Jan's Bag

Here are views of the bag I made for my friend Jan, of Summer Sundays.  She is also part of the magic that is Leola's.

Today Is A Good Day

Today is the first day that feels like a dreary fall/winter kinda day.....and I love it!  Yes, ever since I retired from teaching at the end of last spring, I've been waiting for a cold rainy morning that I don't have a thing planned and can make the day my own.  Not a weekend day, but a Monday!  It's days like today that I feel simply giddy about my new retired life.  I started today (after the paper and coffee by the fire) by putting together yarns to make a scarf for Sheri's chemo challenge.  Sheri's blog is The Shabby Sheep, and she has challenged knitters to make scarves and hats for ladies going through chemo (as she currently is).  I found two lovely, and very soft wools in my yarn stash that I'm combining.  I will probably tie on some other yarns along the edges when finished.

Then I decided it would be a good day to make some crock pot chili.  I use ground turkey, diced tomatoes, chopped onion, salsa, cumin, chili powder, and throw in some red pepper flakes for good measure.  I cook mine on low for about six hours.

I'm a coffee kinda gal, but days like today make me drag out the teapot.  I love the ritual of boiling the water, then I pour it over the loose tea in my little brewing pot.  Oh!  There I am...can you see my reflection in the teapot?  As I'm blogging right now, I'm enjoying a nice cup of orange chocolate tea.

Tomorrow I have another excellent day planned.  If I'm not too lazy, I will snap a few photos and share them with you!  Now I'm off to do my yoga routine, finish my current hooked bag, and enjoy a bit of reading.  It will then be time for my hubby to return home from teaching his evening photography class, and we'll enjoy a bowl of chili with a nice bit of cabernet................life is good.  Oh.....of course you know things aren't always like this, but it's  nice to savor the moments where everything just seems to be working.  You know what I mean.

Under Construction

One more baggy just about done.  Construction is always my challenge, but I like finding better and easier ways to put it all together.  This one is spoken for, and I'll know where it lives and will get to visit it from time to time.

It's A Challenge!

I'm very excited to participate in the dottie angel challenge!  The challenge is to try  and go 365 days without buying anything new for your closet or to decorate your home.  Handcrafted items are fine.  I have been leaning in this direction for awhile now.  The home is not a problem, don't think I've bought anything new in at least a year.  The wardrobe shouldn't be too challenging until spring.  But, you know, I just really have enough clothes as it is.  I cleaned out my closet and drawers about a month ago.....well.....this is a little embarrassing, but found an old favorite cardigan that I thought I'd left somewhere last winter.  It was pushed back behind jeans and some other sweaters on the top shelf of my closet.  In fact, I was perusing a catalog sometime back with replacing it in mind.  Thank goodness there was nothing that sang out to me as sweetly as that somewhat (5 years or so) old little sweater.  I cancelled most of the catalogs I was getting a year ago, mainly because that was just extra to haul to the recycling center each month.  So, that's a temptation I don't have sitting around (sometimes, late a night, and a glass of wine, I've found myself the owner of a new top or two).  Anyway, this is very good for me, and the cute little dottie angel button on my sidebar is the perfect reminder to keep me in line!  Oh...I am allowing myself the purchase of a new black bra (I really do need this!), and the occasional repurposed vintage treasure from Leola's.  I just can't go cold turkey!!! 

PARADISE

It's Gone and I Miss It

This is my latest little bag, and I put it in DB Designs for sale.  Well, it sold the first day, which is very nice and all......but I kind of miss it.  It was my favorite, plus I didn't really anticipate it's selling that fast.  I thought it would be fun to have it somewhere, I could visit it for awhile, and eventually I would pick it up, bring it home, and it would be mine to carry!  Anyway, I thought I would share my "use ta be" bag with you, and I hope whoever has this little sweet purse now will love it and give it a nice home with lots of TLC.