ruby crowned kinglette

happy birthday mister, take two

it's chet's birthday... 14 years old today, making him 72 in human years....    he went to the vet because of an ear infection and skin issues (always the skin issues). he also managed to pee a little on the vet and pooped a little in the waiting room but didn't seem to feel too badly about it; thankfully, i am way past feeling embarrassed by it either. the vet thought he was doing pretty well overall, and gave him many little cookies so it was a good day all around.

i took this photo last week.  it was after i had made three trips in from the car, after i had found the camera, and after i had mounted it to the tripod and took about 18 pictures.  he is not, by any definition, a watchdog. he is a cuddly dog.

happy birthday chet, here is to several more.

spring tulip

this little fighter has been in the garden for years now.  how it manages to keep coming up after so long is a mystery to me. since it was quite lovely here today i took advantage and did some gardening. really that means i was cleaning up and pruning and reminding myself of what is planted around here.  after crawling on my belly like a reptile to get at a whole lot of leaves and stuff i stood up, looked down and saw this little tulip...   i didn't really mean to cut it, i didn't even see it until it was there on the ground, waiting for me to put it in water. so, i did.

snickerduddles?

this is not what i have come to believe snickerdoodles look like, or taste like, or should be like.  i am almost, one hundred percent, sure i followed the recipe, almost.  the dough seemed too wet, but one of my eggs was not large, but super duper large, although only one yolk, so i just rolled with it.  i probably shouldn't have because these cookies? these cookies are 1/16" thick thin...!

it reminds me of the time my youngest sister and her best friend were making cookies when they were about 9 or 10.  toll house chocolate chip, and while we were all home she demanded that we didn't help them.  when the first batch came out of the oven and it was one giant cookie in the shape of the cookie sheet - well, she was mad.  obviously she hadn't used enough flour and she was adamant that she had. had used EXACTLY the amount called for - two, quarter cups of flour.  when my mom told her no, they mean two and one quarter cups of flour she was really mad, because.... THAT ISN'T WHAT IT SAID!

i kind of feel the same today...

so onto the second batch...

i added another half cup of flour, and chilled the dough. the cookies hardly spread at all so they are better, but i don't think they taste right.  i am going to toss them because this is just silly, and i don't need them anyhow... i really was just looking for a way to kill time because i have work to do and didn't want to do it.  sound familiar?

this recipe came from, the previously considered really, really great, 'america's test kitchen' baking illustrated.... i bet i won't try this particular recipe again.

it is now a lovie blankie

the little dolly blanket is now a lovie blankie... at least that is what gigi's mom thinks it should be, and i am all for that.  it is  a whopping 16 inches square - more or less, and went through the washer and dryer beautifully so i think it will hold up to all kinds of loving down the road.  i like how it turned out - a lot.  and i really liked doing the whole thing by hand.  i initially started piecing it by machine but decided after one seam that it was going to feel like a job, rather than a project so i ripped that stitching out and began by hand.  it went together much more quickly than i expected, so much so that i think know there will be more of these little beauties in my future.  if you are interested in seeing even more tiny blankies, there are more here...

here are some of the little details, don't worry if you can't read them... it is hard for me too, in real life, with good lighting...

   

   

i was going to wait and give this to gigi for her first birthday but there is no way i can wait until august. and, i was already too excited to keep it a secret from her mom and showed her the piece last weekend.... i am thinking it will get packaged up over the weekend and sent along it's merry way, ready to begin a life of keeping a tiny little girl happy.  or... her dolls.

 

and the winners are....

thank you so much for all the wonderful blog birthday wishes and for all the lovely things you said about me and my blog.  it really has been a great year.

so, without further ado. the winners are...

• the wonderful bethany at bitter betty blogs - one little pouch, coming your way!
• the very spirited sonya at knitsonya - one little pillow, coming your way!
    and....
• otis's very talented mother at shiso mama - the other little pillow, coming your way!

congratulations girls! and thank you again for a fantastic year.

2007 softie awards voting is open

the voting for the softie awards is now open. hustle on over now and vote!  there are 65, so you will have a lot of good ones from which to choose your favorites.

tomorrow i will post the winners of my big blog's birthday bash drawing.... be alert!

my favorite magnolia in the world

this is a picture of my favorite tree in seattle.  it is a very floppy magnolia.  each petal - PETAL - is at least seven inches long and this year the tree is loaded with blossoms.  when the breeze blows it is like someone waving hello with a thousand linen handkercheifs...

this photo doesn't begin to do justice to the beauty of the tree, especially next to the greens of the other trees, but it was the best i could do... i wonder how you folks living in the south can stay on the road during the spring when all the magnolias and dogwoods are in bloom... 

this tree is going to make me happy all day long.

happy spring and happy news

yep, you have seen this guy before.... i made him while at the greatest place on earth.  i submitted him in a softie contest and he is (i am?) one of the five finalists in the doll category.  you can link to the site here, and in one of my side bars too, to vote for your favorites in each category. i think voting begins in a few days...  there are so many wonderful creations by so many talented people, so it is such an incredible honor just to be among the finalists. 

it is also the first day of spring and i am feeling it.  the sun i shining and the birds are tweeting... i am going to go take a few photos of the beauty and post of bit of that later too... because apparently, it is supposed to get gloomy again by the weekend. oh well, that rain is what makes it so lush around these parts...

bounty from the big storm of 2006

this post is courtesy of jim... because of several things

• if he didn't allow me to borrow {until i owned} his digital camera, i wouldn't have a blog worth reading, let alone a post worth posting

• if he didn't go out of town i wouldn't have to feed his cats; if i didn't have to feed his cats i wouldn't have seen these magnolia blossoms

• if he didn't have a very big poplar tree blow down in "the biggest wind storm of all time, except for those other ones" then the neighbors wouldn't have added to the pile with downed branches from a magnolia tree. budding branches that have miraculously blossomed in spite of the fact that they have not been on a 'living tree' for several months now.

i am going to take some pruners over when i go today so i can cut a bunch more for the gals in book club.  we are meeting tomorrow and i think this will be kind of nifty to bring a prize.  a trunk full of magnolia blossoms will be very cool and since this is going to be it for the tree i might as well make the best of it.

it is kind of interesting that these are not too perfumy and they also smell a little like crayons...

 

celebrating one year!

well, how do you like that? it has been one year.  one year since i worried myself almost sick about whether i would fit in, have anything to contribute or be able to write anything anyone would want to read.  i am over that.  quite quickly, in fact. i decided, if i tried to make this blog beautifully written and have something pithy to say in every post then i wouldn't be posting very often.  and therefore, it is ........ me. just an online version of me, but really just plain old me.  i worried too, that i would run out of inspiration and get bored with the whole idea. that has not been the case, not even for a second.

and you all are the reason for that.

thank you everyone, who has come by to read, maybe even commented or become my friend this last year.  you have brought such great pleasure and inspired me in more ways than i can count.  so, in an effort to show my appreciation i have made a couple pillows and a zippered pouch out of this wonderful linen print and if you leave a comment i will throw your name in the ring. 

thank you again. i have met such wonderful, great, inspiring, and talented people because of this blog. if i had even a hint of what was to come i wouldn't have worried at all.

and oh yes.... sneaking in those extra two post worked beautifully and here we are at post number two hundred!!!!