winter garden walk

finally, a nice hard frost. this morning it covered every surface. not quite the snow I'm hoping for, but lovely nonetheless.

on my hollyhock, hibiscus seed heads, oregano and sweet autumn clematis.

blogoversary

my blog is having a birthday next month. to celebrate, how about i give YOU a gift? 
do you know ree drummond, the pioneer woman? that woman is everywhere these days. i have one slightly used copy of her wonderful cookbook, pioneer woman cooks.

it is chock full of man-pleasin' recipes, pw's amazing photographs and tidbits of life on the ranch. 
you want it? leave a comment by midnight, december 31st EST and on new year's day i will pick a winner. it could be YOU!

wordless wednesday

sew cute

i was sketching a simple rag doll the other day - round head, triangle body, skinny legs. i knew i wanted felt hair but sketching wasn't helping so i went to the internet for inspiration.  

i stumbled upon  retro mama and fell in love with greta. i spent hours figuring out how to execute this dolly on my own.

i made pattern pieces, rifled through my stash and the very first 'lissa doll was born.

once i get kim's actual pattern, i know i'll be able to work out the kinks of assembly. this little girl is formidable. don't let the cute fool you.

i already know of four girlies who would love their own. i fear this is about to get out of control.

karen bower at Rock Red Shoes posted this pearl today.
she rocks. red shoes or not.

"You are not your bra-size, nor are you the width of your waist, nor are you the slenderness of your calves. You are not your hair color, your skin color, nor are you a shade of lipstick. Your shoe-size is of no consequence. You are not defined by the amount of attention you get from males, females, or any combination thereof. You are not the number of sit-ups you can do, nor are you the number of calories in a day. You are not your mustache. You are not the hair on your legs. You are not a little red dress. You are no amalgam of these things.

You are the content of your character. You are the ambitions that drive you. You are the goals that you set. You are the things that you laugh at and the words that you say. You are the thoughts you think and the things you wonder. You are beautiful and desirable not for the clique you attend, but for the spark of life within you that compels you to make your life a full and meaningful one. You are beautiful not for the shape of the vessel, but for the volume of the soul it carries." 

— Unknown

rubberband man

justin & timmy

i needed a rubber band today. i knew ken had some in his office. i looked up and there was justin's rubberband ball. he was so into rubber bands one year ashey gave him boxes FULL for christmas. i think it was his favorite gift. i don't remember any others, only the laugh we all shared. 

thanks for the picture, cristi. i sangged it from you .:)

actual knitting content

knitting up this sweater for girl-child. i am loving it! started ten days ago and i feel like i'm almost done! i know i'm not, but still. digging how easy the pattern is to follow. the yarn is so soft and i love the construction - top down, raglan sleeves and the cabled ribbing is so nice! i know i just spoke in a foreign language to my non-knitterly friends. my apologies. but for those who do understand, check out this amazingly easy pattern by amy swenson.

yarn is by elann, peruvian sierra aran. pattern is mr. greenjeans.

no winter lasts forever

 no spring skips its turn. 

walking outside today, my spirits were lifted by bits of spring i saw everywhere - birds  chirping happily in the trees, flowers pushing through the sun-warmed soil, blooming in spite of frosty temperatures and me with my baby-friend, both of us happy to be outside, playing in the sunshine. 

today marks a year, our first year without justin. everyone is asking how we're doing. ashley and i both agree - we are no more sad today than yesterday. one year doesn't hurt any more than 364 days. losing someone you love just hurts. every day. but today, noticing spring all around in the company of a small child whose whole world is filled with wonder made me hurt a little less.

 quote  by Hal Borland