It's a Wrap!

It's been a while since I've posted anything, but that's not because I've been goofing off.

Well...maybe from blogging, but not from knitting and basket making.

As you can see, I  f i n a l l y  finished this most beautiful wrap!

This has taken a bit longer than expected to complete.  Not because it's hard, but because it's hot. 

I wanted a nice, long wrap to keep warm in,

but the longer it became, the warmer I became

while working on it. 

Definately not a summer project!

Wish you could feel how soft this is.  I used two yarns together and just knitted.

Choosing the yarn is the hardest, but also the best part.

So many choices....

I wear a lot of blues and browns, so since this is for me, the selection was narrowed.

It's really long, about 64" plus the fringe. And did I mention how soft it is.

I wanted to add some bling to the fringe and went a little crazy adding an assortment of complimentary yarns to the mix.  The stash came in handy for this. I love playing with the soft fringe.

So now the problem is wearing it before the summer heat arrives.

Although it would feel awefully nice in a freezing cold air conditioned restaurant this summer.

Hum....

Until next time ~

Terri

I Was Nominated For A Liebster Award

Liebster Award

 

The Liebster Award originated from a German blogger who wanted to recognize her fellow bloggers with fewer than 200 followers.  Liebster means "dearest" in German.

I was kindly nominated by Sharon (thanks Sharon!), whose blog, Fit and Healthy Baby Boomers, is just wonderful and such fun to read.  The rules are that nominees must nominate four fellow bloggers with fewer than 200 followers, and answer questions posed by the nominator.  

The bloggers I am nominating, because they are fun, inspirational, hilarious, beautiful and/or amazing are:
Rose at Sand in my Yarn
Marianna at Red Dancer Studio
Una at Great Balls of Wool
Karen at knitalatte

And these are the questions I asked them

-----------

1.  What has been your favorite book to read?

  

2.  If you could go back and meet your 20-year-old self, what one piece of advice would you give her?

 

3.  Have you ever traveled outside the United States? If so, where?

4.  How do you spend your quiet time?

 

5.  What is your favorite activity and how do you feel when you are doing it?

6.  What is your greatest accomplishment?

7.  What has been your greatest adventure?

8.  If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?  Why?

9.  Name one thing still on your bucket list.

10. What do you most want to be remembered for?

11. Why do you blog?

Here are the questions Sharon asked me, with the answers:

What is your favorite Starbucks drink to order?

         Carmel frapachino light with whip cream

What is the longest you lived in one place and where?

         27 years - Tallahassee, FL

What was the shortest time spent in one place and where?

         2 years - Cobleskill, NY

What is your proudest moment (it can't be something your kids accomplished)

          Being a part of someone elses' success

If you could give me one piece of advise what would that be?

          Life is too short to stay angry or mad

How long have you been blogging?

          Almost 1 year

How many cruises have you been on and to where?

          One - Western Caribbean

Tell us one thing that's still on your bucket list.

           Ride a camel in front of the pyramids in Egypt

Who (still living) do you admire?

           My friend Kat

If you could be granted one wish, what would that be?

           To go back in time and do it right

What is your favorite reality show and why?

         Real Housewives - Makes me feel better about myself

Please leave me a comment on this post with the URL to your Liebster award so I can learn more about YOU!

                                Until next time ~
                                    Terri
 

Happiness Raining Down

Did you ever get a present that was so awesome...so unbelievable...so unexpected that it left you completely in awe?  Well that happened to me and although this is not my normal type of post, I thought I'd share anyway:-)

My birthday was last week.

Not a "big one", just another marker along the stitching in time.

The weather, on the other hand, was big.  Heavy rains started on Friday and continued off and on all weekend.  And the harder it rained, the happier I became.

You see, we've been in a severe drought for the past three years and haven't seen heavy rain throughout most of that time.  The lovely lake we lived on had completely dried up and we jokingly called our house the little house on the prarie.

But last week the rain fell, and continued to fall, on Saturday, and Sunday, and Monday. 

By Monday I began to think that perhaps some water might actually stay in the 63 acre lake. But after it being dry for so long I still had my doubts.  On Tuesday morning I got up early to look out the window and could see from the reflections that there indeed was water in the lake!

As soon as it got light enough I grabbed my camera (well actually my cell phone) and took some photos.  An entirely different view than the day before!

This is our new (or old) view!

The blessings rained down upon me and I was given a most

wonderful birthday present from God!

Now how awesome is that!

                          Until next time ~

                               Terri

Finished Projects

It always feels good to finish a project.  My problem is that is feels better to start a new one, so I always have many going on and don't finish them as quickly as I'd like to.

But this past week I've really been focusing on finishing and I thought I'd share my little accomplishments.

I started with this multicolor crocheted hat

 made from I Love This Yarn which is very soft.

But the hat needed more...

so I made a pair of fingerless gloves.

 

 Really easy to do!

I'll be making more of these.

 See how nice they look?

Another unfinished project was this scarf.

 I had bought this really expensive yarn that's like ribbon yarn,

nearly impossible to use unless you're an expert

which I am not.

So I added a soft, beige yarn and knit the two together.

 It turned out much better than the photo.

The last project was another little hat for my sweet Sarah.

 Made of the softest pink and white yarn I could find.

She seems to like it:-)

Now time to go back to some basket making!

                   Until next time...

                       Terri

My gift arrived!

Oh my goodness!  Yesterday the package arrived with the giveaway I won during the Grow Your Blog Party.  For someone who usually doesn't win things, this was quite a treat!

Marrianna from Red Dancer Studio gave away an absolutely beautiful vintage beaded bag.  It looked quite lovely in her blog post photo, but when I unwrapped it and took it out of the pretty heart paper, it took my breath away!

This little bag is completely decorated with clear crystals that pick up colors of light. You can see some of the different colors. They change and sparkle as the light hits them.

The top is metal, maybe pewter, along with the chain, which makes it quite heavy.  Not a flimsy bag at all!

And look at the bead work on the bottom! Just amazing!

Thank you so much, Marrianna, for having such a lovely giveaway! 

I am one lucky lady:-) and am looking forward to a night on the town next week with my honey to show this pretty piece off!


          Until next time...
              Terri

And the winner is...!!! Winners are...!!!

All I can say is WOW what a party!  I've been so busy visiting that I haven't had time to write. Again, thank you Vicki, for organizing this event:-)

I have stopped by so many sites during the past two weeks. It's been kind of like being at an outlet mall of blogs.  I wandered by each one and window shopped. Some I went in and spent some time, maybe even leaving a comment.  For many, I made a figurative purchase and bought the blog (became a follower)!  I have discovered so many interesting, creative folks and new friends that it's a bit overwhelming.  And the fun continues as I get to read new posts each day!

But now for the giveaway!!!

In keeping with the spirit of the party and seeing some of the marvelous giveaways from others, I decided to give a surprise and have two drawings!  The first winner selected will get to pick the color of the headband they would like and I will whip one up just for you!  The second winner will get the headband shown in the post!

This is the first time (but not the last) that I have had a giveaway and I must say I've had logistical troubles trying to figure out the best way to do this.  Guess I should have asked others how they did the selection process, but too late now.  I wanted to be absolutely random in the selection, so I wrote down everyone's name that left a comment. I numbered each one. There were 65!

I then wrote the numbers on a sheet of paper, cut them in to individual pieces and put them in a baggie

The final step was to have someone pick two numbers out of the baggie and voila... winners!


So......(drum roll, please).....

The winner of the pick your own color headband is #21 Kelly @CCC!!!
Email me with your color pick and I'll get started:-)

And the winner of the ivory headband is #41 Hilary!!!

Thank you to all who stopped by and left such nice comments! And congratulations to the winners!  I really hope you enjoy these:-) 

Don't forget to email me your mailing address so I can send them to each of you.

Until next time…

       Terri

Welcome to the Party!

Thanks so much to Vicki for hosting this wonderful Grow Your Blog Party!

And thank YOU for visiting!

I'm fairly new to blogging, so am still learning how everything works.  But I am enjoying meeting new folks and learning about their interests and hobbies. 

So about me...

Basically, I am a basket maker, knitter, photographer with a travel habit.

I love designing and creating unique baskets and jewelry out of long leaf pine needles. Several of my baskets have won ribbons at the Florida State Fair. 

I just completed my latest entry.  I am hoping it will win a ribbon, but regardless, I have a great spot for it on my coffee table.

As you can imagine, baskets take a remarkably long time to make, and most I make to keep or as gifts. But there are a few that I place in my Etsy shop, Pine Designs.  

I went to China a few years ago on a mission trip and that inspired me to turn my basket making into a ministry.  When I do sell something the money is used to help support missionaries in China.  I hope you will visit the shop sometime and take a look.

~

My other favorite pasttime is knitting (and crochet) and, like many of my fellow knitters, I always have a few projects in process.  I am blessed to have three beautiful grandchildren and enjoy spoiling them with a few handmade items.

I belong to a knitting group and we make warm items such as hats, headbands, scarves, etc. to donate each year.  It's fun to share ideas and get new ones!  I try to make each piece a little bit different so no two are exactly alike.

This headband is one of my creations.

And I made it to give to one of you!

It looks white but is actually a cream color.  I enjoy making these since they're perfect for the little nip in the air we get in north Florida.  The flower is tied on and can be removed if preferred. 

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post! 

 ***The winner does not have to have a blog -- anyone can enter -- anyone can win - regardless of where you live.***  

The winner will be drawn on February 1, 2013 and will be announced here!  

~

I've been married for over 35 years and we enjoy traveling.  We are always looking for new places to explore. When we travel I enjoy sharing our adventures and photos to anyone interested or will sit still for a few minutes.  In fact, that's why I started this blog:-) 

The following photos are from our 35 anniversary trip to Europe last year.  You can check out the entire trip in past posts.

Paris

London

Westminster Abbey

Germany

Venice

It was a wonderful adventure with memories that will last a lifetime.  

Now where to go next....???

~

So that's it about me.  Hope you will leave a comment so I'll know who you are and can visit you too!

 

Until next time ~

        Terri