where have I been?...busy growing a human, that's all

That's right...growing a human in my belly, so my brain has been a bit preoccupied with everything baby. We're expecting the arrival of our precious boy in about 8 weeks and we are thrilled!! Crafting and knitting and baking and making and all the usual things I talk about on here have been almost non-existent. So I will attempt in the coming weeks to keep you posted on this new adventure we're starting. Here's the token ultrasound picture. I've never seen a cuter one.

50!!!

50!

That is the number of baby hats I sent off to New York last week for the Infant Hats for India Project. Actually there were 48 turned in by the deadline, but I just had to make it an even 50 before I dropped them in the mail and, because it's faster, I FINALLY figured out how to crochet! Gasp! Yes, it took a project like this, and several youtube tutorials for lefties to teach myself.

The interest was so high (some even learned to knit for the very first time just for this project!!!) I think I'll do another mailing sometime in March, but before you send them my way, I need to ask Jes if it would be better to have people send the hats directly to her in India or to just keep sending them to me...I'll keep you posted.

Thanks everyone for helping out! Knitters and crocheters truly have giving hearts.

happy christmas

A day late but we're all still celebrating right?

I decorated our little tree (a real one for the first time) with handmade cranberry garlands, felt garlands, and clove decorated mandarin oranges. Super easy, super sweet.

Now I'm off to continue the holiday celebrating with good friends at a Fiddler Fest! Homemade challah bread and a bottle of wine in hand. This should be epic! I shall report back with the details...

how to be alone

Beautiful, perhaps inspiring, but definitely beautiful.

a good day

A good day in our household is when james is gifted a bottle of scotch as a thank you from a satisfied client...

...and when I see something truly fantastic outside my kitchen window...

Is that...a giant cat in a tree? Maybe...How 'bout we take a walk for a closer look...

Yep!! One of our neighborhood owls!!

A good day indeed!!

attention knitters and crocheters!

I'm jumping in the holiday knitting season with an idea that's been brewing since Spring...

I have a friend, Jes.

Jes and her friend, Michelle, are midwives headed to India.

They will be joining up with a monumental project.

A Maternal and Infant Health Care Project in Bihar.

Bihar has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world.

Jes, Michelle, and their team will be providing holistic pregnancy, birth & post-partum care, and education in 40 rule villages throughout Bihar.

I'm not a midwife.

I don't have hundreds or thousands of dollars to give to this cause.

I am a friend who knits and has some extra yarn lying around.

I have several friends that knit.

I have an idea.

Last year I had been doing some knitting for the Knit One Save One project for Save the Children, which sounds a bit similar to what Jes will be involved with in regards to reducing the infant mortality rate around the world through basic care and education. I really enjoyed being able to use my talent and give in this way, but kept wondering if there was some other organization or ministry I could do this for--one I had a personal connection to. Then in May, I received a newsletter from Jes and without really thinking I quickly sent her an email asking if the donation of handmade knitted/crocheted infant hats would be something useful and worth the effort. She quickly replied with an excited YES! This is a great idea and that her and Michelle had prayed specifically that God would give people creative, out of the box ways to parter up with them.

As of today, Jes is still in New York awaiting her visa (pray it comes through quickly!), but just emailed me saying she'd like to get the ball rolling on this anyway, and that she has a New York contact that will be meeting up with them in India mid-January and will be happy to take hats in their luggage.

All that to say, if you'd like to knit up or crochet a few infant hats with me, let me know and I'll arrange to gather them up and mail them off to New York! My goal is to send them out the last week of December.

Here are some basic guidelines:

-Use any infant pattern you want (there are LOTS of free patterns out there - google it)

-Use a soft, washable yarn

-Pray for the mother and baby and their family

-You may include a personal note to them as well

You can read more about Jes and Michelle and their India project at their website:

http://ashakadwar.blogspot.com/

and so here is fall

Welp, I was right. The 30 days of beauty project did take me until the fall to get 'er done. But I'm glad I finished it. I even received a Beautiful Blog "award" by another blogger. Super cool, huh?

Fall is in full swing around here and with fall brings our anniversary. This weekend, we celebrated our 4th year. Yea Team O'Bryan! Every year gets better and better. Seriously. Sounds cliche, but true. To celebrate, we got away from the city for a few nights and stayed in a beautiful Frank Lloyd Wright style home in Park City. (James knows the owners. They were away for the week and they graciously let us stay there.) What a treat to wake up with a nice steam in the steam room! A little grand piano playing and knitting and leisure reading here and their. A gallery stroll? Why yes, thank you. The owners have quite the art collection. And of course we did get some tv time in on one of their many giant screen tvs. We looked for a hiking trail to enjoy the beautiful fall colors, but it was muddy and freezing so we decided for a yummy coffee instead. We also ate at O'Shucks/Ahh Sushi. O'Shucks is downstairs, Ahh Sushi is up. You can order from either. 1/2 price sushi at 5pm. Yes! Could there be a better place for us to celebrate? I think not. It was a great weekend and a much needed mini vacation for us.

It's time to get back into the rhythm of the season. Knitting, holidays soap making (excited to try a new fragrance - Bay Rum), bulb planting - a first for me, preparing the house and garden for the winter, tea enjoying, unfortunately not a lot of baking though...I got a great deal on a gym membership so there will be some getting-in-shaping instead. They have tvs there, people! Lots of them! (I know, I know! I talk about tv as if it were food but hey, try living without one for a spell.)