there's been a blip in the blogging ...

i seem to have so much on my mind these days and yet so little time to actually take a moment to write things down ...

so, today, i am sitting here in front of my laptop pondering the day ... wondering how i shall possibly get all the "to do" items done and moved to the "to done" list ...

but knowing i will ...

kids have half days this week ... so i am ever thankful that my groom has recently temporarily retired so he can help out ... doesn't matter what i have on my plate work wise, the family has needs as well ... thank heavens they do their own laundry or we might be getting "calls" from concerned community members ...

my secret weapon, the costco quiche, cannot be overrated as a fabulous back-up dinner ... even the somewhat particular teenager in the house is happy when quiche is on the menu ... and the vegetarian in the family is happy with all that non-meat protein ...

we leave tomorrow for a family thanksgiving trip ... we are staying at one of our favorite spots, the alta crystal resort near crystal mountain, outside of enumclaw ... it's not a fancy place by any means but it is a wonderful family spot ... with lots of family activities ... skiing nearby ... hiking on location ... and a heated outdoor pool ... what is more fun than rolling in the snow and then doing a cannon ball into the steaming pool ... okay sitting in the hot tub and watching this is way more fun in my book ...

i took my wee doggie out for a walk on this grey drizzly morning and must say was considerably cheered to see someone had "tagged" the path behind my house with a very pretty and colorful bird nest ... does anyone recognize this lovely treasure? ...

the garden is soggy and wet this time of year and pleading for a wee bit of raking and barking but there are still some bright spots to be found ...

i love my stained glass window art in the garden ...

and the fish always lend a bit of color as they come up to feed ...

but what has really been keeping ms heart busy these days is preparing for the upcoming, first (annual--hopfully) happy valley arts & crafts fair ...

i've been working on scarves ...

the bits and pieces cut and ready for sewing ...

i've been thinking of making a heartfelt banner for years and finally took the time to put one together ...

and the gauntlets are getting ready to keep hands warm ...

sharing space with the cushions ...

we've been distributing postcards and posters to as many people as we can ...

it's been a really busy but fun ride this autumn ...

between organizing the craft fair, working on my own pieces, trying to stay on top of homework for night school ...

but i would not be telling the truth if i didn't say i am going to be happy to tuck the sewing machine away for a night or two and focus on my family and some good books and bad magazines for a few days ...

so ms heart is wishing you all a very happy thanksgiving ...

and i'll try to be more diligent about keeping up with the blog ...

but probably not until after december 5 ...

falling for fall ...

people keep telling me it's fall here in the northwest ... and the calendar would certainly attest to that ...

the days are shorter and the nights longer ...

halloween has come and gone ... and left behind just added inches ...

the papers are abuzz with retail news given the upcoming, oh i can't say it but you know what season is quickly approaching ... but please don't make me say that "c" word out loud ...

this morning there was even a touch of frost on the ground ...

but the display of color in my garden just makes me so happy ...

the dahlias are still blooming ...

and even the geraniums are not giving up ...

and wherever you live, whether you have snow rain or year-round sunshine ...

enjoy your day ...

now back to the studio ... felted sweaters are awaiting ...

a few bloggy moments ...

it's almost time to head off to night school ...

i finally finished my homework after deciding the first piece i did wasn't going to quite make the grade, even though we aren't getting graded ... thankfully ...

here's the before shot:

and the after shot ...

and today's fabulous fiber project is:

a woven cloth from a torn up anthropologie catalogue ...

so not sure i'd sport either of those cloths at my next party but we are definitely "picking up the rock to see what crawls out" ... and that was our professor's goal with the class ...

i think she might have created a monster here at the heartfelt studio ...

a day in the life ...

of ms heart and her recently temporarily retired groom ...

well, today, the first day of the rest of his life, my groom and i went to the gym, went to the bank and then sat at a coffee house working on The Happy Valley Arts & Crafts Fair publicity ... (more on that great event later) ...

after that, we attended our youngest cherub's elementary school where we watched a veteran's day assembly which was visited by our local congressman ... all very exciting as our cherub was the "caller" ...

after the assembly, i scooped up our youngest cherub to go to karate class ... a new activity for him and one we are just trying out ... did a bit of knitting whilst watching him kick and punch and do the crab walk around the gym ...

in the meantime, our eldest cherub had arrived home from junior high ... we got panicked texts from her saying that our doggie had disappeared ... we dashed home only to find that wee doggie was in fact in his crate ... where he'd been all along ... sleeping ... with the door wide open ...

after karate, we made a quick trip home for some scrambled eggs and toast for dinner and then out the door again for a skit performance ... the class had been asked to perform a skit in front of the school board representatives ... this incredible show of talent was followed by a treat with the teacher at a local creamery ...

so i asked my recently temporarily retired groom how his first day of temporary retirement went and his comment was "stressful" ...

so to all you stay-at-home parents out there who don't stop from the moment your feet hit the floor in the morning until the dishwasher is loaded and turned on at the end of the day, this one's for you ... and please don't even think about asking me if i am a "working mother" ...

is there any other kind? ...

once upon a time ...

in a land far far away ...

okay it was canada so not so far away but i rather liked the sound of "in a land far far away" ... but perhaps that's just my little fantasy here in the northwest now that fall has arrived with a flourish of windy days and rain-filled nights ... and did i mention sleet .. and sunset by 5:00 ...

anyway, once upon a time in that land far far away which we have now identified as canada, there lived a wee red-haired freckle-faced short-haired girl named beth ... and that wee red-haired freckle-faced short-haired girl loved to craft oh yes she did ... she loved to color ... and she loved to make snowflakes ... and she loved to sit in the tree in her back yard and dream ...

she dreamed of one day having her very own set of tools instead of having to pilfer from her brother's tool box ...

she dreamed of unblemished, freckle-less skin ...

she dreamed of long black hair ...

she dreamed of having as many cats as her wee heart desired ...

she dreamed of being a vet ...

she dreamed of living at her "camp" (cottage) year round so she could frolick in the woods to her heart's content and catch crayfish and swim ...

she dreamed of canoeing around the world ...

she dreamed of living with her aunt betty and uncle bruce who always seemed to have a litter of kittens in their root cellar ...

she dreamed of having a fabulous canopy bed like her best friend shawna ...

she dreamed of many things ...

some big and some small ...

many years later ...

she has her own tool box but it is full of seam rippers and knitting needles, crochet hooks and pins ...

she has come to love her freckles knowing they are part of her, inside and out ... did you know you can have freckles on your eyes? ... do you think it's possible to have freckles on your heart? ...

she now dreams that she had her lovely red hair instead of the grey ...

she has two sweet cats (well only one of them is truly sweet but this is my story and in my story all the cats are sweet) ...

she no longer dreams of being a vet ... but is happy being a contented crafter ...

she still dreams of living by the water ...

she would not like to canoe around the world, does not even have a desire to travel the world but instead cherishes the time spent with her family and friends wherever they may be ...

she dreams that her uncle bruce was still alive and well 'cause he gave the best darned hugs ever and he loved her for her freckles and red hair ...

she dreams that her best childhood friend shawna could come visit ...

but for today she's happy to have a special breakfast with her cherub ...

knowing that some dreams do come true and some dreams change and sometimes when your dreams come true, it's not always how you pictured it would be ...

but that's why they are called dreams ...

happy dreams ...

wrinkles and all ...

i've just finished my breakfast ...

i don't know what it is about peanut butter and toast that i love but there you have it ...

another little secret out ...

i've been in the studio for a few hours this morning already ... cutting out scarves and embellishing bags ... trying to find the perfect buttons ...

sewing in pockets, cutting button holes ...

attaching flowers and doillies where needed ...

it's a blessing to be able to work from home, choose my own hours, go on field trips with the kids ...

and just in case you think i've got it all together, here's what the studio looks like before a sale ...

hmmm ... clean the studio or walk the dog ...

the dog wins ...

and maybe one day i'll stop eating like a 7-year old ... but those little quartered toast pieces are so fabulous ...