Thank you all so much for the warm welcome back messages! I think that is what I missed most about blogging. For almost a month now, my email box has been empty…well, I have had a few “real” emails (hello to G.H. in Texas!), but for the most part, it has all been junk. It has been quite sad.
But, since I am sure that no one wants to read about my pitifully sad empty email box, I will instead, share with you some things that make me happy!
First, I was thrilled to find a four-leaf clover this morning – and I wasn’t even looking for one! I almost stepped on it as I was walking into the shop from my car. I have an uncanny ability to spot a four-leaf clover at 100 paces….okay, maybe not, but I have found more than (what some people would consider) my fair share of them over the years. I am well over 100 at this point. Yes, I used to actually LOOK (search) for them. Now, they just seem to pop up at me from nowhere. I still get that giddy happy feeling whenever I come across one, so this was a very happy way to start my day!
Yesterday was Jeannie’s (the new Mrs. Gehman) birthday, and there was a little family get-together at their place to celebrate. Of course, I brought the cake! I had big plans for this baby….I actually started working on it LAST WEEK! I had made some adorable little fondant candles and other 3-d decorations for on it, however, they didn’t have enough time to dry out. The weather here has been so humid that the poor things were still soft. SO, I had to change my entire design idea at the last moment (yesterday afternoon). I ended up doing a paisley-themed cake, with no pre-planning at all….I was pasting paisleys to that thing like a mad woman, in fact, I was putting on the final touches as I was walking to my car! Considering the major changes that I had to make from original concept to finished product, I am quite pleased with my results. And, even more importantly, Jeannie was delighted with it, and THAT made me very happy!
I have been keeping myself busy with projects that don’t involve sugar and stand mixers….by the way, I DID get my new KitchenAid. It is pistachio green, and I love it! I did really want a pink one, but no one had any in stock, and I got a fantastic deal, so I really can’t complain…
We did finish the yellow quilt, and I couldn’t be happier! I was beginning to wonder if we would ever be done with it. It was starting to really stress me out. Both quilts have been shipped out, and now they are one step closer to being “home” with the little girls they are meant to comfort.
I have picked up the jumbled mess of fabric from my floor (otherwise known as my brother’s wedding quilt), and I have started to make some progress on it. I think that I may actually be done with all of the ripping and resewing that was driving me nuts! I suppose I just needed a break from it, because ever since I started working on it again, I haven’t had any real frustrating or tear-inducing incidents….In fact, it has been pretty easy!
You can see a little bit of the above-mentioned quilt-in-progress in the following photographs. I am using it as a backdrop for my lovely new yarn. Don’t you just love colorful yarns? I do…especially when I was the one to spin it and dye it! Oh, it’s true, I have a new obsession – spinning is the next skill I want to develop. My ex-sister-in-law, Dawn, is an incredible spinner, and I have always been in awe of her amazing talent. My desire to spin was piqued by the new wheel that Miss Meshell and her mother Dy recently acquired. So, I worked out a deal with Dawn that I would make her a bunch of microscope slide pendants, and in return, she is letting me use one of her wheels for a few weeks. I have been having so much fun! I have, however, had an allergic reaction to wool (or actually, the lanolin, according to the pharmacist),
but I am so addicted, that I continued to spin with the wool until my new fiber arrived. I have since used another type of wool, Blue Face Leicester, and I didn’t have any kind of reaction to it….in fact, it is really soft and super-easy to spin. I also got some soy silk, bamboo, flax, hemp, and alpaca. I haven’t tried the alpaca yet, though. I have spent some time petting it, and it is so nice. I can’t wait to spin it!
I have a growing collection of pretty yarns, and I don’t really care for knitting or crochet – and there is no room in the house for a loom (my REAL dream toy!), so, I am going to have to figure out what to do with it all. Especially if I ever want to be able to buy a wheel for myself….I have to have some way to rationalize it to the Hubby. Any ideas? It would make me REALLY happy to find a way to get myself a wheel!
Now, on a completely different topic, could all of you lovely folks help make a Pennsylvania boy’s NBA dreams come true? I got an email from my SIL (Hubby’s sis) asking for help to make Adam’s dreams a reality. I can’t think of a better way to assist Adam than to ask all of my readers to vote for him….His video is HILLARIOUS, and it is well worth your vote. Here is the link to his video in case you have any desire to help, or if you are just curious to know what this is about. If he wins, we will ALL be very HAPPY!
Oh my gosh, do you know how happy I am that you are spinning...WAY HAPPY! hehe =) It all looks fabulous! When I was reading about your lanolin allergy I was thinking 'Oooh, perfect excuse to use silk!' But I see you've beat me to it, LOL. Does that wheel have illustrations on it? That's so gorgeous =)
And did you realise how much your cake looks like fabric? Ha!
Also, I love that you have Joel Dewberry in the store, YAY! I ordered some last night, oh I have been wanting some for ages I nearly peed my pants when I saw it. =P
PS. SO jealous about the four leaf clover...my brother and I once spent a whole holiday in a clover patch and came up with nada!
Posted by: MissMeshell | July 11, 2007 at 09:20 PM
he he he, another spinning victim - it's very addictive isn't it. Your yarn looks great. And so does your cake! Speaking of yarn and also of icing, have a look at this cool example - http://veganyumyum.com/2007/06/knit-night-cupcakes/
Oh, and sorry for the Welcome Back in triplicate in my last comment, my puter went crazy!
Posted by: Dy | July 12, 2007 at 08:37 AM
Absolutely love the cake!!!
Posted by: Cherie | July 13, 2007 at 10:18 AM