poking along

I saw this little guy out my kitchen window and he made me smile. No knitting or needlepoint finished, everything seems to be poking along...... how apropos~
I guess we should all take the time to enjoy life, family and friends. Happy 4th of July, and try to live in the moment.
Have a safe and wonderful journey......

belts belts belts

That's what I've been doing lately, belts (needlepoint belts that is). I was commissioned to stitch 2 belts for someone who could not get motivated to finish them. Sign me up!!!! I stitched them both in 2 weeks, fun and fast. One Princeton University motif belt delieverd, waiting on the second belt to come back from the finisher. What's great about these belts is that they can be personalized ~ monogram , graduation year and this young man plays on the university lacrosse team. The belt below has kind of a sad story.... My moms friend, Jenny, stitched the belt for her niece and when she sent it to the finisher, it was lost in the mail. That's right....never seen again. I can honestly say, this is the first time that has happened. Bummer, but what can you do? In an effort to get the belt stitched quickly, I volunteered to stitch the background (sorry about the photo, it's kind of blurry).

I started this belt this am, with my little friend watching. This is Pebbles routine~~ first we potty, followed by breakfast, then sit on the back of mommy's chair and watch her stitch, while keeping an eye on the front yard. An after breakfast nap is next. I told you she is a dog not a cat, right???

The international flag belt(on the tray) is for a new friend of mine that did me a really big favor......

It's done!!!

Don't you think the spaghetti is done? My grandmother used to do this trick when I was a little girl. I don't do it that often, however, when I threw the pasta last night the first thing that came to mind was, what a great post. I know I should have been reflecting about my grandmother, sorry Mom-mom.
Jay and I try to eat dinner at a reasonable time, but tonight we were hanging on the porch swing with a glass of red wine in hand. Simmering on the stove was Bob's Marinara. You know of him, he is Leslie's other half. It is a really great recipe that Jay and I love. I always serve it with Healthy Harvest whole wheat noodles, Caesar salad and garlic bread. YUM!

BOB'S MARINARA

2T olive oil
2-4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 lg cans crushed tomatoes
1 sm can tomato paste
1 1/2 t oregano
1 1/2 t basil
2 t parley
1/4 cup sugar

Optional: onions, mushrooms, meatballs, sausage.....

Saute garlic in oil. Add all other ingredients. Simmer 2-3 hours.
Hint~ the sugar is the key (that little trick is from my grandmother).

By the time we did eat Pebbles was very tired

going down...

I must tell you about the much anticipated second book by Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns. I haven't picked up any knitting or needlepoint because I have been turning pages. I like to pass on a good book because it takes a lot to pull me away from my passions.
I highly recommend reading his first book if you have not already done so, The Kite Runner.

Have a great day!!!!

Part II

As most of you know already, the road trip took us to Columbus, Ohio, for our sixth annual TNNA show.

Some of my highlights...on the PA turnpike with my sister Lisa.

Entering the show and being overwhelmed and excited all at the same time. It is a special treat that we are able to attend and see all the new designs, styles and yarns. Check out Leslie's skirt and handbag....too cute!

The girls at Volia! I promise, if you have never tried needlepoint or haven't done it in a while, it is the perfect summer project.

The Amy Butler booth was unbelievable. Need I say more?

Maggie with my mom. Notice the book in my moms hand. We went to 3 book signings. How great is that! I was really inspired by the Lacy Little Knits book. It might be a little advanced for me, but I would like to give it a try.

The 2007 TNNA will go down in the books as the best ever. We are very grateful that we are able to attend, but the best gift of all is spending quality time with your family. I am blessed to have 2 wonderful sisters and a totally cool mom. My life doesn't make sense without them........