Blossoming ventures

Watching new adventures take shape can be so fun and exciting! One of my dearest friends (who also happens to be a knitsib), has taken up soap making and opened up an Etsy store for it. I'm not sure what it's called yet, so I will have to get back to you on that. I was fortunate enough to be one of her first customers and get several bars of this glorious concoction she whips up in her kitchen! I was so excited to try them, that I ended up with bars of raspberry/mint/vanilla with shea butter added, basil, mint and olive oil, and I know there are some lavendar ones in there too. I can't tell you how soft these soaps leave my skin, and with such freshness!! Her soaps are exquisite and smell fantastic! I'm so excited for my friend as I'm sure she will be kept very busy with this new venture!!

 

Being from California, we have experienced one of our worst droughts that I can ever remember. We finally had a high pressure front pushed out of the way, and the storm door was open, dumping more than an inch in some places here in the north part of the state, and even further up, SNOW! We received enough rain to cause our local resevoir to rise almost ten feet! The only problem I see with it all is, my plants and fruit trees are so confused. I'll take it though! My Morrow orange tree is loaded with oranges we are eating now. Usually they aren't ripe enough until towards the end of March. My kumquat trees are loaded probably with more than what my family can eat, so I'm more than likely going to make some jam. My lilacs are already beginning to bloom, and who could blame them with the gorgeous weather we were having last week, prior to the rain? My Christmas Cactus has bloomed rather late, but the blooms make me happy, so I won't complain. Either way, the bottom line is we need way more rain and snow, and if I can have the best of both these worlds, fruit and blossoms included, it makes me extremely happy!

 

 

Morrow "blood" Orange     

                

                                    Kumquat (we have two, and I forgot which one this is)                                   

                                                                                Lilacs

Christmas Cactus (photo bombed by my two fur monsters..lol)

 

Yesterday, I started the actual quilting process on my quilted tablerunner, and I am so happy with it! I'm hoping to get that part of it finished today, and then will add my binding. I've decided to go with a solid red binding, so I will have to go shopping for some more fabric. Oh darn! :) I have really gotten the sewing bug back again, so I do see more projects of this variety (quilting) in my future.

 

 

                                                    

                     Please ignore the blue lines...those are my chalk lines for the grid I want to  quilt.



 

                             This is the back of my tablerunner. I'm so pleased with my color choices!

 

I knitted quite a bit last night on my L'Enveloppe, by Sally Melville, and so far, I'm pleased with how it's turning out. I am on the bind off right now, will then knit the arm, seam it up, block it, and I'm sure will enjoy wearing this piece!! I will post pictures when I've completed the knitting.

 

If you are in the south and on the east coast, I wish you comfort and peace as you weather the storms wreaking havoc in your daily lives right now. Stay well...stay safe!