Saturday, December 27, 2008

After Christmas

After spending two mornings looking for bargains, I was ready to settle down to some hot tea. Frankly, even as I venture out like others thinking that there will be real good bargains, I don’t usually find much. I fared better this year than others… I bought a suit, if you know me, you’d say, another black or gray? Black. I bought a sturdy looking bag from Talbots that looked functional; it could probably hold a couple of hardbacks, lunch and more. Yes, black again. In the practical things for home category, I bought two ice tongs in the shape of autumn leaves from
Pottery Barn. Cool. Much better than the run of the mill ice tongs I have. I know, it doesn't take much to make me happy. From Crate and Barrel, I bought some ornaments Gem wanted. As the department stores clear away Christmas decorations discreetly, I am ready to wrap this year and get ready for the new one. Working on my New Year’s resolutions list…

As my photography skills are still wanting, Mad, taking advantage of a sunny day, took some pictures of pincushions I have made. Here are some of my bottle cap pincushions.



Clothesline, music note, trees, cupcake and raindrops...

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone!
I wish everyone joyful and safe holiday.
Here are all of our Christmas trees I have mentioned...




Mad and Gem's trees:


Wishing you a peaceful holiday...

Monday, December 22, 2008

Blustery Monday

Today must have been the coldest day so far this winter! It was also very windy, adding extra chill in the air. People literally stood still to steady themselves from the gusty wind this afternoon. With the Christmas just three days away, the Metro trains were filled with people and their loads of shopping bags. There was hardly enough room to relax your shoulders as you pull yourself in to make more room for others.

Before I get myself lost in the festivities, I thought I post some photos of our Christmas decorations. I managed to get photos of garlands but for some reason, the photos of the trees [we have three; one for me and one each for the girls] didn’t download but the close ups did. Hm. Perhaps tomorrow. As you can see, past decade or so has been my “opulent extravagance” [for lack of a better phrase] period when it came to my Christmas tree. Deep burgundies with elaborate ornaments. However, my taste has evolved to simpler lines and designs. I was seriously contemplating not putting up my tree this year at all until my Mad and Gem practically jumped on me in protest. Perhaps one more year of “opulent extravagance,” until I sort out my changing taste… So here we go and if things go accordingly tomorrow night, the photos of actual trees will surface.


































Saturday, December 20, 2008

Dipping my toe into blogging...very carefully.

Hello.

I've wanted to start a blog of my own for sometime now...
I have startled everyone this summer by picking up sewing again after not doing it for fifteen years or so. It began with making mini pincushions out of bottle caps. Initially I copied some of the designs I saw on the web, mostly on the blogs. And then I had so much fun creating designs of my own. I surprised myself with incredible display of patience that I didn’t have before. Is this age thing, I wondered.

I have been reading many, many blogs and was surprised by so many talented and creative people out there who write beautifully and candidly. It was a whole different world of creative buzz and I thought, “I want to be there!” I’ve come a long way from carrying sketches of my future couture dresses to carrying a portfolio filled with drawings to be submitted to an architecture school. In the end, my love for English literature won out and I became an English literature major. Not wanting to join a line of unemployed but Yeats quoting intellectuals, I went to graduate school and became a librarian. I have been and am still a government librarian. But now, I sew at night delighted with fabrics becoming pretty skirts, pincushions, cover for hair pins and brooches. Overwhelmed with the number of them, I gave them out as presents and opened an Etsy shop.

As I learn to hone my non-existing photography skill to a more tolerable level, I hope to share some of my works on the blog. Welcome!