A Rosy Outlook

It's Cowl Time!

2012-01-19T08:55:00.000-05:00

I've had this lovely, soft, multi-shade gray yarn for a while. It was on sale a couple of years ago. I've used it to knit mittens before. The remainder is slowly, slowly becoming a cowl for my mom.
I had hoped to have it done before her birthday on the 17th. But work got in the way. I'm making headway though and I'm pretty confident she'll get it sometime this winter. And after this, I might just be done with stockinette stitch for a while!

What's in your knitting basket?

Polly's Case

2012-01-18T07:56:00.004-05:00

I got an iPad, named Polly (yes, I name my electronics), recently and bought a brown houndstooth case for it. Although there are plenty of coloful case out there, I was aiming for cheap when I got it. And non-splashy is kind of good. But it was just a bit too plain for me. Yesterday, since I had a little bit of time - a scarcity lately - I went through my button collection and found three small ones that won't catch on a lot of things, would look cute and coordinate nicely.
On they went! And I'm so glad I added them! It adds such a nice, low key, individualized element for my case.

Oh, and see that yarn in the corner? Yep, there has been a bit of knitting. Details coming up soon.....

Crafty Inspiration

2012-01-14T11:00:00.003-05:00

Right now, I'm in my busy time at work. It's 12 hour days and not a lot of time for doing things. But in the down time, there is time for dreaming. I'm dreaming a bit about creating. My friend is due to have her baby any day (come out already little one, we want to meet you!!) and I'm thinking about making this lion for him.

As I have surfed the plethora of options on pinterest, I've been pinning Christmas things for next year. I love this button tree and really think I should make one for the holiday season 2012. Better start buying my buttons now! I also love those clothespins for holiday packages. I can only hope I'm more organized in December 2012 than I was in 2011.... because how charming would those be?
More practically, I'm contemplating some pretty pieced potholders. I've made some scrappy ones for me before but love that tea cup and know quite a few friends that would love one for their kitchen. And with getting a new car this year, I've found my same old garbage container doesn't work in this new vehicle like it did in the old. Maybe one of these little bags would be a good addition?

Lastly, my collection of corks keep growing (yay wine!) and I know that this year I want to do something crafty and fun with them. I'm not sure an initial is it but definitely something soon....

What crafty dreams have you been having?

Don't Scowl, it's a Cowl!

2012-01-05T10:37:00.002-05:00

At the very end of my long weekend, in preparation for the approaching cold front (brr, it's cold out there!!), I went rifling through the basket with scarves and mittens. I came across a scarf I made when I was first learning to knit. Yes, all of those elementary scarves are such a lovely reminder of how skills have evolved. But this particular one was also just gorgeous, lovely yarn. And so it was frogged!The same night I frogged the scarf, I cast on a cowl. Fifty some stitches, stockinette all around, twisted once to hang differently. That same night, I knit and knit. The joy of a chunky knit - I finished. Soft, pretty, complimentary to my coat... yep, I'm in love.

The Christmas Break

2012-01-03T20:09:00.003-05:00

Over the holiday break, my mom and I visited Longwood Gardens, outside of Philly. It's lovely at Christmas and often sells out during the holidays so I'm glad I bought tickets early. Everything was gorgeous but the point and shoot didn't capture everything as it looked. These flowers were one of the photos that really turned out perfect. I love the lights on the bush behind them kind of twinkling.
I also played nurse over the break. The manfriend got his wisdom teeth removed. He was lucky to have a really great doctor so everything went smoothly and he had minimum pain. I made chicken noodle soup just in case though. It was really quite yummy.... and probably a little better for him than the milkshakes I also pushed.
I must admit... it was chicken and turkey noodle as a bit of the leftover Christmas turkey did make its way into the crockpot.

I did a bunch of knitting over the break too. Some cowl photos coming up tomorrow!

Year Theme: 2012

2012-01-03T14:12:00.004-05:00

First off, I recognize I've been a bit of a horrible blogger. I've been creating bits and pieces here and there... cowls have been created, cookies have been baked, delish meals have been cooked. Yet, I haven't done a good job of documenting them. Here's my public declaration - I will do better in 2012!!But first, I need to share my theme for the year. I'm going with INSPIRE. Yes, 2012 will be about being inspired and being inspiring. Admiring the beauty around me. Drawing inspiration from the relationships that surround me. Pushing myself creatively and professionally so as to inspire others. Embracing happiness. Appreciating a slow walk. Write. Developing my creative, spiritual and emotional sides. Inspire and be inspired.

I'm not a true believer in resolutions, at least not at the start of the year. But I do have some to do's....

Do more yoga.
Journal more - including gratitudes.
Blog more.
Create more.
Love more fully - myself and others.

What word is guiding your 2012? Any to do's?

Red and White

2011-12-29T21:39:00.003-05:00

Really, it's the small things that make me happy...like an awesome sale at Crate and Barrel.

I've been contemplating my goals and objectives for 2011 and a theme for 2012. Stay tuned for an update when I am able to carve out a bit of time to write....

TED!

2011-11-08T21:08:00.003-05:00

Guess where I went today? Yep, TEDxPhilly! Pure awesomeness! The central topic was The City and all of the speakers were fascinating in what they are doing or how they view the city.
They event was held in the beautiful, filled with stain glass Temple University Center for the Performing Arts. The below photo is a reflection of the large Broad Street facing stain glass window. It's really overwhelmingly gorgeous!

A simple set....

And Operation Nice was there, encouraging people be nice and meet new people. I did just that over lunch, sitting with a young woman who teaches in Philly.

Cool day with lots of learning. Definitely time well spent!!

Dishing Things Out

2011-11-06T13:34:00.000-05:00

Recently I went thrifting.... in my friend's garage. She was getting rid of a bunch of things and offered her friends first dibs. I came away with this lovely little silver dish and spoon set. It's just so perfect for after dinner mints. Or black olives. Or some other small little tasty treat. Oh, how I love new treasures!

Glass Class #3

2011-11-05T11:28:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday, I went to my third glass class. We were going implosion. Yeah, that sounds super cool to me too. And it is. It's adding color to the clear glass then allowing/making the clear glass swallow it up.
I made this little flower in a clear ball the size of a quarter. It's going to be a gift for my aunt. I think she'll be pleasantly surprised to get a little something.

I also made two "Hershey Kisses." They are a bit smaller but kind of fun.
Next week is the last class. I think we're doing animals again although I might work on something else.....

Autumn Walk at the Arboretum

2011-11-04T16:28:00.004-04:00

A lovely fall walk...

A trip to my favorite spots in the arboretum.... my bench, the rose garden, the Buddha, and a sculpture.

Sunshine, falling leaves, and the hum of workers preparing one of my favorite places for the upcoming winter.

Admiring some last blooms before winter.

Oh, what a lovely way to spend a vacation day. I'm so very grateful.

Sledge Day

2011-10-30T20:38:00.001-04:00

Just so you know, it feels really good to hit an old car with a sledgehammer. I'm pretty sure using a sledgehammer - especially at work - makes any day better actually.

Glass Class #2

2011-10-27T09:19:00.003-04:00

Last night in glass class, I made two rather awkward looking turtles. Both are currently in the kiln hardening so as to last forever in their awkwardness. But I did come home with this flower. It was kind of fun to make, especially the pulling of the petals. You can see the tweezer marks, which adds something in my mind. Now to find a little home for this flower....

Weekend Adventure

2011-10-25T15:24:00.003-04:00

I realized I never shared my weekend adventures! The manfriend and I took a little day trip out to Philly to Lancaster County. Yes, we saw an Amish horse and buggy. Multiples actually. And yes, that made me happy. Yes, I said hi to the cows on our journey. It was truly pure delight.

The reason for our journey though, was to visit this place. Yes, we went to see wolves. They are AWESOME. (In retrospect, I should have done a bit more dancing on the trip. Because Dancing with Wolves is so much better than DWTS. Yeah, and I haven't even had sugar this afternoon. Makes you wonder, doesn't it!) This preserve helps to save wolves all over the country. They have some that used to be pets, some that are just pups still and some veterans who are 17 or 18 years old. This pack, pictured below, is the largest of the various packs they have. They have 3 acres of land to roam on. And my goodness, they are simply beautiful creatures. I learned a lot - the preserve's focus is on education - and really enjoyed the experience.
Afterwards, we went JoBoy's Brew Pub for lunch. The raves on Yelp commented on their exceptional BBQ. Both the manfriend and I tested those reviews with the sampler sandwiches. It's good - the pork and beef were definitely our faves. The beer was decent according to manfriend. I taste tested a glass of wine instead....

And then it was onward... Yelp helped us find Wilbur's Chocolates. I do love a good chocolate shop. They did have some not quite right looking sponge candy there. I thought about buying but decided to stick with what I knew wouldn't disappoint me. I'm glad I did! The buds are good and my chocolate bar with crispy pieces helped make the journey home even better....
Wolves, food, wine and chocolate: Yep, an utterly delightful day spent in Lancaster County.

Glass Class Week 1

2011-10-20T08:10:00.002-04:00

Week one of lampworking glass class....

One big old flame.
Three thousand degrees.
Five colors added to clear glass.
One thumb burned slightly.
One pendant made.
Much fun had.... class two next week!

It's Time for a Drive By

2011-10-19T17:29:00.000-04:00

It's a bit of a drive by post for you today....

Today, I get to start this class. I'm pretty excited about getting to play with glass. It is four week long and I'm hoping to learn something new ad perhaps make a Christmas gift for someone.
I visited another winery this past weekend. I came home with tea infused wine. It's yummy... I can't wait to find the perfect occasion to open it.
My knitting is moving along. I found a glass of wine in just as nice of a compliment at a cup of chai.
I'm doing something super fun this coming Saturday. Photos will be forthcoming.

I'm really in the mood to wear sweaters. Lately, it's been about 70 degrees F here though.... hardly sweater weather. (Soon enough, I know!)
I bought a new car last week. I'm starting to adjust to driving something new now. (My old car was 11 years old.)

Life is good.... how's it for you?

Hope out of Hopelessness

2011-10-18T10:34:00.000-04:00

Years and years ago, when I was in college, I served on student government. During my term in office, a hate crime occurred on campus. Someone – multiple someones probably – burned a cross on campus between two residence halls. That moment and the subsequent days after that forever changed who I am. As I met with other students, including members of the Black Student Union, I heard the fear in their voice and saw the concern – for safety, for comfort, for understanding – on their face. During the days that followed, I spoke with college officials, local media, and a variety of law enforcement officers. But the people that truly mattered – that I was working for – were the students in that room. Their pain echoes inside me whenever I hear of a hate crime. It reminds me that we’re all in this together. And that hate must be continual fought. We have to stand up and stand together in saying this is not okay. This is not what our community is about.

I share all of this because this morning a friend and colleague shared a photo on Facebook of a hate crime in his community. Someone spray painted words of hate on the LGBT Center. And it stirred up those old emotions – anger, sadness, and that sense of disbelief. I just don’t get how people can do such a thing. How can you hate someone because of who they are? Color, sexual orientation, religion – those are things we just are. How we are born. It overwhelms me to think that 10, 20, 30 years from now we might still be facing these challenges. Yet the optimist in me remains ever hopefully. Goodness knows we’re more accepting and embracing than we were 20 years ago. It’s moments like this, where I turn the action of hate over and over in my head failing to understand why, that leave me hoping for the future the most. We have to make it better.

Cuppa and Yarn

2011-10-17T15:53:00.002-04:00

Oh yes, autumn weather is in the air. How do I know, you ask? I was inclined to pull out the yarn and the needles and start knitting this weekend!! Knitting has taken a backseat in my crafting in the last year or so. Actually, it seems like crafting has taken a backseat to being out in the world... but I'm re-engaging through knitting. I cast on.... are you sitting down?... legwarmers to go over my tights and under my boots. No, I won't be pulling a full on 80s nightmare. I'm just looking for a wee bit more warmth when wearing my rainboots this year.

Anywho, I've found time on the couch with needles, yarn and a cuppa chai is just about the perfect weekend morning. Too bad it's not the weekend anymore!

What did you do this weekend?

I love...

2011-10-07T14:24:00.001-04:00

Apples Everywhere!

2011-10-06T08:59:00.001-04:00

I'm still eating apple pie from Sunday. And it really does get better.... just so yummy. I also took the rest of the apples in my fridge and made applesauce filled with cinnamon, making my whole home smell magically wonderful. All of the apples are gone now. At least until the farmer's market on Saturday. I really need to think about what to make next - both from apples and from other fall bounty.

What have you been baking?

Bowling....

2011-10-04T13:20:00.002-04:00

This past weekend, my friend Katie and I used a LivingSocial deal we had and went pottery painting. The pottery place is a BYO in the center of a town so we picked up a bottle of wine and headed over. After much looking around (seriously, we were practicing our indecisiveness) I finally settled on a pasta bowl. I went with a simple palette of paints - yellow, blue and green - to match a square plate I painted a few years ago. I added some black lettering - "Eat Me" - and my pottery painting signature of a fingerprint chick and initials and was done.
I get it back in a week and can't wait to see the final product! It was a fun evening and a great deal.

Deliciousness Abounds!

2011-10-03T11:02:00.003-04:00

On Sunday, I spent some time with my kitchen, making a pot of chili (after all, October is National Chili Month!). Ted brought over some home brew so I had some beer for it. It simmered most of the afternoon, making the apartment smell delicious. And while that was simmering, I used the spoils from my apple picking to make an apple pie, using the recipe in the Glamour cookbook. It's a little less traditional - you cook the apples for 20 minutes before putting it in the pie crust - but completely yummy.
It came out runny and beyond good. Lucky manfriend, I'm serving chili, cornbread and apple pie tonight for dinner!

A You Pick Saturday

2011-10-02T20:18:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was the perfect day for an outing to the farm. Apple and pumpkin picking ensued. And some goofiness. Luckily my friend Katie was a willing accomplice. We picked a bunch of Empire apples. I pretended to eat one.
I walked among the apple trees, spun in circles until I got dizzy and found the Delicious and Empires playing nicely together.
Then we boarded the hayride truck to the pumpkin patch. Oh, how I love the pumpkin patch! Many pretty orange pumpkins, big and small, just waiting for a good home. I found two little ones - one for Ted and one for me - to take home.
The pumpkin field is surrounded by sunflowers. Bright, beautiful, tall, sunny sunflowers.
It was a wonderful afternoon! I am so grateful for the sun and fun. And the picking has yielded a number of delights.... autumn decorations around the home and a yummy pie just out of my oven.

September Living

2011-09-30T21:29:00.000-04:00

How has so much time past since my last post? Oy, it's been forever! Life has been littered with trips lately. Two weeks ago I was heading to Baltimore to facilitate a program at Johns Hopkins. A week ago I heading up to north Jersey to visit a campus for some assessment. It seems like I've been on the road a lot lately. Luckily October is a bit quieter!

Anywho, for a brief recap of the glamorous (ha!) life I lead:

Two batches of pasta sauce made, with some ending up in the freezer for a cold winter's day.
One necklace won from Ann Taylor via their Twitter contest.
Two books read - How to Love an American Man (loved) and Poke the Box (great).
One super cool tour of the vet school through work. I loved seeing the ER and other specialties in action. I'd love to spend a day there shadowing a staff member!
Three plus dozen cookies made using my mom's pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipe.
One Stella and Dot jewelry show hosted, as a friend recently started selling it.

One hundred (or so) new pins on pinterest. Are you on pinterest?
Four bottles of wine, of those mentioned in my last post, consumed by friends and me.
One huge 'o allergy attack. For both Rosy and me. Stupid ragweed.
One change of season. It's definitely starting to feel like autumn here, as leaves are falling and I'm able to comfortably wear a sweatshirt to walk Rosy in the morning.

Nineteen more days until my Intro to Lampworking Glass class begins!
One new bubble gum obsession. It is my new favorite (cheap) splurge!
One new winter coat on it's way to me, just in time to replace my old one with a shredded lining.

I really do hope to stay connected and up to date here. Life has just been so crazy busy. I'm hoping with less travel and more fall cooking, I'll be around more!

Catch Up!

2011-09-14T12:52:00.005-04:00

This past weekend was a busy one! The retreat we go on with students was rescheduled to this past Friday to Saturday due to Hurricane Irene in August. We left on Friday afternoon, had programming on Friday night and until 3:30 on Saturday and then headed back to campus. I'm grateful that early on Saturday morning I was able to shuffle down to their creek and take a few photos, including this one of the dam. The water was a bit higher than normal but based on the mud dried to the dock, had receded quite a bit from earlier! Saturday night, the manfriend and I had dinner at my local diner and just relaxed. Good food, good company, needed couch time. What more can girl ask for?

Sunday morning I was off to northeast PA and the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail with my friend Laurel. As you might recall, I've been a number of times before. This time we visited places we haven't gone to before: Amore, Big Creek and Franklin Hill. We also went back to Galen Glen, one of my favorites for their sweeping views and yummy wines. It was the wine trail's Harvest Weekend and every place was welcoming and had additional tasty treats. I ended up coming home with... ahem.... eight bottles of wine. Yep, that should hold me for a little while.
One bottle did get consumed the very next night though. Monday was my anniversary with the manfriend and we went out to dinner at Branzino's, a BYO in Philly. We had a lovely time and he was so kind to show up with a HUGE bouquet of flowers for me. I now have two vases of blooms gracing my home. Yep, sweet manfriend, flowers, wine and pasta - I'm a lucky girl.
I also got my first Birchbox on Monday. A little box of cosmetic samples and a cute bracelet to offer some fun to my September. I learned about them in August and signed up pretty fast. I figured for $10, I can lose. If it's not great, I could always cancel after one month. Well, I'm pretty happy and plan to keep them for a while....
Last night, I finally did a little rearranging in my bedroom and found a place for my necklace frame. It replaced a photo which was right above my dresser. I put a few pairs of earrings on the wire too and have to say I'm quite pleased!

Yes, life is good here.... How about with you?