Soon, Very Soon!

The counters are coming! The counters are coming.



The installation guy should be here within the hour.



It's been a big job just getting the old countertops off and the wall behind the counter prepped for the installation.

Back With a New Look

So obviously I've been having problems posting lately and my blog was all but abandoned for quite some time. I'm giving Blogger another chance after installing a new browser. Perhaps now it will allow me to post photographs?

Ok, YES! Blogger is letting me post pictures from Flickr using the GoogleChrome browser. We are back in business!

Many, MANY changes happening in my life right now -- all good I'd say, though some are causing me to be frantically busy at times. I'll give you a short run down on them over the next few days, as time allows. The biggest change I'd say has been in my personal appearance. Not that I look hugely different or anything, but because this change in my appearance has had a profound effect on how I feel. I'm feeling more confident, happy, and calm.

The changes started with the haircut pictured above. Going for the asymmetrical look was an idea I was mulling over. I took the idea to my very talented hairdresser, Jenn Grasslin, and she did a superb job. I've had the haircut for a few months now. I'm gradually working on growing the left side into a angled bob while keeping the right side short. I LOVE the look. I love it so much, and it feels so ME! Jenn is very talented at blending the two sides so that it all works and doesn't look odd.  (If you live in or near Chilliwack and would like her to work her magic for you shoot me an email (my email address is on my profile page) and I'll get you her booking phone number. 

But I didn't stop at just the haircut. About a month ago, through a post on a weaving forum, I was introduced to "Dressing Your Truth", a very interesting energy profiling system. Initially I did the FREE week long, short daily email profiling, but after enjoying that very much and seeing the benefits, I committed to the full program. I feel it was money well spent! I feel so much better now that I am "dressing my truth". I have a better understanding of what colours look good on me, what to look for in the style lines of my clothing, and how to accessorize as a "Type Four, bold striking" person. If you could use a little boost, give it a try. The initial profiling is free, so no risk there.

I'll be back soon to tell you of some of the other changes going on in my life. After about 20 years we are finally redecorating our kitchen! Not a full on reno. We aren't ready for that sort of financial commitment, but we are finally replacing the ugly countertops that we said HAD TO GO, way back in 1989 when we moved here!

Sewing a Lot Lately

I don't know if I ever showed the beginning pictures of this blouse? Perhaps only on Flickr? I've been having such a time fighting with Blogger.com that I'd almost given up on blogging after 10 years of regular posting. So here I am trying out WordPress. I hope my regular readers are able to find me.

Anyway, some of the blog readers that also follow me on Flickr will have seen this blouse in progress.

It's now complete!

It's from an old pattern I purchased through eBay. The pattern looks like it was torn from some old sewing and stitching lessons from the 1980s or something. I'm happy with the way it turned out but it is rather large on me. It's comfortable though.

 

I've also been sewing a few pairs of pants. They are a loose fitting pull-on pant sewn from a mid-weight, knit fabric. They are super comfortable, less sloppy looking than sweat pants, less revealing than leggings, and not as hot as jeans.

 

I initially made one black pair but when I discovered how comfortable they are I went back to Fabricland to buy enough for a navy pair and discovered the fabric was on sale. Buy one get two! So I bought enough for three pairs for the price of the intended one pair. Khaki, navy, and burgundy. The burgundy is not as bright nor as red looking as it shows in the photo.  

 

 

While I've been doing all this sewing Shelby has been waiting patiently at my side, silently begging to be taken for a walk.

 

 

By the way, I DID take her for a walk, but she had to wait until I finished my project..

Zenawii's New Shoes

Zenawii has been clomping around in his only footwear for months, the boots to his Starfleet uniform! His new shoes finally arrived last week. I don't know about him, but I am super pleased with them.

For anyone who might be interested, they are shoes meant for 17" Tonner men/Matt, but they fit Minifees very well.



Sorry for the grainy, blurry, over exposed, quick, iPhone picture. When I'm not so busy with other hobbies I'll dig out my good camera for a better photo shoot. I've been hankering to sew them some new clothes. I know that would inspire more photos.

Flickr to Blogger?

Asking for help here. Does anyone know how to post pictures from the new Flickr to Blogger? I've tried so many ways with no success.

I now take many of my quick snapshots using my iPhone and I find the easiest way to share them is by emailing them directly to Flickr from my iPhone. That means when I want to create a blog post using the photos I have to get them from Flickr. Can't figure it out!

Or failing that, how about a way to mail them directly from my phone to my blog? Is that possible?


Okay, with that out of the way, here's what I've been up to lately.

I'm back at the rainbow warp, weaving a little each evening.

I've also been sewing. A little about that in tomorrow's blog post.

Got Groceries?

Hmm, must be time to do a grocery run.

Pink Dogwood

The pink dogwood in our backyard is now in full bloom.



It was my Mother's Day gift years ago. It took a few years for it to get established then it really filled out. Even when it is not in bloom it is a pretty little tree.

Spring Hairdo

Hair adornment courtesy of 5 year old Kenzie, carefully placed lilac blossoms.

Snail Trails 'n' Bunny Tails

Last week, in preparation for a guild meeting, I quickly warped up my small Ashford Sample-It Loom so I'd have something to do during the meeting. I just grabbed yarns I had on hand and that seemed to go together okay. I never did get around to posting pictures of the project on the loom. So here's what it looked like in progress:



After I had worked on it for a while I realized that I had gotten the poof-ball yarn unevenly placed. I decided to remedy that by making it asymmetrical with an embellishment that is a straight line on one side and a wiggly snail trail on the other.



I'm quite pleased with the way the work around turned out.



I think the accent makes the scarf more interesting than it might otherwise be.



I named the finished scarf "Snail Trails 'n' Bunny Tails". If it passes inspection by the guild standards and is accepted it might make it to the guild's 40th Anniversary celebration. It will depend on how many entries they get I would imagine.

Out Walking in the Rain

All that lush green around here comes at a price.



We get a LOT of rain! The climate here is considered to be "Coastal Rain Forest" for a reason.



I don't mind walking in the rain though. The sound of rain on an umbrella is very peaceful, especially with birds still singing happily in the background.



Of course an umbrella only protects the upper half of one's body! I got soaked up to my knees.



It's a lovely walking route, a narrow park that runs along beside a stream.

Tip of the Cookie-berg

This is just a small sample of the over 40 decorated sugar cookies I made today.



I did photograph the rather impressive line up of cookies all sitting there looking so pretty, but I'm struggling with a new computer  (With an entirely different operating system! Aaaarrrghhh!)  and it's not playing nice with my good camera. So here you go, the 5 cookies I photographed with my iPhone so that my granddaughters could each pick their favourite colour before I pack up the remainder for the Chilliwack Spinners and Weavers Guild meeting tonight.

Upside Down

I was happy with the evening's progress on embroidery for a blouse --- until I realized the entire thing was upside down. Dang! Pick, pick, pickitty, pick.

Petal Fall

THIS is why my husband threatens to cut down the beautiful magnolia tree.




It's messy, but oh so beautiful too. I try to convince him to leave the petals on the ground for a bit because they look nice there, like a pink blanket. He's not convinced and will be out there raking them up the minute he gets home I'm sure. Honestly though, once they start decaying they can be very slippery. I wouldn't want the mail man to slip in our driveway and sue.

MY Mug

Around the house I like to have a mug that is distinctly mine, different from all the rest, because I just drink from the same mug all day and wash it at day's end.



I spotted this little kit at Micheal's the other day and decided to make like an 8 year old and paint my own design.



 Unfortunately the kit only has 4 colours to work with and they are all about the same intensity, no lights or darks, nor any white to create pastels, just your basic red, yellow, blue, and green.

Hidden

Today's word prompt for the ADAD photo challenge is "Hidden".

Why Is It?!

Why is it that when I am needing perfectly peeled, boiled eggs for deviled eggs I have such a hard time peeling them and then end up with large chunks ripped out of the sides, yet when I'm just going to dice them up for a potatoe salad I get THIS, a dozen perfectly peeled eggs!!?

Pair

Pumpkin and Gourd wanted to do today's A Doll a Day prompt, which is "Pair".



They are a pair of siblings, made from the same sculpt. In fact, Gourd was made from Pumpkin's sleeping faceplate. I had Ban Sidhe create eye openings for him and then give both of them a custom faceup.



They have been out climbing trees today.



It seems that whenever the two of them play together some sort of trouble is bound to occur.



Poor Shannon just sighs in exasperation and says, "You two are quite the pair!".

Magnoli-'ificent

This is the view outside our living room window at this time of the year.



It's a beautiful, huge, magnolia tree that provides the house much needed shade during the hot summer days. My husband keeps threatening to cut it down. Admittedly it is a very messy tree. It sheds leaves, buds, petals, and stamens at various times of the year.

Future

Today's word prompt for A Doll a Day is "Future". I really struggled with this one! I love the resulting photo though.



Zenawii is divining future weather patterns by consulting a globular life form native to his home planet.



Mariah has asked him to give her a few pointers.

Shadow

The ADAD theme for today is "Shadow". Good thing I took this one on April 1st when the sun was bright and low in the sky, because it's cloudy and grey today. Not much in the way of shadows happening I'm afraid.



I still prefer the one I took of Serenity a long time ago, so I'm reposting it here.