the voice of Spring...

Top o' the mornin' to ya!
I wasn't wearing a bit of green when these photos were taken,
but I can assure you I am today. ;)
After all, I am a wee bit Irish.

We've been enjoying such lovely weather in my neck of the woods!

It makes me want to sing "Spring, Spring, Spring!"

(You know from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers?)
I just love living in an area that really gets a good dose of all four seasons.
Each season has it's own unique joys.
I delight in watching for the tender green shoots that push their way through the moist ground.
Soon we shall have daffodils {my very favorite Springtime bulb} spreading their sunshine & bringing cheer.
Yesterday was so delightfully warm I was able to hang my laundry out on the line for the first time this year. Nothing beats the smell of line dried fabric. After all that is what dryer sheets attempt to mimic oft times!
I can't wait for the first thunderstorm of the year!
They always make me want to huddle up with a cup of tea & some knitting, or a good book...
Or a good movie if the electricity stays on. :)
This time of year we always break out my DVDs of Rosemary & Thyme.
The beautiful gardens featured in the series always make me itch to get my hands in the dirt.

 

Although, I wear pastels all year round,

I'm especially fond of them in the Spring.
{Seriously, what gal isn't?!}

 



This outfit isn't really true to any particular era.
I would consider it more "vintage inspired".
Well, that is probably what category  most of my clothing would fall into.
Although, I actually don't always wear vintage inspired either.
Sometimes I wear overalls & a peasant blouse,
 or skinny or trouser jeans & a sweater or button down shirt.
My taste in clothing is rather wide & varied,
as illustrated on my adorn {Spring & Summer} Pinterest board.
As a 90's kid, I'm also crazy about floral prints.
(As illustrated in my blog theme.)

 Anyhoo. This is one of my favorite vintage inspired getups.

I made the pieces of this ensemble last year.

You may remember my Land Girl Cabled Cardigan.
It is such a staple in my wardrobe.
I wear it at least 3 times a week.
Of course, I won't as soon as the weather gets much warmer.
My plan is to make one in lavender & perhaps pale pink as well for the next sweater season.
 



 

My 6 year old niece, Abbey, gave me this sweet brooch for my birthday last year.

It's made of teeny-tiny shells. I just love the colors, and the sweet girl who gave it to me. :)

The tank top came from Debbie Bliss' Amalfi book. I bought the Amalfi yarn on etsy for a super deal since the yarn has been discontinued. It's a lovely blend of cotton, viscose, linen, & silk.  I had loved this yarn the first time I saw it in the Spring/Summer 2010 issue of Debbie Bliss Knitting Magazine. 

I remember reading that the color palette of this line was inspired by the 1950's.

Yes, please!

Unfortunately, at the time that it was out of my price range.

So, I was ever so thankful to find such a great deal.

I went a little hog-wild searching etsy, eBay, & Ravelry for more good deals.

I found some in a beautiful duck egg hue from which I made this cardi.

Also, a darker blue for this boatneck sweater {soon to be featured in another post}.  

 I have 6 skeins in a fun limey green colorway that will hopefully get knitted up this season!

 



 

This skirt was made from Simplicity 2367

with some fabric I bought at Walmart for something like $3/yard.

The print is quite mid-century styled, don't you think?

It's a very nice heavy-ish cotton fabric with a bit of a linen-like texture to it.

(I believe it came from the home décor clearance section.)

If I remember correctly is was around 50" wide too, so it only took around a yard to make the skirt. With the fabric I had left over I cut out a wide brim hat that I thought would be nice for gardening, though I haven't sewn it up yet.

 

***

 

So, I've been thinking a lot about becoming more organized with my blogging.

{And life in general, but that's besides the point.}

I can be hopelessly nonchalant about things sometimes,

and things are just not getting done like they should.

So, my plan is to post at least every Tuesday.

I may have some random posts sprinkled in here & there in between, but I want to make sure I get in at least one good post per week. I really don't think that's too much to ask of myself! ;)

Also, I think I need to write some lists. Lists are good right?

*Things I want to make

*Things I need to make

*Ideas for post series

 

Oh, and another thing, I want to be more thoughtful in my posts.

As a person who is not very wordy it can be very hard for me to even realize what I'm thinking or how I feel about something. I have to realize that sometimes I won't be able to write a post all in one sitting. Sometimes I'll have to save it as draft for later so I can mull things over in my mind. (This post for instance took me about 3 days.) And that's ok!

 

Well, I think I've officially blathered on long enough. ;)

 

Thank you all so much for your sweet comments on my previous post.
The prayers & kind words mean ever so much. 

Enjoy the sunshine {& the rain} that accompany this lovely season, my dears.

"We plough the fields, and scatter the good seed on the land;
But it is fed and watered by God's almighty hand:
He sends the snow in winter, the warmth to swell the grain,
The breezes and the sunshine, and soft refreshing rain.
 All good gifts around us
Are sent from heaven above,
Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord
For all His love"

{Old English Hymn}

 



{Photos snapped by Kelsey & edited by Yours Truly.}

something's missing...

{Photo Source}

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time,

you've probably realized that I'm rather a girl of few words.

I prefer to let the pictures do the talking with just a wee bit of commentary sprinkled in.

It's just the way I am, I guess.

 

This post, however, will feature only one pic, and it's not me or anything I made.

(It's Lucille Ball being her hilarious self.)

 

Last Wednesday I lost something.

Well, I didn't lose it,

I brought it home so I could show it to my niece & nephews,

it's just no longer a part of me.

 

One of my front teeth had to be removed.

There. I said it.

Long story short:

The tooth was defective ever since it grew in when I was a kiddo.

It has given me nothing but trouble ever since.

Recurring infection, a root canal, & one other oral surgery later...

my body finally decided the tooth no longer deserved to be a part of me...

because of this the bone part of the root had started to break up,

and the gum, with less & less to hold onto, started to recede so...

the gimpy tooth had to go.

 

Eventually, I will have a permanent implant.

But, I had some bone loss which they are fixing now with some bone grafting.

I know, feel sorry for me. ;)

Actually, that part isn't really as bad as it sounds.

They just packed some grafting powder up there.

When they first mentioned bone grafting I envisioned part of my elbow

or something being cut out & transplanted into my mouth.

 

So, now I get to wear a temporary false tooth on a retainer type thing.

(The call it a flipper. That doesn't sound very technical to me, though.)

Thankfully, they did a wonderful job matching my other tooth.

I think it looks quite natural!

(I'm actually wearing it in the previous post. See if you can spot the imposter! hee hee)

I wouldn't say it's comfortable, but it's not unbearable either.

I think my speech is only slightly affected.

I've learned I shouldn't chew gum while wearing it...

and I'm not supposed to bite with it.

It's all fork & knife eating for me. Very proper!
You want to know what I really miss?
Biting into a perfectly toasted English muffin.
All wonderful with little lagoons of melted butter.

 

 

I was ever so nervous in the days leading up to The Extraction.

I loathe having work done on my teeth.

(Probably since I've had so much of it!)

I've been known to be so tense I hold my breath...

and pass out.

{Embarrassing.}

 

Thanks be to God, on the actual day I felt remarkable calm.

My family were all praying for me

so I have no doubt that was the source of the blessed peace.

 

There was really no pain to speak of.

Apart from the initial prick of the anesthetic needle.

The tooth came out very easily & all in one piece.

(Thanks again, Lord!)

 

I felt all of seven years old again.

Unable to properly make 'f', 'v', & 'th' sounds.

(By the way, 's' is no trouble at all, so the song

"All I want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth"

 isn't accurate. Just sayin'.)

 

This whole process will be months long.

At first, when I didn't realize how long this could take

I joked that it was too bad it wasn't closer to Halloween.

Just think of all the great costumes: Pirate, Hillbilly, Hockey Player...

It was just a joke, but now it could be closer to reality.

(So be sure to tell me if you think of any good costumes.)

;) haha!

 

Well, I'm not really sure why I felt the need to post about this.

Hopefully I didn't make anyone ill.

(Maybe I should've put a warning at the beginning.) :P

I guess I was just thinking how this is a pretty big...

gee, I'm not even sure what to call it...

Trial? Experience? Occurrence?

Well, let's just say it's kind of a big deal in my life right now.

I thought maybe it would be good to share it with my blogging friends.

 

So, if you've made it this far thanks for listening. :)

You're a peach!

 

 

 

 

 

1940's feedsack peasant blouse & knit peplum jacket...

 Some outfits I wear feature one or two articles of clothing that I made.
(While some don't feature one stitch of me-made!)
This particular ensemble is completely made by moi!
Well, apart from the shoes.
(Laura Ashley from Bergners, I think.)



 

I think my knit peplum jacket goes quite well with this 1940's look.

The pattern is designed by Debbie Bliss and called the Edwardian Jacket.

I made this a few months back.

I bought the yarn at a local yarn store on my birthday last year!

They were having a super good sale so I got a super deal.

(Happy birthday to me!)

;)

I actually wore this jacket with my Beatrix Potter costume.

You can just see it in the last photo of that post.

 

The yarn is an oh-so-soft Merino wool & cashmere blend.
I just love the color. It's called pale mauve,
but I think of it more as a pale orchid.

 

Under my cuddly jacket I'm wearing this peasant blouse I made from a vintage feedsack.

 

I purchased both the pattern & the feedsack from Lilia at Pantry Door.

 I also bought 3 of this delicious feedsack!

 

Soon to be a 1940's style dress.
(Hopefully this Spring!)

But I digress...

The blouse is quite short, and doesn't really like to stay tucked in.
No directing traffic or assisting a plane in landing in this outfit. No, Sir-ee!
I may eventually add a band of fabric to the bottom just to help it behave itself.
The skirt I made from a remnant of black flannel I bought at Joann Fabrics.
It had the ruffle on there ready made!
There was just enough to fit comfortably around my *ahem* bum with just a 1/4" seam.
It is only very lightly gathered onto a yoke-type waistband.
While it's perhaps not exactly what I had envisioned when planning a skirt to go with this blouse,
I think it goes quite well and is rather flattering, though I say it myself. ;)

***
I haven't placed that yarn order yet to finish up my Victory Jumper.
I just know as soon as I do & receive my "order shipped" email
I'll remember there was something else I needed to order too!
(Does anyone else do that, or is that just me?)
In the meantime here is what I've started.

I need to make a couple baby sweaters for gifts too.
This beautiful light blue tweed yarn was just begging to be made into this lovely sweater.
Isn't that little collar the dearest little thing?

{Photos of me snapped by my sister Kelsey}

sunshine on flowers...

It snowed again on Sunday.

We, again, weren't able to make it to church.

We had some freezing rain last night,

but it's supposed to get up to 40* today.

So our plans are merely postponed rather than cancelled today.

 

Aside to that one aforementioned downside of the snow,

I was ever so thankful to see some more of the stuff.

Snow this time of year is almost as precious as Christmas snow.

(I did say almost.)

You never know if it may be the last time you see it 'til next winter.

 



 

Because, sure as the sun will rise tomorrow,

Spring is on it's way.

How do I know?

***

"While the earth remains,

Seedtime and harvest,

And cold and heat,

And summer and winter,

And day and night

Shall not cease."

Genesis 8:22

 

What a faithful God we serve.

***

 

Isn't this carnation lovely?

Such a vintage-y pink color.

Grandma Lou's wedding bouquet was carnations,

so they hold a special place in my heart.

Of course, it's indisputably acknowledged that daisies are the friendliest flower.

But, I do think these are rather chummy themselves. ;)

 



 

My paper snowflakes will soon be coming down & packed away 'til December.

Isn't my new cloud pillow the cuteness?

It has a sad face on t'other side.

(75% off clearance at Hallmark, what?!)

 

***

 

Well, I suppose one good thing about the freezing rain...

it gave me a chance to write this meandering little post.

^_^

Watch your step - it's slippery out there!

Aunt G's fox scarf...

What a delightfully quick knit this adorable faux stole was!

Although, the original pattern was in some sort of Scandinavian language

so the translation was less than perfect.

(As if knit speak weren't confusing enough at times! haha!)

Looking at other's examples on Ravelry proved a big help!

I modified the head shape, ears, & face coloring.

 

 

I embroidered the eyes & nose with some black yarn I had leftover from another project.

I decided on embroidery rather than buttons.

(Sometimes buttons can look a little spooky.)

 

 

I sent Aunt G a pic & she said that she loves it. :D

 

Knit in Knit Picks Brava Sport in Paprika & Cream

 

***

Email me if you are interested in placing a custom order for your own fox scarf!

$20 (+ shipping) in Premium Acrylic

$25 (+ shipping) in Washable Wool

 (75%Superwash Merino Wool, 25%Nylon)

 

{Photos by Momma}