Follow your heart…

Today is the last Friday of June, and I’m transferring over the last of the posts I’ve written for Magickwyrds since June of 2010 into my PC. I’ll be spending the first few weeks of July editing and formatting those files and making them into a book. It’s something I’ve had in the back of my mind since I started this blog- turning it into a book. I spent some time this spring researching the different on-line options, but I’ve decided to d it myself. It’s just a vague outline right now, but the first step is done- turning the posts into files on my computer. The next step is to decide what the pages of the book will look like and format the files to fit that image. I intend to do just one copy for myself, with a Japanese stab-binding (which I think is the most elegant of my options), a hand-bound linen covered davey board cover, and maybe some handmade paper end-papers.

I had a lot of trouble finding a source that would print the book to fit the image of it’s online formatting. I chose the colours and font of the blog myself, based on my favourite colours, and I was getting frustrated with the limited choices of the companies I found on-line. I fussed around with this project last summer, but didn’t come up with the idea a Japanese binding for it until this year. Oddly enough I found the idea in Bookcraft: Techniques for Binding, Folding, and Decorating to Create Books and More by Heather Weston, which I’ve read before, but this time one of the projects just jumped off the page and screamed at me- or maybe that was just the Faeries getting tired of hearing me fuss about “that dratted book” again…

Anyway- that’s the project for this summer. I hope to get it finished by my birthday- it’ll be my present to myself. In the meantime, I should let you all know that I’m thinking of changing the formatting of the blog this year- after I finish the book probably, unless I get brave. I’ve spent three years with this look, and I’ve read tons of other bloggers, and in that time I’ve gotten many ideas of how to make my little blog better. I think it’s time I made some improvements to this space.

So here’s a toast- to grand ideas! great expectations! and dreaming big! Happy Summer everyone… now get out there and follow your heart!

Horses, Roses, Kitties and Pie

This year for our anniversary we spent the weekend in a little mountain town called Julian- some of you might be familiar with the place. Well known for its Gold panning, Western shootouts, Apple Pie (for breakfast! Oh yes we did…) and roses. Tons and tons of roses:



Everywhere we went there was a rose bush, just bursting out all over with blooms! There were also lots of kitties- this one in particular was awful cute:



Did I mention the Tea shop?



Scrumptious! Curried chicken salad on toasted croissants, Pineapple Habanero cream cheese sandwiches, and the lightest scones with the most delectably crunchy tops! Yummy. I’m getting hungry just thinking about that tea. We had a Tea Party, just for two!

The town is also known for it’s horse drawn carriage rides. No ride for us, just lots of schmoozing with the locals:



This couple in particular was so sweet! Lots of horse talk, tail swishing and even a couple of steps our way! I love horses.

And last, but not least, is the hotel we stayed in:



This place was so adorable! A little bit Country, a lot of bit Victorian, with a dash of Mission/Craftsman thrown in here and there. Such a funny old building, with lots of little rooms chopped up into room-and-a-bath suites- tiny though! But beautifully decorated, with white wainscoting everywhere, pottery washing-up-pitcher-and-basins, and the loveliest white Battenburg Lace curtains! The curtains were what got me the most- I’ve always wanted “cottage” style curtains, two tiers, in white with lace sheers. Hmm…

It’s been a hoot, writing here on the ol’ Blog these past three years…THREE YEARS? Yup. This Saturday is the three year mark for Magickwyrds, and I have a mind to keep on writing for three more! Stay tuned for more crafting fun, sightseeing, gardening chores and who knows what else I’ll come up with next? Thanks to everyone who reads my little blogetty blog, and Happy Summer everyone!

Lazy Hazy Friday

I spent some time this morning before breakfast reorganizing the garden- there were lots of pots straggling around the balcony, dirt and dead leaves everywhere, and I had even found an empty window box stashed in the outside storage closet- empty of all things! There’s no empty planters in gardening now, is there? Honestly!

Ignore the paper bag- I like to fool myself into thinking it’s my compost heap!

I rather like the effect lining the edge of the railing with the window boxes has on the overall appearance out there- it’s like I’ve outlined the space with plants…

That big blue tray has got to go- and I need to find a saucer for the nasturtium nursery. Here’s a better shot of this corner-

There! Now it’s “artistic”!

I love my little balcony garden- it brings me such peace and quiet joy. I would like to find a few more plants this month, maybe some more herbs, and another rose would be nice. I’d like a trailing rose to train onto the balcony bars, but can’t decide between white or red? And I keep finding references to a “moonlight garden”, which I think would be lovely out here this summer- lots of white flowers, some that even open in the evening! We’ll see. I hope I can find room for some new things. We should do a head count- I have no idea how many plants are out there so far.

Let’s make a list!

1. Aloe
2. Lemon Verbena
3. Rosemary
4. Thyme
5. Pansy
6. (3) Stock
7. (2) Oregano
8. Pink Rose (There’s also some chamomile, or borage, I’ve forgotten which, in the base of that big pot, too.)
9. (2) Lavender
10. Sage
11. Basil
12. Lemon Balm
13. Snapdragon
14. Parsley
15. Chives
16. Spearmint
17. Catmint
18. Kitty Salad (aka wheatgrass)
19. Alyssum
20. Dianthus (aka Pinks. squee! I love the old fashioned flowers!)
21. Pink Geranium
22. Red Geranium
23. Morning Glory
24. Strawberries
25. Calendula

And even more Pansies back in the corner there. Also in that great big pot on the right are some sunflowers seeds, and a volunteer something-or-other. It could just be a weed, but I’m letting it go until it gets big enough to identify. The same thing is going on in the strawberry pot. I think they are from some Honeydew Melon seeds I threw in there around Christmastime, but I’m not sure.  Oh, and there is a volunteer spring onion in there somewhere- it came home in one of the spring cell packs, and just kept growing! I can’t wait to see if it will flower…

Hmm… I think I can squeeze in a few more plants in out there, at least the Faeries seem to think so. I know they’ve moved out there recently because Tasha’s Gnome gardener keeps getting moved to the oregano (she knows the difference guys!) and the hummers seem madder than usual, something about getting mooned last week? And I don’t think they are talking about the Full Moon either…

Caught in the act…

Ooo-da-lollie:

Ooo-da-lay:

Oh, Hi mama:

Nope, I’m not being cute for you:

I uh, I’m taking a nap:

Been here for hours, just lying on the floor.

Lol- she’s been sleeping with her tummy against the cool wall during the hottest part of the day.

This is the busiest week of the year for us- Awards Night; Expressions, which is a poetry, band, English essay open house thing where the kids find out Mr. E really does have a wife; our wedding anniversary; graduation rehearsal; eighth grade end of the year trip; graduation and the last day of school; work parties; both our mother’s birthdays; and it’s all wrapped up with Father’s Day. Whew! Throw into that mix the first Official Weekend of Summer; getting the carpets cleaned; sewing for said birthdays (yes! Got all my projects finished with time to spare! Hmm, what shall I make next?); Physical Therapy appointments, and a new gaming venue…uh, I think I’m gonna need a vacation from my summer vacation! Or at least an assistant to take over some of my duties… Good thing Miss miss is resting up!

Pattern writing

I wanted a new bag this summer for my dice, so I whipped up a new knitting pattern…only it wasn’t whipped up, it took a good two weeks to knit, and it’s purple. With stripes. I’m not sure how I feel about it really- normally I like purple, and I like stripes, but this bag is…different somehow.

It is based on my blue dice bag, which I love, but it’s getting a little careworn and needs a vacation from the gaming table. This is the bag I made last year while we were stuck in a hotel room for three days while our apartment was being remodeled. I took this yummy silk and bamboo yarn and some small double pointed knitting needles with me, and just made something to pass the time. That something turned out to be an awesome little dice bag, and I’ve wanted to recreate it ever since, so I finally sat down a few weeks ago and got to work.

I used a sock weight cotton yarn, which I really like working with since it’s soft on the hands. Unfortunately it has very little stretch to it, and I was using extremely small needles, so it was a bit of a struggle to knit with. Cotton is also kinda big, structurally speaking, so the end result is very stiff and firm- something to keep in mind if I ever want to knit a handbag, but not really cutting it as a small dice bag.

Interestingly enough, I found it really hard to get started on this project because I couldn’t find the right yarn to start with. I knew I wanted a purple bag, but I couldn’t find the right shade. The stuff I ended up using would make a great striped sock, because of the weight of the yarn, and the softness of it- and maybe it would be better suited to a guys dice bag (just not in lavender and violet?). But I really like the suppleness and shine of a silkier yarn- it brings a touch of elegance and sophistication to my work that I just don’t get with cotton alone.

All in all though, I’m really glad I did it. One, I got over my fear of pattern writing! I want to do another bag, to refine the pattern itself, and to get the size of the bag more in line with what I want. Two, practice makes perfect, right? And I’ve found that I don’t give myself very much time for knitting anymore, so this is a great excuse to bring out the needles!

Friday Musing

My personal assistant…

She deserves a raise.