Fairytale Knits

♥2014♥

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 01:20:00 +0000

Hello dear readers,

Well, it's a new year, and one that I'm believing is going to be filled with health and all the wonderful Blessings of God for both me and my family and all of you and yours. Our Christmas guests have gone back home except for my Dad who has decided to stay a bit longer with us. We moved from the other house on New Year's Day into the Beach House and we will be staying here until the middle of February. I couldn't think of a better time to be away from home with all the cold temps and winter storms they've been having, but we are having a touch of cold here as well right now. Tonight it's supposed to get down to 35F and it's quite windy. I won't complain though, it's nothing compared to what everyone else is going through at the moment.

I've already been enjoying living right at the beach and I'm looking forward to getting to spend a lot of quality time with my good friend the ocean. I can't even explain it, but my troubles and stress just melt away once I get near it.

Here's a couple of shots from the balcony:

It really is breathtaking, I can't get over how blessed I am to have this experience. I'm grateful...so very, very grateful.

I hope that you all had wonderful Holidays and that you're enjoying this time of planning for the year ahead. I'm very excited for this new year. Already I've got a lot of dreams and wishes, goals and plans in the making. It's going to be a good one, I just know it.

♥ xoxox, R

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 15:13:00 +0000

Merry Christmas one and all!! We wish each of you a Blessed Holiday Season!!

Love,

The G family

Holiday Bustle

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Sat, 21 Dec 2013 18:50:00 +0000

Hello dear blog readers,

Today is going to be a bit of a random post. I thought it the best way to write one this morning since I'm feeling pressed for time but yet I still wanted to post today. So here it goes!

My Dad made it here safe and sound last night! He left home a week ago and took his time driving all the way down. He stopped to visit with family in Michigan and then was going to visit my Uncle in Atlanta, but he was recently sick in the hospital with a bug and was just released but wasn't allowed visitors, so he hopes to see him on his return travels. He also did some touring and just enjoyed his days, which is wonderful since he hardly ever gets a chance to relax and do things like this. We were beginning to wonder if he would make it for Christmas, but he surprised us by showing up last evening. Emmie was beyond excited to see him, it was the cutest thing. My sister and her husband are flying down tomorrow, so she is going to be even more excited. She likes to have all her "people" together in one house where she can take care of us all. She has a big heart and loves each one of us, but her particular favourite is her Uncle J, she just adores him. I'm excited to see her reaction when he gets here tomorrow.

Today's plan is to finish up some last-minute crafting and to wrap the gifts and get them under the tree. I'm still not feeling particularly Christmasy yet but I hope by listening to some Christmas music and getting things together that I will start to feel like it's really almost here. I'd also like to bake some sugar cookies, but those may have to wait until tomorrow, we'll see how I am with time today.

Anyways, I should get to it!! I hope that all is well with you in your part of the world today and that you're enjoying getting ready for this special and magical Holiday Season!!

xoxoxoxox, R

Photos from My Day

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 16:09:00 +0000

1. In my heart (and on my floor)

2. On my nightstand

3. Finished onesie

4. Something I sewed for a friend...shh, it's a secret!

5. An embroidered Christmas tree ornament

Have a great day!
xxoxox, R

Saturday Crafting

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Sat, 14 Dec 2013 22:28:00 +0000

Today's project: a little baby onesie with a cute sheep embroidered on it for a special "welcome new baby gift." I've been working on a couple other things these last few days that I think I can share next week :)
I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!!

xoxo, R

My Heartfelt Thanks

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 00:10:00 +0000

Hello,

I want to start off by saying a big thank you to everyone for all the sweet comments and kind words about the passing of my Grandma. Each one touched my heart, you all are so wonderful! My Mom was able to fly back for the funeral, but I had to stay here with little Emmie, which was an adventure since I'm not really used to staying home alone at home, let alone over 2,600 km away from my family. It's good character building though! And it really wasn't bad at all, still not my favourite thing, but I'm getting better at it. I tend to have a lot of one-sided conversations with the dog, but my sister was great and FaceTime chatted with me every day which helped a lot. I never really realized it until now but I'm actually quite glad to live in this era because technology has brought those who are far away much closer to us and makes the distance seem a lot shorter than it really is. I always thought I was born in the wrong decade, but now I'm not so sure. Anyways, Mom flew back last night, and I'm sure I've almost talked her ear right off already.

December has snuck right up on me. It doesn't seem like Christmas is just around the corner, but yet it is. I've got a lot of my Christmas shopping done already, but there are still a few more things I need to pick up and a couple of projects I'd like to make. I put a small pink tree up in my bedroom the other day to help get me in the spirit.

We put up our bigger tree in the living room this afternoon, but it still needs a tree skirt and angel topper so I don't have a picture to share just yet. I think as we do more preparing for the holidays it will start feeling like Christmas, it's just so strange not being at home and not having any snow.

Anyways, I really do want to thank you all again. It's so wonderful to have such caring and supportive friends. You all bring such a smile to my face everyday with your comments and emails. I feel very, very blessed!

Extra big XOXOX's to you all,
R

My Grandma

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 18:54:00 +0000

Hello blog readers,

I'm writing today's post with a heavy heart. Tuesday night we got word that my dear Grandma Sirkka passed away. I've mentioned her quite a few times here on the blog, she was my knitting Grandma who has always been my hero in both crafting and life in general.
She was born in Finland in 1923, the oldest of 5 children and grew up on a farm where she learned how to make most of the things she would ever need or want by hand. She survived both the Winter War and WWII, which for any of you who are familiar with history would know was pretty horrific in Finland, and worked in a factory right out of high school while the men were at war. She married a handsome Finn who looked like Ricky Riccardo in 1946, and in 1951 she left her entire family and immigrated to Canada as a young wife and mother with her husband and young son while pregnant with my Aunt. She had to learn new languages and customs in this country, Polish being her first language because that was the community they first moved to in Quebec.  One of the ways she would learn the words was by looking at the pictures on the cans at the grocery store. They moved to our island when my Mom was 10 months old, and settled down permanently in one of the little towns.
Grandma would sew and knit for her family as well as cook and bake delicious meals. She was an amazingly creative woman who could look at a picture in a magazine and either sew or knit the object without any patterns or instructions, and they came out looking exactly like, or even prettier than the picture.  Her knitting was legendary. To this day, people still remember my Mom for all the beautiful sweaters she would wear that Grandma knit for her.
She never wasted anything. After the clothing she had sewn had worn out, she would take the fabric and turn them into pillow covers or patchwork quilts. I remember her telling me how when she was a young girl she knit herself a one piece bathing suit and when she grew too tall for it, she cut it apart around the middle, stitched it up on the ends and turned it into a bikini! She has inspired all of us by her creativity and resourcefulness and to this day we each apply things we learned from her in our everyday lives.
She was the dictionary definition of sisu: which is determination, perseverance, and courage among many other things. Here's a partial explanation of what sisu means taken from a Finnish survey done in March and May 2013:

Among the main findings was the perception of sisu as a reserve of power, which enables extraordinary action to overcome mentally or physically challenging situations (rather than being the ability to pursue long-term goals and be persistent). To elaborate on the function of sisu: it is a powerful psychological potential which enables the individual to tap into mental strength beyond their pre-conceived resources. Wielding sisu in the face of adversity helps individuals push through what first seemed like the boundaries of their mental or physical capacities. Furthermore, sisu is an action mindset which equips the individual to choose to take on challenges beyond their observed capacities. It provides the final empowering push when we would otherwise hesitate to act. Sisu can be conceptualized as taking action against the odds.

She was so brave and courageous. Impossible was not a word in her vocabulary. To her, you could do or make anything if you put your mind and will to work. She didn't back down from challenges, but rather met them head on and persevered. She was strong, determined, brave, funny, giving, tender-hearted, steadfast in her faith, and talented beyond belief. She will always be remembered as one amazing lady and I hope that one day I will become even half the woman she was.
She is going to be greatly missed by us all, but she will live on through our memories, the knitting that we do, her projects that we still have today, and through the people we have all become from her influence on our lives.

xoxox, R

Weekend Quote

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 13:30:00 +0000

Photo: ohhmylovequotes.com

Thankful Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 15:01:00 +0000

I am Thankful for this precious little girl. She is one of the biggest joys in my life.

xoxox, R

The Beginning of Holiday Planning

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 15:13:00 +0000

Hello blog readers,

Today is a bit cloudy, but the sun is still shining through. That's one thing I find great about this tropical weather, it's not usually cloudy or grey for long periods of time. I heard that at home they've had some rather wild weather - snow, wind, rain, etc. I'm very glad we are here and not there right now.

Our time with my sister visiting has been going great! We've had fun catching up, swimming in the pool, watching Christmas movies, etc. Girl time is always a good thing. And now S and her husband are going to be coming down for Christmas! We are beyond excited about that. I've always wanted to spend Christmas in a tropical place so this is like a dream come true for me. Mom and I are going to have fun planning the menus, we've already been chatting about it over tea this morning.

I need to get working on my Christmas gift list soon, although I'm cutting way back this year, we all are, which is a good thing. It makes Christmas much less stressful. And this year I'd like Christmas to be a happy and stress-free holiday, as it should be, with emphasis on the real Reason for the season and not all the do, do, do that usually takes over. We are thinking simple and laid back. It will be a nice break from what it has been the last few years.

Have any of you started your holiday planning yet? I think I'm a little late this year, but it's better late then never, right?

xoxoxo, R

What Seems Like Forever

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 15:07:00 +0000

Hello dear blog readers!!

I have been meaning to post so many times over the last couple of weeks. I had this great plan to write every day to document a trip I was taking, and I dreamed of how interesting and fun it would be to share the whole thing right here on the blog. Well...life happened and I never did get to do that, so here I am.

My Mom and I, and sweet little Emmie the Yorkie, decided to come to Florida for the winter this year to relax and to help with my health. We had originally rented a condo, but due to some very loud construction at that place, we are now moved in to a lovely home. Since our move was a last minute change of plans, we had to do some accommodating to make everything work. This house is only available till the end of December, and then we have to move again to another house that is on an island just a few minutes away for the rest of our stay. That house is directly on the beach, and as those of you who know me would know, I am beyond thrilled about that!! This house has a pool, and that house has the ocean, so it's the best of both worlds. At first the whole thing seemed like one big mistake, but now I see that God worked it all out so that it would be the very best for us.

We are just taking it easy, and doing lots of relaxing and recovering, which is exactly what the doctor ordered. I kind of feel like I'm on hiatus from my real life, and it's rather fun. I've always wanted to escape my life at home for a while and experience something new and different, so I am very blessed to be able to actually do that right now. Trust me, I know I am a very, very lucky girl. God and my parents have been so good to me and I am truly very grateful.

Today my sister is flying down to spend a week with us, which will be wonderful. Even though we haven't been gone quite three weeks yet, we have been missing home a bit. I especially miss my dear Mr. Bingley, but we have a sweet house-sitter and her mother who are taking good care of him and Mittens and giving them lots of extra love and attention. Her mother wrote us the other day to say that Bing was enjoying some cuddle time with her, and that he had helped himself to the treat bag while she was out! I'm glad to know he is still up to his old tricks and that he is settling in well with them both.

Well, I should go and get myself ready to head to the airport soon. I will try to get back into a regular posting schedule in the near future. I will have to start doing some more interesting things other than reading so that I will have something to write about!

xoxox, R

5, 4, 3, 2, 1

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 12:30:00 +0000

FIVE...Things that make the weekend even better:

A good book
A craft project
A Jane Austen movie
New magazines to browse through
Lovely weather

FOUR...Of my Favourite Authors:

Jane Austen (big surprise there, eh?!)
Lori Wick
Janette Oke
L.M. Montgomery

THREE...Foods I don't like:

Butterscotch chips (or really, anything butterscotch to be honest)
Meatballs in pasta sauce
Fennel

TWO...Songs that get me going in the morning:

I Saw Her Standing There - The Beatles
Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley

ONE...Thing that is a theme in my life:

Umbrellas

xoxoxo, R

Weekend Quote

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Sat, 26 Oct 2013 12:30:00 +0000

Image from: Imagebase

"Turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream." ~ John Lennon

xoxoxox, R

5, 4, 3, 2, 1

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 12:30:00 +0000

FIVE...of my favourite Disney movies:

The Little Mermaid
Peter Pan
Cinderella
The Aristocats
The Jungle Book
Robin Hood

FOUR...songs on my playlist:

Yesterday ~ The Beatles
Oh My Stars ~ Andrew Belle
Old Time Rock & Roll ~ Bob Seger
At Last ~ Etta James

THREE...Apps I use the most:

YouVersion Bible
Padgram
Dreams&Goals

TWO...Bible verses I've been thinking about recently:

"May Your unfailing love be my comfort." Psalms 119:76
"Do not remember the former things nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing and now it shall spring forth." Isaiah 43:19

ONE...Thought for the week:

"God is with you. Not only is He with you, but He cares about every detail of your life. He cares about the big matters, He cares about the small matters, and He's telling you: 'Fear not, there is nothing to fear.'" ~ Terri Savelle Foy

This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 12:30:00 +0000

Hi Readers,

This week is going to be a bit quiet around here on the blog, except for a couple scheduled posts, because I'm leaving my laptop with my sister for the week to get some work done on it. I wish you all wonderful days and I will be back soon.

xoxox, R

Weekend Quote

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Sat, 19 Oct 2013 12:30:00 +0000

Image from: Wikimedia

"'The words 'far, far away' had always a strange charm." ~ Alfred Tennyson

xoxxox, R

Thankful Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 12:30:00 +0000

I am thankful for this little cutie who likes to help me with the laundry from time to time.

xoxo, R

New Direction

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 12:30:00 +0000

Hello dear readers,

I hope this week is going well for you all. Things here are a bit on the busy side, but it's a good kind of busy. I'll be sharing more about what's going on in some future posts, but for today I thought I'd chat about some thoughts I've been having about the blog.

As you know, I haven't been doing much knitting over the past while, but I still want to keep up with my blogging. I've missed writing and sharing what I'm up to with you! I thought I couldn't write about most things recently since they weren't knitting related and this blog is called Fairytale Knits, however, the more I thought about it, the more I came to the conclusion that even though this started out as a knitting blog, it really has always been about me and my life. There just happened to be a time in my life where there was a lot of knitting going on. As I looked back over my archives I noticed that there were posts when I wrote about things other than knitting, so I decided that what I'm going to do now is blog more about my everyday life and throw in knitting and knitting-related things along the way. How does that sound? The blog will become a bit more about my life and not just what I'm currently knitting, although I've started to slowly knit some things (HUGE yay for this!!) and I will share their progress as I go along, as well any knitting/fiber -related things I find along the way!

I'm also debating whether or not to keep up with the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Thankful Thursdays and Weekend Quote posts, and whether or not to add in any other "themed" weekly/monthly posts. I'd be happy to know what you as my readers would be interested in hearing me blog about and any suggestions you have, so just leave me a comment below.

I wish you all a wonderful week and thanks for sticking with me though all this transition. You are all a joy in my life!!
xoxox, R

5, 4, 3, 2, 1

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Tue, 15 Oct 2013 12:30:00 +0000

FIVE...Things I am thankful for:

My Saviour Jesus
My Family, pets and friends.
My health
The ocean
This blog and all who read it :)

FOUR...Scents I enjoy this time of year:

cinnamon
cloves
apple spice
pumpkin

THREE...Bible verses that I've been meditating on lately:

"Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice." Isaiah 41:10
"You, O LORD, are my refuge! You have made the Most High your home. No harm will come to you. No sickness will come near your house. He will put His angels in charge of you to protect you in all your ways." Psalms 91:9-11
"He restores my soul." Psalms 23:3

TWO...Favourite things to do in the Fall:

Go for a drive when the leaves are at their peak colour.
Sit outside on a warm day with a good book and cup of tea.

ONE...Thought for the day:

"Trusting God is realized when you act in faith, knowing what He has said is true. Trust is not a passive word; it's an active word. Make up your mind that you are going to believe God is for you, and put that faith into action. Using God's Word, change your mindset, change your words, and go forward in victory!" ~ Joyce Meyer

xoxxo, R

Happy Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 16:48:00 +0000

Weekend Quote

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Sat, 12 Oct 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Photo from Imagebase

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." ~ Anne Shirley

Thankful Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 13:00:00 +0000

This week I am thankful for the beautiful fall leaves.

xoxox, R

Autumn Stitching Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Over the weekend I started to get caught up on my Autumn Stitching Club embroidery. This is what I've got done so far, and I'm halfway done a bucket of leaves. They are the cutest little patterns! I'm excited to stitch up the others.

It's been beautiful here the last couple of days and it's starting to feel like fall. The air has that smell to it and the leaves are turning all pretty colours. I think it's time to get out the fall decorations!

xoxoxo, R

5, 4, 3, 2, 1

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 15:08:00 +0000

Sorry it's been a while since my last post, I'm working on getting back on track :)

FIVE...Books I recently read and enjoyed:

Destined to Reign by Joseph Prince
A Change of Fortune by Jen Turano
Georgia on Her Mind by Rachel Hauck
The Trophy Wives Club by Kristin Billerbeck
Surrender the Heart by MaryLu Tyndall

FOUR...Things on my to-do list this week:

1. Mail some packages
2. Change bedding to Fall/Winter blankets
3. Clean...I've been slacking the last week or so
4. Plan baking for Thanksgiving this weekend

THREE...Songs I'm listening to today:

Kiss the Girl - from the Little Mermaid
The Florida Sun - The Almost
Respect - Aretha Franklin

Wow, that's quite the eclectic mix now isn't it?

TWO...Articles I found helpful this week:

What is your ideal day by Lemon and Raspberry (It's always good to dream about what our ideal day would be like so we can begin to start taking steps to making it a reality.)
How to Write Courageously by Marta Writes (I want to be a more courageous writer.)

ONE...Probably the only gingerbread house I would ever make that might turn out cute:

Sweet Gingerbread Scene

My sister and Mom would totally get this! Let's just say that I can make wedding cakes but a gingerbread house...

xoxox, R

5, 4, 3, 2, 1

noreply@blogger.com (Armida) — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 13:00:00 +0000

FIVE…Weird things that make me cry:

o Classical music, it’s so beautiful I can feel it in my soul.

o Kermit the Frog singing Rainbow Connection

o Being Overwhelmed

o Commercials about Fathers with their little girls

o Seeing something truly beautiful, whether it be nature, architecture, art, etc.

FOUR…Things I need to focus on:

o God’s love

o My dreams

o Being positive

o Keeping my mind in the present moment and not in the future or the past

THREE…Of my favourite old movies:

o Hit the Deck

o High Society

o Guys and Dolls

TWO…Great articles I read last week:

Important Questions For My Frantic Soul by Emily Freeman

Finally. by Annie Downs (This is for all us single ladies)

ONE…Yummy looking recipe for Fall:

Pumpkin-Pecan Cake Roll

xoxox, R