. I'm very quiet and require nothing in terms of food. Will you give me a home.

Zucchini Mock Crab Cakes

2007-08-23T23:39:00.000-02:00

Ah, Summer! Where it gets so hot the chickens lay fried eggs and the zucchini try to take over the world like some horrid 1950's B-Grade horror flick that should only be shown with a guy and two bots silhouetted in the lower right corner of the screen.

I didn't get to plant a garden this year. We were too busy eradicating the evil poison ivy from the yard. Die!Vile Weed!Die! Next year will be the garden year. Thank goodness for Central Market. The one produce stand at Market has an abundance of zucchini right now. One Tuesday, I snagged a 1 1/2 foot long zucchini for 45 cents. I so love a healthy bargain. By dinnertime, the big green monster was shredded and ready to be made into zucchini mock crab cakes.

I can't remember who emailed me this recipe, but it's been a family favorite since the first time I made them. Princess not only loves this recipe and requests it, but is also learning how to make it. I do need to thank Crazy Aunt Purl and her zucchini invasion stories for inspiring me to share my favorite zuke recipe. So without further ado.......

Zucchini Mock Crab Cakes

1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon Old Bay; more to taste (crab and seafood seasoning)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise (if you use egg less mayo this dish is vegan)
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
1/4 cup tofu (I freeze the rest of the block for other dishes)
2 cups zucchini; unpeeled, finely shredded

Blend the tofu with a hand mixer or potato masher until creamy. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the zucchini.

Place zucchini in a large strainer. Press out as much liquid as possible. Add zucchini to the tofu mixture. Mix with a fork (or your hands) for several minutes, until the mixture is well blended.

Preheat a non-stick skillet (I use my cast iron with a spray of vegetable cooking spray). Divide zucchini into 8 portions and make patties. Place on prepared skillet and cook. Turn several times, until the patties are light brown on both sides. Serve hot.

We always put the can on Old Bay on the table so each person can add more if they wish. This is great with fries.

Feel free to share your favorite zucchini recipe with me. I'm always on the lookout for interesting new recipes.

Chicken Corn Soup

2007-07-31T23:52:00.000-02:00

Just for the record, this is not my picture, I'm just borrowing it.

My father's parent's owned a small farm. You know the small farms that raise a few crops, some cows, a roost of chickens, and one very mean goose. From what I was told, when my father was growing up, my grandparent's farm provided most of the food for the family. Grandmother would can, pickle, brine, and freeze everything she could. But life on the farm wasn't all work.

During the late summer, my aunt and uncle from Florida would come up to visit. I guess the humidity of Pennsylvania was better than the humidity, bugs, and hurricane's of Florida. They'd drive up in this big ole RV that had a hitch on the back so they could tow their car up also. When the RV would park on the farm, it was time for the family to gather for social time and chicken corn soup. My uncle and Grandpa would set up picnic tables in the yard and the big cast iron cauldron was placed on it's tripod over a fire. Grandma would go into cooking mode. Corn was harvested, chickens plucked, and eggs boiled. Everything went into the cauldron and the family would gather, potluck dishes in hand, for a all you can eat chicken corn soup gathering.

Chicken corn soup played an important role in many summer gatherings of my childhood. My parents loved to go to church dinners where they would sell chicken corn soup with the fixings and have a local country band play. I remember eating lots of corn soup and playing in a lot of church playgrounds as a child. They were often cheap dinners and a chance for my parents to socialize with people they new. Now the local churches seem to have switched to drive through chicken bbq's instead of the chicken corn soup picnics.

I've raised a family of soup eaters. In fact, as soon as she sees corn at market, my daughter starts bugging for me to make chicken corn soup. It's healthy comfort food. My recipe is basically the same and my Grandma M's and my Mother's recipe.

Chicken Corn Soup

This recipe can be doubled easily. Soup reheats well and freezes well.

1 chicken or 6 boneless breasts

1 medium onion, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped (optional)

2 medium potatoes, chopped (optional)

6+ cups of cooked corn

6 hard boiled eggs, chopped

1 1/2 cups egg noodles, crushed slightly

water

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon dried parsley (or 1/4 cup fresh)

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon paprika

Boil chicken, onion, and celery in water until the chicken is cooked. Remove chicken to cool. Skim any fat off the broth. Bring broth to boil and add carrot, potatoes, and corn. Shred the cooked chicken and add to soup. Add seasonings and egg noodles. Once potatoes are soft, add eggs. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve.

Catching up

2007-07-27T00:09:00.000-02:00

Or at least attempting to catch up. Life just goes by too quickly. I love the above picture and quote. It's by French writer Collette. She was an interesting personality.

In other news, I got my invite to Ravelry. If you knit or crochet, this is a cool place to be. It's in beta test right now, so you have to sign up and wait for an invitation. It's an organizational tool, a social forum, a place to find patterns and inspiration. I'm in the process of listing my current projects (I wonder what the max # of current projects is).

I've been gardening a little. Hubby and I are trying to tame the jungle that is our yard. We filled two larn and leaf bags with yard waste last night in less than an hour. I would compost more yard waste, but until we get the poisin ivy under control, I feel it's best to dispose of the waste. The good news is any roots we missed last night, will be dead in a day or two due to the lack of rain. The bad news is I got three blisters on the fingers of my right hand (oh, the pain).

I'm also dedicating myself to a little project. I'm trying to come up with meals that are cheap and healthy. Can you eat on a budget and still eat very healthy? I'm going to find out. I"ll share recipes with you when I come up with them.

I'm feeling corny

2007-07-14T23:46:00.000-02:00

What a wonderful day to be at Market! If you didn't make it in today you missed beautiful flowers, juicy peaches, sweet tomatoes, and the smell of basil. It's Summer and the produce is abundant. The above corn was locally grown and for sale at Kenmar Farms stand. I love Summer produce.

Sunshine in my Life

2007-07-13T22:49:00.000-02:00

Taken last Saturday at the York Central Market. Sunflowers from Tagliari Farms. Don't they just look so joyful?

Picture by and copyrighted by Melissa Wittmann.

Fireworks in the Rain

2007-07-06T00:08:00.000-02:00

We had a wonderful American Independence Day here. We hosted a simple cookout/picnic before we went to see the fireworks. It started to do these short downpours in the late afternoon, but when we left for the fireworks it looked like the sky was clearing. Silly us! We didn't more than get into our seats on the bleachers at the expo center and another downpour started. We grabbed everything and found seats in the Grandstand where there is a roof. While waiting for the concert to start it dour poured again. (The above picture is of the pre-concert downpour.) But things finally cleared and the concert began. I liked the concert, except for the lady who was vocal soloist, she was just a little too operatic for my taste. I did get about 2 hours of crochet time on my shawl while waiting for the fireworks.

So the concert ends, the orchestra leaves the stage, the curtains are lowered, and the lights go out. Just as the lights go out, we hear this screaming and commotion coming from the uncovered bleachers. My first thought was "Oh God, something went wrong!" Some of the lights were relight and then you could see the downpour. In a few minutes, the rain stopped and the fireworks went off. The show was great. Despite the rain, the fireworks were well worth the wait.

Fireworks pictures taken at the York Expo Center on 4 July 2007.

Have a Safe 4th of July.

2007-07-04T14:48:00.000-02:00

Pagan Rain Dance

2007-06-29T23:15:00.000-02:00

Pagan Rain Dance

Raindrops patter

on hot blacktop

Welcome relief

from the heat.

Children play

in the heat breaking

downpour,

Little pagans

thanking the Gods of Rain.

--Angel Wittmann, 2007

Happy First Day of Summer

2007-06-21T09:55:00.000-02:00

Girl Pirate Power

2007-06-12T23:02:00.000-02:00

This is my new desktop. My daughter idolizes Elizabeth in the Pirate's Movies and this was inspired all the research we've been doing on female pirates.

Finding Peace in Knots

2007-06-11T19:08:00.000-02:00

It's summer time here and I've been getting a lot of customers at the stand asking for hemp jewelry. So, I dug out the hemp string I have and began making some jewelry. I forgot how fun hemp can be to work with. There is just something soothing about making lots of little knots. Yesterday I had a knot in my back between my shoulder blades, can we say tension. As I was working on the above necklace, the knots began to loosen up and I began to relax. I find lots of things meditative in the craft word. I just forgot how meditative making hemp jewelry is. Now I just need to find a way to make jewelry in traffic.

Women's Artifacts

2007-05-27T23:52:00.000-02:00

A friend of mine gave me a bag of yarn and needles that had been her grandmother's. She isn't a knitter and didn't feel right that her grandmother's needles sit idle. What type of knitter would I be if I refused beautiful needles and vintage mohair. I believe refusing mohair is just cause for getting my knitting licence revoked.

In the bottom of the bag, I discovered a dilemma. A few years before she passed away, my friend's grandmother began to lose her sight. When her sight began to degrade, she was forced to give up knitting. In the bottom of the bag, still on the needles is the last piece she was working on.

I felt like an archaeologist finding a Pharaoh's tomb. I was holding in my hands something created by a woman I admire. Now I'm in a quandary. I don't know if I should unravel it and use the yarn (it is a beautiful orange/brown mohair) or bind it off and preserve it for my friend.

When I had Women's History classes in college we often discussed how so much of the items created by women were either used up or discarded at inconsequential. Granted, most women's artifacts were of the practical nature, but think of how much more we would know about women in history if their work was preserved.

My desire of preserve this piece of knitting is partly because it shows another side of a woman I admire. A. was a business women who created a small empire that is now being run by her granddaughter.

Strawberries Cream & Mint

2007-05-20T17:38:00.000-02:00

Sounds more like an elegant desert than a pair of earrings. This is a simple little pair that I've made. I think they turned out beautifully. I love the soft, summery colors that look great on just about anyone. I wish I had had more of the square beads, they would have made an awesome necklace or bracelet. I'll have to keep my eye out for more. I have them for sale at the Central Market stand and I hope to get them posted online within the week.

You can call him Al...

2007-05-14T09:49:00.000-02:00

I had the best Mother's Day. I started my day with cards and gifts in bed (after having the chance to sleep in). Hubby made me French Toast and coffee for breakfast. Then we went to the Alpaca show at the Expo Center. I spent several hours petting and ohhing over these little guys. I found out that they only make a humming moan (it's really cute), they are curious but shy, and they would rather have their necks rubbed than their heads petted. They are so soft. Princess had a quicky lesson on using a drop spindle and I was mesmerized by a spinning wheel. I really did want to bring one home with me, but I didn't have enough money with me. They are expensive animals. I did get a skein of hand dyed sock yarn as a gift (it's wool and nylon and a lovely purple/cream/pink combo of colors) After the alpaca, we went to Wonderful Garden for chinese food and then I played around with jewelry making. For dinner I made Orange beef (hubby was going to make it, but worked called and he had to telecommute). I had a wonderful Mother's Day.

Happy Mother's Day

2007-05-13T13:31:00.000-02:00

Home County Tourist

2007-05-07T18:24:00.000-02:00

We played tourist in our home county yesterday. Princess has a project for school where she has to visit a list of parks and lakes in the county and get her picture taken at each place he visits. The weather was great, we had nothing we had to do, and everyone was feeling well (except for the itching of my poison ivy), so we went out and played tourists. Our first stop was William H. Kain Park and Lake Redman. It's a beautiful lake that has fishing, boating, picnic areas, and also provides the county with water. Many years ago, my husband almost proposed to me while we were boating on the lake. He decided that maybe he should propose on dry ground just in case (see, he's a wise man, that's one of the reasons I love him). Princess and I gave a willow tree a nice hug before we left.
This is Princess on the boat docks at William H. Kain Park. You can rent boats and take them out on the lake. I think Princess was looking for Reddie, the monster of Lake Redman or she could be searching for mermaids. Princess really loves water and the whole time her daddy was worried that she'd fall in.
Meet Bob! Bob is a snake that lives at Richard Nixon Park. Bob lives in a big aquarium and is used for educational purposes. We have a deal: we can be friends as long as he stays on his side of the glass and I stay on mine. I'm terrified of snakes but every time I go down to Nixon Park, I make a point of sitting on the floor in front of the snake case. I'm working on getting over my fear. Bob posed nice for me when I told him he was going to be on my blog. He also agrees with me that itching is no fun (it looks like he's getting ready to shed his skin in a few weeks.)
It was such fun spending the day surrounded by the beauty of nature. It was kind of like a belated May Day for us. I really want to get out more often this summer and spend more time exploring nature. We always come back from our days out feeling tired, but at the same time we always come home feeling happy.

A Word of Warning

2007-05-07T00:35:00.000-02:00

If you live anywhere in North America, learn to recognize this plant. Yes, it's pretty, but under that beauty lies an evil like nothing else. This cute little plant is poison ivy! 85% of humans have an allergic reaction to it. And it is everywhere. Why am I doing a public service announcement? Because I had a run in with this little plant last weekend in my own yard. I was so proud of myself, I cleared a bunch of overgrowth so some lilies could bloom free this year, no poison ivy in sight. And the next day, this rash showed up and for the past week I have itched like I was crawling with bugs. My husband went and looked at the patch I was weeding and there are all these little tiny poison ivy plants. I'll spare you from seing pictures of my legs, it ain't a pretty sight. I found this homeopathic stuff that works great with me for keeping it under control, but when it's time for a new dose I start to itch so bad I want to crawl out of my skin. I have also found that when I itch real bad, if I rub the area with hand sanitizer it seems to deaden the itch. My husband and my landlady are planning on taking care of the poison ivy for me since I break out just looking at it.

La Vie au Chocolat est tres bonne.

2007-05-03T18:31:00.000-02:00

Chocolates I made in class. Yummy!

The other night I had a fun work experience. I had the opportunity to assist with an Adult education class. Through the local Adult Education Extension, the store that I work at held a class of Basic Chocolate Candy Making. The goal of the class was to introduce people to the different types of chocolate and then how to make candies from them. The class learned how to make truffle filling from scratch, mold chocolates, make non-pareils, make clusters, and make dipped chocolates. My role of the evening was to help people if they needed help. It was fun. I for one just like playing with the chocolate and dipping pretzels in the vats. I came home with a box of chocolates that I made and I smelled like a candy bar. I know, I suffer so much for my job, but someone has to do it.

At market today I realized that I will never work in a chocolate shop in Paris. One of the local high schools had their French class there for a field trip. The students were only allowed to speak French. Let's just say, it's be quite a few years since I had French in school. I managed to muddle through. The hardest thing was remembering my numbers. Oh well, c'est la vie.

Friday Night Ghost Tour

2007-05-01T00:07:00.000-02:00

On Friday night, some friends and I went on a ghost tour. Bube's Brewery in Mt. Joy, PA is considered haunted and they offer ghost tours. It is a cool building with a long history. I had a lot of fun on the tour. I took a lot of pics but I didn't get anything too spectacular. The pic on the left is one of the best I got. It was taken on the second floor in what is now a banquet room (it was originally the family quarters.) I photographed a few balls of light which might be orbs or they might be dust. I did feel a few cold spots while on the tour and I had my hair pulled lightly once. I do believe there is something beyond this realm.

Preview of Summer to come

2007-04-23T23:40:00.000-02:00

Last Friday I was our running errands on Market Street in York and I decided to play tourist in my hometown. I took pictures of things that interested me. It was fun to walk around and look at a city I've seen many times as if it was a place I had never been before. The daffodil looked so pretty I just had to take it's picture. The balcony in the first picture just looked like a place for a princess to stand and wait for her prince. York has so much beautiful architecture.

It's been hot around here the past few days. I think we hit a record high today with 85F, normally this part of Pennsylvania has highs in the 60's. It's just too hot to do much of anything. I spent most of today working on a baby afghan and drinking tea. We did take advantage of the nice weather this weekend to work in the yard. Hubby and I removed some old stumps and we planted two rosebushes. I can't wait for them to grow. One is a pink Queen Elizabeth rose and the other is a multicolored Mississippi something rose. The tulips we planted last fall have come up and have started to bloom. They make the place look nice. When we moved in the yard was grown up and little by little we are taming it. I want to surround the place with a cottage garden.

I'm looking forward to the weather change coming tonight. It is to cool down and not be so stinking muggy.

With Sympathy

2007-04-17T17:19:00.000-02:00

My heart goes out to the families of the victims of the shooting yesterday at Virginia Tech. May you find comfort in this time of sorrow.

The mood at Market today is subdued. The shooting at Virginia Tech has everyone mourning the loss of lives so young. We grieve for college students we've never met.

Even if we've never been in a shooting, we can have empathy for the situation. It is a natural thing to fear being caught in just such a situation, to be trapped and vulnerable, to know that you life is in the hands of someone seeking to take as many lives as possible. We watch the news and see stories of school shootings and market bombings and fear that the places we think are safe are not that safe at all.

The sad fact is that anywhere people interact is vulnerable. No number of laws or safeguards are going to change that. Some places are naturally safer than others, but you never know when there will be that one person in the crowd that will violate the sanctity of a safe place. Some of these people feel that they are making a political statement or advancing a revolutionary cause, while others find that acts of violence are the only way they know to deal with their rage, grief, fears, or impotency. Predicting who has emotional problems and would resort to the mindless violence of opening fire in a public place is difficult, if not impossible. Many times these individuals don't show outward signs of their distress and very rarely do they leave accounts of their motives.

So what can we do to make the world a safer place? The only things we can do: keep on living and teach our children to deal with negativity in a healthy manner. We need to teach our children that violence is not the answer, to listen to them when they discuss what bothers then, and show them that life is worth living. Will this stop all violence? No, but it may save some one's life someday.

The families and friends of the victims at Virginia Tech are in my prayers. May they find some comfort to continue on. You are in my prayers.

I'm a Great Aunt Again!

2007-04-16T00:26:00.000-02:00

Baby blanket for Ms Donna's grandbaby. Modeled by Molly the Giraffe. Commissioned blanket.

My Marine Nephew just became a daddy. His first daughter was born at 10 something last night. (I was called with the details early this morning and promptly forgot them when I fell back to sleep. The joys of watching my step niece and nephew while their little sis was born). Mommy and baby are doing fine. I haven't seen my new great niece yet, but I'm told she resembles her mommy. Now I just need to finish her baby blanket and stop in to visit her.

Dear little great niece,
~Always remember to be yourself, it is who you will be best at being.
~Always be true to yourself, even if it means not following the crowd. They will follow you in time.
~Always seek what truly brings your joy in life, don't waste time on what others say will bring you joy.
~Always welcome new knowledge into your life, the more you know the farther you will get.
~Always meet people with an open mind, you never know who you may meet or who's life you will change.
~Always embrace life, you only get one chance at this, you should enjoy it.
~Always allow art into your life, it helps your brain problem solve and it soothes the soul.
~Always have dreams and goals, if you don't have an idea of where you want to go, how can you go there.
~Always smile and never be afraid to cry, emotions soothe the soul and light up the darkness.
~Finally, always love, the world needs more love.
Love,
Auntie Angel.

PS. Have fun with this life.

I Survived Friday the 13th

2007-04-14T00:20:00.000-02:00

I woke up this morning and forgot that it was Friday the 13th. Silly me decided to run some errands. I will say that Walmart is not busy at 9 in the morning. I got the yarn to make the baby blanket for my nephew's new baby. I picked up a nice cotton yarn for kitchen curtains. And then things went downhill. I looked everywhere (I literally mean every craft store, Target, and Walmart in York city) for a hand cranked spool knitter. I finally found one, at the JoAnn's down the street. They just got them in and out on the shelves. It's always the last place you look.

While out this morning, I almost had a hummer drive over me because the driver was too busy drinking her coffee and chatting on her phone to pay attention to driving. I seriously believe that cell phone should be banned in cars; or require a special license and extra insurance. Maybe it has to do with what my father told me when I learned to drive. The first thing I was told was that I was operating a machine that has the ability to kill people, my job was to make sure that it didn't kill anyone. You should be focusing on what you are doing, not on the conversation you are having on the phone. I would hope that my friends would rather talk to me when I get to someplace safe where I can devote my attention to them, than bitch about their dating troubles when I can only give them half my attention and possibly kill someone because they are distracting me.

Other than that, it hasn't been too bad of a day. I got images scanned of all the new items I made for The Earth Moon & Stars. I got a nap in. I had a nice dinner with my family while watching Animaniacs. And I ate some more Easter candy.

Easter Greetings

2007-04-08T11:45:00.000-02:00

Allow me to introduce Leena

2007-04-03T22:18:00.000-02:00

Leena is a chambrayed body fairy dream doll with metallic silver embroidered wings. Her body was based off a doll body by Rhonda Kivett. I filled her with polyfill and Sweet Dreams herb blend from the Gypsy Garden. She's smells of rose, vervain, and several other herbs. She's currently looking to be adopted at the Earth Moon & Stars' market stand and on our webpage.

Birthdays and Wonderful Finds

2007-04-02T23:40:00.000-02:00

First, let's hear it for the Birthday-Dude! Hubby added another candle to his cake on Sunday. We didn't realy do much of anything exciting. Wow! I guess it was a gift in it's own way, a day with no plans and no one sick. We did mark the day with a special cake, I made from scratch carrot cake with real cream cheese frosting. It's so rich and yummy. Happy Birthday Hubby!
I indulged in a little thrift shopping today. At the SA, I found a bunch of nice shirts to wear to work and a display stand for $5. Yeah! This evening I met my neighbor while she was putting out her trash. I scored a jewelry box full of jewelry (see above picture), 4 stools for my house, a wok, and a wooden cigar box. I hate to see good stuff tossed in the dump and she was very happy to no see everything go to the dump. I love days like today.

Meet Adelle and Oh, what a week it's been

2007-03-30T09:36:00.000-02:00

May I introduce, Adelle. She's a cotton fabric type of girl with dreams of glamour and glitter. She's the practical sort (being a keychian and all), but she dreams of sunny windows and adoration. Adelle was adopted at the Pennsylvania Garden Show. She was one of the first keychain goddesses I made. Her body is stuffed with a calming blend of herbs that will make rush hour seem less stressful.

I could use a little less stressful in my life. I've been sick for the past week (since Saturday). I've been to see one specialist and have an appointment with another. I do know it's not a UTI that's making me sick and I have ideas of what it might be, but I'll wait for the specialist to tell me. In the meantime, I have Vertigo (sorry, not the U2 album). It's a reaction to one of the medicines the doctors gave me. It feels like I am on a roller coaster and the world won't let me off. So, yes, at the moment I am a dizzy blonde. I'll keep you posted on the illness as I find stuff out.

In other news, I will be working at Market tomorrow at the Earth Moon & Stars stand. Yeah! I'll get to spend time doing my thing and I won't be overly sick while doing it.

Meet Marrisa

2007-03-21T00:47:00.000-02:00

Marrissa is a Dream Goddess. Her job is simple, she is to protect you while you sleep and keep all the bad dreams away. She likes her job, but at the moment, she has no one to watch over. I made her for the shop. She's a sweet, girly goddess filled with soft smelling floral herbs. I love this fabric, it's a cotton floral print. I believe I had made a shirt out of some of it when I was pregnant (I'll have to check my maternity clothes box.) The pattern for her body was a Ronda Kivett pattern that I modified. I know the right person is out there for her, they just haven't met yet. She can be found at the Central Market stand.

Teeth that will rot your teeth

2007-03-20T09:49:00.000-02:00

I promised a picture of these a while back. These are gummi teeth or as they have been nicknamed Cheap Redneck Dentures. I haven't actually tried of yet, I do however have a 10 year old customer who thinks they are the greatest thing. They smell fruitty like a strawberry flavor. I have also been told that the trick is to stick them between your gums and lips and pretend they are your teeth.

Just to let you know, the Grand Opening of the Earth Moon & Stars Central Market stand will be this Saturday. We are going to have door prized and giveaways. If you are in the York area, stop in and say hi.

Busy like a Queen Bee

2007-03-13T00:42:00.000-02:00

It has been a busy week for me. I was hit with another bout of illness last Thursday and I'm still recovering. Hopefully, they will find out what is wrong with me soon.

Things are moving along nicely for the Market Stand. Saturday, March 17 is our Grand Opening at the Central Market in York. Our stand is between Anstine's Candies and The Gypsy Garden. Hubby was down on Saturday helping get the stand ready and I have most of the display stuff packed to go down with me tomorrow. Things are getting tagged and inventories are being made. I'm so excited. If you get down to Market, stop in and say 'Hi".

I posted pics of two pairs of earrings I made last week. They are glass earrings. The top pair uses vintage beads. Both pairs will be for sale at the Market stand and on the web page.

Well, it's off to bed for me. I'm still working on those gummi teeth pictures and I'll have pics of the Market stand soon.

Snow Day

2007-03-08T10:41:00.000-02:00

Yesterday was a snow day! You know, snow days are more fun then you are a kid, they are a pain when you are a grownup and a parent. I did have a lot of fun in my own way. I helped make Easter eggs and I learned a new skill. I have one of those great jobs where while I work, my daughter gets watched. Princess spent the day shoveling show, playing in snow, playing with a baby, and just hanging out. Meanwhile, I helped make coconut cream eggs (they smelled yummy), orange puff candies (had to taste test for quality control purposes, yummy), and peanut butter eggs and mini eggs (mini eggs were tested also for quality control purposes and they were yummy). I also learned to cup candy. Until I got the hang of it, all that went through my mind was when Lucy in I Love Lucy was working on the assembly line. I did much better than Lucy did.

After I got off work, Princess and her sous chef decided to play with their Easy Bake ovens. They made pizza and mac-n-cheese. Princess will make a wonderful cook someday as long as she doesn't keep losing her directions. She has the habit of laying them down and forgetting where she put them. It was like a comedy act in my kitchen. I told Hubby that Princess should have a cooking show on the Food Network, "Cooking with the Keystone Cops". I wish I could have taped it for you all. It was just like an old Keystone Cops movie, only with kids cooking.

All and all, it wasn't a bad snow day. Today, it's going to be a bit of Spring! Yeah right-it's a tropical 9F out there. So when you can't have Spring, you make your own Spring. I'm bringing the Easter candy down to the Market stand this morning. Along with some really cool St. Pat's Day candies. Yeah! The Easter Bunny has arrived in my candy stand.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2007-03-07T01:15:00.000-02:00

Today was one of those frosty days that you just want to cuddle up inside and knit all day. However, since I'm not a bear, I don't get to hibernate. This morning, Princess' bus was late, I didn't mind the cold, but the wind just sucked the body heat right out of you. It was one of those cold winds that blew right right through my wool coat and left me feeling like an icicle. Sally, my car, didn't want to warm up this morning and she didn't start producing heat for me until I crossed Market Street (just in time to warm up before going into Market). Ugh! Now there is snow in the forcast. Snow won't be bad, as long as there is no wind.

Because of the cold, Market was quiet today. Being slow did give me plenty of time to put the new candies away. We've gotten fresh supplies of some old favorites and we're trying some new stuff. The weirdest thing we got was gummi teeth. They look like a set of out of wack dentures to me and they have a strawberry smell. I'll have to take a picture of them on Thursday to share with everyone. We also got one of my childhood favorites in, BB Bats! I don't know why, but I loved these things as a kid. I haven't tried them again, yet, and I'm really hoping they don't disappoint me.

I spent some time this evening getting ready for the market stand. I started to dig out the display fixtures we have. The jewelry holders are being sanded and repainted because the paint got chipped in storage. I also plan to give them a good sealer coat to keep them looking nice. I'm so excited about opening this stand. Please, come vistit me.

Tired but Happy

2007-03-05T10:48:00.000-02:00

It's been a busy weekend for me, actually the past week has been busy. I helped a friend run a booth at the Mid-Atlantic Garden Show this past weekend. If you made it to the show at the York Expo Center, I was the blonde at the Gypsy Garden booth. It was great fun. I also had a chance to show the dolls my company, The Earth Moon & Stars, makes. I received lots of great feedback on the dolls, sadly I didn't get a lot of sales.

The show was also great advertising for our latest project. The Earth Moon & Stars is coming to the York Central Market. Starting next week, we will be selling our dolls, jewelry, and gifts at a nice little stand between Anstine's Candy and The Gypsy Garden. Please stop by and say 'Hi".

Needless to say, I've been a busy puppy. And let me tell you, this blonde puppy needs a nap.

Meet my Winter Pets

2007-02-21T01:00:00.000-02:00

I do believe that cabin fever has gotten to me. Above is a picture of my winter pets before they fell and died on this warm day. I was growning icicle pets on the front porch. I had a whole zoo of them spanning across the front. They were so pretty. This morning when I went to work, they were healthy and happy hanging off the rain gutter. Then when I came home, they were all laying in the yard melted. My pets are no more.

At least I still have my cat to console me. He's the only one who understands my unnatural obession with icicles and the art of growing them. Everyone one just humors me so I don't stick one of my pets down their pants. Did I mention I was training them to be attack icicles?

I'm feeling better today. Just a little tired and silly.

When the Weather Outside is Frightful

2007-02-20T10:54:00.000-02:00

And a fire would be so delightful,
I have no place to go,
Because I was sick, I was sick, I was sick.

It just lacks something from the original. We get this great storm full of snow and ice here and I'm too sick to go out sledding. UGH! Life is so not fair! This is the third month in a row that I've had an occurance of this illness. Let me tell you, UTI are nothing to fool around with. Last night, I was in the ER for 8 hours because I had pains in my abdomon and my doctor was afraid that I had kidney stones. Well, after some nice painkillers and a CaT scan, I can tell you that my guts are nice and healthy. Yippy! I have no stones in my kidneys (I was told they were exceptionally healthy) and my urinary tract looks nice (why thank you, I don't normally show my UT on the first date). So why am I gettting Infections every month? That is the medical mystery. They are going to take my urine sample and grow some of the bacteria that are living in it (urine in the body is normally sterile and not full of bacteria) so they can figure out what is causing my to get sick.

I'm tired of being sick. It's so cutting in to my art time and my sledding time. Hopefully, those who paid big bucks to go to medical school will figure out what is wrong with me. The good news is my guts are healthy and whatever I have is just a me thing (I'm not contagious or anything).

I'm not the only sickie in the house at the moment. Princess is off school again today with a chest cold. They never listen when you tell them to zip their coats do they? She was up half the night coughing and blowing her nose, so today she is going to hang with Grandma and rest.

Hopefully, things will be heathier around here soon. I have picture to show, but I need to upload them off the camera first.

Happy Mushy Day

2007-02-14T23:59:00.000-02:00

Mother Nature has given us a snowy Valentine this year. Actually, a snowy Valentine wouldn't be bad, it's the ice and freezing rain that suck. Yesterday was beautiful with the snowflakes falling. Last evening, things turned ugly. After dinner, sleet began to tap on the windows like a bunch of long nailed mice running on tissue paper. You could hear lots of little tippy taps hitting the side of the house. This morning we awoke to a freezing rain and unpassable streets. Hubby called off work because he couldn't get the car out of the driveway and Princess didn't have school. I spent the day waiting on the few brave (crazy or desperate) people who came to pick up thier orders. Everyone said the same thing about the roads--"They are horrible and people don't know how to drive in this."

Poor hubby, he worked most of today digging the cars out. He's feeling worn out. He says that at least he can get out of the drive tomorrow to go to work. I'm just hoping the roads don't freeze up too much.

Princess on the other hand, had a blast today. She and her buddies spent the day sledding in the back yard and having snowball fights. She's going to sleep very well tonight and I'm sure her buddies will be sleeping well. I already saw the notice that school has been canceled again tomorrow. Yippy, another day of wet clothes all over the living room.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

I'm still here

2007-02-12T01:25:00.000-02:00

I make things, I take pictures of the things I make, and I forget to post them. I'm a bad blogger.

The above image is one I wanted to share earlier this month, but forgot to edit it for the blog. My sister-in-law has a January birthday and this is the card I made for her. The flower is from my quilling calendar and I designed the way to vine the flowers together. It looks a lot prettier in person than my crappy picture of it does. I've gotten into making cards lately. It's fun and it's a great way to play around with techniques and layouts.

Blessed Imbolc

2007-02-03T00:07:00.000-02:00

A blessed Imbolc to one and all. May Brighid bless your hearth with joy, comfort, and love.

On a related note, the stupid, furry rodent, I mean weather predicting groundhog did not see his shadow this morning. Yeah! An early Spring! Of course, we got a nice coating of snow today. Everything looks so pretty and glittery white. I love when it snows.

The Sweet Life

2007-01-27T01:00:00.000-02:00

Dear Boss, I know it's only 6 degrees outside and that is the reason why I am late for work today. My cat, Harry, has decided that it is too cold for me to go to work. He has taken up residence on my wool coat and on my pink longshoreman's hat. I cannot got outside improperly attired as I will get sick and have to take several sick days. . .

Thank goodness I own several coats. It was a balmy 6 degrees outside this morning and I wore my wool coat to the bus stop so I wouldn't freeze. As soon as I got home and took the coat off, the cat crawled onto it and refused to get off. I know, I'm bigger than he is, but he looked so cute and I really didn't feel like fighting with him before going to work. I just grabbed another coat out of the closet and left him. When I looked at him before I closed the door, he looked heartbroken. He has since forgiven me because I came home and rubbed his ears for a little.
I love my job, have I told you all that yet? Last Saturday I helped to set up some of the Valentine's displays. This is a picture of some of the heart boxes we can pack candy into. Some of them are just so beautiful. I love the one with the man's shirt and necktie. How cute is that? My favorite is a heart that is covered with pink rose satin. It's the one on the top right. It's well made enough and deep enough to keep jewelry in after the chocolate is gone. I also love the burgandy velvet one to the right behind the shirt box. It's a very romantic, gothy box that is also usable as a jewelry box. For those who's mate has done something wrong this year, we also have a heart that holds 10 lbs of chocolates. Personally, I'd rather have a small box of my favorite chocolates than a huge box. I think it's more romantic when Hubby picks a well thought out selection of chocolates. I just think huge boxes are tacky, if you are going to spend that kind of money on me, make it jewelry or a spinning wheel.

Finally, I had to share a picture of the mints we make. they are done in Valentine's colors now and they just look so cute. Ok, I'm becoming a gushy romantic. I can attest to the fact that they may be exppensive mints, but they are worth every penny. Such decadance with a little rose on top.

Well, I'm off to bed, because I have a busy day at Market tomorrow.

Lookie at What Finally Arrived!

2007-01-23T00:09:00.000-02:00

On Sunday, we recieved a nice dusting of the white stuff. I'm so happy! I missed part of the storm because I wasn't feeling well (I got carsick), but I still got to enjoy a good bit of it. Princess has been out enjoying the snow every chance she gets. The smiley face on the front porch is her creation. I'm glad winter has finallly decided to pay us a visit.

Doesn't it Figure

2007-01-19T12:06:00.000-02:00

After I made the big rant about how I feel people are over reacting about crime in the downtown area, I go to work the next day and find out that a soul food restaurant right around the corner from Market was robbed at gunpoint. Nobody was hurt. Does this make me feel unsafe? Not really. I feel sorry for the people at Ezekiel's because they were held up and I'm thankful that they are all OK. Maybe it's because the robbery happened late in the evening and I'm usually not downtown at the time but I'm not scared to go to work. Market is still a fantastic place.

I'm still decorating the Market stand for Valentine's day. My paper cutting hearts are getting a lot of positive comments. It's starting to look really nice down there. I have to finish my conversation heart border for the stand and the new jar labels and then I think it may be decorated. What fun I can have with colored paper and curling ribbon! The Valentine's candy arrives on Tuesday and the stand is ready for it. I'm not usually a gushy romantic, but this year I've been hit with Cupid's arrow. I guess having a boss that lets me loose and loves what I do helps keep the creativity active.

Perceptions and Missing Out on a Treasure

2007-01-17T00:45:00.000-02:00

As I've mentioned before, I work at a farmer's market in downtown York City, PA. York is a small community and is one of the safest cities in the area. While at Market working today, a group of us got to discussing how people are afraid to go downtown to Market. Somewhere along the way, people in the suburban and rural areas of the county got the impression that if you go downtown, the moment you step out of your car, you will be mugged and shot. It's a perception that is wrong. I park in a parking garage twice, sometime thrice, a week and walk over to Market. During the day you get to meet all types of interesting people, many of them polite and friendly. Yes, there are homeless in the area, but they generally don't want to bother anyone. I walk to various businesses within a 4 block radius of Market and have never had any problem. I visit the library downtown in the evening and feel safe in the area. Personally, I've had more trouble with people in and around the York Fair than I have had downtown. And you know what, despite the problems they have every year at the Fair, problems worse than those during the daylight downtown, people don't stay away from the Fair. The only real problem downtown is parking and the parking garages are cheap and usually have decent spaces.

What are people missing out on by not visiting Market. They are missing out on me and my smiling face, some excellent ice cream, gourmet candy at excellent prices, a wonderful selection of bulk herbs that are top quality (the catnip at the Herb Gypsy stand is incredible), yummy tacos, fine local and organic produce at prices that put the grocery stores to shame, locally butchered meats, crabcakes that even a Marylander could love, local artists, incredible shops (soaps, antiques, beads, art), and some of the friendliest people in York county. Did I mention the soft pretzels and the fresh baked goods? I guess I just can't imagine why anyone would let misplaced fear and prejudice keep them away from such a wonderful treasure. Farmer's Markets are falling to the wayside all across this country. They really are incredible places. And if nothing else, the Market building is an incredible piece of architecture. Do yourself a favor and visit your local farmer's market.

Starting the New Year on a Good Note...

2007-01-05T00:39:00.000-02:00

New Year's Eve was spent quietly around here. We had our annual CutThroat Monopoly game with a nice side of wine, cheese, and crackers. I won, but only because I ended up buying all four railroads. It's not my fault people like to ride the trains. Princess had a wonderful time. I think she looks forward to this game every year. We do play Monopoly several times a year, but this is always a special game. I found crackers (or poppers) while I was shopping a few days before New Year's, so this year, we all had paper crowns to wear for the evening. I'd rather spend a quiet New Year's with my family than go out driving with the drunks.

New Year's Day was spent in Baltimore. My brother in law, John, made jambalaya and invited us down for some. Yummy! It poured on the way down and I began to doubt that we would make it at all. But once the rain passed we made it in good time. It's always nice to visit family. One of my resolutions this year is to get out more. I also got to meet the chinchilla, Ling-Ling. He's such a cute little fluff ball. Princess is totally in love with him and wanted to bring him home. Something tells me, Harry would think we brought him some food. John and Joan, thanks for inviting us.

I've also been crafting this year. This is my cat and mouse pillow. The cat and the mouse are redwork embroidery done in pink. This is going in Princess's room so it had to be pink. I stitched the pillow together yesterday. The front also has some cluney lace on it and the back is a flannel with cats printed all over it. I think it turned out really cute. I'm working on one now that says "Be my Valentine." That one is for the living room.

Finished some Projects

2006-12-31T01:34:00.000-02:00

I've been a busy girl the last few days. The above image is a scherenchnitte folk heart that I finished for Valentine's Day. I plan to take it to Market with me and offer it for sale. My boss is going to allow me to sell some of my work at the candy stand. I really like how the red velvet paper shows off the cut work. I left the bottom open just in case someone would like something written in there. It's a very classy piece.
I've been making a few cards to sell for Valentine's also. The first card is a hand stenciled Sweethearts card. I found the stencil idea online but the layout is all mine. As far as I can tell, each heart says what a real Sweetheart candy would say. The card is blank inside and comes with a matching envelope.
Finally, I finished a scherenschnitte card. The rose was cut from thick paper and placed on a pink background. I colored the cut areas of the rose leaves with a silver/pink pen and drew leaf veins on the leaves with a silver/green pen. The card background is mulberry paper that I wrote "Love" all over. This card is also blank inside so the sender say whatever is in their heart. I'm impressed with how well it turned out.

I'm planning on selling the cards on Etsy to raise a little money to buy hubby a nice Valentine's Day dinner. I guess I need to start selling cards.

I'm also working on a redwork design for my daughter. I'm making her a pinkwork hearts cat that will be sewn into a sachet for her room. It's been years since I've done much embroidery, but it comes back quickly. My mother loved to do embroidery. Every dresser in our house was covered with a dresser scarf that she embroidered. She was really good and when she taught me to sew she stressed that the back should look almost as nice as the front. I still have some of her embroidery that I use on my dresser. Someday, I'd like to pass not only my mother's linens to my daughter, but also my own.

Reflections on the Holidays

2006-12-29T17:04:00.000-02:00

I had a really nice holiday this year. On Christmas Eve, we had wine and cheese, watched Christmas cartoons, and at midnight went to the New York Wire Company in York for the steam whistle concert. The concert is really cool. About 30+ years ago (I think) some guy was working on Christmas eve and he decided to play Christmas carols on the plant's steam whistle. When he retired, his son took over the job and every year there is a concert. Santa comes to visit, everyone is in a good mood dispite the cold, and it's just a festive thing to do. I will admit, the sound of the steam whistle is a little eerie (some would say creepy). You can hear the whistle for miles, it's just really cool. So, if you are ever in York, PA on Christmas Eve, check it out.

Christmas day was spent at my Mother in Law's. She decided this year to do a roast beef instead of the traditional Turkey dinner. I got car sick on the 2 mile ride over to her place so I had to watch what and how much I ate at dinner. My contribution to dinner was a green bean stir fry and chocolate. Princess had a wonderful time spending time with her aunts and uncles. Santa left a guitar at Grandma's for Princess. She's now determined to learn the guitar.

Everyone enjoyed the present I made for them. I knitted/crocheted dishcloths for everyone. It was something small and it gave me a chance to practice my stitches. It was also something everyone can use.

The photo at the top of today's entry was taken at Market about a week and a half ago. I was photographing my decorating at the candy stand and ended up taking a picture of myself. I think it's kind of cool. Just had to share my reflections in chocolate picture.

Happy Holidays

2006-12-24T22:19:00.000-02:00

From our house to yours, we wish you a safe and happy holiday season. May the return of the Sun bring light to your life.

Blessed Solstice

2006-12-22T00:33:00.000-02:00

Solstice Greetings to everyone. May the warmth of the newborn sun melt away all the cold in your life.

Making a List...Checking it Twice

2006-12-21T02:34:00.000-02:00

No, I don't' officially work for Santa. I'm making sure I have all the cards sent and all the presents bought. I think I'm finished with my shopping now. Yeah! I love to shop, but I hate shopping this time of year. I hate the crowds. Now I just need to wrap gifts and finish a doll.

I found out today, I'm a chocolate snob. I found myself getting irritated while filling the order for a gentleman who "doesn't understand all this fancy chocolate stuff, give me a Hershey bar any day." I didn't show my irritation to the gentleman, but inside I couldn't imagine not wanting to try something new. I guess I'm just too adventurous. Not that there is anything wrong with a Hershey bar, but when you have the opportunity to sample gourmet chocolate--you sample.

Since I have been sick, I haven't had any caffeine. I know, it's hard to believe. I'm one of those people that runs on coffee and soda. Well, while I was sick and couldn't keep anything down, I didn't have any caffeine for 3 days. During that time, I think I also got through the caffeine hangover. I don't seem to need it or miss it. Will I go back to drinking coffee, probably someday. I just want to bask in the fact that I defeated my biggest addiction for a little while. And for those who were wondering, yes, I am still hyper and chipper without my caffeine.

Slowly Returning from the Dead

2006-12-19T10:55:00.001-02:00

I'm in the process of returning from the land of the Dead. No, I didn't take a trip to the Underworld to deliver holiday cards to the undead. I've been sick. I'll spare you the gory details. Let's just say that the local stomach bug hit me hard and knocked me for a loop. I spent Friday night on a date with my husband at the local hospital's emergency room. Hubby was amazing and sat with me all evening while I slept on a plastic chair and he was forced to watch Holiday Cartoons. We originally planned to spend the evening eating gourmet food and sipping wine (company holiday party) but instead I was ill. I'm back on the road to recovery and I go back to work today. Yeah! By Christmas dinner, I'll be back to my old self again.

I Recieved a Present in the Mail

2006-12-13T22:44:00.000-02:00

About a week ago (ok, I'm a little behind), I recieved a wonderful gift in the mail. It was a nice suprise after a hard day of work. I picked up the box that the mail lady left beside my front door and hurried inside to open it. Wrapped in blue strip tissue paper was a lovely doll to hang on the tree, three feathers from Treewymn's parrot, and some digital art from Treewymn. Thank you so much! I love it! Treewymn was my swap partner for the Tree Doll swap in The Goddess Dolls group.

A Moment of Calm

2006-12-05T10:59:00.000-02:00

Since I was diognosed as a pre-diabetic I have been working with a wonderful dietician. We have been working on improving what I eat, when I eat, and why I eat. She has helped me in many ways and I'm thankful for getting to work with her (I would not have been able to accomplish what I have without her). For the holidays, I made her a little scherrenschnitte picture. It's a birdie sitting on some plants. I cut the picture out of dark blue paper and mounted it on a handmade paper background that I then sponged with the blue. I love the look of it. My dietician was thrilled with the picture. It's just nice to share something I love so much. I'm glad she liked it.

Welcome Pineapple

2006-12-01T12:10:00.000-02:00

When I'm not sugared up or caffineated I like to do Scherenschnitte. Scherenschnitte translates from German into "scissor cutting." It's a folk craft that dates back into the BCE's in China and spread throughout the world from there. Almost any culture who had paper and sharp shears or knives has a form of scherenschnitte. I live in Pennsylvania Dutch country and in centuries past, it was a major craft around here. Sadly, there are fewer papercutters. I learned to do scherenschnitte a few years ago at a Girl Scout's Leader Weekend. I learned using these little scissors, but I found that I have better control with my exacto knife. Like many crafts I do, I find paper cutting to be very relaxing; however, I tend to only work on a project in the evenings when the sugar and caffine are out of my system. It's an exact craft and shaky hands are a problem.

I'm impressed with how nice the pineapple turned out. It's just a simple pattern I found on a no copyright clipart website and I made a few modifications on it before I cut it out. I'm planning on selling it at the etsy shop.

I learned a new skill

2006-11-30T00:25:00.000-02:00

Just what I need, another skill. For a while I've wanted to learn how to do wire crochet. So the other week I purchased some 34 gauge wire and crocheted myself a bracelet. This bracelet looks so pretty in real life. It's just a simple inch + wide band of wire and beads. I'm really impressed with it. It is a fantastic piece. One for the Jewelry collection.

I've been a little busy lately. I never realized how much candy people in York County eat for the holidays. Not that I'm complaining, mind you, I like working. But the amounts are staggering. Now that I'm hooked on top quality dark chocolate, I can't imagine why anyone would want to eat anything else.

I'm almost finished with my holiday knitting. I have everyone finished by the Princess and the cats.

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-23T13:05:00.000-02:00

I just wanted to wish everyone a happy holiday. Remember, there is always something to be thankful for. I am thankful for my family and friends, and all the blessings in my life.

Now I'm off to eat too much turkey and dessert.

Freeing Yarn

2006-11-15T00:49:00.000-02:00

I love recycling yarn. I love taking an ugly sweater and freeing the beautiful yarn trapped inside it. These are sweaters that others don't want and the yarn is perfect for other projects. I'm a regular at my local Thrift Shop; half off days are shoppers heaven for me. I admit it, I'm a needlewoman on a budget (a very tight budget) and reclaiming the yarn from sweaters allows me to work with fibers that I wouldn't normally get to work with. I have quite a stash of reclaimed fiber that I make lots of beautiful things out of. The sweater in a above picture is a men's wool sweater from American Outfiters. It's a lovely, bulky wool that just called to me. I don't know what I plan to do with the yarn yet, but as you can see I have lots to play with. I'm thinking a scarf and mittens and maybe a purse. Not bad for a $2.o0 sweater.

Work is going well. I love selling candy. I swear, adults get more excited about buying candy than kids. Kids will at least wait until they walk away before they open the package and start noshing. It's just cool watching people walking away carrying their purchases (be it fine, handmade chocolates or a little bag of gummy brains) like they are carrying a hard won prize. In addition to fine chocolates (let me tell you the dark chocolate is mighty fine), I sell a lot of retro type candies. All those sweet treats from my childhood are being made again. Yeah! Now all the holiday candies are coming in. The temptations of gumdrops.

I"m a Working Girl

2006-11-13T18:25:00.000-02:00

Sorry, no pictures today. I'm working on secret, holiday things and I don't want to ruin any surprises. I love beeing sneaky.

After almost 10 years of being a stay at home parent, I'm back in the work force. It's only a part-time job, but it's a job. Yeah! I'm selling candy at the farmer's market in downtown York. It's a great job. I work 3 day a week and I'm surrounded by sweet stuff. Sadly, by the end of the day, I'm tired of looking at candy and want healthy food. I get my exercise with this job also. 5 hours a day of running around wears this girl out.

Princess's rug is coming along nicely. I"m on the 4th circle. It's fairly mindless crochet and it keeps my hands busy while watching TV. I'm hoping to have it done by January.

I have a new obsession. Podcasts! Until we got DSL, our computer took forever to download anything. Now I can download quickly and I'm getting a chance to listen to all these podcasts that everyone talks about in their blogs. I'm still figuring out what ones I like. I've put an MP3 player on my wishlist. Right now I listen to them on my puter (not a big deal since my worktable is only 6 feet from the puter).

Weekend Fun

2006-11-08T23:40:00.000-02:00

This is Harry Potter, post bath. I have to have one of the few cats in the world that enjoys a good bath on occasion. Poor kitty gets dandruff and a nice bath helps control it. It also makes him feel extra soft and smell nice to. I just put a few inches of warm water in the tub, place Harry in the water, and wash with baby shampoo. Afterwards, I make sure he gets a good pinch of catnip (Harry would let me shave him in I would give him catnip afterwards.)

We spent a good bit of Sunday at Nixon Park enjoying the day. Nixon is really cool because it's a nature learning center. I found out that I'm shorter than a moose and a lot shorter than a polar bear. A local taxidermist donated his entire collection of animals to the park when he retired. He didn't want someone to keep them as trophies, so the park uses them for education. The Kodiak Bear always takes my breath away because he is huge. After exploring the learning center for a while we went for a walk in the sensory garden. I love sitting by the meandering stream and watching the water. It was like 48 degrees outside and we had snack outdoors. The perfect garnish to a Autumn day, fresh apples and local apple cider. Princess sneak attacked me with her cold hands and I'm sure they heard me scream on the other side of the county. Princess and her daddy also examined the duckweed in the pond. I'm glad princess has a healthy love of nature.

I did get some knitting done this weekend and a little more done on the Princess rug. I'll post photos as soon as I get them off the camera.

In other news, I've started working. I'm selling candy at the farmer's market downtown. It's a really cool job. More on the job later.

Lookie I finishes a Sock!

2006-11-01T23:23:00.000-02:00

Soctoberfest is over and I'm ready to tally the damages. Let's see. I finished the Wine and Needles socks at the beginning of the month (I've also worn them about a thousand times, they are very comfy.) I crocheted Princess a pair of ballet slippers to wear around the house (I think the monster under her bed ate them because I haven't seen them in a while). I cast on and finished one of the Pansy socks and cast on the other. I also worked on Princess' Christmas present. I did a lot of socky stuff this month. Yeah me!

What other yarn-type damage did I do in October? I sorted my yarn in an natural fiber bin and an unnatural fiber bin. I wouldn't want the zombie yarn eating the wool. I finished a lot of Christmas knitting (details after the holidays). And I managed two squares on Princess' rug. Yeah me!

My goals for November include finish the holiday knitting by Thanksgiving, finish Princess' rug, and finish the Pansy socks. I am motivated (talk to me by the end of the month).