I love your smile...

Remember Shanice? Well, I've had this song stuck in my head for over a week now. It's peppy and super-catchy. I thought maybe I could pass the little brainworm on to you so that my mind can happily sing something else for a while.

Here are some things that have been making me smile lately:

Scrollwork among the trees

A happy sidewalk family

Gorgeous Noro Bonbori yarn sent to me by a dear friend who knows me well

(Thank you so much Christine. I love it!)

And the doily pillows don't stop

Oh, what a glorious morning--one of those mornings that make you want to sing.* Our windows and doors are flung open to let in the cool, crisp air. Air sent by autumn itself as a little love letter to us, letting us know it's just around the corner. My baking this weekend has been an ode to fall, full of cinnamon, pears, and oats. September is a-knockin' and I'm inviting it right in.

After yesterday's post on all of those unfinished projects laying around, I thought I'd show you something I have finished. It's a natural-colored cotton pillow cover with a round doily sewn on the front. It has been keeping this one company on our couch. This pillow cover has an envelope back like the others I've made, but I sewed French seams on this one to keep it from raveling. I haven't had a problem with the other pillow covers raveling, but I think this one will withstand the wear and tear of the years better. Yeah, these things are totally going to be family heirlooms.

Well, K and I are off for a neighborhood walk and a picnic in a tiny nearby park. I hope the rest of your weekend is full of enjoyment!

* * * * *

*When my sister was a kid she watched Oklahoma about a million billion times. Seriously. It drove everyone else in the house kind of crazy, but she loved it. Revenge was so easy, though! Julie's not really a morning person, so crawling into her bed and singing this song loudly and oh-so-cheerfully was great payback.

Crafty Works in Progress

I've amassed quite a few unfinished objects, but can't stop myself from starting more. It's that beginning part of crafting that I love the most, though finally finishing things is indeed the most satisfying. I'm posting these works-in-progress here in hopes that it will motivate me to finish them.

These are wrist warmers that are so very close to completion. I just need to crochet the little thumb parts and sew them on. The goldenrod color is so perfect for fall!

Here's a cross-stitched napkin I'm working on. I love the pattern and color--it's pink thread on a navy blue napkin. It'll go with this one that I've already made, and I hope to eventually make a set of four.

This project I just started yesterday. You see, my favorite polo got a bleach spot on the front of it a few months ago and since then has been languishing my craft drawer, waiting to gussied up. I finally decided to applique some fabric droplets onto it. I can't wait to wear this shirt again!

I got a ton of inspiration for this applique from flickr.

I hope this Saturday is treating you well. The sun is shining and the breezes are cool here. I've got to get out and enjoy it!

Back to school

This week I've spent hours upon hours reading in the university library. There is something very soothing about finding a quiet place tucked away behind massive shelves of books. It's like having a world of my very own to fill with whatever I want. I've already had much more reading for class than I ever anticipated, but I take breaks to stretch and crochet. The campus is beautiful and bustling. I've been having lunch outside on the library steps and taking walks to explore the area.

When my eyes were drifting closed after sitting for too long, it was nice to have this little note from the previous owner of this book. It made me smile, thinking of people criticizing the poor hippos. Just leave the hippos to loll about in mud and water, people. They never did anything to you!

And in class yesterday afternoon I chose my desk based on which one had the best quotes scrawled across it. This is the one I picked (and yes, I slyly pulled out my camera and snapped a photo before class).

I hope you've had a lovely week so far and have a wonderful weekend!

I'm definitely glad the weekend is almost here. K and I are planning to do something fun, though we haven't quite figured out what that will be yet. Maybe a nice picnic or a stroll through the park. And we're going to have a movie night. I've already discovered that one perk of being back in school is being able to check out DVDs from the school library. The collection is quite extensive!

CSA Day: We've got okra...

As he was piling our CSA box full of fresh vegetables, I asked Nick of Finger Pickin' Farms lots of questions. I quizzed him on the names of each variety of tomato and pepper. Then I promptly forgot everything he said. I don't know where that information went, but I lost it. So here's my rundown on what we're eating this week. We've got bunches of heirloom tomatoes, squash, tiny currant tomatoes, green and white cucumbers, peppers (spicy jalapenos, another spicy one, and purple, red, green, and chocolate peppers...I can remember chocolate!), potatoes, and okra.

Okra! I've been wanting to try fresh okra. We've got some growing in the garden (it grows straight up--did you know that?), but that okra is reserved for crafting Christmas ornaments. Impractical, but very cute Christmas ornaments. Nick suggested stewing the okra with tomatoes, and he mentioned that this is a rather low-slime variety. Yes, low-slime. That's always my second favorite (no-slime being #1).

These tiny tomatoes are sweet and incredibly easy to pop in your mouth by the handful.

We also bought some eggs from Misty Meadows Farm. We've bought eggs from them before, but usually they're sold out before we get to the farmers' market. I finally figured out the secret, though. All you have to do is email Misty Meadows and they'll reserve a dozen for you. I'm so happy that we'll be getting fresh eggs each week now. If you haven't tried farm fresh eggs, you really need to get yourself in gear. These eggs are bursting with flavor, their yolks are brightly colored, and they're so good for you. Plus, I love knowing that my eggs are coming from healthy, happy chickens raised on a local farm.

The egg on the bottom right is blue. So spectacular! It's the first blue chicken egg I've ever seen in person. I feel like we should make something really special with it. Any ideas?

Fair Food

Here are some pictures I snapped at the Kentucky State Fair last week with my sister. I love the colorful booths and elaborate signage. The fair continues until August 30th, so you've still got time to get out and enjoy it.

School days

Etsy Buy Handmade Here is a collection of things to get me in the mood to go back to school. After three years out in the world, I'm returning to college to pursue my Masters degree in literature. I have all of those same first day of school feelings that I had growing up. I'm nervous and excited, giddy with anticipation and anxiety. I've got my fingers crossed, my pencils sharpened, and my notebook open with crisp, blank pages ready to be filled. I have a feeling today will be a very good day.