March means Spring is on its way...

We kicked off the month of March with some really cold weather.  I took the "beast" to the dog park and despite the tricky conditions, he had a blast, and I just felt arctic blasted.  It was good for us both though, because when we got home, he slept and I worked on some projects.

I made a small birthday D.I.Y. (I will not show photos because it will ruin the surprise- maybe next time.) I worked on wrapping up some long overdue packages to a good friend and I started a nice pile of "thanks you's".
I checked on the plants- it is seedling time on top of our fridge!  

This cold weather is perfect for baking and prepping some meals for the week ahead.  So while AB and I made up a nice butternut squash soup, there was a little bit of squash left-over for dog treats.  Marcel hardly shies away from fruits and vegetables so an initial sniff meant this was a good choice.

And the finished product:

They work to get the dog's attention!

And he even obey's commands!

(My hand is intact- we are working on "gentle.")

A series called, "What's in the pile to the right?"

In an effort to make sure I keep my creative juices going, clean up my messes and rediscover all my cool friend gifts, I am beginning this series called, "What's in the pile to the right?"

Right next to my desk that is...

And here are today's finds:

An etching from my friend Dianna LaFerry, who has many wonderful creative talents- which can be seen here on her Etsy shop.

 To complete my fascination with siamese twins (more on that later), I received this amazing set of buttons for my birthday.  I think that someone made this from polymer clay which is pretty impressive.

That's it!

What is on your pile to the right?

Optical Extreme Focus Destimulator

Desperate times call for desperate measures.  Some of us have to work in noisy and difficult environments and there are certain seasons that call for extreme methods of working.  AB works in a vibrant tax firm and sits in a space that is less than optimal for focussed work.  SO, this year he is going in with reinforcements.

He now has a pair of noise canceling headphones which upon several trials have worked well for his ability to focus on getting the job done.  There is just one problem...they work a little too well. When he tried them on at home, it must have taken me a solid minute of gesturing madly to get his attention.

That and several work related moments of missed info have created the need for this device!

The Optical Extreme Focus Destimulator (O.E.F.D for short)

Items needed include: String of LED Christmas lights, a twist knob, Altoids container, wire nuts, wire stripper, electrical tape, 9 volt battery and harness.

AB began by drilling a hole in his Altoids tin, in order to place his twist knob.  He happened to have the perfect (and hand-turned, by himself- I might add) wooden knob from another project. This item fit over the twist knob perfectly.

 Inside the Altoid tin there was a bit of connecting to be done. The strand of LED lights came in from the back side. At this point he had trimmed the lights down to just 5 or so, he didn't want the whole length of lighting on his desk at work.  One wire from the knob connects to the battery harness and one wire from the lights connects to the battery harness.  Then the wires from the knob and light that haven't been connected are attached and covered with a wire nut.  All of this fits nicely inside the Altoid Tin.

 And thus you have a device that when twisted, will flash- getting the attention of one very focussed tax preparer.

ForgETSY me not!

Red Wool Scarf with Heart Pin Closures

Well, I've done it again, I am posting a couple of items to Etsy! I can't wait to make more items and get them going.  A goal for each week is one item.  I may never sleep again, and my dog may never forgive me, but this is necessary for good mental health.  Please check things out and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Up-cycled Sweater and Leather Belt Tote

Pink Ruffle Scarf with Wood Turned Pin

I anticipate more scarves and felted bags.  Be sure to check them out and keep your eyes open via Facebook and Twitter for updates.
Thanks!

Not quite a Charlie Biscuit...

Recently at one of my favorite local treasure shops, as I checked out I was asked if I had a dog.  I smiled and said yes.  The woman working there encouraged me to please bring the dog next time and she handed me two small plastic bags with small treats she called "Charlie Biscuits."  They appeared to be handmade and were very simple in appearance.

I promptly took these items home and shared them with Marcel and found that he was very responsive. I had my fantastic finds for the day and he had discovered a new treat.  It was this moment that encouraged me to try and make dog treats at home.  

I used:

*two over-ripe bananas

*2 cups whole wheat flour

*1tsp of salt

*water to bind (wheat flour will usually require about a 25% more than white flour)

I mixed the items together in a bowl and then prepped my work surface with flour.  Buddha oversaw the whole process and reminded me to be patient and prepare these items with love.  The dough was rolled out and I used a round cookie cutter to press out my shapes.  I also used my tea infuser as a smaller circle cutter. These biscuits were laid out on a baking sheet and cooked for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

They came out well and we have one pretty satisfied dog!

Marcel says "Bon Appetit!"  The next time around, I will use carrots, a fave.  I have been keeping this batch in the fridge since they don't have preservatives and the bananas could cause some molding. Good luck with your Charlie Biscuits. 

Just what is felt, anyway?

You know sometimes we ask ourselves these deep philosophical questions to find that we were thinking too deeply in the first place.  Can you really feel, if you have never felt?
And just what is felt, anyway?

Felt is basically shrunken wool.  Wool can be shrunken if it is aggressed; don't make a sheep mad, instead, all you need to do is wash wool to shrink it.  Most of us do this to our favorite sweaters by accident.  Others of us do it on purpose- I have come to terms with this need and find that experimenting with scarf structures allows me to play with felt in a way that nourishes my creativity.  I also use my handy machine knitter to go tandem with the felt scarves, because it is sad to hand knit something only to shrink it to half its size.  It is a bit more gratifying to machine knit (still by hand) and then shrink it down.  The other joy in this process is that it is quite a bit warmer than a standard knit scarf.  If you live in the cold tundra like I do, you will appreciate this extra warmth.

The form of the scarves is another thing that remains a process for me.  I prefer that the scarf suit the wearer, so each is adjustable having only one button and multiple places to connect and attach the button within the structure of the knit scarf.

Organizing with ease

There comes a time at least once a year, when you look around at your home and you say to yourself, "Who accumulated all of these things?" and "I wish I could find..."  That occurred this weekend here at the homestead and some of the things we have been talking about doing, got done.

One of the things that we recently saw at a dear friend's house has been an item we've been searching for.  Our friend was using an old bill stabber as a way to collect all the receipts that she and her husband accumulate in a month.  You know think back to an old diner where you paid the bill at the register and after handing over your bill and paying, the person behind the counter stabbed the check onto a stack. This glorious item had to be ours, only after many trips to the thrift store and resale shops I had no luck coming up with one.  We consistently find wadded up receipts after they have journeyed through the washer and dryer in a pocket.  This little do-hicky was going to be our new best friend.

But low and behold, it never turned up, so the Mr. had the brilliant idea to use what we have and the essence of what this blog is founded on.  He asked politely for a knitting needle- and in a matter of mere moments, he returned with our new organizational strategy tool.