Finds - Warm Colors for Cold Months

I don't believe in dressing dark and dreary for winter, the weather does enough of that. We may not be in the mood for all sunshine and flowers, but we can put a bit of color in our lives to remind that spring is on it's way! Little things like these hair clips from ArtTheme will bring some of my favorite tones - bright pink and brilliant yellow - into your wardrobe.

And if subtle is not your style (not often mine for sure) get colorful, bright, and bold! SamanthaCasteel has big fluffy head pieces (and feathers are so IN right now too) that will add flair and fun to your outfit. Shake your fist at winter and taunt it with some sassy accessories ya?

And of course, besides looking warm, you could be warm... This hand-spun merino yarn from HandcraftedGifts (with just a little sparkle, a girl after my own heart) would be perfect to knit or crochet some soft fuzzies for the winter and spring - it stays cold here in Colorado for a while yet after all.

These vibrant modern colors work great with the stark modern lines in this photo from SSCPhotography. This print would add color to any room in the house, and the shocking contrast will draw eyes to it! Even if you don't share the same affinity for these colors that I do, they enliven places and would surely help you wake up in the morning...

And what would a "Finds" post be without a little bit of geekery? Boring, that's what. Who's keychain wouldn't love a little paramecium action... the bright colors will make them easy to spot; and you can divide the world in to people who have a clue what it is, and people who think it's a symbol from some hip band they've never heard of. WhatNoMints has lots of hand-stitched plush goodies to brighten your day!

Denver County Fair

What will you be entering? This year marks the first time that Denver will get it's own County Fair! It's been a long time coming, and us urban homesteaders have been waiting patiently for a chance to show off our luscious tomatoes and crisp home-canned pickles. Check out the list of Competitions for this year, I am looking forward to entering in the sewing and spinning categories, as well as some homegrown and perhaps even home baked items! Who else I wonder is already plotting their entries?

Hooray for Sale Fabric

This Tuesday at Craft Night I made good use of the large tables and pattern weights at Fancy Tiger... and some awesome fabric I got on sale there over the weekend! It's a vintage pattern I've used several times (dates back to when women my size were considered a 14!) and each time I change up the neckline a little. This time the halter strap buttons on with cute vintage buttons! Who's ready for spring?

New Roving in Blue

My piles of bright blue wools are slowly being carded and blended into awesome rovings. Yarn from this pile of fluff will be coming up soon! (And as always, just a touch of sparkle, everything's better with a little sparkle)

Finds - Red and Ready!

As the seasons change so to does my hair, so in honor of my new color I went trolling for this weeks Etsy finds in brilliant shades of red!
Are you ready for the cuteness? Little Nessie here from FeltedFriends has got you covered! Sure you could use a child as an excuse to get his, of you could just admit that adults need playthings too and snap it up for yourself.


Add some spots of color to your life, careful arrange this trio of birds from SkyeArt to catch the afternoon sun, or to awaken you in the morning! Adorable sundries to have around the house.




For us crafty folks, check out this Lopi pencil roving from KnittingIceland in rich carmine is a fun thing to have in your stash. Lopi is a heritage breed which is both durable and soft, felts well and is unbelievably warm! (Good qualities for Iceland ya?)


If your wardrobe needs a striking addition, this versatile and fluffy shawl from FashionKnits shop will enliven any ensemble. Soft angora is remarkably warm but still airy enough to be worn year-round.



I may be one to get distracted by sparklies... but in this fine necklace from Whimseadesigns the sparkles can barely pull my attention from the rich red coral beads. So with brilliant color and rhinestones what's not to love?


For decor simplicity, these kawaii sashiko hoops are bright and cheerful, perfect to lighten the mood! GeorgicaDesigns stitches these to order, so any color seems feasible... but why not go with that bright red?

Treasury Feature - Crafty Colorado

An awesome treasury from a craft night buddy featuring some cool local goods from the centennial state!

Greening for Spring!

To get the most out of my garden I start my own seedlings, the season is short here and getting sturdy plants out as early as possible makes for a successful season. I've been picking out seeds and plotting where to plant things



So I gathered some old windows, some porch door glass, and scrap wood from behind the shed and in my parents garage... I had to buy a few pieces of hardware, but everything else was already around the house!

I cleared and prepared the spot, right off the side of the back porch. I leveled some bricks to make a nice base and keep my wood parts out of the dirt, then it snowed. Nay, it more than snowed - it dumped! And the temperatures were -15 at night, so I put construction on hold far a few weeks.
But this weekend was beautiful, the snow has been melting and temperatures were back up. So I got out the tools and put it all together - my very own little green house! I'll be able to start seeds in it as soon as the soil in my boxes warms up, then I'll be sitting pretty with big lush starter plants come April when we start putting things out.