Katie Dog Days: Romancing Spring

Katie and I want to welcome you in from Suzy Sitcom (if that is how you are finding us today); it's an honor to be featured there!!  Come in, take your jacket off, get comfortable, and have some sun tea and cupcakes!! 

Today is all about Katie, the almost four year old golden retriever the mister and I share our lives with, and her adventures outside.  With the snow melting there are lots of good smells to take in, she can get up to a full speed run again, and she may have eaten a stick or two.

For Katie Dog Days I try to follow Katie as she romps around and fully experience what she stops to see... it's truly an eye opening thing to see the world from the pups perspective.  She really knows how to enjoy the small things and her excitement for those small things is really contagious!  Let's see what she found today!

She couldn't pass up the moss that is starting to spring back to life.

A sniff. a snort. laid down on it. then off she went.  The moss is soft and was really nice to sit on!

She found a few more bulbs peaking through.  These were randomly in the backyard.  Maybe the doings of a squirrel or chipmunk?  It's really adorable how she appreciates flowers!

Like I shared yesterday, Katie is still savoring the last bits of snow.  She dives straight into the pile, lays down, and eats the snow. 

I must have snapped her mid-chew.  What a funny face!

It looks like she is taking things in and trying to decide which way to go next.  And who doesn't love that little cute tongue sticking out?

Ohhh. I've been spotted.  Yup, I'm definitely getting the mom, stop stalking me with that camera look.

"Ugg, will you just please come play with me?"

"Mmmmmm, this snow is such a delicacy!!  Do you want to try some?"

"I think I will take my next meal right here.  This snow therapy is exactly what I need to sooth my muscles!"

"What do you mean you won't bring my dinner out here to eat al fresco?  It's warm enough.  honest.  Just put on your fur coat like I have."

Her attention was drawn to the sky and she watched the geese fly over head.  She is a meant to be a bird hunting dog.  Guess that sort of thing comes naturally.

Have you noticed that any color looks so darn pretty right now?  It's been a long winter of grays and whites.  Just look at this bright green moss on the side of a large rock.

Even this rusty red popped in the backdrop of grays. 

As our adventure was coming to the end.  She plotted up the stairs, but then stopped mid way.

More sniffing. ears up. tail curled. snorted the smell out and kept on going.  Looks like a squirrel enjoyed a quick snack here on the stair. 

Katie that was fun! 

She always reminds me to slow down.  Take a deep cleansing breath -- release it. slowly.  And enjoy what is right in front of me.  After all, isn't that what life is all about? 

Hug the ones you love today and I look forward to sharing some time together soon!

日本のための多くの愛
Much love for Japan

Lookie what I found!!

Look!  Do you see it? 

There really is dirt under all that snow we have been staring at for weeks and weeks!  And I can't tell you how wonderful it is to see the bulbs starting to do their thing!! 

Whoop whoopie!!

I'm just drinking it all in!

Melt, snow, melt!!

Don't Be Crewel

I started to show you the latest craft I have been working on.  It's called Crewel.  Funny name, right? 

What is Crewel Embroidery or Crewelwork?  Well, let's take a look.... here is snip from Wikipedia

Crewel Embroidery, or Crewelwork, is a decorative form of surface embroidery using wool and a variety of different embroidery stitches to follow a design outline applied to the fabric. The technique is at least a thousand years old. It was used in the Bayeux Tapestry, in Jacobean embroidery and in the Quaker tapestry.

The origin of the word crewel is unknown but is thought to come from an ancient word describing the curl in the staple, the single hair of the wool. Crewel wool has a long staple; it is fine and can be strongly twisted. Modern crewel wool is a fine, 2-ply or 1-ply yarn available in many different colours.

This has been around for at least a thousand years?  Hot dog! 

It all started, when my Mother and Sister in law went to a fabric/craft sale.  Sweetheart Sister saw this kit and knew it was meant for my hands.  And voila, my Mother in law started showing me how to tackle Creweling and embroidery in general two weeks ago and I'm hooked!

The kit came with the pattern, pre-marked background, needle, and all the yarn needed to make this nine flower design.  It also has enough fabric to make this into a pillow when I am finished.  Can you tell I'm excited?

And aren't those flowers just incredible!!



Here is the second flower I began working on.  The yarn colors in this kit are what make it so darn amazing.  Every thing is bright and bold (just the way I like it) and screams sunshine!!  The colors are ending up brighter than even the instruction sheet captures them as.  Whoop, whoop!!

Over the weekend I was able to finish the first two flowers.  And I began working on the red flowers in the top center row.  I am slowly getting the hang of each stitch and learning what the difference is between a satin and loop stitch. 

Plus, I have really begun a love affair with French Knots.  Up through the fabric, loop around the needle twice, hold tension on the free yarn, and back down through the same spot with the needle.  So clever!

And speaking of flowers, look what's blooming!! 

The paperwhite bulbs that we planted together and saw growing nicely before the weekend!

The little orange centers are delightful, they are so fragrant, and I can't believe how much fun it is to watch them begin to open up. 

Nearly all six bulbs have opened now and I can feel them pulling me through the last few snowy/rainy/foggy/hide under a blanket/where is the world is the sun/tired of being locked inside days. 

They also reminded me that I could probably begin to start my seedlings for hot peppers and tomatos!!  I know garden time is coming! 

Melt snow, melt! 

Happy Monday Lovelies!!

Hands in Dirt {paperwhites}

There was a bit of spring that poked it's head in to say hello over the weekend that has me swooning for some 'hands in the dirt' time!  For those of you who are just getting to know me... I am usually at my happiest when my hands are in the dirt gardening.  Are you that way too?

Here is my mid-winter gardening improv since the temps are back to single digits (F) and everything is still mega frozen.

I gathered a bunch of small containers.  Some are meant to be dirt pots, others were mugs (the golden retriever one is cracked, but is way to cute to be thrown out) or jars at one point in their life.  But today and for the next few months they will all be dirt pots!



I remembered I had bought these paperwhite bulbs around Christmas time when they were on sale.  They sat hidden and mostly forgotten in the garage since then.  The poor things needed rescuing!

Still, it's funny how determined they are... the bulbs were sprouting right in the bag, so I figured why not... let's plant them and give them a real chance!

And here are all those cute little green tips ready to be watered and set in a well lite place to grow!  I put one bulb in each container and then distributed the containers throughout the house to add cheer all around!

The extra cool factor, is that once these have bloomed, I can transplant them to the outside garden (once the frost warnings are gone) and they will bloom year after year!!  How's that for resourcefulness!

And, speaking of flowers... just look at these beauties!!  So bright and delicate!  The mister truly spoils me!

See that first jar -- the one closest in the picture?  Yes, that was the inspiration that started this whole thing.  I needed another container to have a total of six, so that I could get these babies planted. 

You can read about how I created the fabric covered jar/pot and make one of your own!

There is something about doing this that has me convinced spring is another day closer!!  Until then, we will keep a close watch as these bulbs grow and hopefully bloom (despite my earlier neglect).

Sending warm thoughts your way!  Unless your hot, in which case I have some snow and ice I could spare :)

Planting Bulbs

It's that time of year.  The leaves have fallen.  We start having colder and more frozen mornings... you know that time I am thinking of, right?  Yup, bulb planting (title gave it away, didn't it?)

I this year I added a just a handful of tulips in a new cool orange color.  I also took the plunge with hyacinth -- I always admire how fragrant they are and was excited to find out that they are some of the first blooms to pop in spring. 

We also have a very large hill that I wanted to plant a ton of daffodils on to really cheer up the front of the house come spring.  One large variety pack to fit that need.

As I dug out my shovel and gardening gloves I started to look at the hyacinth bulbs and was very surprised to see how pretty they were.  Shades of purple with touches of magenta and hot pink. 

Just look at the ever so slight pattern on the bulb skin and the way the colors melt together ever so softly.  Talk about finding happiness in a small unexpected place. 

Are you sure I'm supposed to cover this beauty with dirt?

This is the hill I was referring to.  Too steep to mow.  Need to come up with a self-sufficient plant to put here that doesn't require a lot of watering, doesn't grow too tall and maybe self-spreads.  In the meantime, we will at least have daffodils!!

I dug what felt like a TON of these little holes to tuck bulbs in and then started putting the baby daffodils in their new homes!

Can you see what I see?  A hill all covered in happy cheery yellow dots of fun!

Hopefully my deer won't find them yummy between now and then.

I know it's too early to think about spring, but it doesn't hurt to do a few things to assure that it will be beautiful.

Are you planting any bulbs before the ground freezes?

Faces of spring

It's funny to think that the snow drops have already come and gone!  Makes you begin to wonder where the time goes.  I have been very distracted this week again. 

When the weather is nice it's a great feeling to run outside after work and do some sort of project.  


Mr. Happy hung a clothesline for me!  I'm really excited to use it!  


We put up a new shed that I need to post pictures of!


I painted another closet!

I've also been very busy keeping a close eye on what is growing or blooming.  Seems to change daily!!  

The snow drops were a much needed promise of nicer weather on the way.  They have given way to the crocus.

This is one of my favorite snow drop snaps this year!

And then I noticed I have my first daffodil!!  It gorgeous to see how intense the color looks against all the brown and gray and rain.

Even the crocus have an innocence to them!  A delicate nature that you can see in the petals. 

This is my first year growing my own crocus and I never noticed that they are only open during the day.  After work, they are typically all closed up and ready for sleep.


But during the day, they are amazing!  I caught this one early in the morning as it was beginning to open up to greet the day!

This spring I am trying to remind myself to take it all in.  The smells (so fresh), the sounds of the birds, the colors of the flowers and buds on the trees! 

Hope you are enjoying spring where you are!  Don't forget to pause and soak it all in!