surprise

Look at this cute card my bf Leanne sent me! Er... to Dex, I mean. :) (Note: the bandage & cone are finally off, and Dex is once again running around with puppy fervor.)

I loved this organza-ish flower. She also included these fun items: Some adorable stamped images, as well as homemade recipe cards!

Thanks Leez, what a fun mailbox surprise! Be well!

seed stitch in blue

Just a little scarf I'm whittling away at.

Hmm. Whittle? It's not possible to "whittle" yarn...But I sure am whittling away my time, knitting bit by bit here and there.

Okay, so I'm obviously trying really hard to make a negative into a positive. :) According to Merriam-Webster, aside from a wood-working term, whittling can mean "to wear oneself or another out with fretting."

Note to self: Do not be a whittler.

ruh-roh.

Poor Dexter. We had to take him to the emergency vet Monday night after he collided with our couch. {He was running into the family room to see Raul and somehow managed to squash his wrist against the wooden leg of the couch. Much yelping ensued, and for us first-time puppy parents it was pretty scary.}

It's only a sprain, so he should be better within a week. That's what we're hoping, anyway. It's pretty tricky to keep a 13-week-old lab quiet and off his leg when he's so determined to play...

He hates wearing the cone, but will tolerate it. I think the crossbones decal makes up for it. {Isn't that funny? The tech said he seemed like a wild one...hmm, imagine that...}

a change'll do ya

So in June, I posted some photos of my craft room. Unfortunately, because it is usually in a state of disarray, it does not get used as much as you think it would!

Last week I finally put my foot down, and had the following conversation with myself:

Me: What good is a craft room if you aren't using it? Why not just make it a guest bedroom after all?

Me: What??? I'll clean it, geez.

Me: I think it needs more than just organization. It needs fun. Why did you buy those candy-colored crochet hooks anyway?

Me: ...You're absolutely right.

As with most things, the room is a work in progress. But at least I can use it now, and with glee!

The major change was bringing up a shelf from the basement to hold my knitting supplies, and moving the dresser to an adjacent wall. This instantly made the room feel more full and orderly, and allowed for me to add an extra lamp.

A closer look:

In the bottom basket on the shelf, I'm storing my fabric. The pumpkin pattern will most likely be sewn into an apron; the next two to the right--turquoise and plum patterns--will hopefully become skirts. The other two are undecided.

And these pieces came from the remnant bin at JoAnns...love that blue toile.

This dresser was where the knitting shelf now stands. This now holds extra stamps and stamping supplies, as well as a candy stash, heehee.

I found those three plastic baskets last week at Walmart for $3.97/3 pack. They even have matching green detail. Perfect!

I'm feeling a little more inspired. Sometimes a little change is all you need.

awaiting progress

The last month has been fairly quiet, both online, as you can see, and in my day-to-day happenings. To be honest, there just has not been much to post about.

Progress on crafts & writing has come to a trickle, and so I await inspiration. I feel like I'm waiting for a lot of things these days... but Romans 12 encourages us to be joyful, patient, hopeful, and faithful in prayer during these times, and so that is what I will try to do as my dry spell carries on.

On a lighter note, we had some wonderful company this weekend: My best friend Leanne and her husband stayed with us, and brought their two dogs to meet Dex for the first time.

It was so great to visit. {Dexter is getting bigger by the day, but he looked so tiny next to these full grown girls, Daisy and Java!}

Check back tomorrow for some more updates... Even though things are moving slowly, I DO have some updated craft room photos to share. :)