A Foggy Day In London Town

{PhotoCredit}

Today this post finds me in the Texas hill country again, and yes, my Dad is in the UK (!!).
It is July (can you believe it!) and this month is full of knitting. Lots of knitting.

A sweet friend will be participating in a craft fair this Fall, and this is no ordinary booth.
Her husband recently recovered from a very severe cancer and, by God's grace, is healing and they have been blessed in so many ways by the experience.
Their story and the blessings they received are what they want to share and bless others with, so they are accepting donated hats, scarves, and blankets for the oncology center they went to when he was receiving treatments.
Her hope is that people will not only buy the items but also give them to a cancer patient they know, or the center itself!
I was so excited when I heard about all the delightful things she was doing and wanted to be help in some way. The past few months I had been looking at different organizations to donate to, but I hadn't found one that I felt personally connected with.
So, for a few different reason, I really wanted to help with this one.
So, I am busy knitting a few projects for this one
--I hope to have quite a few contributions come October!
Another great thing, is that I will be able to include an encouraging note for the patient, as will the person buying the item!

In addition, a sweet friend is expecting her first baby and I am so happy to be knitting wee baby things, in addition to chemo hats :)
This is such a sweet and special season.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

You can visit here to read the online journal we are keeping for our Dad while he is away--
just so he won't miss anything.

My Darling Clementine

Design*Sponge

This photo represents well my past few weeks:

bright. cheery. busy.

Bright because of the general summer feeling (and humid, did I mention humid?).

These next few months are budding with the possibilities of summer. I'd love to host a few flavored, ice tea party this season. Tomorrow we have blueberry picking in store, along with the arrival of our sweet friends from Austin. With the former, we plan on freezing and possibly making into a yummy blueberry tart. Then with the latter, we plan on feeding them lots of delish enchiladas and enjoying their sweet company.

Cheery, as in the cheery atmosphere that comes when you have wonderful fellowship with dear friends. We've been able to have quite a few sweet evenings; from people traveling from other states to a sweet family in town. Letters and great conversations have also added to the encouragment. I'm so grateful for the sweet fellowship that we've had!

I've also made time to play my cello and piano (not at once) in the evenings--a great use of time!

It's so relaxing and I love being able to brush up in the music department; Mica and I have been wanting to play a certain Mozart piece together, and now that she has the music I'm hoping we can begin practicing together!

Busy on account of studying for exams, living life, and preparing for a -hopefully- busy July (continue to stay tuned!). Also, we've added some wonderful curry, lavender, lemongrass, and two types of geranium to our herb garden! We're working to help them survive the summer heat and sun so we can enjoy them for future meals!

With all of this, the creative juices seem to be slow in coming; like Ruby from cakies, I've been a bit "dried up". Not to worry though, my case is nothing that a little rest and inspiration can't help. I'll get back to the creative project posts soon.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

And if you have a minute, check out my sister's great Buttermilk Pancakes recipe---they are so yummy, light, and fluffy.

Enjoy!

Purls and Bees

So, just when I thought I had a firm grasp of the art blog world, I find some cute and creative blogs! Perhaps these finds are old hat for you, but I hope that you will find some of these great crafts a fun addition to your Summer to-do list, enjoy!

The Purl Bee ~This site has some great tutorials and is separated into crochet, knitting, and sewing sections; so, there really is something for everyone. A few of my favorites are the Father's Day Tie, Molly's Little Purse, and these Felt Gift Tags.

Please let me know if you've completed or are starting a project from this site!

{Monday Favorites} Design*Sponge + Elizabeth Dye

:: Yummy Lemon Cake ::

Doesn't this look like a wonderful way to start your Monday morning?

Here are a few of my favorite posts from last week by Design*Sponge and Elizabeth Dye.

Enjoy!

:: Lovely Colors ::

:: Cozy Nooks ::

:: Fun Weddings ::

:: Summer Popsicles ::

These Days...

...have been full.

Not quite busy, just full. A bit of a step forward from our quiet, country time with my Grandparents you might say : )

Days full of...

{Reading} Lots of books on U.S. History,

different American authors and their lives,

and...

{Memorizing} our country's presidents names, how long they were in office,

and who their vice presidents were.

{Studying} all of the above and beginning to study for another exam.

Yes, time is precious and not a thing to be squandered.

{Cleaning} Spring cleaning to be exact. We shampooed the upstairs carpet and re-arranged our bedroom furniture for the first time in four years--

that's right, we've re-arranged our living room 500 times since we moved in

(including the piano)...not sure why we left the bedrooms out of the fun.

{Organizing} closets. Mine has been lacking since I turned half of it into my creative centre. Now I can safely walk to that side of the closet

and think of all the wonderful things, waiting to be made.

{Planning} Meticulously planning my time. Between studying, living, and a new venture.

Oh, yes, exciting news is just around the corner and I can't wait to share it with you!

Stay tuned!

{More Studying} Two big exams, only a few weeks apart--need I say more?

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Also, I'd like to introduce another lovely space on this blog

(Right below "The Daily Inspiration").

The Daily Lit is a recent, fun find that brings wonderful novels right to your inbox.

It's very free and will send you scheduled installments of books on your list by email.

I got my first installment of Eight Classic Short Stories, especially for the summer time.

Hope this is something you can add to your morning coffee!