Wintry yarn

I crocheted this little kitten using Stitch Nation 100% wool yarn...mostly "aquamarine" and a tad leftover of the "passion fruit." A friend from church (thank you, Magdalena) gave me a bunch of buttons last week...I used 2 of them for the eyes!

Mittens I crocheted using the "passion fruit" colour. Wintry day...keeping warm outside in these guys. And warm inside by the fire, sitting in my rocking chair beside the woodstove.

Matroshka cake pops

What a little darling...and she was scrumptious!
I got the edible color markers from Wilton at Joann's...and will try another kind of marker next time, they just don't write very easily on the oily chocolate. I used the white Wilton candy melts, which were $2.99 and got a package of 50 lollipop sticks also from Wilton.
Olivia thought it was too hard to draw on them, so sprinkled hers!
I know you'll want the recipe:
http://www.bakerella.com/make-your-cupcakes-pop/I used a homemade cake and made the icing using butter, cream cheese, and confectioner sugar. The thing is you can mould it into any shape you want, dip it into the melted chocolate and decorate into cute stuff! Let me know if you make them...and have fun!!!

Ski day...

We've been wanting to go skiing together for a while...so finally Dec. 24, 2010, we went, left the house at about 8am and got there at 9am when Perfect North opens up...got our lift tickets and ski rentals.
$35 for Rob and my lift tickets...and $23 for my rental...and $50 for both for each of the girls.Rob borrowed Wally's snowboard and boots. He used to skateboard...so it was natural for him.We packed a lunch to save $. Inside there is a gas fireplace, but we wanted to eat on the deck and watch the guys go over the ramps and do stunts!!!
Rob and Olivia get off the lift just after Hannah and me...and then we head over to the orange lift to go to the very top of the mountain...and take "the Far Side" down, it's a gentle 1 mile long ski trail...woodsy and lovely!

Interesting facts:

• the skis were made in Spain
• the ski boots were made in Italy
  

We are hoping to set aside $ every year and make it a family tradition! I love winter. And snow. Thankfully sledding is affordable!!!

*Check out Kristy's giveaway for a reusable sandwich or snack pouch AND Sara's giveaway for a baby amber necklace!

Pinecone birdfeeders...

Yesterday it snowed all day here in Cincinnati, Ohio. No work for me...most schools were closed, but homeschool was open...we made a good time of it, though, dispersing time between math and science with playing a game of chess, shoveling the driveway and making birdfeeders:

• pinecones
• yarn
• peanut butter
• birdseed

We made these last week in our class with the 4 and 5 year olds, the teacher I work with went outside as soon as the children finished making them and they watched her through the windows hang them in the trees on our playground. Soon, there were birds: cardinals, a tufted titmouse and more!

New Year yarns...

This is what I've been doing lately...yes, using yarn to create something unique, handmade and beautiful. (Today is the beginning of the New Year for those of us following the Julian calendar!) I just discovered that Meijer's carries this 100% wool yarn from Peru:For $4.99...little cowgirl on the label and love that "full o' sheep" bit! I got this color...called Passionfruit. It is a lush color. I'm currently making myself a pair of mittens. This yarn is brought to you by Debbie Stoller. If you are NEW to knitting or crocheting, she's got the book for you, "Stitch 'n XXXXX" which is really an excellent book with some cool patterns. My library has it and I used it to make this bunny:
That was over a year ago...
Gosh, I need to make another one...isn't is so cute?Seems Hannah is always reading...even while eating! Olivia started reading on her own, too. I am so glad we are able to homeschool our children, to let them learn at their own pace...we have all been slow yet happy readers in our house...that's the way it should be, not rushed nor forced.

Snowy Nativity

(Hannah took this photo of her sister, during church)

So, we are celebrating the Nativity of Christ today. During church this morning, we listened to my father read from the Bible, of Joseph and Mary, and the birth of Jesus in a humble cave...and of Herod and his horrible intentions. Herod ordered the execution of all young male children in the village of Bethlehem, so as to avoid the loss of his throne to a newborn King of the Jews whose birth had been announced to him by the Magi. I'm thankful for all that Jesus was able to teach us...two thousand years later, even, I'm not perfect, but He showed us what to strive for...to live with Him for eternity.

When we left church, lovely big snowflakes were gently falling!

(I took this photo with Hannah's little pink Sanyo)

We recently read about Wilson Bentley, who was born in 1865 in Vermont and captured these beautiful photos of snowflakes, that were made into stamps in 2006. We have a library across the street and go quite often. I was thrilled to find a book with CD, Snowflake Bentley...and Hannah and Olivia enjoyed listening to it.

Family and food...

My little sister, Andrea, took this photo of Olivia, Harriett and Hannah (and me in the background) at Chipotle in downtown Cincinnati...where we all met up with my cousin, Zoya, and her husband, Chris...my parents, 2 of my sisters and their families...it was so nice to get together. For $5.95 you can get one rocking big burrito, this is my fav vegan:

• rice with lime juice and cilantro
• black beans
• onions and green peppers
• tomato salsa and corn salsa
• guacamole
• lettuce

We often get the Nantucket Nectars, which are $2.40 each. 100% peach orange juice is my fav.

It may seem that we go out to eat often, after this and my previous post about Starbucks...but we really don't...homemade most every day in our house. Last night I made piroshki...mixed yeast, honey, warm water and freshly ground whole wheat, let it rise on our warm woodstove, then sauteed cabbage and onions until they were really soft, added salt and dill. I rolled out the dough, Olivia helped cut out circles, and Hannah helped stuff them with cabbage and pinch them together...then we baked them in the oven for about 15 minutes. Mmm!
We got this DVD at the library and watched it this weekend, with the girls...they enjoyed it so much! I enjoy watching the simple happy life of the Bushmen and how they view the life of the fat pale people...like us. One of my fav parts is in the 2nd one...when the little boy is alone and a hyena comes along...and he holds up a piece of wood upon his head so that he looks taller!
I love seeing their happiness when they find their family...tears of pure joy streaming down their face.