Friday, February 26, 2010

things to love

thank you for all the birthday wishes for my son, they were much appreciated!
i had to take photos of the treasures i found last weekend and of course share them here. see the three little gnomes? they are like little rattles, someone long ago filled them with rocks or seeds to weigh them down. i think they'll add so much charm to my garden!



this is a one of a kind plate by susan branch! it is a series of three. i love the soft colors and the little mouse. can you see what she's written? it says: now i see why people like to paint these adorable creatures...i had to stop myself from putting little clothes on them ♥




and these books by sharon lovejoy. i can't say enough about them, if you love nature, gardening and children, you will love these! there is so much to choose from, projects and ideas, i don't know where to begin. thank you sharon for the inspiration, you truly do spread love and joy!




my finds: the books, the plate, a stack of old martha stewart gardening magazines, the gnomes, an old tablecloth and an old victorian finial with old peeling paint, and the color, pink! and more pink ...





my shawlette, all blocked and done. i'm not sure this is the best way to photograph it. stretching it out on nails is probably not a good idea, but lacking a model, it'll have to do.




i like to wear it as a scarf, wrapped around my neck, the wool is so soft and smells so good, it's my favorite. thank you sally anne, again, i loved this yarn. i even have enough i think to make a tiny pair of baby booties!



here is another scarf i made this week. it's a scrumptiously soft one piece scarf that you can wear long like this or...


like this, wrapped twice around your neck for a cowl. the colors don't really show, it's more of a pinky mauve. i used plymouth yarns baby alpaca grande yarn. it took two skeins on a size ten needle. the pattern was based on a mobius cowl scarf but i couldn't get the hang of the cast on for that so it's simply a continuous scarf instead. i cast on 150 stitch's, placed a marker, then purled for 4 rounds knit for 4, continuing like that until it was about 8 inches wide. that's it! so cozy and warm.


photos are taken with the softest early morning light, but it was brief since another storm is on the way, let's go outside next, owen is waiting!



bulbs are coming up! these were here when we moved in, what a fantastic discovery every year, these gorgeous yellow blooms!



owen likes them too. here he looks all mild mannered, smelling the blossoms. right after this photo he shook them all apart. oh owen.





fallen camellias make a pretty still life arranged on a mossy stepping stone...



with a little help from me!




and our oranges are almost ready. i wish you could smell this tree.




the last thing i want to remember of this week, is the thing i'd also like to forget! i went to see my dentist last monday. it involved all the shots, drills and other torture devices they treat you with. i am still numb from one of the shots, apparently there was a little muscle or nerve damage, i hope it goes away soon! my dentist mentioned that it might help me to relax if i closed my eyes and imagined a place i love. somewhere i'd like to be. i did and here is what came into my thoughts...the seventeen giraffe i saw gracefully striding across a grassy plain in zimbabwe. i love giraffes and i love africa. this image played through my head making the time i spent in that chair not so bad after all.

where would your favorite place be?

have a lovely weekend everyone !

♥ lori

34 comments:

  1. OH, lori,this is sweet! Lovely the things you collect, the sentiments they embody.

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  2. Lori
    you are a beautiful romantic soul.

    I envy your knitting skills. It's on my to do list to take lessons.
    Something I have been wanting to do for a long while.
    A bit too hot at the moment though.

    Another thing on my to do list is to visit the dentist :(
    I have an irrational fear when it comes to dentistry, but I'm afraid that if I don't go soon my smile will be toothless :)

    I don't think I have a favourite place, but I like yours.

    Have a great weekend.

    xx Ribbon

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  3. Hi Lori

    I love your scarves because they do look so soft and cosy. Best wishes with the mouth...

    Happy days

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  4. Oh, I love this, Lori! Coming here is always a little bit like going traveling. First we were inside your house with your lovely finds, your gorgeous scarves, then outside with flowers and Owen and suddenly at the dentist and in Africa. What an adventure!!

    My favorite places are usually on the beach right at the water's edge, breathing the sea air, or on top of a snowy mountain inhaling that fresh, clear mountain air. It's good to have those places to escape to in our minds...

    Hope your tooth and nerve are all good again!!

    Love, Silke

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  5. Hello dear Lori, I was enjoying the post and then saw my books mentioned and shown. Thank you so much for your kind words about them. Like your lovely shawl, they are a true labor of love.

    I am sorry about the nerve damage and HOPE that it soon recovers. Africa huh??? Funny, when I need to escape I think of whales and my time with them in the lagoons of Baja, California.

    Love to you,

    Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island

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  6. Hello sweet friend, I love glimpses in your life. It is a charming way to get to know you. I looked at these photos a while ago and ooohed but now I am back and I can't pull up the pix. I want to see the flowers again.

    Jb and I are thinking of a second dog. There is a shelter sheltie named Dixie....I love seeing your love affair with Owen. :)

    my place to go: Provincetown. The dunes, the bay, a studio overlooking an ocean storm

    love!
    kj

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  7. I wish I could smell that tree as well... It is mid winter here- temperatures ranging from -45 to +5 on a weekly basis... so if I could go anywhere it would be to the lake where the sun beats down on the swimming dock... Thanks for this moment...

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  8. I was just reading this as usual when I stopped and gasped.... You have freesias growing in your garden, oh my!
    My favourite flower of all time and really difficult to grow here, my soil isn't right or something.
    Now I'm just wanting to be in your garden!
    xx

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  9. what a lovely post - all those gorgeous things (altho not all the photos downloaded here!) You are an inspiration yourself!! x

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  10. Oooooh, we used to have an orange tree too at one of the houses we lived in in southern Calif....so I think I can actually smell them juicy pieces of fruit!!!

    Thank you for sharing all of the lovely goodies and books and of course PINK!!!

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  11. Oooh! Loved the post! So many wonderful things to look at!!
    The shawlette turned out so beautiful. Those colors are stunning!! Great work!
    Sorry about the tooth! Hope it feels better soon!!

    xo

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  12. Lovely entry.
    Reading under the orange tree with the orangey smell wafting in the air would be a wonderful place to be.

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  13. Lori, your shawlette is beautiful and its color so sweet!

    There´s a special place I´d love to go again in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro state called Visconde de Maua. It´s a very magical and quiet and peaceful spot I can´t forget!

    Wishing you a quick recovery and lots of love to you and Owen!

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  14. my favorite place? gosh, that's a hard question! probably on the shores of lake michigan (michigan side) in a little town called shelby. :) it's gorgeous there!

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  15. Beautiful knitting, treasures and aargh!!!!! the visit to the dentist. I am plucking up courage to make an appointment.....you are braver than me at the moment !

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  16. My favourite place to be is walking in the cold... soon I will get out of bed!!

    Your one piece scarf looks amazing Lori! So does your shawlette!

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  17. What a treat to see such loved things! Your scarf and
    shawlette are so beautiful! And Owen is such a doll!

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  18. So lovely, Lori. Your scarves and shawls turned out so nice. I would have to say my favorite place was a on a boat, sitting in the middle of the ocean in the doldrums. I used that scene during my natural childbirth with my first daughter. I can still smell the ocean, feel the heat and the scratchy surface of the boat...

    Btw, I need to order one of the books for ideas for planting with my grandson.. thanks.

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  19. I love your shawlette. Such beautiful, Lori-like colors. And all those blooming plants. Wow. I am so ready for spring here in DC.

    Glad, too, that the giraffes kept you company. When I need to go to a place I love in my mind, I always imagine Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe. Thanks for asking!

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  20. What fun finds! You'd better make sure those gnomes do not run away and travel.

    Your scarves look incredibly soft and warm. And the colors are gorgeous!

    Ooooh, those oranges look JUICY!

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  21. Rosaria,
    thank you, it is fun to collect and then share with others, seems to happen alot!
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    Ribbon,
    i found a good place to learn to knit online, i'll send you the link. i wish we were neighbors, i would love to teach you!
    just making the first call to the dentist is the hardest part i think. do it!
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    Delwyn,
    thank you, one of my daughters already "borrowed" one, they really are just right for our damp cold. almost good as new now, but facing more dentist visits soon. ugh.
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    Silke,
    thank you, that's how i feel about blogging, it's like traveling everyday, i love it, learning, being inspired, i feel all those things at your place too! i love the mountains and the sea too.
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    Sharon,
    you are so welcome, your heart shows in everything you do, it is sweet and sentimental and so lovely.
    I love Baja too, but i've not gone out with the whales yet. That looks like a fantastic experiance. We do see them here in our Channel Islands, sometimes on whale watching trips and sometimes crossing the channel. It's always thrilling!
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    kj,
    Provincetown sounds lovely. I've not been to the east coast for years. But i remember how beautiful it was.
    Sounds like you may be getting a new dog... :)
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    Northern Teacher,
    you are so welcome,-45 degrees sounds unreal, i've never been in such cold weather. Maybe you can take a vacation soon? Teachers should get free ones. :)
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    Mandy,
    I couldn't believe it either, they grow in spite of everything, even being neglected by me some years, they are just blooming now and smell (and look) heavenly! i should take a better photo and send it to you.
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    Val, a bit different from your part of the world. So many things to like and love!
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    Tulsa,
    Hi! the orange trees do have a memorable smell, it's amazing right now, between them and the night blooming jasmine it's heaven outside. I'm really liking pink these days, must be because of spring!
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    Manon,
    thank you! i'm loving the shawlette, and the scarf, both colors i rarely use, but now love.
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    3yearshousewife,
    that is something i do love to do. i am waiting patiently for the oranges to be ripe. soon!
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    Mina,
    your special place in the mountains sounds lovely. I really hope to get to Brazil someday, I know its a beautiful country. Thank you for the compliment :)
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    Kavita,
    that sounds like its really special to you. I hope you get to go someday soon!
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    Sally,
    just do it. you'll be able to handle it, and what a relief to stop putting it off. If I can do it, anyone can. Thank you re knitting. I'm happy. LOVE your yarn.
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    Sammi,
    my 19 year old immediatly claimed the scarf. It does look really cute on her. You can make it! It's really simple, knit and purl, that's it. I like to walk in the cold too!
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    Nan,
    thank you, it was fun to make this post too. I am happy with the scarfs!
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    Nancy,
    thank you, the patterns were fun, let me know if you'd like them. And I think you'll love the books (any) by Sharon Lovejoy. They are all fabulous. I LOVE being on a boat too.
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    Reya,
    Emerald bay is beautiful and a place i love too. I do hope spring comes soon for you, I am sure you've had enough of winter. It's been a long one for most of the U.S.

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  22. Bella,
    thank you! funny, i love the traveling gnomes, they make me laugh every time!

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  23. Hello dear,

    Yes, I LOVE Maine. I take photos as does my partner-best friend-husband-love, Jeff.

    Love to you,

    Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island

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  24. Favourite place to be right now would be sitting on the front bonnet of my grandpa's car driving between gates on his farm as a kid. Pie scarf! How do I make me one of those?? That's superb!

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  25. Sharon, they are lovely, I hope you post more, i'm sure you will when next you go. Thank you ♥
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    Alexandra,
    that is a great memory, thank you for sharing! the scarf pattern can be found on Ravelry, it's called Gaenor. Have fun!

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  26. Lori, I have just discovered your blog through a comment you left on Nan's blog! What beautiful pictures, thoughts and creations! I love your blog banner, too! Then I discovered that you live in Carpinteria, a favorite town of my husband and I when we visit my SIL in Santa Barbara! We were just there in December!

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  27. Lori, I love your idea. I absolutely love it. Thank you for introducing me to that organization. And I'm so very relieved to know that your sister and mother are survivors.

    Hugs and love.

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  28. Owen looked adorable in that shot :))

    My favorite place? Right here....

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  29. Hi sweetness, How did the planting Go?

    I LOVE Freesias, they are surely Heavenly. I wanted to have them in my wedding bouquet, but wrong season here.
    Loving the shawlette and the gnomes. :)
    xx♥

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  30. ... and just where is that Model Daughter of yours when you need her? I wish I could knit, but too late now I fear - arthritic fingers.

    Enjoy your week Ms. Lori.

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  31. Hi Judy! how funny, it really is a small world! thank you for coming over it's so nice to meet you.
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    Love to you Bella. I'm so glad your thinking of my suggestion. Please do it!
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    Braja, he is cute, and a handful.
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    Natsy, thank you! i took photos, coming up next! i have sprouting seeds.
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    Helen, I know, you are right! but they are never there when i need them. I hope you have a lovely week too.

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  32. One of my favorite places is Bryce Canyon, Utah. Beautiful hiking there! Hope your mouth feels better soon!

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  33. OOohh...I love that shawl - the colors are awesome and the edging beautiful - can you say what yarn it is?

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  34. I wish I could smell those orange trees too. And the thought of you resorting to your giraffe memory made me well up.

    I am scrolling back in time, just relaxing in the company of your softspoken posts, images of quiet contemplation and the love for nature that seeps through everything you show us.

    Love and light to you, and happy Earth Day
    Lola xx

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xoxo lori