This and That

It's Friday and the sun is shining!

YeeHaw!

After a week of dark, dreary, cold (for us) days it is nice to see the sun.

So, what am I going to do today to celebrate the sun?

I'm going to sneak a quick walk into the village and perhaps have some ice cream!

I'm working on a baby blanket. It's a little different in that the edge is made first

(the granny squares) and then the body is crocheted (easy, peasy chain and single crochet).

I like the pattern and think it would be a good stash buster lapghan.

I've started reading Prayer of the Dragon by Eliot Patison.

This series set in Tibet is one of my favorites.

I've been saving two books in the series waiting (and hoping) for another in the series.

YES!

There is another! 

I've been looking around the house (closet searching)

for decorations for Valentine's Day. 

The snowmen from Christmas are still out.

It is still winter!

But, I did come across my "Box of Kisses" published by Chronicle.

40 reproduction vintage postcards that are perfect for Valentine's Day.

He looks like a very happy fellow!

I love the fashions on these cards.

Look at the gloves and beaded bag!

Thank you to the lovely Beth for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday.

Wishing you well, much joy and a little sunshine!

Winter Greetings!

By now, you know I love birds.

I started collecting the Winter Greetings china pattern by Lenox years ago.

I find a piece here and there and I'm happy when I do!

This year I found 3 mugs with the beautiful cardinal on the front and back.

Santa seems quite happy with his cardinal friend.

I've been drinking a lot of Winter Spice an herbal blend by Twinings.

It is a comforting blend with camomile, cinnamon, cardamom and clove. 

My neighbor and I have a holiday tradition.

We venture out to our favorite nursery to see their holiday decorations.

Always pretty and always too expensive -- but full of great ideas.

I fell in love with this little cabin.

I could imagine curling up under quilts and afghans, in front of fire,

smelling the Christmas tree in the corner, a cat or three curled up next to me,

a book in my hand and a cup of tea near by.

What a story one can make up by looking at a decoration! 

Several weeks later,

look what I found! 

(T.J. Maxx)

A cabin in the snow.

I think I'm going to add more snow, but I'm a happy camper.

It looks lovely under the tree and in this story,

I can hear Santa coming down the chimney!

Perhaps he'll share a cup of tea with me.

Thank you to our tea party hosts:

Tea Time Tuesday

A Return To Loveliness
Friends Sharing Tea
Teacup Tuesday

Tuesday Cup'a Tea

Tea Talk

Share Your Cup Thursday

Wishing YOU Well and much Joy!

This and That

Here's a little James Taylor for you to enjoy while you read!

Music

*

How do you feel about Christmas cards?

I love them!

I like hand addressing the envelope,

writing a short message on the inside of the card.

I put a short Christmas letter together for those I don't see often during the year.

Emails are nice, but I miss the personal touch.

I love receiving Christmas cards.

I get excited about figuring out the postman's timings! 

What gorgeous card, what beautiful message will I find in my post today?

It's like receiving a smile in the mail.

The simplest things in life are often the most magical.

What joy that simple Christmas card can bring!

**

Speaking of beautiful cards.

Here is a reproduction of a vintage postcard.

Looks like they are off for a day of fun.

Delivering packages, decorating a tree, walking in the snow

and all with a furry friend.

Thank you to Beth for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday each week.

***

I love snowmen.

I love Christmas cactus.

They look happy together!

****

I found a crochet group that meets twice a month

at my favorite breakfast spot in my Village.

They are a fun group of ladies and they sure know their hooks!

The last two meetings, I've been taking my Santa mug rug/coaster/hot pads.

Finally, they are finished.

I made a whole bunch of them using my stash yarn.

Jingle, Jingle and Ho-Ho-Ho!

*****

A  couple of holiday links for you today:

The first one is from a dear friend, Karen Harvey Cox.

Karen has made an advent calendar for all of us with her beautiful art.

Welcome to The Gift of an Advent Calendar here.

Poppytalk again this week for winter scenes in Mason jars.

I love the VW bug with the tree on top!

Your holiday photos are probably already taken, 

but here are a few suggestions from the Focusing On Life Group

on taking holiday pictures.

*****

Wishing YOU well, much joy and a fun filled weekend.

******

Okay kitties. We still have some more decorating to do. 

Everyone hop to it!

Leave the Christmas Cactus alone, please!

Nap time is later!

Comfy Cozy

I guess beautiful cool weather brings out the comfy cozy in me.

I've been happily crocheting between cups of tea and reading. 

I think these Santa mug rugs are too cute.

Instead of putting a pom-pom on top of Santa's hat,

I'm going to put a jingle bell. 

When I've done all the crocheting (I figure everyone needs a set of four)

I'll go back and embroider the face.

You can find the pattern at Moms Love of Crochet.

You may remember that I made 4 of these last year.

I had yarn left and decided to make a couple of lapghans using the moss stitch.

I first saw this stitch on Lemonde De Sucrette.

You can Google moss stitch crochet and you'll find several You Tube videos featuring this stitch. 

If you can chain and make a single crochet you can do this stitch.

Easy!

Speaking of yarn and textiles,

I had the pleasure of meeting a fellow blogger last week.

Linda Lewis is a wife, mother, grandmother, weaver, textile artist and all around talented lady.

She loves Maine, tablescapes and roses, too.

We had a lovely breakfast.

Please go by and visit her at Lulu's Musings.

Say "Hi" from me!

Today I'm joining Sandi at HOME.

Wishing YOU well, much joy, and a beautiful Thanksgiving.

NoteCard Party: Halloween

It's time for Vee's Note Card Party.

Since it is October and Halloween is just around the corner,

I've selected recently posted Halloween items starting with

Henry Higgins and Eliza Boolittle! 

Seen in the neighborhood: A Smiling Ghost and

a smiling Pumpkin Man!

Last, my pumpkin crochet lapghan.

Wishing you well and much joy!

This and That

I love this time of year.

There is a promise that the days will cool and wonderful walks are in the future.

Last year, because of the drought, the acorns were few and far between.

This year the squirrels can't collect them fast enough before the acorns cover the ground.

I love Halloween and love to share Halloween fun!

This is a reproduction of a vintage Halloween postcard.

Isn't he quite clever!

Yes, we *auto* have a Happy Halloween.

***

It's that time again.

Classes have started at Rice University.

The Boys are Back!

Time for Fall Ball.

I walked over to watch the action.

So many new freshmen.

There's just nothing like the sound of the bat hitting the ball!

**

Walking home from Rice I spotted some Halloween decorations.

This Halloween man made me smile.

His head turns from side to side.

I don't think this Ghost is going to scare anyone!

What a great welcome he'll be to Trick or Treaters.

***

Finally, I finished the last black cat square.

I went to Michaels and found a gray yarn that was very close to the original.

This is what the afghan would have looked like.

It is huge.

I'm glad I decided to make four lapghans instead.

I did do some tweaking of the pattern when I decided lapghans were the way to go.

I can't put anything on the floor without having a cat or two check things out.

Now I have the kitty seal of approval for the lapghans.

Thank you to Beth for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday each week.

Wishing YOU well and much joy! 

This And That

It's been a wonderful week.

Cool mornings -- finally!

Hot afternoons, but very little humidity -- Yay! 

Good walking weather.

***

My follow-up visit with the eye surgeon went well.

Getting used to the new lens.

My sight changes a little daily as the lens settles in.

Life is so much brighter -- literally!

***

Mail Call brought this lovely postcard from China.

I have a dear friend there on a Fulbright doing research to complete her

PhD in Art History.

This is Peking University where she is taking some classes.

It used to be part of the Emperor's Summer Palace.

Woot!

School in a palace!

***

How about a little needle and hook news?!!

This is a close-up of a shawl I completed for a friend.

 This is a free Red Heart Pattern called Romancing The Shawl. I did not use the yarn that was suggested. Instead, I used Red Heart Boutique Changes in the Granite color (6 yarns in one) and still achieved the wonderful texture. It was an easy pattern to follow and I may have to knit one for myself!

***

Finally finished two squares in the crochet Halloween afghan.

Except, I decided the afghan would be too large for me!

So, I decided to make four lapghans.

I've completed two Jack-O-Lantern squares and started another black cat.

I was happily putting rows together when I realized I had put them together 

basakwards (as my Granny would say).

Well.

What to do?

I have plenty of black yarn, but not a lot of the grey.

Taking it apart is next to impossible. I'm afraid I'm a really good put them togetherer (!!!),

but would really make a mess taking it apart!

I decided to put things away.

Let my new eye rest.

Start again another day!

The Halloween Afghan was designed by Martha Brooks Stein and the pattern has

a copyright date of 2008 by DRG.

Thank you to Beth for Postcard Friendship Friday and Liv Lane for the Little Bliss List.

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Mug Rug

I made another mug rug.

Changed it around just a bit.

This is my new Buddha mug.

It is huge -- 24 oz should get me started in the morning!

It's so big, it doesn't fit on the mug rug!

You can see the Coventry mark on the bottom.

I've been enjoying White Peach Wuyi Oolong tea by Stash.

Yes, I know ... it's tea bags, but it's good!

I keep forgetting to share the photos from my 2012 Sereni - Tea calendar.

Gorgeous photos and lovely quotes.

This is from July.

From the Brush Dance Sereni-tea calendar.

Wishing YOU well, much joy and a wonderful cup of tea.

Thanking our tea party hosts:

Tea Time Tuesday
Friends Sharing Tea
Tea Party Tuesday
Teacup Tuesday

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Itchy Fingers!

Since making my 4th of July place mats I've had itchy fingers!

I got the GHook, some Lily Sugar N Cream cotton and made a teacup coaster!

While I was crocheting and dreaming of tea cups

this beauty arrived in the mail from my good buddy Deb at Just Cats.

It is the beautiful Glencarry Thistle pattern by Foley.

I love the aqua color and it fits just right on the teacup coaster!

I LOVE Mail Call!

Thank you so much Deb.

I promise to enjoy the cup and take good care of it.

A big thank you to our tea party hosts:
Tea Time Tuesday
Friends Sharing Tea
Tea Party Tuesday
Teacup Tuesday
A Return to Loveliness

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Wishing YOU well, much joy and a delightful cup of tea!

It's Almost July!!!

It's almost July.

Time to think about the 4th of July.

I was wondering what I had in the house that was red, white and blue.

First, a short story.

Do you wonder why you keep junk things?

I was going through a box I'd brought in from the garage.

(Yes, I'm still shredding and throwing and it's probably why my back is complaining.)

I found a bunch of old calendars.

Some of them were cat calendars and since I love kitties, I knew why I'd kept them.

I'll do something with them one day ... I hope.

Then I found a 1994 (really!!!) Annie's Victorian Village Calendar.

Looking through the calendar of lovely photos, 

I found at the very back Place Mat Patterns and Tea Room Restaurant Recipes.

Now it starts making sense!

I stopped when I saw this photo.

From the Annie's Victorian Village 1994 Calendar

I'd found red, white and blue place mats -- perfect for the 4th of July.

Photo from Annie's Victorian Village 1994 Calendar

Here's my crochet place mat made from the newly found pattern

 and the red, white and blue kitchen towels I already had. 

The kitchen is going to look good for the month of July!

The  crochet pattern for the place mat was very easy.

The original called for worsted yarn and I used Lily Sugar 'N Cream cotton yarn

It's beginning to look a lot like July!

And feels like it ... high today projected to be 101 with feels like temp around 110.

Iced tea anyone?

 Time for me to hibernate!

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

I'm linking for the first time with:

This and That

I'm going to start with a little blog love. We've all made friends from all over the world in blogland. Blogging makes the world much smaller. I met Deb at Just Cats on a Tuesday when we both posted about Tea. She found me and I found her and in addition to tea, we both LOVE cats. 

Photo from Deb at Just Cats

Photo from Deb at Just Cats

Aren't the kitties Deb is fostering adorable? I wish I lived close (Deb's in Canada). I would have adopted little Bree, but I understand that Bree has been adopted and will be on her way to a good home.

Deb posts about kitties and tea and other beautiful things and one day had a link to another blog and off I went to visit Jacqueline at Cabin and Cottage.

From Jacqueline at Cabin and Cottage

I found beautiful things and a surprise. I read Jacqueline's profile and found out that she is an antique dealer in Albuquerque, New Mexico ... my old home town. I lived there for 23 years. Went to junior high and high school there and graduated from the University of New Mexico. It is where I met Mr. Dragon. Such a small world. 

I invite you to visit with Deb and Jacqueline. I think you will enjoy your visit. 

***

Do you get cravings? Mine are usually chocolate or salt. And I always feed them when they appear. When chocolate raises it's head and demands action, I usually eat a couple of Butterfingers and it's all over! The same with salt. I feed it and it's gone, but this time ... this time I'm hooked!

I'm hooked on Lay's Garden Tomato and Basil Potato Chips!

I've read the online reviews of these chips and they seem equally divided between very good and very bad! They are salty and sort of remind me of Bruschetta! They say they are all natural, but I have my doubts. I'm also going through a sandwich craving so while I'm sandwiching (this too shall pass and I'll go into a soup or omelet stage), I'm enjoying my new craving! 

***

I finished another Christmas Afghan. The yarn colors are just a little bit different from the first one ... not as bright. I used the same pattern ... a Mile a Minute crochet pattern I found in an old Leisure Arts Crochet Pattern book. They go quickly. I have a few more to do. Keep the fingers busy! 

Wishing YOU well and a JOY filled week!