a bit more about blankets and other cozy things

Crocheted and knitted blankets were once the blanket of choice. 

Especially the homemade kind. People spent hours knitting beautiful blankets, sweaters, socks, mittens and hats to keep their loved ones warm. It was a skill that fell out of favor when new easy-to-use fabrics proved to be much simpler to make into fashionable blankets and clothing. Recently, knitting has had a resurgence. People are picking up the yarn and needles again, spending hours creating warm cozy items for people they love.

Like these bunny slippers. I would wear these.

Perhaps the idea of making something for someone and facing the reality that they might not like it or it won't fit ... makes the idea of making something for your pet very attractive! (?) They won't thank-you and then stash it away in a drawer ... never to be seen again. Nope. They will wear it with pride and joy from the moment you stretch it over their cute little heads.

They will thank-you over and over again for making a clever little hat to keep their cute little head warm.

Perfect!

                                           I wonder if it's itchy? Lambswool makes me itch.
                                               I have to admit it though, this is a cute one!

Oh...these two.

I really couldn't find words to describe these.

When I am out and about at estate and yard sales, looking for vintage treasures for my little shop, I see crocheted blankets for just a few dollars. The throw-away price just doesn't match the many hours it took to make these blankets. They just lost their appeal somewhere along the way. Or have they? The geometric patterns and bright colors really are timeless. Mostly. 

You know the ones I'm talking about...

Seriously. Look at all the colors and imagine how long it took to make a blanket like this. I actually found one at a sale a year or two ago. The colors were perfect to match Leah's bedroom in her college apartment. It only cost three dollars. I bought it and she loves it. I don't have a photo of that actual blanket...these are just some I found on the internet.

One of the outdoor shopping plazas here in Phoenix actually had light posts wrapped in some of these great old vintage blankets. I snapped these two photos on an Arizona winter day, oh when it was probably... 69 degrees. It was pretty funny to see. You know, everything old is new again and things can become hip and trendy in the hands of the right people.

Like this. 

Re-use those old colorful blankets. Warm yourself with shorts like these!

                                                                  Cozy, cozy, cozy.

                                                   You don't like shorts? No problem.
                                       Up-cycled crocheted bell bottomed hipster pants!
                             With scalloped edging on the hem!! Fashionable with natural ventilation.

                                                   Like I said, what's old is new again.


                                                              Hip AND trendy!
                             

quote monday

I've spent way too much time with a blanket wrapped around me this past month while I have been sick. I'm not sick of the blanket, because who doesn't love wrapping up in a blanket and taking a nap or watching a movie or reading a book? But I am sick of being sick. I think I've turned the corner...although when I thought that a week and a half ago I must have taken the wrong turn, because I ended up on the same block, circling around and around and around again. Thank goodness for that blanket though. Actually, the blanket was Chuck's Christmas present from his sister. I've really enjoyed it!

Happy Monday everyone.

~norma~

hummingbird post:two

I'm finally getting back to posting the second series of  interesting hummingbird photos that I was lucky enough to snap last summer. I was in Leah's bedroom and could hear a very high pitched chirping/singing outside of her window. I peeked through the blinds and saw this little guy sitting quietly in the orchid tree. My view wasn't completely clear through blinds and glass, but I got my camera with the telephoto lens and watched and snapped.

The interesting thing to me, when I zoomed in close, was how big his eye looks. You can even see in the photo above how large it looks in comparison to his body. 

He either heard the shutter snap or saw a little movement, because he turned and looked right at me! I was sure he would flit away but instead, he stayed right there and put on a show. I was actually glad he turned, because the light reflected off the magenta feathers around his neck. So pretty!

He started his high pitched singing again. I love this photo!

 He had his foot tucked up under his wing to scratch a little itch.

And scratching around his neck too.

Ahhh.....

A little more ahhh.....

Scratch that itch.

And then he flittered over to another branch even closer to the window. I just had a few moments watching him sing and scratch and pose for my camera before he flitted away.

I put the photos all together into a gif, which stands for graphic interchange format. It's like a little video made from your still shots. It really shows how a slight movement, catching the light in a different way, makes his feathers change colors.

Thank-you little hummingbird for giving me a moment of your day.
Especially on a very hot summer day.

Happy Wednesday!

quote monday

This can be a good reminder for so many things.

Today, it is for the cold that has returned to my head.
I really haven't felt like it was really gone, but last night
it decided to say..."nope, still here."

This too shall pass.
And so it is.
Be that as it may.

A discussion was had recently with a friend.
We were comparing phrases. Oldies that have lasted throughout the years but aren't used as often. I want to bring a couple back into style because newer trendier phrases are just... old.

Whatever.
Oh well.
Get over it.

Doesn't "Be that as it may" sound better than "whatever"?

Happy Monday.

~norma~

quote monday

Yes, even though I lived with so much snow for many winters...I do still get a thrill...even if it is just a little bit.

And that is how much we got during our week of winter. Just a little bit. It was exciting, but also bitter sweet, because I knew with the freezing temperatures we would get frozen plants. And that we did. Just as they were recovering from the scorching, choking heat of the summer, many of them got a bit nipped from old Jack Frost. So it is.

In just a few weeks spring like weather will arrive and the plants will be in recovery mode.
Something I am still in from my mega virus. Recovery mode...you know the one...where that nagging cough just hangs on and on.

Happy Monday everyone.

~norma~

pasta for Christmas

Many years ago, Rachel got a pasta machine for Christmas. The kind that rolls the dough into thin sheets and then cuts the dough into "noodles". A wooden drying rack came with it and we used it once to make delicious fettuccine. Once. The only reason I can think of, as to why we never did it again after the first time, was because it seemed like a big ordeal. Maybe it was the fact that the kids were all pretty young and for me opening a box of spaghetti was just a little easier. An unfortunate reason.

This Christmas, since we had all day to wait for Chuck to get off work to start our Christmas celebration, and since the kids are no longer young, I thought it might be a fun thing to do. So, I pulled the two boxes out of the garage, made the homemade sauce with a variety of meats (thank-you to my Italian mother-in-law for teaching me that skill) and let it simmer for most of the afternoon. When it was time to get the pasta noodles going I handed out aprons (Austin got the Thanksgiving apron!) and said "you guys are in charge!"

They did it.

They even made a high speed video.

It was delicious. We will do this again and I'm only sorry that I didn't keep it up after the very first time, oh probably fifteen years ago.

Thanks to Rachel, Austin and Leah for working together to make us such a special Christmas dinner!

It was a treat!

quote monday

This is not so much a quote as it is my mantra. I'm heading into day 7 of a really crummy cold/virus. So many muscles are getting quite sore from  so  much  coughing. I know I needed a New Year's workout resolution, but this is a miserable way to get sore abs.

Welcome 2015!

~norma~