A Crafty Yarn

Here are a few of the artsy things I've been up to lately.... Knitting...I've been knitting washcloths....I hadn't been able to knit with cotton in the past but my new friend Paula told me it was because I was using ridiculously small needles....and she was right.... Making Christmas Ornaments...... This is a technique that I had seen done using re-inkers and ultra fine glitter...The colors are pretty random but that's because I used what I had on hand since I didn't know if it would work out or not....and it did! A couple colors were a bit dark...But watering the reinker down doesn't work so I will just need to get a few new colors. The orange one was meant as a joke for John...the Longhorns fan...but I actually like how it came out....too bad nobody I know has an orange Christmas theme :) I've been meaning to scrapbook John's horse pictures but I've been waiting for just the right stamp set...I got it in the mail and couldn't wait to t

Okay...I'm over the homesick thing so now I think it's time to make a list of some of what I love about being here..... It's ZONE 7 for pete's sake!!!! There hasn't been frost yet and I have over 100 peppers still ripening in the garden...unheard of Up North! Crepe Myrtles Magnolias Honeysuckle Mountains Trees...no but really...MANY, MANY trees! The accent Men...they always let women go first, hold the doors, etc. New friends Heifer International is based here.....if you haven't yet checked them out...please do! Fried catfish (in cornmeal) with hushpuppies and green tomato relish! See...there really is alot that I love about Arkansas...and in closing let me tell you about the event that started my love affair with this place: I hadn't been down here too long when John brought me to the Quitman Catfish Barn....It's this great buffet restaurant in a tiny little town...great food, great atmosphere... Well...we got there and it was just packed..so we were s

Well it's one of those days....I'm homesick. It's always worse in the Fall because my body tells me it's time to get ready for the cold and snow...and my head tells me nope...not gonna happen. Why am I homesick?...What do I miss about being Up North? Unless you're from there ya probably won't understand some of them...but these are just some of the things I miss: My family! Girlfriends Other people who say uff-da! and oh ya?! Ole and Lena jokes. Bars...no but really...there are very very few bars down here! Cribbage Polka Venison My mom's kitchen Snow Cold...REAL cold! Good sweet corn...it is NOT the same down here! That last fall day when you rush to get the last of the outside work done...because we're expecting the first foot of snow that night Mardi Gras (Ladysmith) The Mall of America Grand Ave. at Christmas Ugh....there's so much more...but I've cried it out and now I'm over it!...Back to life in the South...which is starting to grow on

I've been facinated for the longest time by Mehndi. For those of you who don't know, Mehndi is the application of henna to the skin using sybolic patterns and designs. The henna dyes the skin a beautiful copper color. Much of the time Mehndi is used as a way of honoring a meaningful event. In recent years it has become popular for pregnant women to have these symbols painted on their pregnant tummy. I want to be able to do this for my clients and others who choose to express themselves with this art so I've been practicing some of the various symbols. I have a long ways to go before I'm accomplished enough to do it for others! Here is a picture of my hand after I was practicing on it with marker...Sorry about the quality...It was taken on my camera phone:

I have been wanting one of those small greenhouses for a very long time and a while ago I found this one on sale at Hobby Lobby! I couldn't believe it when I saw these pricetags: I asked the cashier why it was priced so low she told me that it was the display model and it didn't have a box or instructions...Well I snatched it up! And voila!...