Sweet 'n' Sour

T'other night we had the most amazing sunset! The sky literally looked like it was on fire. My first gut reaction was - 'holy crap it's the apocalypse' - and my second reaction was to grab the camera. It was just so beautiful -- so much so that we pulled Nins out of bed and made her watch as the rain began to fall. The combination of dark gray sky mixed with bright orange that swiftly transitioned to pink and purple was mesmerizing and I snapped away in the rain trying to capture on camera what my eyes were seeing.

The sunset reminded me that life is sweet; life is good. Oftentimes, I forget the sweetness and dwell heavily on sourness instead. An eternal pessimist, as some would say. It's so easy to get caught on the pity party train that I sometimes unpack my bags and stay for a while. I am trying, some days are more successful than others, to redirect my focus. I need to pull out my rose colored specs and take a stroll about town. A filter isn't always a bad thing.

For perspectives sake, I want to just remind myself of the sweet 'n' sour and how they mix together like the gray and orange of the sunset to produce a beautiful image and a good, good life.

- Oh, the babies! I have had four pregnancies and three babies in four years! Yowza! No wonder my hormones get a bit fritzy now and then. I am so immensely grateful for my children. Each and every one of them teaches me something new about the world and I love getting glimpses of how they think it should and could operate. I am constantly amazed by how they communicate with one another and how I see so many similarities between them yet so many differences. I adore being their mother.

- Constantly moving! None of the aforementioned babies were born in the same city. Wookie and Little Man are 11 months, 2 weeks apart and they were not born in the same city. Let's just have that sink in for a moment. Little Man and Chubs are 2 years apart and even they weren't born in the same city. In those same four years, we have lived in Idaho, Scotland, Idaho again, Virginia and Utah. That's five moves in four years, one trans-Atlantic and one across the country and back again. Phew! I wish I could say that I have loved living in all those places, and I think as time goes I am beginning to realize the blessings we received while there, wherever that may be.

- Glasgow, Glasgow, Glasgow! Always and forever my home will be Glasgow. I may find other homes along the way, but Glasgow was the first place that I was truly stretched and pulled into a better person. Because of Glasgow, I got to go to Paris, and Dublin, and Iceland and fuel my apparently insatiable bug for travel. Because of Glasgow, I have a Master's degree in a fascinating field. Because of Glasgow, I experienced labor au natural, not by choice, mind you, but vowed to do it again (missed the boat with Little Man but managed it with Chubs). Because of Glasgow, I am committed to seeking a path full of wonder and hardness that will refine myself and my family to be forged of invisible steel.

- Virginia Sweet Virginia. VA is always calling my name only to spit me right back out again. I spent an academic year at a small, rural liberal arts college in the pink bubble of VA. It was an interesting and intense time filled with magic and charm, monsters and chaos. For one reason or another, I chose not to return. Fast forward 6 years: Sweet Virginia called me back only to eject me after three months. We experienced a lot in those few, short months: We traveled to DC, Chesapeake Bay, and explored the city of Richmond.

- Debt reduction. Without going into too many details, we have been able to pay off debt. By the grace of God, we have managed to stay afloat financially through unemployment, more schooling, underemployment, and possibly even more schooling. Not only have we stayed afloat but we have reduced some of our debts. We are eternally grateful to each and every person who has ever helped us out financially. Someday, I hope to repay the kindness.

- Presently! I live in a state I had vowed growing up I would never ever in a million years live. Here, I have been stretched in a lot of ways too, admittedly though, it often feels like flattening rather than stretching. I have been humbled. I have been terrified. I have been defeated. I am slowly being brought back up (I hope). I'm sure I'm learning something but since I'm in the thick of it, I'm still not sure what that lesson is or more accurately lessons are yet. Maybe in a few years, I'll look back on my time here and smile. After all Mr. Chubs-man was born here and that is definitely a thing to smile about.

Reading My Antonia

I had never read My Antonia. It wasn't a book I read in high school, college, or grad school, so I'm coming at it with fresh, unbiased and unforced eyes. In other words, I am loving it. It is so very fitting for my mindset lately and the imagery is nothing short of heavenly. The landscape is as much a character as Antonia or Jim. Work and play are interwoven and in my heart of hearts I wish to have that type of lifestyle for my family. It's not without hardships, but it's also full of pure, unadulterated joy.

Willa Cather writes beautifully and evokes so much peace and tranquility even within Antonia's hardships. Cather gets humans. She gets their nature and is able to portray characteristics that I found I could relate to perfectly though I've never been to Nebraska or lived on a farm. My Antonia speaks accurately about the human experience: the sadness, the joy, the insecurities, the mistakes, the redemption.

 "It must have been the scarcity of detail in that tawny landscape 

that made detail so precious."

This book raised questions of what it means to live a fulfilling life and how do we choose to remember the past. Is it romanticized? Absolutely. For myself whenever life feels stagnant my immediate reaction is to flip through photos of our time in Glasgow. I've romanticized our time there because it was such a stretching, growing, challenging, and wonderful chapter of our lives. But I had miserable moments there too.

My Antonia also takes a round-about look at the future. So much changed in such a seemingly short amount of time from the moment Jim and Antonia step foot off the train to the final promise Jim makes to Antonia's boy. He's found his path and he's sticking to it. Choosing the right path isn't always easy. We don't ever have all the variables, which makes decision making a giant pain in the rump, but it's also what makes the mess potentially exciting. For me, it feels like my whole adult life has been one major decision after another, and most of the time I feel like I'm a toddler playing dress up, when if fact, I actually have toddlers who do play dress up.

Of course, I couldn't read this novel and forget to mention hard work and perseverance. Nothing comes easy, except perhaps the trials; poor Antonia just doesn't seem to be able to get her feet under her, until the very end. The success stories are the ones least likely to be labelled: success. The whole novel could be chalked up to one long lesson of the hardships of life and the brevity of the quiet, unhurried moments. However, in those tranquil moments, the world stops and peace prevails.

May the Fourth // Wookie cross stitch

I love the original three Star Wars. I mean the nickname of one of my children is Wookie which shows a level of devotion unseen in most fan-clubs (I jest...sort of). The nickname came about because when she was an infant, she didn't really cry she trilled like Chewbacca and now it's stuck. I had promised for her birthday to create something fitting of her nickname but kept putting it off (her birthday was months ago). Knowing that May 4th would soon be here (and quickly pass away again) I was determined to make something Star Wars themed. She already has an "I Speak Wookie" embroidery hanging on her wall (and I have my eye on a "Wookie of the Year bobble-head doll from our local bookstore), so I needed a fresh take on the wookie motif. With that in mind, I set out to create this Star Wars inspired mini-quilt. It's not quite finished but I just had to share.

I used the left-over scraps from the Stars baby blanket (Liberty Kevin from Jones and Vandermeer) and pale blue satin-ish strips (not pictured) from a dress that I made the girls a long, long time ago (in a galaxy far away). It was a bit awkward using these two together as they tended to slip against each other and not line up properly so I ended up pinning A LOT, which surprised me considering it's size.

The cross stitch portion measures 5 x 6 and the strips were 2 inches wide and who knows how long. I began by having multiple colors as pictured but then, after experiencing some trouble with the binding I ended up ripping out the quilting and cutting off much of "frame." I had originally played around with lines in the quilting - diagonal lines shot out from each corner (like the Millennium Falcon going into hyperdrive) and rectangles framed (like the windows of the Death Star). Leftover grey minky was used on the back and I plan on using random cream colored ribbon to hang it.

I used cross stitch for the first time in years. It was so relaxing and so. much. fun. This project turned out so much better than I had imagined, even though there are a few little flaws I'm willing to overlook them because I love the overall project. The feeling of accomplishment and pride was so different than the deflated, let down feeling from the Lily embroidery, even after all the little human errors that I made. I am so chock full of ideas and feel so eager to get each project rolling. I already have plans for at least two more cross-stitch/mini quilt combos.

What I'm Reading // Drawn to Nature

Spring has definitely sprung here in the valley. We've had a decent amount of rain (and one big ol' blizzard) in addition to a few spectacular thunderstorms. I love the way the world smells after it rains, even the dairy cow smell gets washed away, and the earth seems brighter, the grass greener, the sky bluer, the clouds whiter and fluffier.

I've been reading Clare Leslie Walker's Drawn to Nature, while working on a crochet chevron throw. This book isn't so much about reading as it is about devouring her images while snacking on words. She challenges her readers to look around. See the sky. See the ground. Hear the birds. Notice nature wherever you are. So I have been. Though it's been rather easy to do since we live so close to the canyon and experience monthly sightings of deer and daily sightings of pheasants. I've been looking more closely at the other birds. We get sparrows and starlings, ducks and wild turkeys, and a lovely woodpecker waking us up in the wee hours of the morn.

Over the weekend, we visited the grave of the Swedish ancestor. While at the cemetery, we witnessed several magpies ganging up on what I can only presume was a small hawk or falcon of some kind who had caught another bird and was attempting to feast but to no avail. We also drove up Scout Mountain to have a campfire roast and saw the biggest bumble bee I have ever seen in real life and heard chirping crickets among the staccato sound of someone somewhere target shooting.

We are lucky that "nature" is right in our backyard or only a ten minute drive away. We experience the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets over mountain ranges in both the east and the west. Golden hour is by far my favorite time of day. Time stops and everything is magical for those minutes of the setting sun.

Linked to Ginny's Yarn Along

Cozy Cottage Blanket // crochet

If you are remotely interested in crochet, Lucy's site at Attic 24 is perfection.

Everything Lucy does is spectacular and oh so colorful; this Cozy blanket is no exception. Lucy hosted a Crochet Along or CAL that began in October of 2014. In several posts, Lucy shared the progress of other participants and when I saw someone's use of the Cottage color pack (purchased through Wool Warehouse as part of the Attic24 packages) I just knew I had to try this color combo.

Well, the CAL is now looonnnngg over and Lucy has shared her "Ta-Dah" with this blanket, so I'm a bit behind (but that's not groundbreaking news). I received my pack just after Thanksgiving and worked slowly and steadily. Taking time felt good. I wasn't in a rush since this was purely for my own enjoyment. There is serenity in simple stitching. And I took full advantage.

The colors in this pack are completely reminiscent of a country cottage. They come in a meshy bag to store all fifteen skeins. It has been a lifesaver when surrounded by all the other piles of projects I have; at least this project has the appearance of being organized. I followed the Cottage Ripple color pattern that came with the pack, with a few variations once I decided what colors to use for the border (raspberry, plum, and pale rose). The pattern is simple and only requires the knowledge of a double crochet stitch (US terms, treble in UK).

This twin size creation is the largest blanket I've made to date, which makes my husband really happy because he can actually use this one whereas all the others have been much too small.

I absolutely love the border. Spiky yet subtle. And it's rosy, which is a total plus and very fitting. Even before I had completed the project the girls were fighting over who got to use it. To avoid sibling squabbling, I put it in the living room so that all who want to use it can. It looks so cheerful laying on the couch where little hands can grab and all can cuddle.

 

Swans and Swallows: A Remix and a Giveaway {Closed}

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, I am so wonderfully pleased to announce the paperback edition of my husband's book. 

Back in November, Husband and his brother self-published a book through Amazon. It was originally only formatted for ebook so if you have a kindle that copy is still available (for super-super cheap). For all you others who, like me, want to hold the book in your hands, flip through the pages, write in the margins, and dog ear particular passages, their book is now available for purchase in paperback! 

I am so, SO proud of all the work they have done on this book. 

A couple of book-keeping things (see what I did there??) -- The subscript "a comedy" has been removed, because, well, it isn't really a comedy. It is satire. And it is hilarious (truly laugh out loud funny... at some parts). But it is quite serious too. Gregory is a likable guy, with a bit of a problem. He's a total narcissist (and addicted to sensation, among other things), and his antics are, though slightly exaggerated, pretty realistic which at times are both hilarious and heart-breaking. It's a great read, and before I get accused of being biased, my opinions are solely my own and my husband would still love me even if I didn't like it, but luckily that's not the case, because it really is a wonderful book. 

For a chance to win this awesome book leave a comment below and for double the chance to win find me on Instagram (@rosieliljenquist) and leave a comment. The giveaway will close Sunday at 11:59 pm MST and the winner chosen and notified on Monday. Take Luck!

Update: The winner has been chosen and notified. Thank you sincerely to those who participated! 

{ Linked to Ginny's Yarn Along. }

Lily of the Valley // embroidery

Have you ever completed a project and felt totally and completely deflated? It's remarkably similar to the just-finished-a-book phase where you can't start another book because that would be almost cheating because you're still living in the book world and couldn't possibly move yet.

That's the exact feeling I experienced when I finished this project (although to be totally honest I'm not entirely finished, not yet). I had high hopes for hanging this embroidery on the wall so that I could cross an item off my bucket list.

Years ago, I wrote a list of things to do and one of the items is make something to hang on the wall, photography doesn't count. I had originally intended for this project to fulfill that goal. Alas, it seems not to be so. It doesn't look quite right in a frame and seems oddly small.

So although I have finished the embroidery project part, I am still deciding how to display it. I have a few choices: I could make a mini quilt to hang on the wall, which would fulfill the bucket list item. I could make a pillow, which seems more desirable given our utter lack of pillows for the couch, but more expensive as I would have to buy a pillow insert. I already have fabric and batting so the mini quilt seems more likely, but I can't be sure until I'm suddenly overcome with the urge to actually finish.

Yes, the blue water soluble pen is visible in this photo but I assure you it's gone now

Once I've completed whatever this embroidery is destined to be, you can be sure I'll share it. I'm actually quite intrigued as to what it will become. A lot of my projects are like this - just about completed but not quite. It must be related to the finish-book-syndrome, but instead it's finished project disorder. I love starting new projects, but tend to loose steam. It might be due to a slight edge of perfectionism about my person. I want all these projects to turn out exactly how I imagine them and if they're not quite up to snuff I'm completely dissatisfied with them (it has a lot to do with comparison too, which is completely unfair, to both/all parties). It's a character flaw to be sure. One that I hope to get the best of so that I can actually use this work. Because it really is quite lovely. Or so I am inclined to think.