I feel sooooo SPOILED!

Being on a limited budget and being the mother of many children means that often your wants or needs come last. But lately, I have been spoiled rotten! It started out on my anniversary (December 20). My hubby had received an unexpected financial blessing and he gave me some $$$ and told me I had to go out and buy myself some clothes with it. Now, I know that many, many women shop as a hobby, but I am not one of them. I hardly ever, ever go out and buy clothes. In fact, my new clothes usually come in hand-me-down bags. (But don't translate that to she-wears-old-ugly-stuff! I have been most fortunate to have a friend who has a sister who is one of those shop-as-a-hobby folks. Often I have even gotten things with the tags still on them!!) I am so thankful for the things I have been given. But that is not the same as being able to pick out something that is uniquely you and makes you feel like a princess. Well, that is just what I did. I went to my favorite shop in town and bought myself this bee-yoo-tee-full dress. I can not begin to describe it. It is 100% black cotton layers with lace, made in India and totally awesome!! I wish that I could relate it's style to you, but I don't know how to describe it...it is a little ethnic looking, a little "hippy" looking and a little like something out of the 1920's. I will try to get a photo of it posted sometime...but I am sure it will be hard to do, since it is black. I also got a lovely red pashmina to wrap over my shoulders with it.

Then there was Christmas which included several lovely gifts including a stainless steel travel mug for my coffee, other goodies, more $$ and gift cards to shop with. I went out and bought myself the most exquisite, killer cowboy boots in the whole universe. These are not your dusty, kick around boots (although I now want a pair of those too.) These are so purdy, they make me want to cry. And, the owner of the shop gave me a great deal!



And, as you see two posts down, I got a fabulous book for myself.



Well, the other day my neighbor brought by a late present. It was a nice cookbook, and I was so pleased. But, as I browsed it, I realized that there was a good number of recipes that just wouldn't be to my family's liking. I contemplated keeping it to provide occasional variety and inspiration, but she had so kindly put a gift receipt with it, so I trotted off to Barnes and Noble to see if there was anything I preferred. Baby, I hit the jackpot!



This first book (Knitting Rules by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee) I can not recommend too highly! If you are a knitter, especially if you are one who finds yarn and needles and anything else knitting-related addictive, then you will find a kindred spirit in this author. She writes in a conversational style and she is hilarious! She understands and sympathizes with my obsession. Also, she gives lot of good and useful information without talking "down" to you. Alshough this is not a book of patterns, she covers the basics in sock, scarf and shawl, sweater, and hat construction, giving you all the tools you need to make your own pattern! I read this book the way I read a novel. I did not want to put it down. That is how good it is. You can also visit her blog here: (Well, I TRIED to put a link, but I think my filter is blocking it! Our filter is pretty sensitive to any terms that might trigger "adult" content and you know how spicy those knitting blogs can get!! So, I will type it out so you can get the idea!) Her site is "www.yarn*h*a*r*l*o*t.ca/blog/" but remove the **** in the address.

And here is the other book I got: Spinning in the Old Way by Priscilla A. Gibson-Roberts. (What is it with these authors and their hyphenated names???)



I dream of spinning my own fiber. I regularly visit sites that sell spinning wheels and drool. But alas, I have neither the budget nor the space. Granted, if I had the budget I would find the space! This book is by a lady who not only spins using a simple high-whorl handspindle, but actually prefers this method. I have not really sunk my teeth into this book yet, but the print and drawings are a pleasure. It looks very warm and user-friendly. And best of all, hand spindles are affordable and don't take up much space! I am eager to get my own and give it a try!

So now you can see why I feel so spoiled! New clothes, new boots, new books...what else could a gal want????

A belated Merry Christmas!!

I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday. Mine was nice, but exhausting! Between filling orders, making gifts, cleaning house, hosting friends, baking, wrapping, etc., I've had no time to spend on the internet. Sorry for the lack of blog posts. I am sure you have all been on the edge of your seats, waiting to read my next update! (grin)

We did not have any family commitments for Christmas Eve, so a week before Christmas, we decided to invite a few friends from church to come over and visit. Well, our invitation to a few friends snowballed into having "open house" and basically inviting the entire church. We ended up with about 40 people coming over in addition to our own 9!!! (And no, I do not have a big house.) It was really fun. My daughters and I baked and cooked all day Saturday. I made lots of food since I had no idea how many would show. I wanted to do luminaries, but I feared there might be kids in the yard and that the candles in paper bags might be hazardous. So instead, I wrapped votive candles with wire in all sorts of odd and funky shapes and swirls and hung them from the trees in our front yard. It turned out soooo pretty! We decorated the table and house with live greenery and fruit, brewed up lots of coffee, hot spiced apple cider and I made my own punch recipe (cranberry juice, pineapple juice, orange juice, ginger ale, and soda water). The table was spread with rolls and ham and turkey and lots of goodies. Good food, good friends, good fellowship...what more could a person want? I wish you could have been here! After the vast majority had left, a few of the teenagers stayed and played games with my kids for a while. Later our whole family just flopped in the living room and hung out until after midnight.

Yesterday, I used a little Christmas money I received and bought myself a present: Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby. It was tops on my Amazon wishlist, and when I saw it at my local Barnes and Noble, I had to have it!


It is a lovely book. The pictures are all taken on location in England. The projects are all scrumptious. It is full of useful information, not only on technique, but also on the history of Victorian knitting. I can not wait to get started on one of the projects! Of course, that may require that I go out and buy MORE yarn, and the necessary double-pointed needles...