Give. Me. a. Spoon.

"Everything you can imagine is real. "

~Picasso

Today's Special:

Whippy Dream Frosting

Stop over at The Yarn Bakery for a yummy yarn treat.

Sunday Mornings

"The ordinary arts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest."

~Thomas More

Yesterday I savored every single mili-second of my last day of summer vacation. The sun danced upon the umbrella table and I was surrounded by soft yarns, pretty flowers, and my little family. It was quite wonderful.

Little Peep, however, displayed her dismay at my returning to work. I don't know who is going to miss our summer days more; me or her?

Best Presents

"To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children, to earn the approbation of honest critics; to appreciate beauty; to give of one's self, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived--that is to have succeeded."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Dear Miss Brittany,

Remember how we talked about our favorite flowers and realized that we both loved Morning Glories? Do you remember that in late May you painted this lovely flowerpot for me and filled it with dirt and seeds?

You told me that you planted them every year, and I told you the story of how my Mama always planted them when I was little. I said that she would wake me up extra early because they only bloomed in the morning. You smiled.

I'm happy to report that your little seeds have taken off! As a matter of fact, they have grown and grown and are now beautiful vines and bursting buds.

My little herb garden is busy making friends with the morning glories. I like to think that they have little chats and whisper secrets to each other. You know, just like you and the other kiddos do.

It cracks me up when I look at how the tiny vines are wrapping themselves around the parsley.

Or, when I see a new bud ready to interrupt the quiet calm of my dill plants.

Hopefully, they are all getting along and being kind to each other.

Before long, they may overtake my house! Already they are tap-tap-tapping on my window panes!

So, my dear Brittany, thank you. Thank you a million times over. I love my special flower pot and the beautiful flowers that continue to bloom and remind me of you.

Love,

Mrs. W

Pursuit

"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it."
~ Elizabeth Gilbert

Last year I read the book Eat, Pray, Love. In my opinion, the book (and movie) presented a beautiful depiction of one woman's pursuit of happiness. Isn't that what we all want~ to be sincerely happy and emotionally fulfilled?

Lately I've heard many people comment and critique the movie, and regardless of their opinions, I happen to admire Liz's internal struggle. Perhaps, it is because I also battle the same demon.

It's probably no big secret that I'm a pretty independent person. I enjoy being alone and I much prefer to work through my issues on my own. I like that about myself. I like the fact that I can "be alright" without anyone else helping me out. It gives me a sense of calm.

On the other hand, I openly acknowledge the need to lean on others. I'm not too swell at it, though. Actually I earned a failing grade in Share Your Feelings 101. I'm honestly trying to improve, but I think I might need some major accommodations in this department. Thankfully, Chad-o is amazing. He understands me and gently pries things out of me. He allows me to work though things at my own pace. I really appreciate that about him. He's tops.

However, in the book/movie, I was constantly identifying with Liz and her desire for independence, yet her longing to be loved. Quite the harsh battle, if you ask me.

Luckily, I hit it big. Jackpot, actually.

xo

It's In the Air

"Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow."

~Anthony J. D'Angelo

Listen. shh..... Listen.

Can you hear it? Listen again.

Do you register the gentle sound of crickets chirping in the early evening? The whistles of football practice and the cracking of helmets? Do you hear the high school band playing off in the distance?

It's no secret that autumn exists as my most favorite time of year. Right now, I'm beyond excited that September looms on the horizon. I'm already planning for an ultra cozy and comforting fall, full of soups, breads, hearty salads, fluffy yarns, intoxicating novels, and cinnamon/vanilla candles.

Oh the lovely, delicious scents of my dear autumn. Would it be wrong to admit that I've already been dipping into my stash of vanilla perfumes and lotions. Usually, I wait until the start of school to indulge in my most favorite perfume, but this year I started a bit early. Forgive me?

Is it just me, or do you notice the unique scent of orange and red and brown and yellow leaves? mmm...How about that damp, crisp smell as the sun sets? And, not to be forgotten, there's the smell of freshly waxed school floors?

Speaking of schools, I'm obsessed with the smells of school and school supplies and smooth text book pages. I always loved opening my new text books each year and taking in that indescribable scent. It must be a combination of the glue and paper and milky ink. Whatever it is, I love it. I also adore the scent of brand new Crayola crayons. Oddly enough, I vividly remember my second grade teacher giving me my very own box containing 24 colors. Oh, how I loved those crayons. I treasured those marvelous colors and cared for them as if they were my very best friends. sigh

It's here~ for sure. Slowly but surely, autumn and "back-to-school" are whispering of their upcoming arrival.

Do you hear it? ...shhh...

My Etsy Shop

"They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night."

~Edgar Allan Poe

I've dreamed of opening a quaint, little shop ever since I was but a small fry. We'll call this step one.

May I present to you The Yarn Bakery, where yummy yarns and creative sprinkles combine to help you accessorize deliciously.

Stop on over and grab a little yarn treat.

Severe Storm Warning Soup

"To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter ... to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring—these are some of the rewards of the simple life."

~John Burroughs

Figures. I just spent about 40 minutes watering and tending to the posies. I had no sooner returned indoors than the skies turned a dreary shade of gray and the television beeped of a weather warning. Lovely. Just lovely.

Don't get me wrong, I do love the rain and the thunder and the sudden flashes of lightening. I don't, however, love wasting 40 minutes. Oh well, I suppose my little flowers will enjoy a rather large gulp today.

As I rushed outside to lower the umbrella on the patio a few large rumbles of thunder proudly announced the approaching storm. CT ran upstairs to seek comfort and shelter under the bed, and I found myself getting excited for an evening of coziness.

Tonight, Hubbo is participating in an intense roll-ball tournament; therefore I'm all alone in this hacienda. I'll be fine though. Actually, I'm a sucker for nights like this.

And, since it's going to be a dark eve, full of stormy sounds and rain tapping on windows, I did what any 80 year old woman would do-- I made a huge kettle of potato soup.

I'm going to be perfectly honest-- the rest of my night will consist of fuzzy afghans, cups of tea, and time with my knitting needles.

Oh gosh was that soup ever good. I think I'll have another bowl in an hour or so. Call me cozy and content. Bring it on, Thunderstorm.

School Shoes

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go.”
~Dr. Seuss

Admit it- you've started getting that "back-to-school" feeling.

You have, haven't you?

It's alright- I won't tell a single soul. Pinky swear.

For the past few days I've been researching my new autumn bag for escuela. It's practically embarrassing, but I plan and research a school bag in much the same way that a bridezilla tackles wedding details.

Bags and shoes- two necessary and very personal style choices. They also happen to make it easier and more fun for me to slip into another year of academia.

Oh my goodness, how did it become August already?

Two

"How gentle is the rain

That falls softly on the meadow,

Birds high up the trees

Serenade the clouds with their melodies

Oh, see there beyond the hill,

The bright colors of the rainbow.

Some magic from above

Made this day for us just to fall in love."

~ A Lover's Concerto by The Supremes

Two years ago, on July 26th, I walked down the isle to the above song as Jason Kendall strummed and gently sang with an acoustic guitar. To say the day was magical and special and full of love would serve as a serious understatement. The day was better than anything I ever imagined and probably the only day in my entire life where I really felt pretty. I loved that day.

From the start, we knew that our wedding would reflect us, and in typical C & C fashion, we planned our day. It was very non-traditional and that's how we wanted it.

Allow me to give you a few of the details. We invited 30 people and 28 attended. That was it. Neither of us was interested in putting on a show and participating in the typical chaos and cookie cutter wedding scene.

I didn't wear a veil-- it seemed rather "Halloween Costume-ish" to me.

He didn't wear a tux. Please. Chad-o chose khaki colored linen pants and an ultra sophisticated mint green button down.

Three tiered wedding cake filled with chocolate gnash and raspberry preserves? Um, no thanks. Individual strawberry shortcakes? Yes please.

And, if you're wondering if we had all that crazy dancing or did the Hokey Pokey, we didn't. Rather we had a calm served dinner with an open bar.

Oh yes, and at breakfast, on the morning of our wedding, as we sat in an ultra posh restaurant, Chad-0 dared me to stuff a blueberry up my nose. And, you know what? I did.

So this year, as we celebrated our second anniversary, we dined at our new umbrella table and enjoyed some scrumptious strawberry shortcake. Oh my, it was beyond delicious~ a palatable wonder, for sure.

And, as the sun went down and evening set upon us, we lit some candles and talked and reminisced and laughed and played with our puppy.

The hood is home and Gumdrop World does exist. I get to spend forever with my person and that just puts the whip cream on my shortcake.

Xo, Ninja. Thanks for being you. Thanks for being mine. Thank you for us.

Local Beauty

"You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestation of your own blessings."

~ Elizabeth Gilbert

After a rather long day of not feeling too well and practicing a fair amount of mind-over-matter and self healing, I packed up my camera and went for a ride through the scenic countryside. A local field trip, if you will.

Oh the amazement! The dancing light on the stage of nature proved a most beautiful sight.

A Refreshingly Delicious Equation

"Coffee smells like freshly ground heaven."

~Jessi Lane Adams

LC= Leftover Coffee

(My morning was a bit hurried.)

I= Ice

LC + I = Yum!

For The Outdoor Adventurer

"It is in the compelling zest of high adventure and of victory, and in creative action, that man finds his supreme joys."
~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Knitting orders have consumed my life-- and I mean that in the most wonderful way. I love making something and thinking about how the little babe will look in one of my creations. It's beyond fun to shop for new yarns and notions and dream up creative ways to make something crafty and unique.

As I was making these for baby Ripkin-- how awesome is that name?-- I pictured them being on a stylish and adventurous little tot. You know, the kind of baby whose family would sling him into one of those ultra-hip backpacks and go for a nice long hike and picnic in the woods.

I really get way too caught up in my thoughts. Geez...

Baked Green Tomatoes

"Tell me what you eat, I'll tell you who you are."

~Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Last night I made these baked green tomoatoes for dinner. Delicious they were.

I like sticking to simple, natural foods. Since I've changed my ways of eating, I've noticed how much flavor foods like carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes actually have. It makes me sad to see others heavily salt their dinner or pour katchup over their potatoes. Taste the flavor, I say!

Yesterday, as I was organizing some drawers, I listened to a report about how today's children are the first generation to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. I thought about that, and as much as it pained me to agree with the reporters, I found myself in their corner.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not perfect and I love the occasional chocolate chip cookie or strawberry sunday or slurpee, but I also understand the value of being active and making my heart pump and my sweat glands produce. I'm sad that I very rarely see children outside riding bikes or playing hopscotch. I have yet to spot one game of freeze-tag or hide and seek this summer. Darn video game systems.

Alas, I'll do the best I can with the special people in my little corner of the world. We'll keep eating healthy, locally grown produce. We'll enjoy the random sweet treat. And, we'll keep after that whole active and exercise thing.

The body is amazing- it deserves to be taken care of. Think of how badly we treat it, yet how it continually recovers and fights for us to live. Wow.

Six = 42

"Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring- it was peace."

~ Milan Kundera

Our little fur-face turned six yesterday. Six or 42. I suppose it depends on how one looks at it.

I often think about how the cards in life lined up so that I was chosen as Charlie's mama. It makes me sad to think of what her life might had been like had she not landed a spot with Chad-0 and I.

Who would have raised her?

Where would she have spent her afternoons?

Would she constantly have hugs and nuzzles?

Would she have a soft golden pillow and a Stevie Santa Bear toy?

I'll admit that there isn't a single time I'm on the couch or at the computer or cooking dinner when Little Peep isn't right there, too. It's a very gratifying feeling-- to be so loved and wanted by a furry little critter.

In honor of her birthday, I made her the sweater in the above photo.

She kinda likes it. Wink.

Grammy also brought her some treats and chewies and got her the coolest card.

We sure ruff our Charlie T.

Happy Makers

"If you want to be happy, be."

~Leo Tolstoy

Tomorrow my baby fur-face turns six years old. Yes, I'm knitting her a sweater. The nurturer in me simply couldn't resist the wonderfully fun pattern and extra chunky yarn. She's bound to earn the fashionista of the neighborhood award. Two paws up for her.

Reading...mmmm...happy sigh

This summer I've found three amazing books, all of which you must read.

The summer reading list consists of:

The Cather in the Rye by John Steinbeck

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson

I'm addicted. We won't discuss how much delicious java I've consumed on this lovely, relaxing morning, ok?

Have yourself a joyous little day, full of all kinds of happy makers.

Toodle do.

Snuggie Wuggie

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."

~Leonardo DaVinci

Growing up, my sweet mama always had a way of keeping us warm. She'd put our clothes in the dryer on chilly mornings, tuck our toes under fluffy blankets, and buy us loads of super soft socks.

As I grow up, I can see where I've inherited a bit of her "keep people warm and cozy" gene. Perhaps that's why I found myself so drawn to this snugly knitting pattern.

I'm thinking every little baby should have a cozy cocoon. Who wouldn't want to have something so warm and snug?

Greetings

"I would I could stand on a busy corner, hat in hand, and beg people to throw me all their wasted hours."

~Bernard Berenson

Sigh. I've missed you, blog friends.

I've been so caught up in life that I've hardly had time to complete my most necessary tasks and chores, hence they have not gotten done-- gulp. I'm in full summer vacation mode and it's just so darn wonderful. I keep pushing away the computer in favor of a new knitting pattern, a few more pages of my novel, a walk with the pupparoo, coffee with my mama, a trip to the amusement park with my friend and her daughters, a midnight bike ride, an impromptu shopping event....the list goes on. The blue skies beckon me outdoors and I simply can't resist their lure.


I have so much to tell you, but it will have to wait, because I'm off yet again to an amazing restaurant with an amazing friend.

Till next time, adios! And before I forget, I've also decided to lift my "private" setting on the blog. It just didn't feel right. How's that for being indecisive?

Colorful Weekend Happiness

"May your walls know joy; May every room hold laughter and every window open to great possibility."

~Maryanne Radmacher-Hershey

I hope your weekend brought happiness and sunshine and all the things that provide contentment to your spirit. My weekend? Fabulous. It was the absolute best.

I enjoyed numerous bike trips to and from a quaint little town that may just become my new summer retreat. Biking is quickly becoming my new favorite form of physical activity. Between the beautiful scenery and the quality workout, I'm finding myself very fulfilled. Plus, I get to spend tons of time laughing, racing, and joking around with my favorite people.

Blue skies abound!

I fell in love with this most interesting modification to a typical school bus. Genius. I propose we do this to the local buses. I guarantee more children would attend school.

Orange cone flowers- one of my new favorites.

The Firefly Grill had an amazing hummus plate. I could have had seconds, thirds and fourths.

Eating under these umbrellas provided the refreshing, shady break we needed after an intense biking adventure.

And, I filled up Gertie's basket with locally grown fruits, peach-rhubarb jelly and jalapeno mustard. Um, Yum.

I'm also proud to report that I polished off one of these pints of blueberries all by myself. It took me a grand total of 0.35642 minutes. My mouth is permanently stained. toothy blue grin.

I did spot an entire shelf of homemade puppy treats for Charlie, but due to the inflated price I resisted. Instead I gave her an extra-large portion of Cheerios when I returned home. She loved me.

How neat are these river ships? I'll be traversing the Yough in one soon. Promise.

Great Weekend...
...Good Times
Pretty Places...
...Delicious Food
Wonderful People...
...Fields of Fireflies
Laughs...
...Fireworks
Love...