Anybody Home?

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I’m still here. It has taken me quite a while to find the home/school/work balance. And to be honest, in the winter I find it’s more difficult to find the motivation, but spring is here and I am feeling renewed and ready to be back in this space. It feels good!

Fairy Garden Update

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Do you remember our fairy garden from way back in May? It’s seen better days after a long, dry summer, but I was pleasantly surprised Sarah’s garden has become a finalist in The Magic Onions Fairy Garden Contest!  There are many beautiful entries, but I have my fingers crossed that one special girl will win.

A Day of Firsts

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There are a bunch of firsts going on in my life right now. Most important of them is the first day of school. This summer has gone by so incredibly fast and I’m sad to see it over. But both kids were super excited this morning; smiles all around.

I’ve known for a few years that this would be my last summer as a stay at home mom. It was important to me and Tim that I stayed home with the kids at least until Sarah was in first grade. I feel so fortunate that even after our divorce I had the ability to do just that. It’s been an amazing 8 years being with my kids, full of highs and lows, laughter and tears. Now that they are both in school full time, it’s time for me to figure out what I want to do, and how I’m going to support my family.  I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned it here, but I have a masters in Art History. I finished my thesis and was pregnant with Daniel the next day (not literally) so I never started my career. That was 9 years ago and of course my interested have changed and I no longer feel any real connection to the art world. Maybe one day again I will, for now I want to do something different. I’ve always had a passion for skin care and I’m at the point now where I’m making all my own skin care products, save for sunscreen. The natural next step has lead me to want to becoming an esthetician. I started my program last week and it is full time for about 4 months. So if you’ve been wondering where the heck I am…I’m in beauty school and loving it. I’m not sure how this blog plays into my life right now. I know I still want a presence here but I still haven’t figured out a schedule for posts. So please bear with me while I begin the next chapter in my life.

 

 

Summer Days

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My days have been spent knitting and reading, reading and knitting. It’s been quite enjoyable. I am completely addicted to the Outlander book series. I said last week that I would be taking a break from the series after finishing book 3…well, that didn’t happen. The author hooked me once again at the end of the book and I immediately download book 4, Drums of Autumn.

I’ve cast on another shawl and I’m not really sure what I’m doing with it. Right now it’s alternating knit and garter stitches, but I’m going to start a lace section soon. So maybe this shawl is more of a sampler. Who knows what it will look like in the end, but it will be functional at least.

That’s it for me…a quiet week. I’ll take it. School starts on the 25th!

Linking up with Yarn Along.

Backyard Summer Camp Series – Weaving

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I have seen fabulous woven wall hangings for months now on Pinterest and there are a bunch of great tutorials out there that have inspired me. A few weeks ago the kids and I sat in the backyard for a bit of weaving. I set up both kids with a small loom made of cardboard and a pile of yarn scraps and roving. Daniel really seemed to enjoy the process and was able to finish his little tapestry on his own. Sarah, on the other hand, became bored more quickly so I worked on it with her. They both turned out so sweet and I’m proud to hand them on my wall. And the best part? Daniel asked if I could show him how to use the sewing machine! Love that. I haven’t taken out the machine all summer but looks like this week I will.

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With thoughts of weaving still on my mind, this past weekend I set out to make my own wall hanging. I wanted to bring in an element of nature so instead of wool, I used twigs collected from the yard. I think it turned out quite well and I love the look of all three together. Weaving is just as meditative for me as knitting so I see more projects in the future.

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Linking up with Frontier Dreams Keep Calm Craft On

Yarn Along

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I finished up the Oaklet Shawl last week and actually had the opportunity to wear it on a cool Sunday morning in Napa while having lunch with my mom. Who would have thought one could wear wool in August in California? Well I did and I loved the pop of red it gave an otherwise boring outfit. It was fun little shawl to make and has me wondering if I could create my own pattern. I’ve been looking at various blogs and books about the design process. Of course I want to jump right into a complicated shawl construction and lace pattern and I’m realizing I need to take a step back and try my hand at something more simple and on a smaller scale until I really understand the process. I think Sarah’s stuffed animals will be gifted a bunch of my attempts.

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Since finishing the Oaklet I have done zero knitting or any crafting for that matter. Saturday night while I was happily enjoying a glass of wine and the new Starz series Outlander, my daughter broke her leg while jumping on a trampoline. Tim had called and texted numerous times, but I didn’t get any of them until later. Talk about mother’s guilt. Poor Sarah has a split from foot all the way up her leg and has to be carried everywhere. It’s been exhausting for everyone. She has an appointment with the orthopedist tomorrow morning for a cast and hopefully to find out how long the recovery will take. Meantime I’m trying to keep her occupied with various quiet activities, but she is six and it is summer so it’s been difficult for her.

Linking up with Small Things Yarn Along