A Gardening Surprise

My container garden last year did pretty well given the multiple transplanting I had to do. While my herbs did great but unfortunately my flowers did not do as well. I had a few plants pop up, lots of green but only a few flowers. This was mainly due to the shallow planter that didn't give them enough room. There was also this crazy rain storm that may have contributed to it, too.

At the end of the summer, I moved the last few green items to a large planter on the balcony. They did rebound a little but with fall approaching and temperatures dropping, it was too late for a comeback. I left the container outside for the winter, hoping to reuse the soil in the spring. I didn't pay all that much attention to it until earlier this week when I suddenly had the urge to prepare the balcony for this year's garden.

I cleaned off the furniture, washed the windows and the doors, swept off the pine needles that had showered down from our neighbor's exterior holiday decorations, and I was about to dig up the soil when I saw someone had survived the winter.



And there was even a little green sprout popping up next to it on the left.



I went inside to check the seed packets from last year to see what exactly had survived the winter. As I searched the drawers in the craft room, I remembered - I threw out the old seed packets when I thought everything had died.

Crap.

Then I remembered I had started a gardening journal last year - yay! That would have a list of the herbs and flowers I planted. I found the papers and saw just the first entry that listed all the herbs and just 2 of the flowers I planted.

Damn it.

Did I ever make a list of the flowers I planted on the blog? A search of past postings found this incomplete list.

Mother of pearl!

So what the heck is this little green plant that fought to live through the winter? It's got some fuzzy leaves so I'm thinking it might be the johnny jump-ups I planted as they are part of the violet family. Anyone have any ideas on what it is?

More gardening posts are on the way as I'll be planting this year's garden soon. I'll be sure to keep accurate and complete records this year so I know exactly what I planted.

I Love Surprises

Sometimes.

Good surprises - always.

Bad surprise - not so much.

Surprised by the plot in a movie? That's a good time.

A surprise package in the mail from a dear friend? Always wonderful!

I was practically squealing with delight when I opened the package to see I was the lucky recipient of one of these:



It doesn't matter when a Valentine arrives, it is still a wonderful and thoughtful surprise.

And then I discovered the loveliest little crocheted brooch.



I absolutely adore this little brooch!

Thank you, my chosen sister, for brightening my week!

Completed Project: A Baby Blanket for Maebh

The love of rainbows for baby blankets continues...





I used the pattern from Lion Brand - but as my color progression is nothing like the pattern, this is really just a big granny square. The same colors as the other rainbow baby blanket, and just as sweet of end product. As always, full details on Ravelry.

The title of the post is not a typo - the little girl's name is Irish and is pronounced "Maeve" like 'save' with an 'm'. She's such a cutie, just like her big sister. I appreciate her patience in receiving the blanket since she was born in early January.

Now on to a baby blanket for a little guy to be born in April. It's nice to be ahead of the game again.

What is in the water???

While I got rid of my resolution list, I still have many project lists. One of which is devoted solely to baby items. So many friends have had babies the past few years and this year promises to keep pace with production.

A beautiful baby girl was born in early January so her blanket is first on the list. It's actually a good thing I didn't start it before she was born because everyone was convinced she was going to be a he. I had more boyish colors selected for the blanket which would have been used had it not been for my tardy start to making it. (Note to self - when the parents want to be surprised the day of delivery, either make a unisex color and style blanket or make two blankets to be ready for the surprise.)

Two more blankets for April and August babies, one of which is a boy (ultrasound confirmed). These are for two former coworkers from my last job. Not only do I want to make them blankets because they are great friends, I also owe them since I moved on to such a wonderful job and left them back in the trenches.

A hat was recently completed for a friend from high school - the wonders of Facebook to connect old friends! She saw the apple hat and wanted one for her first.

When these projects are done and delivered, I should probably start another baby blanket or two so I don't find myself so far behind when the next wave of pregnancies are announced.

What is making up your to-do lists this year?

Completed Project - Baby Rainbow Ripple Blanket

Started in mid-December...
with the plan to finish it by New Years...
sidetracked by a fall on the ice...
it is now completed!!!

And I absolutely adore it!





As always, details on Ravelry.

It will be put in the mail soon to finally be delivered to little Kate who was born in October. I hope it helps brighten for her these cloudy days of winter.

Crafty Resolutions for 2011

You may have noticed the page for crafty resolutions is gone.

That's because I couldn't come up with an interesting list. Finish WIPs, attend festivals, take classes, ... so boring and so predictable.

Plus, it's now February.

So there shall be no crafty resolution list for this year. I'm sure I'll be crafty enough without a formal list. :)

Year of Lovely Things 2011

My 2011 Year of Lovely Things list is finally updated. As it now mid-January, I've already got a few items crossed off. This includes celebrating both my new job and freedom from the cast. There is also the self imposed snow day I'm enjoying today.

Got a list of your own lovely things? Then head over to the main site to sign up.

Attack of the Snow Cows

I attempted to drive to work today but it was an epic fail. After 30 minutes of white knuckling the steering wheel, and only getting a few miles from home, I gave up and turned around. A self imposed snow day it has now become. There will be plenty of crocheting (which has become much easier to do now that the cast is off) and a few blog posts will be written. First up - updating my Year of Lovely Things list for 2011. Stay tuned!

Recaps of 2010

I did a number of the things on my 2010 list of lovely things - see them here before they get updated for 2011. I got to complete 41 our of 50 on my list with a few things being delayed because of my fall (Sean did get his banana cream pie but I couldn't help Grandma make it).

As for my crafty resolutions, I did pretty well, as long as we don't count the projects list. And all the activity seemed to happen in the first half of last year (see mid year update). I'm still working on a list for 2011 so that I have a meaningful list and also one that I can accomplish. I'm definitely leaving projects off the list. It seems a project put on the list never gets done. Maybe I should try some reverse psychology and make a list of projects to not finish.

What are on your lists this year?

I'm Back!

No posts since November - and yes, that's because of some wonderful non-crafty reasons.

After a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving with friends (who are considered part of my chosen family), the house was transformed into its holiday splendor.



The following weekend was our second annual holiday party which was as successful and well attended as the inaugural party (even with the few folks sidelined by the flu).

Then there was trying like crazy to complete the charity squares (which I did) and then during a work trip, I was finally able to start a baby blanket for miss Kate who was born in late October. The plan was to have it completed during Christmas break, before I started my new job.

Yes - A NEW JOB!!!

I found out right before Thanksgiving that I got it. It was (and continues to be) such an awesome feeling of freedom and positivity! I let work know I was leaving and told them I'd stay through December to finish some things and transition my duties. So work was busy and I was so darn happy that there wasn't enough time for blogging. My last day was before Christmas, and then we made the trip to New England for the holidays.

The plan for the trip was to finish Kate's blanket, as well as the one for the Queen and the Mistress. But on our first day there, those plans were sidelined:



I managed to fall on an icy stone porch which resulted in a very early morning Christmas Eve trip to the emergency room. A few x-rays later and they were putting on a cast for my broken wrist. My broken RIGHT wrist. (Yes, I'm right handed.) I asked the doctor what things I could and could not do. He said keep it minimal to allow for healing. I asked about crocheting and knitting - and I'm not making this up - he said "That would be great - do whatever you can as long as it doesn't hurt or make you sore. It should help prevent stiffness after having the cast on for 4-6 weeks."

It's been more difficult to crochet with a cast than I had hoped. I can get some stitches done but it's just so slow that I get frustrated. Typing is also a bit of a chore. But once the cast is off, I'll be back to finishing these long overdue projects (plus a blanket for the new little girl born last week) and blogging more. Lots to catch up on, including a look back at last year's crafty resolutions and lovely things and trying to get new ones in place for 2011.

Until then - beware of ice! :)