Funny Magic

10!

A special post for Charlie today, our birthday boy.

Today I want to thank you....

...for being an excellent student in school.

For loving your little sister, despite the fact that sometimes she drives you nuts-o.

For caring for our furry friends.

For helping out around the house when you're asked to.

For being eager to try new things - and sticking with them!

But most of all? Thanks for being your silly, sweet, and ultra-lovable self; I couldn't imagine my world without you.

Happy Birthday Honey-Bear!!

Some Flora...

This morning (and part of yesterday) I spent some time amongst the flora at home pulling weeds and tidying-up a bit. Man, those weeds are fierce! And prolific! And everywhere! Turn your back for a week (or two or three or four, but who's counting??) and they'll move right on in. I've still got more weeds to destroy, but in the meantime here's what's good in the flowerbeds:

Zinnias about to bloom.

Zinnias in the sunlight.

Peachy Nasturtiums - I love those variegated leaves.

And Gladiolus! Oh, how I love these flowers - this is the first year I've planted them, and I'll not be without them again, ever. And how do you know Fall is coming? When the Sedum starts blushing (direct quote from a neighbor across the street...)

My little Smoochie has really been loving the garden this year.

Today she cut some Zinnias with her little safety scissors and put together this lovely bouquet:

Aren't those pinks delicious? Did I ever mention that pink is my favorite color? Really, I love almost all colors, but pink just does it for me. One year hubby surprised me by painting the floor of our mud porch a hot, vibrant pink, much like the color of that large zinnia Juliet's holding; he said he was inspired by a vase of Zinnias I had picked and brought inside. Sadly, the floor was demolished when we had an addition put onto the back of our house a couple of years ago, but we have some old, hacked-up floors in the living room that need to be painted over, and I'm not kidding when I say that I'm considering pink. I miss my hot pink mudroom floor! Hope you're having a good weekend...........................

We Have a Winner!

And the Random Integer Generator chose.........

Kim!

Thanks everyone for your lovely comments on the FLS - air kisses for all of you!

FO + Giveaway = Happy Good Times

I'm happy to report that the February Lady Sweater is done:

Ahhhh, tending my flowers is soooo much more fun when wearing this sweater:

Because I'm feeling so darn warm and fuzzy, I think it's time for a giveaway!

A while back I made a bunch of zippered pouches using some vintage, hand-embroidered napkins from my stash of stuff. I've got two left...all's you gotta do is leave a comment on this post telling me what you're making (or not!) right now and I'll pick a winnah' on Monday. (I'll also include a ball of yarn that didn't get used for the sweater and a soft tree or two...happy good stuff, no?)

Anyhoo, have a good weekend! We're off to the northland with my dad tonight for some camping this weekend. Ta-ta for now!

Almost Done.

"I know I'm beautiful, but please do not disturb me, as I am blocking. xo, February Lady."

Finished her up last night - hot diggity!

For Shame...!

Why do I say that? Because I tried, goodness knows I tried, but I just couldn't get through Pride and Prejudice. I would dutifully (and therein lies the trouble) read a chapter each night before bed and find myself only mildly intrigued, so it wasn't long before I found myself at the library, ordering books and perusing the aisles of fiction. Here's what I'm reading now:

Songs without Words by Ann Packer. I'm more than halfway finished already - I've been totally loving crawling into bed each night and reading two or three chapters before bed. Years ago I read The Dive from Clausen's Pier and liked that a lot, so I figured I might like her latest, and so far I do.

Next time I post I swear I'm gonna have a finished February Lady sweater to show-and-tell - I've got about 1/4 of a sleeve left to finish, but I'll be a ding-dong-danged if I ain't draggin' my feet big time. What's the matter with me??! Where's my knitting mojo? Oh yeah, it's in the tangled mess of yarn hanging at the end of said sweater sleeve that I have to either untangle or cut and then rip out a bit so I can re-attach a new ball. Ugh.

Ah, well, have a good day, and if you knit, KNIT ON!

Feeling Quiet, Keeping Busy

I'm still out here, just haven't felt real bloggy lately. Here's me in bits and pieces as of late:

Made a bag for my mom, just because:

It's another Amy Butler Birdie Sling - I love the style of this bag so much - it's big enough for (almost) all my junk, and comfortable to carry around.

Have cast-on for a Very Scraptastic! Blanket. I've got sooooooooo many leftover balls of yarn in the stash that I figured it was high time to put them to good use, so I gathered them up, did some color coordinating, and started knitting. Most nights I sit in bed and knit until I get that sleepy feeling...

Oh, and my February Lady Sweater is nearly finished - half of a sleeve left to knit, then block and button and she'll be ready to wear. I'll be glad when she's done because I've got some other projects that I'm just dying to get started on, like this - is that awesome or what?! I'm dying over here and thankful that I don't have any lace yarn in the stash or all else would be cast aside, ie: housekeeping, personal hygeine, and childcare, for that most beautiful scarf. Although that hasn't stopped me from doing a little online shopping for lace...

Mostly, though, I've been enjoying August - hanging out with the kids, thinking about school beginning again in just a few weeks, Charlie's birthday at the end of this month, and looking forward to the Minnesota State Fair (!).  Cheese curds and footlongs are calling my name....

Here's to a new week - I'll be back soon with a finished sweater and, yes, a little giveaway!!!!

Turn the Page :: Tuesday

Well, looky-here - it's the first Tuesday of the month, therefore time for a little book review.

The last book I read was In the Woods by Tana French. I had been eyeing it for awhile, finally relented, and dug in; I was in the mood for a highly readable, creepy and slightly disturbing mystery...

That said, I'm still unsure of how I feel about the book now that I've finished it. (I did read the entire thing which, for me, says that I must've liked it. Right?) On the whole I'd say it was intriguing, suspenseful, and well-drawn, but towards the end I found myself growing more and more disappointed with Rob, one of the main characters. Ultimately, I thought the climax was rather predictable, and I wish the mystery of what had happened to Rob and his (still missing) friends in the woods all those years ago would've been revealed....by the time I read the last page and closed the book I was rather disappointed.

Moving on:

At the moment I've just begun reading Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Yes, that's right, I've never read this book - for shame!

Have a good day! Look for more Turn the Page Tuesday here.

Go Local :: From Farmstand to Kitchen Sink Soup

Today I'm guest-posting over at Living Senses for the Go Local Challenge. See you there!