Tinuviel Kruse

Saturday

Went with my guy and my girls out to Canvas Ranch to see Tim & Deborah. They were our neighbours when I was a teenager. They were the first people to I knew to chuck the rat-race and go back to the farm.

We got to visit the baby cashmere goats and see minutes-old lambs. I don't need to tell you how flipping cute they all were.

I am going to help Deborah with some sewing projects.

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Later in the afternoon DH took the girls down to the elementary school to shoot some hoops. E sprained her ankle at the b-ball game last week and has been unable to play or practice, so they just shot freethrows.

I, however went on a monumental, epic (for me) bike ride on my new SWOBO. Kicked my own butt, yessir.

Felt good & not too terribly sore today.

Crochet Slippers~ Saga Free!

Making another pair of the crochet slippers. This time with some very cute alterations.

Current pair is going to my youngest daughter, Birdie.

They're very Great Aunt Jean-meets-Coco Chanel.

I think I'll make a pattern to go with them & a visual tutorial. Won't that be nice?

Saga of Crochet Slippers

Ages ago my uncle sent me a pair of crocheted slippers to see if I could copy them & make him a new pair. Well, I made swatches and samples galore. I finally got a swatch to look like the ones he sent me. I made one slipper. It was kind of big, but okay. Then I made another and it looked great. But it was smaller than the first. A lot smaller. Then I made a third, thinking that the two that were the most similar would be a pair. The third one was better~much closer to the size of the first one. It fell into the middle. I sewed up the grippy-dot onto the bottoms and used some old, felted cashmere from a dog-shredded throw blanket to line the insides. One was a little smaller than the other but not too hideous. Mostly, I just wanted to get them sent back because he's in Indiana and it's so horribly cold right now. I'm basically dying of guilt. They're in the envelope ready to be sent back tomorrow. I start rooting around in my needle basket for to make a pair of the slippers for my daughter when I discover that the Susan Bates crochet needles are made in the exact same shade of light metallic blue in both sizes G and J. Case solved. Too flipping late. They're going back to Indy tomorrow.

 

I will post pics soon and a pattern. Pattern is easily adjustable.

Was so hoping for Union Square on Sunday

 

  +   +   +   +    +   +   +   = Bliss!!



But the rain crashed down like nobody's business. So we went to the art supply store instead. Glad the girls had a little credit left. I helped with the difference. Bought paint & tiny canvases and some new brushes. They spent the rest of the afternoon painting. And we went out for cocoa with my gift certificate from Peet's Coffe. It was a good Mother-Daughters day.

Bruno helped us wrap presents.

 

Our plan was to go to SF and visit Union Square with Grandma, but 2 out of 4 of us were unwilling to take our life in our hands in the mobs and rain. Whatevs! DH actually called me around 4 o'clock from work to find out where I was. He was so relieved that we hadn't gone to the City. He was worried about us driving in the rain. It was really crashing down with thunder & lightening. We don't get too many of those storms each year. But I had just put new tires on my car Friday so I was feeling invincible.

It boiled down to not having a good spot to park in the City (U.Sq. parking is easily $75/day) which would definitely eat into my ice-skating-and-cocoa money. Right? Maybe Friday. It's crazy to do it Chrismas Eve. But I like to see the lights and things before Christmas and not after. And this year I'm taking the Eve off. Blocked my schedule and I'm so glad I did it. It will make for an insane Wednesday and Thursday but it'll be so great to relax on Friday. 

Not sure how relaxing Union Square will really be on Christmas Eve, but I'm jus there to enjoy the scenery so I don't really care!

Holiday Inspiration

So much beautiful stuff out there right now.

For your perusal may I suggest the flickr photo pool at Whip-Up?

Also spending waaay too much time with Haus Maus, SFgirlbybay, pinterest, the English Department, Martha, and last but not least...the purl bee.

All the beautiful styling & decorations make me swoon. I can't tell you why I love English Dept. so muchy much. I'm not getting married (already am). I guess I just like satin and lace.

What I'm working on right now:
Neckwarmers
Fingerless Gloves
Sending Xmas cards
A fancy pillow
Lots of a-line skirts to sell.

We're currently house-hunting. Finding lots of fixers in questionably safe neighbourhods in our price range. Sigh, Sonoma County is so expensive...

On the very, very upside I am dedicating Mondays to 'Studio Day' wherein I experiment and perfect my a-line skirts and get ready to have a million skirt orders. It will happen!

Northern California

 
Annadel State Park

 
Mmmmm, not delicious.

 
For sure faeries live here.

 
What fabulous dogs are wearing this season.

My garden before the frost

 

 

 

 

 

 

We got some nice squash out of the garden. There was a late-season bloom on the roses & sage.

I love the Ginko in the backyard. It's all gone now. Our lovely gardener clipped the last two dahlias and left them for me after the frost took the rest. Only the olives and camellias have leaves now.

Looking forward to getting a tree this weekend. Best winter smell ever.

How you gonna act like my slippers don't Bling??

Super sweet score from the thrift-a-lero!

Size 8 Calvin Klein sparkle flats with suede poms.

 

$4 bucks, for shizzle!

Oh, and never worn.

Dim Sum, Pastries, Badass Mopar & Giants

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

 

Mitch or Tim?

While watching the Giants spank the Phillies tonight:

  Mitch or Tim?

Go Gigantes!!