Lifes Candy & the Suns a Ball of Butter

It was my birthday on the 22nd of April. I turned 35 years old. I am not sure how I feel about it, so I am just moving along like it never happened. Chris drove me to El Paso and took me to P.F. Changs for my birthday meal. Of course I had to get a piece of the Great Wall of Chocolate cake pictured above. A girl on her birthday needs some chocolate to get through the day.

Some Birthday Loot


I got my first pair of VANS. I love these shoes. I have worn them almost every day since I got them. They were laced with a white pair of laces and had these burgundy laces in the box. I think I prefer the burgundy ones. Chris also got me these two books off of my Amazon wish list. The one on the Left is Patchwork with Pizzazz by Lise Bergene. It is filled with patchwork quilt and bag patterns.

The book on the Right is Romantic Home Sewing by Christina Strutt. I am into the whole French romantic style at the moment and this book has beautiful photos for inspiration. I think this book is even good for beginners to sewing. It has simple straightforward patterns that have illustrated step by step instructions. The type of projects in the book are: tablecloth, placemats, pillows, napkin rings, sachet, curtains, lampshade cover, canopy, hot water bottle cover, bed skirt, chair slip covers, envelope shoe box, bags, aprons, fabric brooch, child’s patch skirt, & rabbit doll



Another guilty pleasure, I was lucky enough to score two Japanese craft books. The one on the Left is Cotton Time this is the March 2007 issue. Although I do not speak or write Japanese you can not put a language on inspiration. The patterns all have illustrated step by step instructions. You just need to remember to look at them from the Right to the Left. I am someone that is a visual sewer I usually just look at the item and go about it my own way to replicate the item making it my own. So the fact that they are written in Japanese makes no difference to me.

The book on the right is Home Pretty Vintage Quilts. This book is mostly filled with little patchwork quilts and bags. Sometime I will need to scan in some photos from these books and show you how inspiring they are.


Time for Change


Nothing like a birthday to make you take a good look at yourself. I have been growing my hair out for 4 to 5 years and frankly when I look in the mirror I resemble some kind of sea hag. This photo of the White Witch from Narnia is a good example of how my hair is looking. So three days after my birthday I went and got it chopped off. It is just above my shoulders and it is a big improvement. I have always been the type that does not want to pull out a photo of myself from a decade ago and realize I am stuck in a time warp and have not changed my look. I love the hair cut and love the change. It is my husband that has a problem with adjusting to my appearance change. It took him a few days of side glances and peeking at me when he thought I was not looking, and he finally said he liked it and thinks I look pretty. I know he means it because that boy is totally honest when it comes to telling me what he thinks about the way I look. As soon as I can get someone to take a photo of me I will show you the new doo.


My Theme Song


I think everyone needs a theme song. That one song you go to that picks you up or makes you feel like yourself. I am not sure why I love musicals and can watch them over and over again, and frequently sing the songs from the movies through out the day. Where else are you going to see people breaking out in song and dance in publicly inappropriate places? I have a secret desire to join in. Anyway back to my theme song. At 35 I would have to say my theme song is “Don’t Rain on My Parade” by Barbara Streisand. This song is in one of my all time favorite musicals Funny Girl where Barbara Streisand stars with Omar Sharif. If you have your own theme song let me know and feel free to use my song when ever you need it. In case you have no idea what song I am talking about I will post the first verse of the song below.

First verse of “Don’t Rain on my Parade”
By Barbara Streisand

Dont tell me not to live, Just sit and putter,
Lifes candy and the Suns A ball of butter.
Dont bring around a cloud To rain on my parade.
Dont tell me not to fly-- Ive simply got to.
If someone takes a spill, Its me and not you.
Who told you youre allowed To rain on my parade!
Ill march my band out, Ill beat my drum,
And if Im fanned out, Your turn at bat, sir.
At least I didnt fake it.
Hat, sir, I guess I didnt make it!
But whether Im the rose Of sheer perfection,
Or freckle on the nose Of lifes complexion,
The cinder or the shiny apple of its eye,
I gotta fly once, I gotta try once,
Only can die once, right, sir?
Ooh, love is juicy, Juicy, and you see
I gotta have my bite, sir!
Get ready for me, love, cause Im a comer,
I simply gotta march, My hearts a drummer.
Dont bring around a cloud To rain on my parade!

Mimosa Yarn

This beautiful grey yarn arrived in the mail from Michele over at Rosehaven Alpacas. There is nothing like a package of yarn arriving in the mail to make you do the happy dance.



The yarn is made non other from our Mimosa one of the alpacas we bought from Rosehaven at the beginning of the year. This yarn was processed and spun from her fleece that was sheered last year. I received 6 hanks of Mimosa’s yarn and am overwhelmed by Michele’s generosity. That was so nice of her to send the yarn. I think this beautiful shade of grey would look nice as a cable or fishermen’s sweater. I think the cable work would just pop right out in this beautiful color.


Progress on Jersey Sweater


I cast on last weekend for the Jersey Sweater. I started with the back and have had no problems so far with the pattern. I like the fact that the pattern is more fitted compared to some patterns that are just a tube with no decreases in the middle for your body shape. Especially with the horizontal stripping I don’t want to look like a water buffalo or shall I say watermelon buffalo. 8)


Fabric Finds

I get regular sale updates from some online fabric stores and normally I just flip through the selection and delete the email. Recently I could not help my self and I placed an order. Here is what I got.


This is from Susan Pisoni Sunny Side Up line of fabrics. I am on a chicken and rooster obsession. I think it started last fall. For some reason I can not get enough of them. I only got a yard and a half and am not sure yet what I will make with it.


This is from Brackman & Thompson’s line of Civil War Anthem. This one is called “Dogwoods on Hickory”. I was drawn to this fabric for its color combination. I just love the chocolate, plum & cranberry coloring. There is no hard edges in the fabric motif all soft rounded lines. I have no idea what I will use it for.


This is from Kathy Wilburn’s Wizards & Whimsy line of fabrics. I have been on the look out for fabrics that might work well in a hanging quilt in Cosmo’s corner of my craft room.


I also got these two fabrics as accents that are in the same Wizards & Whimsy line. I think if I have enough left after making the wall hanging I might make a cushion for his kitty pie bed I made last year.


Farm Work is Never Done


Every weekend we have been working outside trying to get this place how we want it. The list of things to do is endless. We have cleared out the three pastures we have the alpacas on now and are working on one of the last shelters that was built last year. It was never finished by the guy we had hired. Most of it is complete we just need to build some hay holders for the back wall and install the last waterier that is already plumbed. We finally found a local supplier of pasture grass seed that is safe for the alpacas and we can buy by the pound. So we picked up 10 pounds of seed last weekend. As you can see from the photo our pasture grass needs some help. I know it is still early but hopefully with some help we can have some nice green pastures eventually.

Wild Kingdom

I spotted this herd of elk the other morning walking down my driveway. They came from the back of the property where the creek is and went on through to say hello to the alpacas.


I was amazed at how large they are compared to the deer we see regularly. Big beautiful animals, I am speechless in their presents.


New Knit Book


Charmed Knits-Projects for fans of Harry Potter by Alison Hansel
Of course this is written by Alison over at The Blue Blog.
The book is due out according to Amazon May 7th.


My first completed knit sweater was actually the Harry Potter Sweater from the cover of this book. I completed this sweater in January of 05 for the Knit along titled Weasley Along. The book is coming out just in time for the next movie.


Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The Movie premieres July 13th.


Project Spectrum


Still moving along on my cabled hand bag. I have completed two of the repeats. I have ordered some bag handles and unfortunately they are on back order. So I am taking my time knitting it, and still have not decided on a coordinating fabric.

New Colors: Green, Yellow, & Pink for April & May


I went through my stash and plucked out some Rowan Classic Cashsoft DK in colors 506-crush & 509-lime. I bought this yarn a little over a year and a half ago when Chris and I were at a Dental conference in Albuquerque.


I plan to knit “Jersey” from pattern book Rowan Classic Café book one. I think the pink and green colors are refreshing and kind of look like watermelon colors. If I can actually start and finish this sweater in two months it will be a challenge. It appears to be an easy knit compared to some of the other more complicated patterns I have done, so I am going to give it a shot. The biggest plus is knitting from my stash.


Sticking with the pink and green theme here is some Pink Rose Green Tea from the Republic of Tea. This is one of their Sip for the Cure series, a portion of the proceeds from your purchase will be donated to the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.The flavors in the Sip for the cure line are: Pink Grapfuit, Pink Lemonade, Pink Lady Apple, and Pink Rose.

Fool's Day

I finished my Blue & White project spectrum chair pad covers just under the wire. The new colors: green, Yellow & Pink start for April & May. They look fresh and new on my dinning room table chairs. Now I just need some tiki lights and some flower leis to make a Hawaiian evening.


Found Treasure



Chris and I have been working outside on the weekends. This weekend we were trimming the trees and bushes. It is starting to look like someone actually lives here. I found this little birds nest on one of the branches I trimmed off a bush. Thankfully there were no eggs in it. There are some locks from my hair I recognized, glad I could help out.


I placed it safely up in one of our trees. Maybe some lucky bird will fly by and claim it or at least use the materials for another one.


Fools's Day


Happy April Fools day. I am reminded of one of my favorite comedies titled “Raising Arizona”. The movie came out in 1987 and starred Nicolas Cage & Holly Hunter. This is one of those movies I can watch over and over again and still laugh. Nicolas Cage plays the character named H.I. McDunnough “HI” & Holly Hunter plays the character Edwinna McDunnough “ED”. After the two of them are unsuccessful in becoming pregnant they cook up a scheme to kidnap a baby from a family that just gave birth to Quintuplets.


Anyway bringing it back to my point one of my favorite lines in this movie is where it is near the end and Hi & Ed are trying to get the baby back from HI’s jail bird friends and Ed has come to a realization about her behavior and the consequences it may have. Hi tries to console her and reassure her that things will be all right.

Ed says: “ You’n me’s just a fool’s paradise”

I love that line and use it my self while talking to my husband. So in a way April Fools day is our day and any other couple’s that live in Fools Paradise.