What are you thankful for today?

My list is very lengthy -





My husband, my kids, my animals, my home, the beauty of the world around me, the cool air on my face this morning, the bat that flew by me when I took my dogs out in the still-almost-dark.





I'm thankful I have a job, and enough $$ to live. I'm thankful that I also get to create beautiful things. I'm thankful for my support - my friends - the Natural Kids Team.





They keep me going.

Thank you to my Natty Sisters!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Knitted Pony Giveaway

Visit the Natural Kids Blog for a chance to win a knitted pony, by me, Woolies! You can choose
your color too! Your pony will be knit just for you!




!

Busy Busy!

It's that time of year - the weather FINALLY isn't in the 90's! Craft Fairs galore! Last weekend did a 3 day fair that benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters - check out the link! (On the site, there's even a link to my shops). So much fun!

My big news is that I was invited to be a vendor at the Tucson Museum of Art's Holiday Craft Market next weekend, another 3 day fair. Watching the news on TV last night and there was a TV ad for the fair!! Wow! And I'm scared to death that I don't have enough Woolies inventory!

So just wanted to say hi, I'm sorry I've been incognito! Here's some pics of recent work:!

Have a great weekend!

Uncle Bill

My Uncle Bill died this week; he was my father's younger brother. End of a dynasty. So many stories, a lot of tragedy amongst this famly. All the siblings now gone.

The one good thing about his death is that I get to reconnect with some of my cousins. My love to Patsy and Laurie, and Polly, whose Dad, Uncle Don, died over 40 years ago. I wonder if the 3 brothers and their sister are reunited in heaven?

I've promised my cousins to stay in touch, and I know we will. Love to them.

Quilting

One day, I want to learn how to quilt. There are some amazing quilters on Etsy - Look at these beauties:

Rag Quilt from pandjcrafts!

Pincushion!

Julie specializes in rag quilts. I actually have a tote like the one above (only in pinks) that lugs all my knitting around. I love it!

So...one day....

Well, maybe I'll stick to knitting.

WIP

Work in Progress:

1 pink sheep

1 blue sheep

1 gigantic woolies bunny twice the size of my usual woolies bunnies

1 little gnome that I can never seem to get finished

And, yet to be on knitting needles

1 smaller woolies bunny identical to the gigantic woolies bunny

1 white sheepie with a black face

1 zebra, organic cotton, with red sweater.

Plus, gigantic 3 day craft fair in 3 weeks. Smaller craft fair this weekend. New shop in town that wants to carry my Woolies on consignment. Pending wholesale order (keeping fingers crossed).

SOOOO took off from my day job this week so I can work my Other Job. I might never get off the couch. knitknitknitknitknitknitknitknit

Want to come hang out with me??

Incognito

I seem to have vanished from my blog. My newly reclusive ways are transferring themselves to my blog?

A lot has been going on. A lot of difficult stuff. So I guess I found it hard to be lighthearted.

I wonder if my blog has missed me?

Anyway, I'm back to regular posting now. Promise.

Wild Life in the Desert

One of the things I do love about where we live is the wildlife.

I love the tarantulas. See my latest pics HERE. So Cute!!

I love seeing the coyotes and bobcats - no pictures to share as they are too quick for me.

The rattlesnakes scare me to death - no pictures, I'm too busy screaming. Although here are some pics of another snake HERE

I adore all the wild bunnies - see HERE

But one of most majestic of the desert wildlife are the hawks. A couple days ago, I was sitting in my little office, which looks out onto the front of our house. We have a few very big old mesquite trees. And a wonderful visitor came to hang out for a while. I took a LOT of pictures, hope you enjoy them. He (she?) never took his eyes off of me. I think he was trying to decide if I was too big to eat. I talked softly to him the whole time, and he just sat there. I walked away before he flew away.

He's probably about 2 feet tall.

I think he is a Harris Hawk, perhaps a juvenile (due to his spotted breast).

Amazing.

When I was a kid

When I was a kid, I was a tomboy, as my Mom said. I played with my brother and his friends - we climbed trees - I was always up in a tree. We rode bikes. I rode horses and ponies wildly, and when I wasn't on a horse, I was pretending to BE a horse. Dirt and sticks and stones were my friends.

There is one picture of me though, pushing a doll in a baby carriage. Seriously? My hair is even neatly braided. No Way. I need to find that picture and frame it. :)

Sooo - I rarely played with dolls, if at all (unless you believe that one picture, which I don't). Is this why I am now fascinated with dolls of all sorts??

For example, I really really really want this one............

I don't even want to tell you where to find her. (fairiesnest) (there, I put that in there so that if you want to buy her for me for my birthday in November, you can....).

This guy would be awesome to take on adventures! You can find him at Merrydale Dolls, but I'd rather you didn't. :)

This adorable little cutie I managed to snag, from Princess Nimble Thimble. I play with her a lot. When I'm supposed to be workiing, muhahahahah!

And here's one that I yearn for...................from Ruprecht.

And of course it didn't help that I have no girl children. So if you're ever wondering what to get me for a present, now you have some ideas!!

My Senior

His last year at home. How can that be? Wasn't he a baby just the other day?

I'm proud of my kid. He is strong and fierce, loves deeply and cares about ideals. Smart and Independent.

Hard to believe that one year from now, he'll not be living here anymore.

Wow.

An Invitation

When I first 'discovered' the handmade community (and I say 'discovered' like that, because really it was my Mom -when I was a little girl- that first introduced me to the wonderful world of handmade), I found a great blog to read, and I'd like to share this with you -



http://www.missmalaprop.com/



This is a really interesting blog, that highlights really fabulous finds - focusing on green and eco-friendly products, which is near and dear to my heart.

She is also based in New Orleans, and often writes about the difficulties that city has had to endure.



Recently, Mallory started another venture - Shop Miss Malaprop ! Where she decided to take blogging about her great finds just one step further - and offering them for sale.



Please take a minute and visit - you won't be disappointed!

Thanks!

Yes, it's still Summer

Ya gotta love the desert (NOT)..
Currently it is 100 degrees, feels like 103 due to humidity. It is thundering, and I've seen maybe 1-2 drops (SERIOUSLY, JUST DROPS) of rain.
But, when I went to check the forecast, I nearly fell over.
It SEEMS as if it may be under 90 degrees at some point this week!

From Weather.com:

10-Day Forecast for Tucson, AZ
TonightAug 24
Scattered T-Storms
N/A75°
40%

High not valid after 2pm
WedAug 25
Isolated T-Storms
97°73°
30%

97°F
ThuAug 26
Isolated T-Storms
97°72°
30%

97°F
FriAug 27
Isolated T-Storms
95°74°
30%

95°F
SatAug 28
Isolated T-Storms
88°71°
30%

88°F
SunAug 29
Partly Cloudy
89°71°
20%

89°F
MonAug 30
Isolated T-Storms
88°70°
30%

88°F
TueAug 31
Isolated T-Storms
90°70°
30%

90°F
WedSep 1
Sunny
94°71°
0%

94°F
ThuSep 2
Mostly Sunny
95°73°
10%

95°F



Don't worry, it will still be 100 degrees plus - it's only AUGUST!

oh, where is FALL? Crunchy leaves??

Etsy Front Page

Buster and boo was on the front page of Etsy last night! Of course, I was asleep and totally missed the excitement (free advertising, the best of the best), but a friend told me. Because I am, um, challenged! I cannot paste the picture here in the post - so I posted it over there

----------------------------------------->

for all to see.

The item featured was this:

and I've relisted it in my shop, in case anybody else feels they simply MUST have it.

thank you Etsy!

My Constant Companions

I knit. A Lot. And who is always lying right beside me?

Who prefers to be lying on the cool tile?

Who is naughty and leaves all their toys lying everywhere?

Who wants to go outside??

Who is very independent and loves to explore?

Who stays by my side, even when we're outside?

Who is getting better at coming when called?

And whose tail never stops wagging?

Who wants to go inside for TREATS??????? (please forgive the shoes, they stay outside by the back door...)

YAY, TREATS!

Are you a Collector?

When I was a kid - maybe 10 years old - we went on vacation to New Hampshire. I fell in love with the mountains, and the lakes. We stayed on Squam Lake, the same lake from On Golden pond. I've posted about it recently.

My mother loved arts and crafts, and took us to a wonderful place - the New Hampshire League of Arts and Crafts. There, I fell in love with handcrafts (well, I already did love those things, as my Mom sewed and knitted and made bookshelves...) - but handcarved miniatures took a special place in my heart that summer.

These bunnies were some of the first in my collection.

Which has grown over the years -

And I am always adding to it....

This is NOT the whole collection.........

Is there anything that you collect? I'd love to see!

by the way, there's a giveaway going on for BOTH of my shops - Woolies and Buster and boo - over at the rikrak studio.

Drop on by!

Rainbow

It's been a difficult summer. Lots of challenges. Is this a sign that there is something better on the horizon?

Or are more storms on the way?

The clouds cleared a bit, for now.

Creative Friday

My sister in law loves Giraffes, and I love my sister in law. I've been branching out into more - unusual stuffed animals - so here's the two newest for this week.

yep, giraffe.

and Mole, like from Wind in the Willows.

You can find both at Woolies. :)

this moment

A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see. (copyright SouleMama 2010) . Inspired by SouleMama and passed on to me by CoffeeShop Free Actions (Friday Photo Bliss)….why not leave your moment with them as well.

Fuzzy Wuzzy

Monsoon season brings out all sorts of summer-time friends. Have a visit with this guy, he was hanging out on our patio.

Tarantula.

Bigger than my hand.

My puppy was way toooo curious.

:)

Out the Window

We moved, 6 years ago, from the East coast, to the Southwest. Everything is different out here, even the birds. There are no robins. I miss them!

But, occasionally, we see familiar faces.

See him? A Cardinal. :)

Monsoon Season

Summer is hot in Tucson, Arizona. It is the Sonoran Desert. It is mystifyingly hot here sometimes. Ridiculous.

And don't believe that junk about "But, it's a dry heat!". When it's 105 degrees out, it is like an oven. And besides, in the summer, we have monsoon season. So it's humid, too.

Monsoons are completely wild and crazy storms. Thunder, lightning, high winds, hail. Tremendous amounts of rain can fall in very short periods of time. Dry washes and creekbeds can all of a sudden wash cars away. People drown every year cause they drive down a street that is flooded and get swept away. Crazy.

This monsoon season has been a big 'ol disappointment. Where's the STORMS? Where's the RAIN? It's hot and humid, and NOT ENOUGH STORMS.

We had our first one the other night. Middle of the night. I didn't get to see it. :(

THEN, finally, yesterday - RAIN. Thunder. I LOVE IT.

It was all over in about 15 minutes.

Sigh. Waiting for more.

(That's a giant saguaro cactus you see).

If I wasn't a bit worried about being struck by lightning (which also happens all the time out here), I would have been dancing in the downpour.

:)