Remember...

Remember... to thank a veteran today... and to teach our future generations to appreciate the price of the freedom we enjoy.

Planting Seeds of Intention

Last week, I went to my first Prayer Shawl Ministry meeting.  I had not known about this ministry until I wore a shawl to Sunday school and, on seeing me in a homemade shawl, one of the ladies in my class invited me to join them on the first or third Monday of the month.  That Monday, I was given three skeins of this yarn.  Each skein was only 81 yards.  I was a bit confounded as to what to do with my provisions.

I searched patterns on Ravelry and Lion Brand for about three hours, trying to find something I could make with three skeins of Super Bulky yarn.  I looked through my books...  and magazines.

Finally, I just started... with one thing in mind... and then, that changed...  and this is the end result.  I did just what I do while I cook:  take a little from this and a little from that, until it seems right to my taste. LOL.   BTW, for all of the non-knitters, this shawl is made using a "seed stitch".  I loved the sentiment of this prayer:

PLANTING SEEDS OF INTENTION

May each stitch be a seed of beauty.

May each stitch be a seed of truth.

May each stitch be a seed of health.

May each stitch be a seed of compassion.

May each stitch be a seed of joy.

May each stitch be a seed of grace.

May each stitch be a seed of love.

~ WREN ROSS

Boston, Massachusetts

from Prayer Shawl Companion by Janet Bristow and Victoria A. Cole-Galo

Joining Kim's Savvy Southern Style Before and After Party

We live in a 1917 (we've been told 1917 and 1913; there is some research to be done some day when there is time) Craftsman Bungalow.  Her name is Tallulah and we love living here.  The streets are still brick; the porches are still easy sitting and the East Texas beauty still surrounds us.

In the beginning...

                         

We ripped up the emerald green plush carpet and found paint, tin nailed down over large holes and what would look like hopelessly ruined heart pine floors.  Come in: The Floor Guys.  Sand.  Stain.  Polyurethane.  Incredible transformation.  Like dummies, we did this BEFORE we painted.  Lesson learned.

This is the After.  I wanted very simple and clean lines.  The bed is mesquite.  It was custom made for a woman in Dallas and then it wouldn't fit into her house.  The platform is one piece and very large.  Heavy.  Heavy.  Heavy.  The dresser on the left is my favorite piece of furniture we have.  It was a floor sample that I had been admiring for months at Restoration Hardware years ago.  I STILL love it.  The ceiling fan and fixture are VERY OLD.  I'm not sure they were original to the house, but the fan still works like a charm (go Hunter).

The giant amoire: an essential in an older home with limited closet space!

The windows are fabulous.  Most of the panes are the original wavy glass.  I would never even consider changing them out.

The bedside tables came from The Canton Trades Day.  A touch of Oriental.  The lamps, I don't know what style they are, but I liked them.

This is just for Kim at Savvy Southern Style and her Before and After Party. 

The Quest for the "Bot-stume" and Happy Halloween

People.  A look of satisfaction like this is not easy to come by!

Going after the magnolia leaf...  But, I digress.

The search for the perfect costume was an arduous affair.  But, this look makes it worth every single second!  Oh, how I love that smile!

"Okay, really, you expect me to wear this."

It had such a cute butt.

Little Man wanted NO PART of wearing the head! 

We had a Lion costume before this one. 

He had been practicing his "ROAR" for months and his Momma thought the Lion would be the perfect costume!  We were so excited to find one left at Sam's!

And, he ROARED so very well!

 Trouble was... the thing was a little small (as in short in the stride and the head pressed down) and the Little Man did NOT care for being constricted in the Lion outfit one bit.  This shot was just before his meltdown over the Lion persona.

The Pumpkin outfit... Well, I think the photo tells the story.

This was made seconds after we got the Robot costume on him.

It was love at first sight!  Go figure!  The Little Man has his Bot-stume and LOVES his antennae and bot-ears!  And, I love that he loves it!  We are about to be off to church armed with a pot of chili and a Too Much Chocolate Cake!  Chili cook-off and cake walk at the Fall Festival after services.  Yea!  Happy Halloween to each and all and may you find your perfect Bot-stume, whatever that might be. 

A Favoured Sunflower

If you look close, you can see the most happy and delightful smiley face in this beautiful handmade sunflower. My friend, Michelle, created this little gem and has been wearing it on her apron at Rose Path. I asked if she would be willing to sell it... without even batting an eye, this generous soul unpins it from her apron and says, "It is yours. Pay it forward." Incredible. THAT's what I love about hanging out around that place! Good, good souls. She is good for my soul.

Simple pleasures... the feel of soft yarn... the sight of beautiful colors...

A basket of possibility!!  Inca by Katia.  Love it!

This is what I'm working on right now.  Another sweater.  This one for me, I think. 

This is a felted tweed by Rowan.  There are flecks of a wonderful blue interspersed throughout.  After a false start on Amanda's Lily Cardigan, it is now becoming a Peasy.  =)

Magnolia Leaves and Blue Moon Nursery

My Little Man loves the magnolia leaves... He would collect them tirelessly...

And, I would enjoy his collecting them, tirelessly... I also enjoyed time with his Momma... It seems so long between times that we share.  We had lots of fun adventures:   searching for the perfect costume, playing in the park, visiting the Brookshire Museum, and enjoying family gatherings.

Our last adventure of their visit was to Blue Moon Gardens.  It is always a treat for me to visit there.

  Never as much of a treat as this time, with Little Man!  He loved the water features and all of the fall pumpkins and flowers and creations.

If you haven't been this season, it's worth a trip to see.

Plus, their mums are gorgeous!

Oh, I am missing these two... or more.  ;)

Now, it's back to life as usual...

Painting, Pond Tours and Patience until Noon

It's been a crazy, hectic week here at the Brick Street Bungalow.  We had painters for several days... As nice as the guys are and as much as our house needed painting, I really got to wanting the house  back to ourselves.

And, THEN there was the porch to have re-varnished.

And, a pond tour to get ready for...

The weather has been PERFECT!  We enjoyed the visitors for the pond tour...

And a fun, fun, fun neighborhood potluck party.

Fall is a fabulous time of year.  But, my favorite thing today is...

That in five and a half hours, I'll be holding this.  =)

(I snitched this photo from Little Man's Momma)