this

is in my yard right now.
my dogs are going NUTS!

kelly rae roberts decorative art girlies

oh. my. goodness.

i am in love!

my very favorite artist, author and possibilitarian, kelly rae roberts has really done it this time. i've been following her creative journey for over a year and she just keeps wowing me.

i was lucky enough to get one of her art girlies when they went on sale this week. i called it my own valentines day gift. :)

mine is the love girl, (pictured in the back, right), and she is precious. i squealed when i opened the package (addressed to the lovely melly crocker :)) and even got a little teary. she is perfection. so unique, so original. and so affordable!

one day i will have an original of hers. but until then, i'm going to gobble up every bit i can of her wonderful pieces by demdaco. check your local gift shops. everyone needs a little of the joy this amazing woman is spreading around.

photo belongs to kelly rae. click to go right to her blog/online shop. 

cage the elephant

i started her weeks ago. she sat patiently in my knitting bag. surviving dog attacks, she was waiting for me to pick her up again. she probably wanted me to knit her some legs so she could run from that pesky dottie!

but here she is! posing for her closeup. ready to make girl-child smile. i'm calling her valentine.

isn't my trunk fine?

third time's a charm

finally finished my cousin's hat. now that the average temperature in california is well into the 40's...

ah well. she'll love it because she loves me.

thanks again, jared for a fantastic pattern!

so much more than just a blog share

you might have noticed my new badge over on the sidebar. about loving with my whole heart?

i've been spending some time with dr. brené brown. well, her blog anyway. and i love what this woman has to say! she's got some great articles on treating each other with basic respect and dignity, facebooking our fears (so good!) and living without shame and fear. she writes about living in authenticity.

what is authenticity you might ask?

brené offers this:

both of these badges are available as downloads to print from her blog, ordinary courage.

"mindfully practicing authenticity during our most soul-searching struggles is how we invite grace, joy and gratitude into our lives."

now i don't know about you, but i'm all for inviting more joy into my life.

"cultivating the courage to be imperfect." i. love. this.

today i will live and love with my whole heart, will you?

and then i fainted

i gasped aloud when i pulled these from the wash yesterday. they are among my favorite socks, second only to the purple stripe socks i knit myself. i wear them all. the. time. and now it shows. :(

this is why hand-knit socks are such a labor of love. they wear out. the more you love them the faster they go. i'm so sad. i think they can be fixed. when red rhonda gifted them to me, she also gave me a teeny hank of the yarn. just for this purpose, i'm thinking.

can anyone help?

*sigh*