Friday Finds - getting ready for the cold

Well, our temps are finally dropping, fast.  I love the cooler weather (cooler, not cold!) and wearing sweaters and hats and scarves.  So let's go check out some wonderful handmade scarves.

I found these wonderful scarves over at The Craft Star.  Clockwise from the bottom left...

a cotton crochet skinny scarf from Bernoulli's Attic. 

a tweed knitted cowl from the Yarn Star.

a rainbow colored scarf from Annesknits.

Over at my old hangout, Handmade Artists, I found these beauties...

Starting at the top left...

a knit infinity scarf from Oaklies Fashions.

Cloud 9 scarf with flower by Magnolia Road Designs.

and I absolutely LOVE this fox scarf by dolly's designs.

And this week, I created 2 new scarves myself, and added them to the pot of handmade scarves.

shades of blue pom pom scarf

red sashay metallic ruffle scarf

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.  And support your local handmade artists.

Be blessed,

Debbi

baby it's COLD outside.

If that title sounds familiar, it's because just a scant 4 months ago, we were whining about the heat in my post "Baby, it's hot outside".  Hahaha.  I just now got in from standing outside with the kids waiting for their buses, and it's only 31 degrees.  Of course, Brandon could only find one mitten, so he was not a happy camper.  I think he used it last month playing cowboy outside on his horse (bike).  Oh well.... 8~)  Now I know I grew up in Tonawanda, (a suburb of Buffalo NY), so 31 degrees should be nothing to me, but I'm not 10 anymore...I'm nunya (buziness, teehee).  And I don't like the cold.  But I do like watching a light pretty evening snowfall from inside the house.  And I did have fun in the snow as a kid.  I spent my first 12 years in an old farmhouse in a great small neighborhood across from the Sheridan golf course.  My 2 best friends and I would sit and watch the balls come flying over a particular hill, and then run and grab them.  We'd then shoot back across the street (don't tell our moms, we weren't allowed across the street) and sit in our front yards and watch the golfers go nuts looking for their balls.  There was one summer when we got older and smarter, we started selling our balls back to the golfers, kind of like a lemonade stand.  It was too funny!  But this same park had a HUGE toboggan run, and for my southern neighbors, I'm not talking about a knit hat.  A toboggan is a large wooden sled that could carry 4 - 8 people.  Here's what Wikipedia says....

"A toboggan is a simple sled which is a traditional form of transport used by the Innu and Cree of northern Canada. In modern times, it is used on snow to carry one or more people (often children) down a hill or other slope for recreation. Designs vary from simple, traditional models to modern engineered composites. A toboggan differs from most sleds or sleighs in that it has no runners or skis (or only low ones) on the underside. The bottom of a toboggan rides directly on the snow. Some parks include designated toboggan hills where ordinary sleds are not allowed and which may include toboggan runs similar to bobsleigh courses."

We would carry that toboggan up the chute (an open deck about 4 stories tall) get hooked up, the guy would hit the lever, and off we would go....think of like a luge shoot in the Olympics, but it was straight.  When you hit the bottom, the snow would fly, and if you were in front, you would be covered by snow by the time the toboggan came to a stop, miles (well, it seemed like miles) from where you started.  Then you would all grab that heavy wooden sled, and climb back up the hill and up the chute.  It was a ball!!!!  But being the youngest, I always got put in front.  Daddy put me in back once, but I fell off the sled when we hit the bottom and missed half the ride.  It makes me smile just thinking about this.  For fun I did an Etsy search on toboggan and here is what came up...

Most of what came up were knit or crochet hats.  But I like this Vintage ski hat from Forgotten In The Attic because it is most like the hats we wore growing up, complete with pompom on the top.  But I also found this... 6 Tobogganer Sleigh cookies from Queen of Tarts Cakes.  I figured she must be a Yankee, but she's from Los Angeles California!  Go Figure!!! hahaha.  So in keeping with my rambling and cold memories today, tomorrows link up party theme is...snow!  or cold, or whatever, teehee.  Have a blessed day and I'll see you in the morning.

Debbi 

A Carolina White Christmas

Well, Christmas has come and gone in a whirl, and I'm finally sitting in my chair, with my feet up, and wanted to share some of our day. We are originally from Buffalo, NY and are used to snowy days, but we've been transplanted to Statesville, NC for the past 10 years, and enjoy the warmth all year thru. Today, IT SNOWED! The news said that this is the first white Christmas since 1958 (?) so I had to go out and take some pictures. The snow started about 10:30 am with big soft flakes. This is my butterfly garden on the left getting dressed up in it's winter garb. On the right is my knock-out rose bush that blooms for most of the year. Then the tree line on our property. And my favorite picture, our horses running to us for attention. (Really they just wanted the treat Hannah was carrying). Now, remember, this was before noon. And it snowed all day. So now I will share with you the photos of all the snow by evening. We had to drive to my step-son's home for a visit, and they only live a couple of miles away. Our van was slipping and sliding up the hill on the way home.

But it's been a wonderful and blessed day. A day for family, for friends, and to remember the gift of salvation that was offered to us with the birth of God's Son, Jesus Christ. So Merry Christmas everyone!!!!