Chaining

Norah started chaining the crochet way rather than her way today. 

My heart is so happy!

Advent

I love Advent. 

The waiting and anticipating is the best part of Christmas. I always wish Christmas eve would last longer. And the joy of Christmas morning would  slow down. 

We love our Advent devotions which is part of our Christmas countdown. This is the second year with my hand knit ornaments, and we are loving them. This is my favorite part of Christmas.

I found  these three beautiful ornaments that I am using as a nativity on my kitchen ledge.  So pretty. 

It improves the view, don't you think?

Colorful and Vibrant

While visiting Grandma and Grandpa in MN, our garden bloomed. Thanks to Eric for sending me pictures. Hope the blooms last until our return. 

Garden Growth with pics

Our garden is growing!!

Garden Growth

Our garden is growing. I have pictures to share, but can not on my new iPhone. The blogger photo selection menu is not working for me and I cannot select my phone to get pics.suggestions please?

New Growth

A freshly planted garden is always filled with hope of new growth to come.  We can hardly wait for seeds to sprout and small plants to grow bigger.  Always hopeful for a plentiful harvest.  

Tulip Day

Norah and I headed over to our local out-door mall on Monday.  It is a pretty nice mall, one that has stores in which I will never shop.  I head over there for Sears (best shoes for boys), The Children's Place, and a few random other places a few times a year.  Sometimes Barnes and Noble around December.

I shop resale, so I rarely find myself at a mall!

BUT . . . every year, the week after Mother's Day, is what I call the Tulip Free For All.  They dig up every single tulip planted, and they drop them for people to gather.  For 2-3 days, there are 2 tulip drops each.  One at 9:30 and one at 2:30.  I was busy helping Kindergartners at 9:30.  Eric came home to catch Simon off the bus, and Norah and I headed over to pick up tulips at the 2:30 drop.  

We had a great time, she loved it so much.  We have a bunch of tulips to share, plant, and enjoy next spring!

Now that is a great New To Me Monday!

 Reading while waiting for tulips!

Our tulips.  We have red, yellow, and purple tulips.

New To Me Monday

We live in a 1952 ranch house, so the proportions of mid-century modern furniture fit our home.  We are really liking the furnishings from that era.  Over the last few years, we have stumbled upon some mid-century modern pieces of furniture.  A set of 3 chairs from Goodwill, that we used parts of one to fix up the 2 best chairs.  We have yet to refinish the chairs and replace the cushions.  Recovering the foam cushions is expanding my sewing skills to a level filled with discomfort.  You'll see them, in another New to Me Monday post.  Perhaps after the chairs are refinished and cushions are replaced.

We have 3 small, stacking round tables fits perfectly in between these awesome chairs.  Found at a local resale boutique store that did not last as long as it should have.  Since I was a previous customer, I had a coupon and it worked with the marked down price.  We love them and use them often together and separated.  Just wait until you see them!

We have had an end table, dark cherry wood with spindle legs, and a clear plexiglass top.  My parents found it without a glass top.  Dad cut the plexi for a top, and gave it to me when I moved into my first apartment when I moved to IL for my first job.  We've used it ever since.  Not quite our style.

Last week, Eric stumbled on a website of a "store" that sells mid-century modern furniture, out of a women's house/garage.  Two matching end tables for an unbelievable price (not quite the $20 or less that I showcase on N.2.M.M.)  So we loaded up a kid in each car, hoping that the an end table would fit in each of our sedans.  They did.

Crazy story when we arrived.  We were greeted and then were told that her dog just died.  Like JUST THEN.  She went into the bathroom to put on her makeup before we arrived, and found her dog not breathing.  Her mom almost died the previous week.  She then tells me that her husband lost his job, and a couple of years ago was diagnosed with leukemia, selling this furniture is her job and only source of income.  One more crazy story and I was silently praying for her on the spot!  Such timing we bring, I guess!

 We love the tables.  We feel we should send her a card.

A great new to us find!

Chain Away and New-to-Me-Monday

She figured out how to hold the yarn with the index finger pointing up and to pinch her ever-growing chain with her thumb and middle finger!  And then, and finally, she could "sneak a hug from behind" to hook the yarn, "tuck it in" to turn the hook slightly downward for easy insert through the loop, and then to say "good-night" as she made a chain!!!!!  

She has been picking each loop off of the yarn sort of rainbow-loom style and two-handed.  Very slow and clumsy.  

She is on her way to chaining away!  Now, what to do with all the long chains to come, before introducing single crochet?

Definitely a joyful way to continue rocking my baby!

You may wonder where is the new to me Monday item in all of this?  Well, it is Norah's dress, found at a local church's spring resale.  It has summer straps, so will be cool and comfy when the mercury rises.  But for now, Grandma's sewn white short-sleeve jacket looks perfect.

He is Risen Indeed,

From top to bottom, left to right:

• An egg wreath that I found in the last few years
• Easter cards on mantel, ones sent to us this year and fabric postcards that I sent to the kids in years past
• a clear cross that is always on the mantel
• a white vase, one from when I was born, and another when Norah was born, so each child has the same vase for flowers at Baptisms and Baptismal birthdays
• Palm leaves from Palm Sunday, we leave them there until the next Palm Sunday
• Crocheted bunnies, eggs, and chicks by me.  Crocheted/knitted hens by my Grandma Wiens
• A piece of cherished and loved wood and rock that was a wedding gift from my Dad full of meaning and family, always in the middle of the mantel
• A purple wooden box with a white cross, where our Hallelujah sign is placed between Palm Sunday and Easter (and when in storage, too)
• Willow Tree angels, one praying and one holding a child, (wingless right now as I need to glue wings)
• A clock with spinning angels that was a wedding gift
• A lego bunny that was found during last year's garage sale season and pulled out for Easter morning
• A large multi-colored knit bunny that was my first "knit in the round" project, made with yarn gifted to me by Simon.  Only I knit it on straight needles, so if you look closely and can rotate images in your head, you will realize the ears are facing the wrong way.  Should've just learned to knit in the round.  Not a bad, back-to-knitting project.
• Basket of bunnies, because they are soft and furry and loved by my lil' miss.  Only, since they are mine, they can be stored away with the Easter decorations.  
• Construction paper palm leaves, created at our church's family program called Road to Easter