life kind of feels like that lately.

It’s not a bad thing {most of the time} but I must admit there has been a new thing around here….making me smile these days.

the blossoms are here.

the first of the season.

oh, spring, well it’s here too!

there are feathery white ones around my office, and pink delicacies lining streets all over seattle.

But my favorite blossoms?

The ones outside the lemon house, for sure.

here is the first of many more blossoms to come.

{have a grand weekend everyone!  B’s in flight today, and hopefully back to seattle on Sunday as long as her paths are clear from some lingering winter on the east coast.  I’m off tomorrow for some pre-planned winter with the junior high youth group.  SO excited about a weekend of some quality time with the girls and God and just away from everyday stuffs.  later gators!}

B taught me to knit years ago.

She is a patient teacher.

Usually I knit scarves.  I usually can only handle knit stitches.  I tried knitting and purling once, but it was exhausting.  It would take me all winter to finish my scarf. 

This year I needed a new plan.

Something that was more exciting… and frankly turned out better then my boring scarves with dropped stitches everywhere.

Back in September I read this post on CRAFT.  I starred it on my reader and exclaimed with glee… I CAN DO THIS!

Off I went to the craft store to pick up some 100% wool yarn.  This is {pretty much} the biggest detail you need to follow about this project.

The instructions for your elf slippers can be found here.  This link also includes sizing information.  I made mine one size larger  then I normally wear.  That turned out perfect because I needed two washings {on warm with towels} for my slippers to appropriately felt to my liking.

The youtube video on how to fold and stitch your slippers is near the bottom of the instructions.  This was VERY helpful to me when I was at this step.

I made two pairs of slippers this fall.  A trial pair was for me,

and a second pair was a Christmas gift for an awesome friend. 

Her’s came out REALLY well, and I was quite impressed with myself!

There are many awesome things about these slippers:

{I will only name a few}

1.  you look like an elf while wearing them.

2.  they cost approx $5 to make a pair if you don’t include your time.

3.  your stitches don’t have to be perfect.  seriously.  it will all felt together anyway!

4.  you only need to know the one basic stitch.

5. can be made using 1, 2, or 3 colors

6.  easily washed after you have worn them a bunch.  like any wool though, only wash in cold water and don’t put them in the dryer.

7.   no crazy pattern, just straight knitting

8.  they are crazy cute AND cozy.  make excellent footwear while sitting by the fire or watching the olympics!

Happy Fat Tuesday!

{the biggest and last day of the Mardi Gras season!}

If you are in Seattle,  this will help  you miss NOLA a bit less these days…

A fresh King Cake from Sugar Bakery on Madison.

YUM!  It was seriously like the best king cake I have had.  Very moist and flavorful.  I will definitely order my office’s King Cake from them next year!  (last year B and I both got on a plane home from Mardi Gras with carry on King Cakes for our co-workers….)

The baby has got to be in that remaining piece, because it still has not been found.

Happy Mardi Gras!

Or is it just us??

Hopefully not!

The opening ceremonies on Friday night were gorgeous.  Everyone kept comparing them to Beijing, but that just seemed crazy to me.  Beijing’s were ostentatious.   I would have been disappointed if Vancouver’s were like that.   Instead the ceremony was … northwesty.  I know, I made my own adjective up here, but it’s true.  I loved how each scene was really a celebration of nature using creativity, color and motion.  The thunderstorm scene  and the mountains that the snowboarders all in red danced down were my favorites.  O and the LCD screen on the ground when the iceberg was breaking up.  AND the tall tree forest that sprouted from the ground…

B liked the big, sparkly, glowing polar bear the best.

He was a cutey!

But, seriously, I am all about watching the olympics.  This past weekend I was feeling pretty darn crummy with some sickness and watching skiing and hockey on the couch was about all I had in me.   The coverage is on 4 networks… and um, I will admit I have set the DVR up to record every last minute of coverage.  That brings me to my next praise {and one you have heard before}…

DVR or TiVO or whatever you call your recordable box of wonder. 

Who in their right mind has the time or desire to watch all this Olympic action?  Seriously, not every qualifying event is facinating and not every Bob Costas interview actually needs watching.  And, well, we gave up commercials for the new year anyway.  

B and I can watch 5 hours of Olympic coverage in just 2.  It makes terriffic background for some new crafts, some computer graphic work, and some just plain work that we had to take home from our day jobs.

Not to miss events in our house  …. coming up:

2.15.10 Pairs free skate

2.16.10 Ladies Snowboard Cross Finals; Men’s Curling – Canada v Norway & Great Britain v Sweden; Women’s Curling – Sweden v Denmark

2.17.10 Women’s Alpine Downhill Final; Men’s & Women’s Short Track

2.18.10 Women’s Halfpipe Final; Women’s Hockey US v Finland; Men’s Curling Canada v Sweden

2.19.10 Men’s Super G Alpine Skiing Finals

2.20.10  Men’s Curling US v Sweden; Ski Jumping Finals; Men’s & Women’s Short Track finals

2.21.10  Men’s Bobsleigh final heat; Men’s Ice Hockey – Canada v US & Sweden v Finland

2.22.10  Ice Dance Finals; Women’s Hockey Semifinals

2.23.10  Ladies Figure Skate Short Program

2.24.10  Women’s Bobsleigh Finals; Women’s Alpine Ski Finals; Men’s Hockey Quarterfinals

2.25.10  Ladies Figure Skate Final; Men’s & Women’s Curling Semifinal; Women’s hockey medal games

2.26.10  Women’s Curling medal games

2.27.10 Men’s Curling medal games; Men’s Hockey Bronze medal game; Men’s Snowboarding, Alpine skiing and Bobsleigh finals

2.28.10 Men’s Gold medal hockey game; Closing Ceremonies

now, if only it was snowing…..