Swiftly

Not a lot of words today. I just wanted to share this picture with you of my little helper curiously watching as my second hank of Berroco Lustra is wound into a ball.

Appreciation

Things for which I am grateful:

• Cats on my windowsill
• lots of quilts on my bed
• a sweetie who loves me dearly
• cold outside, cozy inside
• lots of yarn
• a stack of wonderful patterns
• payday is soon!

One World One Heart

UPDATE...The WINNER IS NANC! CONGRATULATIONS, NanC! I hope you enjoy your french press prize package!

Hey! Guess what?!?! It's that time again! That's right! A little birdie reminded me yesterday of this wonderful Blogging event called One World One Heart. It's designed to unite the blogging community.

Since I have this HUGE love for coffee, I wanted my giveaway to be centered around .... well .... COFFEE.... So! This is the gift package I have come up with and YOU can win it! All you have to do is leave me a comment with your name and a link to your blog (if you have one) and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! you MUST leave me a way to contact you should you be the lucky winner! I will select the winner on February 15th At 12:00 MT....so come on! I know you want to play along here! Jump on the magic carpet ride and fly around the world with us! It's as easy as leaving a comment!

Touchy Feely

I'd just finished my "Just Enough Ruffles" scarf by Laura Chau ... and no sooner laid it down, when Jack hopped upon it to snuggle into it. I can't say that I blame him one single bit. The yarn is Brown Sheep Company's Lanaloft and is surprisingly soft and of course it is warm. :) The pattern was a relatively quick knit and I absolutely LOVE the finished product. More photos of the scarf to follow.....

Many thanks to Jason who fixed my computer and helped me get back online....I was suffering withdrawals. I'm glad to be back!

xoxo

Ms. Java

A Little Celebration

Rachel celebrated a birthday last week. I've driven by this shop so many times. I was dying to try it...so I surprised her by stopping by. I was so curious to see the inside of this shop! Better yet...I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into some cake!


Do you see us in the reflection?


The decor is very girlie! The walls are very soft pink and .... well, Parisian! I loved it! It was very comfortable.

This is our cute little table. I absolutely loved how the sun streamed through the windows. I think Rachel did, too, because we both kept exclaiming, "This place is SOOOOO cute!" or..."Oh my GOSH! I JUST love this little shop!"

We each ordered the Chocolate Cherry cupcakes. The cake was perfectly moist and the density was perfect. The icing was delicious. The cherries were reported to have been imported from Italy. It was the perfect blend of yum. And just look at the adorable dishes!

Here is the birthday girl with her giftie from me...I wonder what it could be?

Why! It's MITTENS....handknit, in Rachel's favorite color of blue, of course!

YAY! She told me she really hoped she would get some mittens.

Rachel had never had french press coffee before. It was time she was shown the ropes. After letting the coffee steep for 5 minutes, she pressed them to the bottom of the carafe and filled her cup.

Not bad, eh?

We lingered for a while after our treats were gone.....and sipped sparkling mineral water
(another first for Rachel).

It was such a lovely afternoon for both of us. I was so glad to be part of Rachel's special day. Thank you for letting me share in your day! I hope your day was extra special, Rachel!

Wintery Blues

With sub-zero temperatures freezing our nosehairs together inside our nostrils and warm, woolen mittens merely slowing Jack Frost a bit, we quickly understood the meaning of the words arctic blast. But when the sun came out, I was awed by how a little amber glow could change the way things look.

New beginnings can be so many things. They can be sad, frightening or amazing. At the beginning of this new year, I am feeling a little bit of all of those things.

I feel sad for what was. I feel excited for what will be.

I will celebrate a milestone birthday this year and that as me thinking a lot about a lot!

In 2009, I:

• made three long roadtrips, alone, (well, with Quincy!)
• three of my five kids started Orthodontic treatment
• got my passport
• travelled to Canada with my long-time friend, Shelly and her parents
• got a new-to-me-car
• got engaged
• finished to flooring in my kitchen
• made several new quilts
• completed knitted bedcovers for my kids
• learned to knit socks
• scored some really cool thrifted items
• officially launched my Etsy site
• enjoyed several holiday events

Of course, these are not my only accomplishments...nor are they necessarily my greatest accomplishments. They are memorable. I look forward to this year and the new twists and turns I may encounter along the way. I know some will be HUGE! And some will be meaningless. I do hope they are memorable and that I learn something from each experience.

Thank you for reading!

XOXO!

Ms. Java