Fit for a Queen shrug

Inspiration strikes me at the strangest times. Mostly while I'm laying in bed trying to sleep (lol). Yesterday morning I felt inspired, inspired to do my yoga practice. Let me tell you the yoga mat that resides in the house had quite a bit of dust on it (I keep 2 in the car for those times when the mood strikes to veer off into a yoga studio). So I rolled out the mat, lit up some incense, put on my favorite yoga cd (Kerala, which includes sounds of the beach in Kerala) and started my practice. It felt wonderful. I had to ask myself, why is it that I don't do this everyday anymore. My fellow artists, if you are looking to unleash your creativity, unroll your mat. My fellow sleepless friends, if you are looking for a great night's sleep, unroll your mat. I tell you this because this 45 minute practice made both of those things possible. I sleep like a baby the night after doing a yoga practice. I also was inspired to create my newest shrug. I had the shrug knit already, but I knew I wanted to embelish it in a special way. I felt inspired to add the beautiful vintage lace that has been patiently awaiting it's turn at greatness. And the pretty floral beads that I picked up in Pennington at a stellar bead shop that mom and I stumbled upon. I love the way it came out. I think it looks a little steampunk~ish, a little "royal". Different. In a good way. I'm thrilled with it, hopefully I can get Rae to model it for me this weekend. So my point here, roll out that mat, find your peace and inspiration, give your body the movement it craves!

Lucky Girl

I truly feel like the luckiest girl to have met my husband. I don't need Valentine's day to remind me of this. I did however cook yesterday. I cook most nights but not to the extent where I am rattling more than 1 or 2 pots. Last night I had all 4 burners and the oven going at the same time. Thanks to Heather for the gift of Giada's cook book. I recreated one of her yummy recipes for a timbale. Hmmmm, yup I had never heard of that either. But thanks to a couple glasses of-liquid courage- red wine (my preferred way to cook-with wine in hand) and some great company from one of my girlfriends (neighbor) I conquered this lovely dish. It was delicious. My husband really enjoyed it. I waited until he came home to unveil it. Holding my breath while I unlatched the pan and removed it. And it worked!!! I will also say it was super easy to make, no special skills needed!

Spring Fever

The weather here has been so warm I am starting to get spoiled. This is bad because any day now we will be back at 20' with snow. Don't get me wrong, I love it. A chance to open up the windows and get some fresh air into the house. Today is the last day of Boot camp before the break. I need it. Getting up at 5:30 am when it is dark and freezing is soooo hard. Once the weather warms up and it is lighter than it will be easier. Yes, easier for her to make us run outside. If you know anything about me, know this, I hate running. My father was a marathon runner. I tried to run with him even at the age of 12 I sucked at it. My lungs would start burning and forget it. Which adds to my frustration. Because I like to be good at things ( don't we all). I have this competitive nature while running at Boot Camp. Yup, competitive and at the back of the pack. I've even been lapped by someone older than me, arghhhhhhh.....Must use yoga breathing.....arggggghhhhhh....Then I'm sure my blood pressure goes up even further because I get really ticked off. My neighbor (who was in bootcamp) said, "wow, did you finally catch your breath?" because all you could hear was my loud struggled breathing ,for miles. Oh, yeah, I'm on my way to the later boot camp today(9:30 am), and it occurs to me, it's sunny, warm and light out here....Oh NO.....we will be running.... Oy.

I leave you with a pic of my latest creation. Very spring inspired..The double dose of spring Lariat. Lots of fun using the needle felting machine occured here :)

A Big Thank You and Giveaway

A great big thank you to Darcy from Graphically designing for giving my blog a much needed Makeover! In celebration of the new blog I have decided to give away one of my handmade cowls. Just simply leave me a comment and I will randomly draw a name on March 7th. (be sure to leave me an email if you are unregistered). Up for grabs is this lovely pink cowl. Perfect for brighting up the dreariest of days. Handknit with a super soft acrylic mix yarn, this gorgeous cowl just slips right over your head. A great alternative to a scarf. Knit in a rasberry color, I added a little super soft white fake "fur" yarn along the bottom of the cowl. Also included is this removable flower brooch. Hand sewn and attatched to a bar pin it adds a little sparkle~~Every girl needs sparkle! (If you are allergic to wool I can substitute a wool free cowl!). Also if you're in the market for a blog makeover, check out darcy's website, just click on the pretty butterfly!