Thursday, April 30, 2009

We Heard 'Em!


Playing in the yard yesterday, we heard the buzz of a hummingbird flyby. I got the nectar mixed up and into the feeders as quickly as I could. I hung out 6 feeders. We hope they'll see the feeders soon. We sure love those little visitors!

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

In the Pink!

If the cozy fits...knit one in EVERY color!

I really like this cozy! It's also a supersaver yarn by Red Heart. It's acrylic which also means it is washable. I think that is an important feature for a handknit with its intended use being in food (or in this case: Beverage) service! I love the color combination in this one! It's very cheerful.

I Hope You Don't Mind...


...if I photograph them to death....HAHA! I got home today from a long day out and the sun was shining on them so beautifully. I just had to capture them...again.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y

This was supposed to be part of yesterday's post. I was thrilled to find this little patch of tulips still in my garden. The deer around here love to graze on these beauties. I'm just glad they didn't see or smell these....and left them alone.



This is a very popular item around here...heart-shaped peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.


Rise and shine!


This morning is cold and gray. It is a great morning to curl up with my favorite pink shawl and a good, strong, hot cuppa java...


and bake some cinnamon rolls! I cheat and do it the easy way...which is to ALWAYS have a few cans of refrigerator rolls on hand at all times.

Knit, knit, knit! Purl, purl, purl!

I wanted to knit something, so last night I got online and found a cute and simple pattern for a french press cozy. I found this acrylic yarn ("Ocean" by Red Heart...yep it's a supersaver variety) in my stash and whipped it up using size 5 needles. The fabric is a little stiff, but the tight knit will hopefully keep my coffee warmer...just a little bit longer. I need to go through my jar of buttons and pick out the best ones for this project. I can hardly wait to invite a friend over for coffee!


Breakfast with Q...

The cozy was a quick knit! I really liked the colors! I told a friend last night that if I could knit paisleys into it, I would! I HEART PAISLEYS!
Wow! That K monogram mug made it into quite a few shots this morning, no? :)

Friday, April 24, 2009

A Few Things For Which I Feel Grateful

This adorable japanese bowl with pink stripes and this delicious stack of fat quarters.

...this little view from my garden swing. I love those oil lamps and the green grass and the cheerful garden banner and the mug.....and....the red tulips and sunshine

the aspen trees are starting to wake up. the blue in the sky, the whispy clouds....the scent in the air of warm temperatures...the smell of the soil as I'd pull up last seasons expired plants....

this crazy old bike in my garden. I bought four packets of Morning Glory seeds yesterday with hopes of covering this bike with lovely green climbing vines and showy blue flowers. I still have hopes of finding the perfect handlebar basket for this bike...

It sure felt good to be out in the sunshine today. The birds were chirping and bees were buzzing. Everything seemed to be happy to be alive!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Seeing Red - A WIP

This is what is on my needles right now...well one set of needles. I really love this yarn! It's
Shetland Chunky Tweed by Patons. And the color is called Deep Red. It's a simple pattern of K2 P2 Ribbing...and it looks like two balls will do the trick perfectly.
For all you fellow knitters out there...the squish factor rating is: HIGH!
I think my favorite thing about this project is not just the squish-able-ness, but also the fun flecks of color throughout.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Fuzzy Friends





Anthropologie is my all time favorite store in the mall! During a few of our prior visits there, Q had seen a display of these cute animals the sale room. Each time we go in there, Quincy is drawn to this floppy giraffe. The night we were in there, he kept tossing the toy giraffe around and asking would I please buy it...please...and the thing that finally got me to cave and let him adopt the giraffe was how Quincy told me "He listens to me, Mommy!" Quincy used his Christmas money and adopted the pink, floppy giraffe. Quincy told me the giraffe has his same name. Amused, Kaitlyn asked..."So...do you like your name?" He said, "Yep! And his is the same name!" And he gleefully tossed his floppy toy, Quincy up into the air.

When we passed by the mall's fountain, Quincy told me his Quincy loves to make wishes. I snickered to myself because my Quincy also loves to make wishes at the fountain.
That night, my Quincy had his jammies on and was sitting on the bed having a quiet moment with is giraffe, Quincy. I saw My Quincy following every zig and zag of Toy Quincy's mane tracing the velvety feature with his finger. I thought it was funny, because that was my favorite thing about the giraffe when he was sitting on the counter at the store waiting for the adoption to be finalized. Then, My Quincy turned the Toy Quincy around and looked at his face. My Quincy pushed the soft tufts away from the beady black eyes and he proclaimed with a giggle, "Awww! He's so cute!"

There is no buyer's remorse here!

Dandy Dandelions!


This special delivery is just in perfect sync for Earth Day celebrations. Delivered by a pudgy, dirty little fist attached to the sweetest little man, they brought a big smile to my face. I was able to find the perfect vessel for them to brighten our world for a little while.
It's hard to believe that just a few days ago, we were watching 20 inches of snow pile up outside our door. Now, that snow is all melted and the dandelions are singing the praises for the moisture. Well, and Quincy is also really loving all the mud out there.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Laughter! It's Good Medicine.


I have a funny cat! There was a cornflake box lying on the floor. Moses must have thought it looked like a good hideout. She ran across the floor and crammed herself into the cereal box. It would probably have worked well...if she could fit her body into the box. Only half of her fits inside the box....

She seems to have a fun sense of humor! Claustrophobic she is not....apparently.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Snow Day




School was cancelled today. It was the perfect treat for a Friday! The kids were instantly granted a three-day weekend! It was a lovely, lazy day. Even the cat got into watching the snow pile up outside.

This was the perfect kind of day for comfort food. The kind of food that is loaded with fat and carbohydrates! The ideal menu would include home baked macaroni and cheese. Of course I had to make some.


Baked Macaroni and Cheese


1 pound of dry pasta of your choice

2 cans cheddar cheese soup

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1.5 cups milk

2 handfuls cornflakes, crushed (optional)


cook the pasta according to package instructions. Combine cooked pasta, cans cheese soup, milk and shredded cheddar cheese. Place mixture into your favorite casserole dish. Top with crushed cornflakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Enjoy!~

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Into the Mist-ic




We are all eagerly anticipating the arrival of a big winter storm. This veil of fog must be the prelude. It sure made for some BEAUTIFUL scenic shots. I really enjoyed the cool, heavy mist. It felt good on my skin.
I feel so very blessed to live in such a beautiful place on the planet! I felt so happy to be alive this morning driving through the mist. I had to almost laugh out loud because I had the radio on for background noise. The morning DJ's were growling about the "crummy weather"..... I LOVE this kind of weather...maybe I would feel differently if we didn't also get a nice mix of sunshine, too. The heavy fog this morning was a super treat for ALL of my senses...yes! Even olfactory.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Here Kitty, Kitty!


It's hard to believe that Moses has been with us for nearly a year. She has really become a part of our family. Last night, we couldn't find her. All of us worried that something really had happened to her. Thankfully, we found her this morning....in the garage. Why hadn't we thought to even check there? We were just glad she was safe. I'm glad to have her snuggled on my bed again tonight.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

An Outing

The lighting is fantastic!

If he tosses in a nickel, does that mean he gets five wishes?

He's pretty sure he DOES get five wishes. I wonder what he wished?

Tempting fate at the outdoor waterfall. He dipped the toe of his shoe into the water.

Even more temptation! Running on the rocks! No matter how much I threatened that he might fall in, he could not stop running.
TThis snap pretty much sums it all up. a trip to Starbucks, a trip to the bookstore and a recent purchase, sunshine, photographs, comfortable blue jeans, cell phone, relaxing, happy kid playing...
....life is good.

I just love falling water.....

...and shadow play....

I love Park Meadows Mall. I absolutely LOVE the lighting inside the mall. The light and the warm, rich wood and ironwork all play together really well for a treat for the eye. It really is a beautiful mall. I think not everyone goes there just to see the lighting...LOL


Sometimes, when I feel a need for inspiration, I love to just go there to hang out, get a coffee and people watch. Lately, though, I've had Little Bit in tow and his energy level is at an all-time high these days...he is constantly on high. His favorite thing is to make wishes at the water features. The water features in this mall are really lovely. They look like an outdoor setting. Well, one of the features IS outdoors in the open air part of the mall.

Friday, April 10, 2009

A Cup! A Cup! A Cup! A Cup! A Cup! Ahhhhh!

I do enjoy a good, strong cuppa!


I just loved this little set of demi tasses! You can't see the colors here...(maybe in a later post I'll share another photo of them) They are all different colors...delicious colors! Like, butterscotch and chocolate!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Under The Weather


He's feeling pretty puny. He got to lie around and nap and watch some serious cartoons all day. I feel pretty sad for him as he woke up this morning and the first thing out of his mouth was, "I really, really, really, really, really want a cheeseburger!"
I knew if I got him a cheeseburger, though, we'd see it again. eeeeewwwww! So right now, we're trying hard to keep pedialyte and saltines in him. So far, so good.