piccys

in lieu of other crafty delights...i am giving you these :)

i love dish towels...

...i know it's silly maybe, but i absolutely love dish towels. they are such a cute way to add character, color, and texture to an otherwise sometimes sterile room- the kitchen. and, they're cheap! so you can afford to switch them out with your moods and the seasons.

the one on the left is from williams and sonoma, and is purely for practical use (although i do love a good stripe...clearly). the one on the left is the reason for this photo- a christmas present from anthropologie!

i love its embroidery and the tassels at the bottom...and you can't see it but on the edges there's a cute vintage-frenchie red and blue stripe. i didn't make this one, but i am planning on doing some using these super cute vintage transfers sometime soon.

prettyyyy

isn't that color amazing??

these are the curtains in my bedroom, which, are not at ALL that color. ok well they're blue and stripey, but i don't think that they are nearly that intense in person.

it's awesome what color and light can do when all smashed together and poured through and around each other...

p.s. my husband took this one, not i

treasure

i found this little owl guy hanging out in my husbands old bedroom at his parents' house. isn't he cute? he's a bank!!!

the little glass birdie is a tealight holder from the mast general store in asheville, nc...and the bowl is my creation you may remember from a previous post.

cookies

cookies cookies...something about baking is so pretty to me.

these are cinnamon butter cookies...i added the raisins because my hubby loves them. and i mean loves them a lootttt.

here's the recipe. they came out a little cakey this time, and i used whole wheat flour so i think that maybe had something to do with it. more than likely, a little too much flour, a little too little butter. balance is everything!

new year, new camera

so, i know i'm late (as always)...but HAPPY NEW YEAR!

expect to see some hopefully prettier photos in the new year...as i got a fancy dancy new pentax dslr for christmas :)
disclosure: there may be some more photography and less crafty posts in the near future. MAYBE.

anyway... i hope to be more crafty, take more time to do things, blog more, be better with correspondence, and not sweat the little stuff in 2009.

all the best to you and yours, and i hope that your holidays were ahmazing!

handmade gift...

so...this is my best attempt to photograph my first completed crochet project. my camera seems to have mysteriously disappeared...so iphone will have to suffice :)

this is a crocheted lace cowl, created as a christmas gift for a very dear friend. perhaps we can have a post with her reaction very soon...?

the shape came out a little wonky...not quite like it was supposed to...but i think i like it. it seems to serve more of a warmth-purpose with a wider edge. anyway, apparently there's a technique called 'blocking' which can be used to re-shape knit items that have become distorted during creation.

it's not perfect...but i think it's kinda cute! i started on tuesday night, and finished tonight (saturday)...and all it took was yarn and a crochet hook. so you can DO it if i can!

here's the pattern i used if you feel inspired. my mom and i tweaked it a little bit as she was teaching me, so you may have to work out what works best for you.

remember- with handmade gifts, the effort and care you put into them is the best part!

p.s. i look very tired in the photo because i couldn't sleep and took it about 2 am. and i promise that my left hand is not really a claw. :)

p.s.s. remember the bathroom stripes??

merry christmas!