Zoo in the fall

Here we are again, one of our favorite places, WPZ.

The baby giraffe, lions and otters are growing up fast, the jaguars also. 

Arctic fox got a new toy baby hat to play with this day, oops.

Beautiful autumn day to visit the zoo

I think a couple of the zoo animals escaped that day,

 they look suspiciously like ones I have seen hanging around my house.

Everywhere we go....

My peeps are in town

T-Jay, Mu and Eric

Grubbin at the Ram in the U Village

Our first Spike Africa Raceday

Our family had another outing near another sporting venue this weekend, altho this time we were spectators, at a sport on the water.  Luckily the weather was mild for November.  It was fun to see all the girls on the crew team in uniforms made by them for raceday, what a fun tradition. They have so much energy and very loud vocal chords too, as the cheering for your favorite team uniforms contest rocked the boathouse.

Spike Africa Raceday

It was really super cool to see Alaina rowing with a team and the 850 race was exciting and a close win!

Visiting Seattle's King Street Station Renovation

After going to the Ski Dazzle ski show at its new venue downtown at the CenturyLink Field Event Center, we walked over to see the train station ceiling renovation we heard about last summer.  This has been on my list of things to check out, and I am so glad we stopped in to see it.  Pictures don't do it justice, but you get the idea.  Living on the west coast, we do not have very much of the grand architecture older cities take for granted.  What a treat to sit in this grand building. For the story and more pictures try this link:

 Seattle Department of Transportation: King Street Station 

The View from the Balcony is stunning.

Our family goofing around downtown on a quite autumn Sunday.

My whipped up Mary Poppins costume

Well I whipped up a Mary Poppins costume, Mary Poppins style, the night before Halloween, from props in my basement.  I am thinking we have too much stuff if I was able to get this close.  This is me at the end of a long day at school, the kids loved it.

Of course there were some students who have never heard of Mary, can you imagine?  Many kiddo's thought I might be a leprechaun?  hmmmm, next years costume idea?

My first Halloween Pumpkin

This was my first carved jack o lantern, oh wait, I didn't carve it myself?  

My first Halloween Pumpkin

Friday sunny drive

Last Friday I headed out to my mom's to pick up something, it wasn't there, but the drive was great, autumn colors on a sunny day, with a couple missed turns, it felt like I was out for a country drive. I took advantage of my proximity to Country Village and picked up a couple of goodies.  Yakima Fruit Stand, I just happily happened to pull in there on the way home and got some pumpkins and yummies there too. Gotta love Spontaeniety!

Me and my Papa

Me and my Papa,

 thank you for being my grampa, 

I am so amazed and happy we can still have our talks.

Autumn Spiderweb Dew Designs

Dew makes Spiderweb designs POP!

College starts for my firstborn today,

Well my firstborn starts her first day of classes at the University today.  I hope to maybe get a selfie from her, as she is not here to take one out in front of our house.  2013 is the year of many changes.  I am trying to float along with them, instead of fighting the strong current, but really sometimes I feel like I have cement shoes on instead.  I don't mind the changes, it is just change in general.  At least now I can see that there can be change that is for the better, I have come a long way really. Today I get to get my staff photo taken, so I am off to pick out a cute top and get my smile ready for the day.  I think I am off to a good start, having had breakfast with my younger daughter this morning.  The changes and growth in her, I am enjoying those. She actually left for the school bus carrying a yoga mat. That might be what I need to get my hands on next, a yoga mat, hmmmm.

Here are a few pictures from the evening of move-in-day.  Papa got his tour, although Suzzallo is always closed when he is on campus, he'll get to check it out eventually. I have to say Hansee is still cool in its own right. Not only do they have 4 "houses" with names, but they have nicknamed them, yep, they got Slytherin, just like we had joked about.  I am looking forward to see how they deck it out this Halloween!

Move-in during the day is organized chaos at its very best.

Yes, this is a four generation move in you are seeing here.

Another great thing about her being close by, was being able to  have her home last Sunday for a yummy pot roast dinner, and she could grab some more clothes, handy indeed. We are really so proud of her!

Afloat on the Lake

Lady Washington and Hawaiin Cheiftan

To get to see these tall ships maneuvering and firing mock cannon shots from water level is amazing.  Having been out on Lake Washington the last 2 Labor Day Weekends and getting to see this, it is just going to have to become a tradition, especially now that we can pull 2 people wakeboarding together. Fun!

Alaina and Andy

College Collage

While on a break during Parent Orientation today, I snapped a few photos of some buildings surrounding the fountain area on campus.  It was a perfect summer day, comfortably warm with the slightest breeze and the sun shining happily down. With all the great weather we have had this summer, I did not dare complain about being inside all day.  Alaina got her picture ID today and schedule set up, so now it is countdown to move in day, hooray!

Not only did I get a Parent Calendar, but a drink cup too!  I am really feeling like an official Husky Parent now. 

Collage making

Spring Break 2011 Long Beach Peninsula

Well here is my practice collage, photos from a few years back, but still fun memories of a short hike out to the beach, complete with a carcass, we were thinking racoon maybe.  We were down there for Earth Day and also removed quite a bit of debris from the beach on that day too.

Shilshole Marina

A few more collages I played around with today, I really like the Viking Art at Shilshole.

Little things I have made

Some pictures of things I have made out of cotton, felt, wool, stretchy nylon, sewn by hand and on a machine and needle felted and stuffed, trimmed and beaded.

Boating through Lake Union out to Lake Washington

Here are some random photos of picturesque scenes between the Ballard Locks and Lake Washington.

Woodland Park Zoo's new baby giraffe is a boy!

Here is one of the places to check out the new baby giraffe born this week at WPZ!  He is so beautiful!  Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Love our Zoo

Our trip to Woodland Park Zoo is always an adventure.  All the new baby animals are amazing. The baby lions are bigger than our dog already and they were born last November. It always great to visit the regulars too, like the Brown Bear Brothers, who were snacking and wading in their river today.  Oh, almost forgot to add the sloth bear babies running after their mama, cute!

We all got out of Willawong Station without any bird doo on us too!

 I could have gotten in line over and over again for these little cuties.

2 of the 3 are playing with Mama Jaguar

Will have to return to see the small clawed otters, whose babies are still being socialized for viewing, only a month away, as they have just opened their eyes, awe.

Crabpot Variety

Today in our crabpots, we hauled in dungeness and rock crab and a sunstar, of which most went back into the drink.  But tonight for dinner we will be grubbin on 2 giant dungees, can't wait!

One of our pots, our smelly bait must have done the trick.

A couple of big ones to take home for dinner tonight!

Sunstar

Urban Craft Uprising in Seattle July 13 and 14, 2013

Urban Craft Uprising :: Home  Happening in Seattle this weekend.  Well done to everyone that it made it such a fun place to hang out. A wonderful meld of people and their art.

Here are some of my favorites today, and ways to reach them too.

Fernworks, www.fernworks.org, okay these handpainted layered necklaces, tiny worlds unto themselves.

texture, www.textureclothing.com, outta Bellingham, lovely thick comfy knits, the skirt that hit just below the knee I  really admired along with the wristers, which I would love to have some to wear at recess.
 Really hoping to win her raffle :)

Son of a Sailor Jewelry, www.sonofasailorjewlery.com, all the way from Austin TX, modern flair of colors shape and design, how do you choose? Definately a favorite shop.

Rebe, www.specksandkeepings.com,  has clothing that defies explanation, sedate colors and patterns with great shapes and accoutrements, I can't begin to do them justice.

Le Petit Elefant by Genevieve Santos, www.genevievesantos.com an illustrator with watercolors that make you smile and imagine. She has done up in several different products, from prints to pins.

Hasenpfeffer Incorporated,  from Camano Island, has an Etsy shop, which has lovely handmade dolls with outfits for them that are just too cute and hugable.

Such Sweet Tierney, a local Seattle greenwood girl has, londontierney, a  shop on Etsy, check it out, love her screen printed bags and towels and other goodies.

Estrella Soap, estrellasoap.com, is Seattle based also, and what a varied selection of vegan based soaps. A great booth, complete with coffee beans to clear the senses, I really liked the Orange-Spice, mmmmm

Tuesday Scarves, located in the International District of Seattle, has an Etsy shop also, tuesdayshop. Rian has infinity scarves that are wide enough to wear as a shrug even.  She got in her new line of fabric made from her own photography of local area pictures she took too, and best of all, was able get her new scarves done in time for the show.  Great texture and color combinations are paired up it makes it too hard to choose just one.

Nell and Mary, www.nellandmary.com, these handmade products outta Portland OR,  just made me happy.  The bags, napkins, tea towels, oh my. The Roof Line Tote was my favorite.  Keep on printing and I will dream to take just one of everything please.

The Sprinkle Factory has an Etsy shop luckily and they have the cutest mini dessert necklaces, pins and earrings and the like. Just pick your favorite treat, no calories.

Fininshing off with Half Pint Homemade Ice Cream, a Seattle favorite, I tasted the Earl Gray Chocolate that my girlfriend Cathie got, mmmm but I ate a whole Chocolate Brownie bowl, Yes! The brownies used for the ingredients came from d:floured a bakery also from Seattle and were gluten free to boot. Keep and eye out at the local farmers markets for both these guys.

Urban Craft Uprising, I will be back again!

Singing and Dancing to 45's

I decided to hang old 45 records around the house for my birthday, they actually look pretty cool, these pictures of course don't do them justice.

I came home today to a streamer and balloon installation Chihuly style, a balloon chandalier in the middle of the living room ceiling, really all colors shapes and sizes.  Super cool!  Way to go Alaina!

A banner to celebrate my first year of my blog

My new banner is one we nick named Pork Chop, for the eagle swooping down is going after our crab bait that was adrift, and yes, it was a freezer burner pork chop.  This eagle flew it back up to the trees there on the right for further examination and possibly lunch.  That is our favorite Mt Baker peeking in on the left.

We launched our full boat, me and my husband, both our daughters, our dog and our cat for a day of exploring, crabbing and fishing, out of Cornet Bay. I believe the first time I had been to Cornet Bay was when  I got to go camping with my favorite childhood friend Cathie and her family when we were about 11.

Memories flooded back, good times, and it was with Cathie's family and friends that I went camping for the first time. Cathie and her family have always made me feel like family and I just love them for that. We camped across from the state park, not at Camp Cornet, which is where my husband and even my mom went to Broadview's 6th grade camp. Cathie and I just got the day trip to Fort Casey in 6th grade.  Nowadays Parkwood sends their 6th graders to Camp Islandwood, over on Bainbridge Island.  I think that both our girls had fun over there.

I also remember boating this way with my brother and  grandparent's on the Moby Dick II, my Grampa Don's 1959, 35' Chris Craft.  What a beautiful wooden boat and did we have great times on that too!  My love for boating  started young, along with my husband, who actually went through Deception Pass on his grandparents boat!  Wild ride! We are so so lucky to be able to explore our beautiful Pacific Northwest, where should we go next?

Eric and I, Swinomish Slough 1984

Teenagers, Sisters, Daughters

Our oldest daughter graduated from high school this spring with awards at the top of her class, which is great, but it is really the little things she does that makes me the proudest. Writing sincere thank you notes, helping friends with homework, staying behind to clean the stadium stands after events, sharing, no cooking a receipe she learned at school for our dinner, are a few.  I also admire her self worth and dislike of self destructive behaviors in others, heaven forbid I drink a beer on a hot summer night.  Her thoughtful homemade gifts can be cooler than things bought and often surprise the recipients.  Not to just people, but to the animals and our Earth,  I think of her as a kind of guardian who will lead others to be their best too.

Our younger daughter who will graduate from high school next year, is just too smart and can whip off a comment that can go over my head, but yet she can be so reserved, only few get to enjoy her real side.  I enjoy hearing her views on the world and her own world too. If it can be said in a few words, great, she is not a rambler like me.  Private with most of her thoughts, I just enjoy the person she is and I feel lucky she is in my life.  As she grows up I get to have a friend who, understands me and stands by me too.  It is a real treat to receive gifts made by her.  The latest was a ring from a set of matching rings made by her in her jewelry and metals class at school. Not only did I get a ring but she gave one to her sister also.  I love that we 3 have that symbolic link, and I think it means more than words can say.

Sisters.  I observe them.  My daughters.  My husbands sisters. My Mom and my aunt.  My husbands mother with her sister.  My nieces.  My cousins. My childhood friends with their sisters. I remember other sets of sisters too, my Gramma with hers.  My Great Grandmother's and theirs. All around me.  I always wondered what it would be like to have one of my very own.  And sometimes even just a little relieved to know I never messed up such an important relationship, which may just be my ignorance coming out.

I watch my daughters, who as far as sisters go, I think, get along great.  Sure they snap and bark at times.  By being so close in age tho, I think it has created an even closer bond.  They are very different people, yet they talk to each other in a language that I think only sisters get.  Their comedic bantering impromptu performances can be quite entertaining or baffling, to their poor little mother.  Having each other, they have not made as many friends, or should I say, made friendship commitments as I would have liked for them.  I do enjoy seeing them laugh and get the kind of satisfaction only you can get from the friends that are important enough to be allowed into their world.

Inspiring. Creative. Magical. Family. The sum is greater than the parts.

plaster french macaron ornaments | paper, plate, and plane

plaster french macaron ornaments | paper, plate, and plane

This is the super cool site for learning how to make real looking macaron ornaments, I can only hope when I try this they can look almost as real as hers.

Many of my favorite illustrators have a last name that starts with the letter B.

I just found a new one, Emma Block, http://emmablock.co.uk/   I am including links so you can check out their wonderful creations.  The following artists I put into my "B" category many years ago, back when my daughters were young. Maybe I noticed the connection because our younger daughter went by the nick name B for many years.  We don't get to call her that anymore, but we haven't forgotten.

Susan Branch http://www.susanbranch.com/

Marjolein Bastin  http://www.marjoleinbastin.com/en

Cicely Mary Barker (1895 - 1973)
http://www.flowerfairies.com/US_version/home.html

Elsa Beskow (1874 - 1953)
 http://www.florisbooks.co.uk/authors/elsa-beskow.html

and Molly Brett(1902 - 1990)
 http://www.blytonbooks.co.uk/articles/molly_brett.php 
who illustrated for Enid Blyton even. How cute is this bath time print?

janwillemsen / Animals Photos / CC BY-NC-SA

Now I could start a new list

 for the ones whose first names start with the letter B couldn't I?

Beatrix Potter (1866 - 1943)

http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/b/beatrix-potter/

Becky Kelly http://beckykelly.com/shop/  A favorite of my sister-n-law Kristi, who also found

Fritz Baumgarten (1883 - 1966)  here is an example of his work

summer fun, afb the party  p 18

Photo credit: janwillemsen / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

Prom 2013

How great they look in shades of blue.

After what goes into Prom, what a relief they had a great time and good weather.  As a mom, I was happy to hear about it at 3 in the morning. To leave high school with good memories of having fun with friends is better than the 4.0 GPA, which also cool btw, I am not complaining.   Hanging out with friends, beach volleyball, trips to Menchies and to get Pho,  even better a sandwich from Jersey Mikes, what a lucky kid!

Thank you for letting your mother take snapshots before heading out for Prom.

A huge thank  you to Stephanie for putting Alaina's hair together for her.  It made the day even more fun and it turned out beautiful.

Paper Piecing might just be for me

I have started in on my material fat quarter stashes, but have not limited myself to just my own fabric either!  The hand stitching, well you can take on the go with you, such as cold windy track meets or just waiting around as the driver of the teenagers who don't drive, comes in handy and relieves stress.  College apps, Prom, Graduation details, no worries, just pick up some hand sewing.  The funniest part about that, is if my mind is heading in a negative direction you can bet I will stab myself, and then I turn it back to something positive and keep on sewing. Today our friend Marla recieved a mini hexi coaster in blues and greens that Sheryl, Peggy and I whipped up.  I threw in a mini bunting with fabrics shown in the star below, her office needed some home sewn touches that add a dash of color too. Marla is awesome, what else can I say?

First attempt on a machine, might be the last,
hid the center with a really cool button
and gave it to Sheryl, it is a mini wall hanging now.

My very first attempt at English Paper Piecing,
I added a felt back and made it a coaster of sorts, hand quilting, we'll see...
I really like that each material is from someone else and I get to think of them

My first hexi design

I don't know where these color ideas are coming from,
it is a year outside the box for me for sure!
Guess I need the Queen of Hearts herself now,
the Queen took off with Alaina's autograph book at Disneyland when she was 11,
great memories!

A sunny day to visit the tulips

Oh this is one of my happy places: Christianson's Nursery

Inside and out and all around beautiful

Cathie and Lisa, childhood friends still having great laughs

Good thing these aren't poppies!

Not only did we see flowers, but got a bunch of yummies at the co-op and some fabric at the quilt shop and trinkets from the gift shop in Mt Vernon.  Weeeeeee!

Spring skiing!

Spring skiing at Stevens today, lovin it!

Long lift lines have kept us away for years. Same old partying going on in the upper lot. Just some of the reasons we took our family skiing clear up to Baker, but gotta say, enjoyed the shorter drive and the beautiful scenery topped with fresh snow and the great memories which made today an awesome day to do some old school skiing. 

Stevens Pass Washington Ski Resort | Stevens Pass

Back in the day at Stevens

Happy Birthday to Susan Branch

Happy Birthday Susan

This is a quick Happy Birthday to the Inspiring Susan Branch, who has shared her art and heart with the world and has lifted me up and kept me smiling!  Our family holiday's would not be the same without the Sugar Cookie recipe she let us in on!

Susan Branch Blog | Susan Branch Blog   go ahead and take a peek at her world.

Grethe's birthday today, here's some more art

This is right side up?

Is this right side up?

Magical I think

Grethe Christiansen de Cillia having fun! I feel so lucky that my children have such a talented great grandmother in their family tree!