Off thrifting...

Today is my day, 9-5 solo thrifting..wishing my good buddy Cindy was with me to un-earth some finds with me....hunting for pink pyrex today...this is the ice cream scoop Cindy found for me in Nelson last week...as well as a few treasures from her collection! Hoping wherever you are, you are having a lovely day!

On my knitting needles,

Once a week, I go to a knitting group here where we live in AZ..these lovely ladies are talented knitters..they share their expertise so freely as well as give me encouragement and relate wonderful stories..I imagine this scene is repeated in many places all around the world..gathering together, helping each other out and sharing new ideas..here is what is on my needles at the moment..a vest..simple, yet in the loveliest, softest and most beautiful merino yarn I could find..it grows row by row..outside under the shade of the umbrella, inside at night listening to music, you can her my knitting needles clicking away..a sweet sound.





Learning to wind the yarn so it has a centre pull on a beautifully hand turned
nostepinne.

Pincushions...page 100

Yesterday after I received the book I ordered " Everything goes with Ice cream" I just had to make Koralee's adorable pincushion..reminders of her grandma..maybe these will be a nice gift for Claire to remember me by...{one of many I hope}
There are pages & pages of such wonderful photography of her ice cream recipes...as well as sweet little items to create and share....here are a few pincushions I made..I even crocheted a little cap for a couple of them....hope they might you smile....
















You can buy Koralee's book HERE

I love this book❤

I had ordered this book as soon as my friend Koralee said it was available. "Everything goes with Ice Cream" ❤ Each page is happy and joyful...filled to the brim with ice cream treats that will make your mouth water and scream for ice cream! I will be spending a few of my evening reading this sweet book! I was busy making something out of the book I will share with you tomorrow...stay tuned!


You can buy the book HERE
Everything goes with ice cream - yet we understand that the perfect dessert for all of us is not always a big bowl of ice cream. Not everyone loves ice cream, as hard as it is to believe! Which is why Everything Goes with Ice Cream is the book for all of us. It does, of course, have the easy-to-make homemade ice cream, but it also has 176 pages filled with other ideas for making a summertime snack covered in made-from-scratch sea blue candy sprinkles; s'mores and hot chocolate for winter; or an ooey gooey dessert whose magic ingredient is, of course, chunky chocolate fresh raspberry ice cream. Simple projects fill the pages too, including tiny candles made in tea cups, miniature no-sew cake banners, party pom poms, heart-shaped button covers for a special party blouse, and so many more.
Everything Goes with Ice Cream is filled with cute ideas, a fun layout, and fabulous photography to make you as happy as you are on a summer day with your grammy's fresh peach ice cream pops covered in orange frosting sprinkles!
Baking and creating has always been a part of Koralee Teichroeb’s life. Many childhood hours spent in her Grandma’s kitchen is where it all began. She can usually be found in the kitchen with her camera; her creative side has now discovered the joys of photography. Koralee’s baking and photographs have been found in the pages of Where Women Cook, where she fills her column “Joy Making Days” with yummy treats and ideas to share with those you love. Koralee’s photographs, paired with her little bits of daily wisdom, can be found on her creative blog Bluebird Notes (http://www.bluebirdnotes.blogspot.com), where she shows us that it is the little things in life that really matter. Koralee lives in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada with her husband, three girls, and a son-in-law who all eagerly taste test her creations.

Mud Fog Studio

These are just a few of the amazing pieces that came out of my sister Caroline's studio this week...Her artistic eye is so evident in the shapes and glazes she uses..please stop in and say hello to her and Karen at Mud Frog Studio

A little birdie...

I crocheted this little bird from Lucy's pattern from Attic 24. It was such a sweet fun project to do, using up all those small bits of yarn.

Hiking...

This was the view that greeted us outside our door yesterday..really, who comes to Arizona to see snow at the lower elevations? Even the golf match had to be suspended in Tucson for a day...we made good use of the day..tried in new hiking boots at REI...our goal is to hike 250 miles before we head back to BC in early April...I have worn a pair of hiking shoes out already...they lasted 188 miles....I am sure we will hike those extra miles and see some amazing desert wildflowers with in the next 7 weeks.










Ocotillo cacti starting to leaf out..the first sign of spring in the desert.

Colors for today..

These are the colors I am loving today..soft and subtle..do you have a favorite color?❤

Faded Beauty...

The last of the roses...
"Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the soul."
Luther Burbank

Quiet pastimes...

Knitting and crocheting fill me with joy... if I have made a mistake and have to rip it out, I try to think about it as a learning curve...that I am keeping my mind active..to me that is a good thing..a simple scarf on my needles in the softest yarn you can imagine { made from sugar cane } as well as coasters made of cotton yarn to give as a gift...what have you been crafting lately?

Treasures

We dropped in and browsed at my favorite Antique mall last week, always have my camera with me to snap a few shots..none came home with me....yet!❤ just saying......

Zippered pouches❤ Made by hand...

These beautifully made zippered pouches are made in Canada..bought on line at Bookhou. Hand stamped images on linen..they are a work of art. I made the felted stone and the coral is from Sri Lanka...do you support handmade?

Happy weekend

The sun is shining here this morning, the weather is warming up and soon the flowers will be blooming in the desert..what a beautiful day it will be.
A breakfast treat... Bisquick Cinnamon Rolls..yummy! I hope you will have a wonderful weekend.❤

Bonbons

These sweet little balls of yarn are called Bonbons from Lion Brand . I ordered them from their website as I have not seen them in any stores.
I put them all together in my pyrex bowl and I think they look like a small, colorful cake! The colors I chose are called " pastels and brights." I am excited to craft with theses small little bundles of joy.❤ Wouldn't these be a perfect gift for someone learning to crochet or knit?

Joy and love, always and always❤

Happy Valentine's Day, may it be sweet!

Socks finished❤

It is amazing that these socks got finished..am so grateful they are off my needles and will warm my feet. It is with much praise for my group of lady knitters that helped me achieve this {feat!} Especially to Sandy and Hilary...they always took the time to help me out..I figured it out, with the cost of the classes I have taken, the wool, the needles, these socks are worth about $80.00. $40.00 per foot, or sock, depending which way you look at it.!
I must say I am rather pleased.❤

Trail Finds..

Our hiking has continued and we are getting close to having hiked 175 miles since we started November 5. I pick up all kinds if things on the trail as we go along, some worth keeping, others like plastic water bottle caps head into the garbage..since most of the trails are part of the mining camps, we come across some treasures, especially after it rains..old shells, glass, rocks, feathers, china tea cup, leather bezel from a bridle, a washer...I am so please to say that the trails are always almost litter free..such a good way to hike, leaving no mark.

Soft light❤

Getting the right light to photograph these photos can be tricky, just like chasing the sunlight around the house for the perfect spot..how do you think I did?

Playing with color.

With this wonderful free printable download HERE as well as playing with my water colors and pencil crayons, I had a lot of fun in my craft room today!

Verde Valley Railroad

We had a wonderful 4 hours on the train, traveling thru some amazing country...just west of Sedona lies Cottonwood, a historic little town that has some amazing antiques shops..as well as a tasty bakery! Staying overnight was a good thing, giving us time to travel up to Jerome as well as taking Hwy 260 thru Strawberry, Pine, Payson and home via Fountain Hills.
















Verde Canyon Railway

Friday Finds❤

Actually, I found this sweet little deer yesterday....perched on top of a pink pyrex bowl, she makes an adorable addition to my growing little deer collection..hoping you all have a wonderful weekend.

Where Women Create Blog, ❤featured

I am thrilled to have been featured....thank you Jo for featuring my picnic baskets.
My vintage metal picnic baskets from craft room back in BC have been featured in Jo Packham's wonderful blog, Where Women Create
I was encouraged to send in my craft room photos my sweet friend Koralee from Bluebird Notes
I have a growing collection of metal picnic baskets that I use for craftroom storage. I also use them to make as a Picnic Basket gift with either vintage melamine dishes or mis-matched china. Such fun to search for thrifted goodness, such as, tablecloths, napkins and cutlery that are all put back into service..Cindy helps me collect metal tins for the cutlery, she searches for just the right size, like the plaid one featured..they are always cherished when given as gifts.

Country Living, English Style ❤

Spring surely must be in the air when all the magazine are featuring such beautiful transition scenes such as this cosy living room to these amazing felted birds..makes me long for snow drops and tulips.








Country Living UK Magazine March 2013

Creamy White Love❤

With mid afternoon light filtering thru the window, this windowsill is the perfect place to give this corner of the room a bit of style.

Hearts❤

I was looking at some photos I took a while back and they still make me smile..hearts have always been a favorite of mine..do you have something that makes you happy from year to year?