I've said it before....

Embroidery Project
It's All in the Details

Mollie Johnson's Wild Olive blog is a warm, welcoming, wonderfully creative spot to spend time in.
Her embroidery designs are fresh and interesting. I am totally hooked.

 Just now, I am taking her "All in the Details" embroidery project course online. The theme for the first week was Bits & Baubles. Back before Xmas, I mentioned that her "I Love Pumpkin Lattes" had inspired me to add embroidery to my creative repertoire (as well as begin my addiction to Starbucks). Well, now she has me adding beads and sequins to my work, and I like it.

 My first finished project for the class is this wreath. The only change I made to her pattern was to use less circles on a smaller wreath form, and to wrap the wreath form in red ribbon (which I had on hand) instead of red fabric (which I did not).  Also, I found the felt a bit floppy, so I hot glued card board to the back to them before attaching them to the wreath (OK so I made a few changes.  You know how I am.).   As you can see, this baby is already hanging on my front door (Yes, I know it needs painting (the door, not the wreath)).

Awesome! Had to share...

Where will you be on World Wide Knit In Public Day?

Happy Days...

Last week, while Favorite18yo (F18yo) was getting ready for school,  the conversation went like this:

Me:  "What do you think of my going into town today & picking up a Scrabble pendant I saw there last      week."
F18yo:   "duh, I don't know."
Me:  "I was just wondering what you thought about that idea."
F18yo (looking perplexed): "why are you asking me?"
Me (getting frustrated):  "Because you and Dad and [F14yo] went shopping for my birthday presents in town last Saturday".
F18yo: "Oh, I don't know.  I never remember what I pick out.  Most of the time I am as surprised as you are when you open my presents"
Me:  "I guess I won't go then"

Fast forward a week or so.   Hubby, boys and I are in town waiting for the British pirates to sack it (for the 425th time apparently).   Hubby and F14yo are eating ice cream.   F18yo and I are roaming the shops.

Me:   Aren't these Scrabble pendants cute?"
F18yo:  Mm
Me:  "There was one here a couple of weeks ago that said "karma kicks ass".
F18yo:  "haha, cute"

And off we went to meet up with our family and watch our town get sacked, again.

We have had a really happy couple of weeks here at Chez Serenity.    Hubby finished his book, received and returned the proofs,  my brother and his long time SO finally tied the knot, Hubby had a birthday, F18yo graduated from HS, and something that we have been praying very hard for happened (I can't tell you what yet, but soon).   On top of all that, F16yo registers for HS tomorrow, and today is my birthday.

Birthdays here are Chez Serenity follow a pattern and mine did not diverge.   The day started with breakfast and presents in bed (Well, it really started when my brother called at 7am to see if I was awake yet.  A favor I will have to return).   Hubby got me flowers, a balloon, and a Silhouette machine (Yay!).   F16yo presented me with a lovely silver mobius bracelet with the Serentiy Prayer on it.    You've probably already guessed what I found when I opened F18yo's gift.   Yup, there it was, the "karma,..." Scrabble pendent.   I was surprised, happy, and a little worried (he is a really good liar).

A mind is a terrible thing to lose...

While I have always loved learning something new, I do not remember it being as much fun as the last few weeks have been.   You may remember my talking about Stefanie Jappel’s (Glampyre Knits) Design Your Own Shawl class.    While I did learn a lot in that class, the shawl I designed, although simple in thought, turns out to be complicated in execution.   Still not finished, I find that I am pulling back only slightly less than I knit.  I gave it (& me) a rest for a  couple of weeks, and worked on it again last night.   I promptly knit a row & a half, noticed that I had picked up in the wrong place in the pattern, tore that back, and knit two rows correctly.   Obviously, I am not giving it the attention it deserves but I am not ready to put it aside permanently.  Despite the angst, it is very pretty.   I will persevere. 

Most of my last six weeks have been focused not on knitting (GASP!), but on art journaling.   I must have thought I would like it or I would not have signed up for the online course (Brave Girls/Soul Restoration1).  However, I did not anticipate loving it to this degree.   Even in my sleep, I am thinking of newer prettier things to do.  I did not even own any paints when I started.  Now I have had to reorganize my studio/office/mom cave to accommodate another beloved craft.   The six week course is almost over but I have already registered for Soul Restoration2 (which will begin on my birthday!) and am looking closely at She Art.  

I have recently taken two ½ day classes at my local quilt shop (Cinnamon’s).  You’ve already seen my wrapped rope tote.   This Saturday it was a locker hook rug class.   The craft is fairly easy and the class was a blast (all thanks to a terrific teacher).    My rug is not very impressive but then I have not gotten much done yet.    Hopefully, it will grow up to be a lovely kitchen rug.    

Today my favorite embroidery designer (Wild Olive) announced a summer class (how cool is that?).   We have been dealing with some stressy things in my family of late and these classes have been an inspiring and productive cave to hide in when the need arises.

Warmth is good....

You may have seen this commercial before, but I love it so much that I wanted to share it here.   The first video is the making of this warm & fuzzy (literally) Belgiun commercial for natural gas.  The second, is the commercial itself.   I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Happy Easter...

Did you have a great Easter?   We did.   There has been so much going on here ar Chez Serenity lately, that a nice quiet family day was just what the doctor ordered.    The boys, of course, are too cool to color eggs but Hubby loves it which makes it fun for me.   We actually did two separate batches of them.

So what has been going on?   T2 (who is rarely ill) got really sick while on a visit to the ex.  The ex's Dr. diagnosed a sinus infection, and gave him antibiotics.   The day he got home, he was feeling much better but by midday the day after, he was feverish, shaking and feeling really ill again.   I took him to his FL Dr, who confirmed sinus & added strep to the diagnoses.   He prescribed an additional antibiotic, which T2 turned out to be allergic to.   Another antibiotic was prescribed.  After two weeks home, his first day back at school, I got a text and call saying that he was dizzy and ill.   Back to the Dr. we went.   It turned out that flying home with the sinus infection had done something unfortunate to his inner ears.   10 days of pregnizone, and another week home, and he was finally back on his feet.    While all of this was going on, we had friends down from NJ,  T2 auditioned for the music program at his college of choice (he did not make it but he will be able to audition again next year),  he got back together with the ex-girlfriend that we moved to FL to get away from, and we spent a couple of days at Disney hanging with NJ friends.   What can I say?  Motherhood is not for sissies.

Knitting is coming along.   I cast on two pairs of socks (Lisa Knits Basic Toe-up 8sts/in).   One in a boring grey for hubby and one in a pretty variegated for me.   I switch back and forth between them, in the hopes of staving off boredom with the added benefit of finishing both pairs at the same time.    My DYOS shawl is coming along.   I have had to rip back more than once.   It is definitely not social knitting as it requires all of my attention.    My easy knitting is the Reunion Cowl by Natalie Selles.   This is a lovely easy pattern, perfect for knitting at the movies and while hanging with friends.

Brave Girls Club

For the last three weeks I have been taking part in the Brave Girls Soul Restoration class.   This course combines mixed media art with introspective, prompted, journaling.   The journaling digs a bit deep and can be uncomfortable but then that is the point, right?   The art projects have been a blast.  I am new to mixed media and paints in particular.   I am LOVING it.

That's it for us.   Hope all is well with you.

(((HUGS)))