Friday Funny

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Whew!

My grandmother always taught me the back of my work should look as good as the front. I'm pretty darned proud of my embroidered snowflake derrières. Yes, you are being mooned by snowflakes!

The last quilt I made was two years ago. I'd forgotten how long the entire process takes. I mistakenly thought I could whip this baby out quickly. I took the day off Tuesday to stay home and quilt... finish as much as I could and get the quilt ready for photographs so I can enter it in two different shows.

The photo CDs and entry blanks are in the mail now. I still have work to do. I still keep coming up with more and more embellishment ideas. The quilt's not done yet. But I can take a short break from mandatory stitching. My fingertips are very grateful.

I suppose when I start doing taxes, I'll wish I was embedded back in the snowflake midnight oil!

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Wordless Wednesday

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Commuting in Winter

After my first-ever January 60-miles-in-a-day ride, I thought getting a 60-mile-day each month this year would be an awesome goal.

February rolled along, and my plan to ride to work at least once kept getting pushed back for one reason or another. By the last week of the month, I realized even a short February ride just wasn't going to happen. Maybe next year.

Nothing wrong with 11 months with 60-mile days, though, if I can attain that. Got another 60-miler Monday, and it may be my first-ever March winter work commute. I've logged many March miles in years gone by, but I don't know that I've done 60 miles in a day in March.

Monday's ride made me grateful I was not able to ride to work in February. I would have had darkness on both ends, and Olympian Allison Dunlap said it well: "Riding at night is a whole different beast." She said cyclists who compete in 24-hour events are, paraphrased, nuts. Riding at night is not for cyclists who are not nuts, in my opinion. I'm crazy about cycling, but I'm not nuts.

In total darkness, I ride with a powerful headlamp attached to my bike. I must ride much slower than usual, especially on curves and downhills. At night, the familiar is anything but. It doesn't matter how many times I've traveled the same path; it seems foreign when I ride it in total darkness. I have to wait for my headlamp to show me where I'm going on hairpins, and this time of year, there's still a lot of gravel on the roads. Gravel and rocks are treacherous beneath road bikes.

Team Leopard Trek cyclist Jens Voight in the movie "Chasing Legends" said, "All you've got for protection is a tiny little helmet, and your connection to the ground is two square centimeters of rubber touching the ground, and you're sitting on it. I just don't want to die there. I don't need to take any crazy chances."

(If you visit the Jens link, which you should because it's totally worth the visit, refresh often; you won't be able to stop laughing.)

While riding through wooded bike path, my headlamp combined with my own motion makes everything seem alive. Shadows in the trees move. When I see eyes in the headlight beams while driving at night, I have a vehicle wrapped around me. On a bike, there's nothing but air between me and whatever critter is staring at me, trying to figure out if I am a threat.

Monday morning's coyote quickly bounded away, thankfully. A few years ago, the eyes in the headlamp's beam belonged to a much shorter black animal, one with a prominent white stripe down his back... definitely the scariest critter I've ever encountered in the wild. Thankfully, he too decided to beat feet instead of confront me. I would have been no match! And I doubt my co-workers would have welcomed me with open arms if Stinky had reacted differently.

The duck resting a little too close to the bike path Monday morning, however, was understandably vocally angry with me for intruding, and the resulting ranting quack that shattered the predawn stillness nearly sent me airborne, so startled was I.

About an hour into my ride, I still couldn't see the horizon, and I noticed as if I'd just grown feet that my toes were cold. Next thing on my list: new neoprene booties!!! My ears, however, stayed toasty warm beneath my balaclava and the turquoise wool earwarmers custom made by The Knackful Knitter.

After the sun finally painted the sky red, then pink, the warming ball of fire washed the sky and landscape with a glorious gold. I didn't have my camera. I left it at home, thinking I might not have room in my pack for the Nikon AND four layers of clothing if daytime temperatures reached the nearly-60-degree forecast. I pulled out my trusty little refurb iPhone and snapped a couple of photos. They aren't as good as what my Nikon can do, but better than no photo at all. Stopping for a photo stretch also gave me a chance to move my heavily bundled but icy cold fingers and toes.

I pass nine coffee shops each way during my 30-mile ride. In the frigid darkness, I was so tempted to stop at every single Starbucks because I could hear peppermint hot chocolate calling my name. But they don't make it in sugarless. I successfully resisted temptation. Yes, they have hot herbal tea, and that would have done the trick, but Tazo apparently doesn't know my name and did not attempt to capture my attention.

I also was tempted to detour and portage my bike on the train after my toes got cold. I kept chanting, "60 miles. 60 miles. 60 miles." Once again, I resisted the urge.

After the sun came up, I was able to pedal faster, which heated my blood just enough and pumped it all the way to the tips of my toes and fingers. I made it in to work, where I enjoyed a free cup of sugarless hot chocolate. No peppermint, but the steamy beverage still hit the spot. After showering, I wished I could keep my feet in a bucket of hot water all morning long.

The ride home in the evening was more normal, but I wasn't able to pedal fast enough to elude darkness for the entire return trip. About eight miles from home, my headlamp alerted me it was almost out of juice. Oh, how I wished The Lizard would drive by and save me from the last three climbs.

About two miles into the warning light on the headlamp, The Lizard did indeed drive by and flirtatiously honk. Traffic was heavy, and he kept going, knowing deep inside I would not be happy if I didn't get my 60 miles. His rear view mirror didn't give him a good view of me desperately trying to flag him down.

"Come back!" I cried. "Come back!"

He couldn't hear me.

So on I pedaled.

I made it. The light didn't go out until after I parked my bike in my living room. Got my 60 miles for March. Woohoo.

I might be waiting, however, until we have about 30 more minutes of daylight before trying this again. I'm sure I can come up with plenty of valid excuses for not not being nuts again until April.

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Snowflake Monday

Ten and a half months ago, El Paso County purchased Rainbow Falls for $10. What a deal, right?!? A waterfall for the price of a couple of burgers, fries and a shake. The formerly corporate-owned landmark had become an eyesore, and with the help of an organization aptly called MECA, El Paso County is hoping to restore beauty to this section of Fountain Creek.

The Falls are right beneath Highway 24, which I rode up last August in an attempt to climb Pikes Peak on my bicycle. I had no clue I was riding over the inspiration for today's snowflake.

Rainbow Falls was a popular recreation destination for tourists back in the early 1900s. After the Highway 24 access bridge was built across the canyon leading to Rainbow Falls, the entire area fell victim to erosion, trash and vandalism. Contrary to logical thinking, the Rainbow Falls name came long before dappled paint covered the landscape’s rock walls.

El Paso County and Manitou Springs are working to restore and revitalize Rainbow Falls so it once again will be a haven for picnickers and school field trips. (Each reference to Rainbow Falls will open a different photo of the Falls in a new window.)

Meanwhile, I have graffitied a snowflake in honor of the upcoming rainbow-filled holiday, St. Patrick’s Day. I have experimented with coloring crochet thread with fluorescent highlighters. I allowed the ink to dry overnight before using the colored thread and didn’t have any problem stiffening the initial project I made (tiny flower basket and flowers) a week or so later. That worked well, so I tried my hand using the same process to create some colorful snowflakes.

For the first flake, I colored six-inch sections of thread with alternating colors, making no effort whatsoever to cover all the white. I wanted a spotty, blotchy effect. For the second flake, I made a white flake and then colored each of the six points in a different color, again not attempting to cover all the white. For the third flake, I drew a rainbow on a white flake. For the fourth flake, I used what I consider snowflake-appropriate colors, coloring the thread randomly before crocheting with it.

Hand-coloring my own thread was so much fun and so unique, I think I may try a peppermint-striped snowflake for Christmas!

I used common, inexpensive highlighters in bright colors for this project. I also have a set of pigment markers I bought from Dharma, but I have not used them yet. When gluing, I used straight glue, not watered down, and I dabbed the paintbrush gently so as not to spread or bleed color, but the color seemed to stay put all on its own without too much effort. It did not transfer to the paintbrush.

This was a great experiment, once again breaking up white boredom and bringing new dimension to crocheted snowflakes. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!


Finished Size: 3.25 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 8 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, glue, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

Rainbow Falls Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: 12 sc in ring; sl st in starting sc. Pull magic circle tight, but leave opening big enough to allow stitches inside it to lay flat.

Round 2: Ch 7 (counts as 1 dc and ch 4), *sk 1 sc, 1 dc in next sc, ch 4; repeat from * around 4 times; sl st in 3rd ch of starting ch 7.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Round 3: *1 sc in next ch 4 sp, ch 2, 1 dc in same sp, ch 3, 1 dc in same sp, ch 2, 1 sc in same sp; repeat from * around 5 times; sl st in starting sc.
Round 4: *1 sc in next ch 2 sp, ch 2, 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 5, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 dc in next ch, ch 1, 1 dc in same sp in ring (point made), ch 2, 1 sc in next ch 2 sp; repeat from * around 5 times; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.

Finish: Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap.

Mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.

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Return to Leadville

I have not seen this trailer yet, so I don't actually know what I'm sharing as I put this post together. Because I bought the first "Race Across the Sky" last year, I received a promotional email when the newest Leadville 100 movie was about to be released on DVD. I loved the first movie so much, I didn't need to see a trailer. I ordered the new movie on the spot.

The new movie came in the mail Thursday. I watched just a tiny portion of it when I got home late Thursday night. (Instead of quilting, dang it!) I couldn't help myself. I couldn't resist. And tears are streaming down my face again as I type this. This movie is incredible. I can't wait to watch the rest.

The stories of everyday people fighting adversity such as blindness, multiple sclerosis, cancer, mental illness, you name it... trying to make it through one of the toughest mountain bike races on the planet, witnessing everyday cyclists with everyday weaknesses like me struggle up the Columbine Mine climb... Man, it makes getting up Pikes Peak this fall seem so much more realistic for me!

Update: That's what I get for not being able to watch YouTube at home from my slow internet connection. I initially linked to LAST year's movie. The new movie is better. No Lance. Limited Levi. Mostly locals and everyday people. Totally inspirational. Now I've got the correct movie link embedded.

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Quilted Race

I'm racing the clock, trying to finish a snowflake quilt in time for the 2011 Denver National Quilt Festival and 2011 Quilts at the Capitol. The first show is in May, and the second begins in July. The deadline for both is this month. Prizes are awarded for top quilts in the DNQF, but to me, the best reward is being juried into the show.

The idea for this quilt popped into my head two years ago. We were in the process of finding a new quilt habitat (and people habitat!), which was followed by the process of relocation. Very difficult to sew when you're packing and unpacking, organizing, searching for things you can't find, and stressing about total absence of organization.

No problem, I consoled myself. I can do the quilt next year.

That would be last year, 2010. Didn't get it done then, either. We lost my husband's brother unexpectedly, and I just didn't feel like quilting.

That brings me to 2011. When you've been away from quilting for such a long time and bogged down with a full-time job, deadlines, charity projects, snowflake designing, multiday cycling tour training and making fruitless attempts at gardening, that sewing machine can seem like a monster.

Nevertheless, I conquered the monster and completed piecing the quilt face in a day. Now I'm buried in appliqué heaven, not a bad place to be, but still facing stitching deadlines.

This is supposed to be fun; I'm not supposed to be stressed by creating. Although I did learn in a recent Sunday school class that it's okay to be stressed by something you love. If everything was easy, what would be the purpose? To work toward something difficult is to enhance the feeling of accomplishment. To overcome the impossible is to glow with joy.

So I'm tackling this project the same way I intend to Assault the Peak in August. I'm looking the deadline square in the eye and defiantly pressing forward. Actually, I'm doing lots of pressing these days. Working on the quilt top wrinkles it, and I have to iron it many, many times!

Initially, I envisioned photographing my white crocheted snowflakes on a light-colored background. I would then print the photographs on fabric, which would be used for the quilt top. I then would embellish the quilt with colorful crocheted snowflakes made from leftover sock yarn.

As the deadline once again grew near this year, I purchased white on white snowflake fabric I could use in a pinch if I was unable to get my photos printed on fabric. I bought the fabric online via a clearance sale, because after-Christmas is the best time of year to buy snow-covered fabric. When I set my eyes upon the real fabric after tearing into the package a few weeks ago, I knew there was no way I could use it for a quilt face. I wanted it to be a dress! I've got the design completely done in my head! The pressure to print the fabric myself was back on, this time with a vengeance.

One of my quilting friends told me to just make the dress. That way, I'd HAVE to print my own fabric. I wouldn't have a backup plan anymore. I really don't have time to make a dress right now, but I decided Ruthie is right. The purchased fabric really does need to be a dress. So for right now, it is hidden and doesn't exist. That way, I can't use it. I must make my own snowflake fabric.

My first attempt at photographing my white snowflakes took place on my living room floor. I put the flakes on a white sheet, set up my camera lights and shot from the top of a ladder. This produced more snowflake shadow than I wanted, so I had to wait for just the right weather to repeat the process outside. I needed a cloudy day with no wind.

Last fall, I finally found a couple of free hours to play around with my snowflakes on the patio. The sky was gray, providing perfectly even, shadowless light. Once I got all the flakes in place, I climbed atop the ladder once again and began shooting. And the clouds began to let loose. Oh, no.

I managed to fire off about two dozen shots before racing to get everything back inside, safe from the downpour. I ended up having to PhotoShop raindrops on my background fabric out of the pictures, and I didn't have as much variety in snowflake composition as I originally planned, but all snowflakes are safe and accounted for, thank heavens. Oh, and the camera stayed dry, too. Can't make that claim for the ladder. Fortunately, I married someone who doesn't take me to task for allowing his ladder to get wet...

My printer decided to give up the ghost about 15 months ago, further complicating my dreams and magnifying my tendency to procrastinate on this project. Now I had the snowflake photos. I dreaded having to tinker with the new printer. I had no clue the old one was about to die, therefore dramatizing the printing process every time I printed. When I finally worked up the courage to try using the new printer, I was delighted to discover I did not have to endlessly mess with head alignment and thickness lever in order to print 16 fabric squares. (Or well, rectangles.) I got all the bugs worked out after just one test print, and printing the fabric squares proceeded smoothly and slick as ice. I had delayed starting this project for a fear that never materialized!

I tremendously enjoy sewing and quilting by hand, but not necessarily aboard a moving train, so I opted to do the appliqué work in the comfort of my home, thereby reducing the potential for blood stains on light-colored fabric. That also dramatically reduced the time I would be able to work on the quilt. As I worked on the first snowflake, I realized the appliqué process was going to take much longer than I anticipated. I thought I'd get only one flake done each day. I didn't have enough days left before the entry blanks and photos must be mailed in.

We had planned to photograph sandhill cranes in Monte Vista last weekend. But then the price of gas shot up. Me being the rebellious and tight wad traveler I am, we ditched our plans, and I got nine snowflakes done! Crane photos from yesteryear were used for Wordless Wednesday this week, and I got just a little bit closer to the finish line. Plus, I saved money!

Each night this week, I got a few more snowflakes done. This weekend, I will do the final quilting. Then I shoot the quilt. Fill out the entry blanks. Pop them in the mail on Monday, then sit on pins and needles while I wait to see if my baby gets accepted.

Good thing I’ve already developed a callous or two from my real pins and needles the last couple of weeks! Waiting shouldn’t be too hard at all.

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Wordless Wednesday

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Mountain Names

Red Mountain Pass in Autumn

The Lizard recently teased me about my mountain snowflake project. I'm naming my snowflakes after mountains this year and next year. (Which, yes, means I am optimistic I will come up with at least 100 more patterns...) Knowing how I've fallen head over heels and goo-goo-eyed over superwash wool sock yarn, he asked how many Sheep Mountain snowflakes I plan to make.

Because, you see, Colorado has more than a handful of mountains by that name. And hills. And mesas. And lakes, etc., etc., etc., ...

I began researching potential names for March snowflakes because there's a fun holiday that does not lend itself to white. Imagine my surprise when I discovered Sheep isn't the only popular and overused name in Colorado. (Yes, this means Colorado naming pundits were not necessarily in line when blessings of creativity were being handed out. However, there are exceptions, such as Tater Heap, shown at right.)

We have 34 mountains with Bald in the name!!! How do mappers keep them all straight?!? Get this: we even have three Bald Knobs!!! There are 25 more mountains with the name Baldy. There's a Colony Baldy, a Hamilton Baldy, a Heyden Baldy, a Long Branch Baldy, a Short Creek Baldy, a Baldy Alto, a Baldy Chato and a Baldy Cinco. Not to be omitted, we have 3 Big Baldies, 4 Middle Baldies, 8 Little Baldies, 4 Old Baldies, 3 South Baldies, 2 West Baldies, 2 North Baldies and a Wulsten Baldy. Yes, you read that right. We have no East Baldy and no Young Baldy. I suspect hairless conspiracy and youthful eastern discrimination.

Not sure if this is related, but we also have been endowed with 15 Flat Top mountains and 7 Flattop mountains, peaks, buttes and mesas. We also have a Flat Top Wilderness.

There are 25 Black mountains, hills and mesas and yet only one Blanca (white). (As an interesting side note, where I grew up in New Mexico, there is a Sierra Blanca or White Mountain, and its nickname is Baldy. I should go through my old film negatives and submit one of my photos of the mountain, because the one Wiki is using really doesn't show the beauty!) Nevertheless, there are 12 White mountains, buttes, caps, hills and domes in Colorado. Speaking of colors, there are 21 Green mountains, a Greenie and a Greenback. We also have 44 Red mountains, mesas, pinnacles and peaks. I would make another crack about originality, but much of the rock here is red, and Colorado was named for the red silt in its rivers.

Bears could be considered a symbol of the state. We have high schools with bear mascots. We have bear trails, bear lakes and 16 mountains with Bear in the name. My favorite of the bruin monikers goes to a foothills greenway called Lair o' the Bear. What a cool name!

While we're on the subject of favorites, one high on The Lizard's list is Lone Cone. Another very cool and poetic name. And where else would you expect to find a restaurant named the Happy Belly Deli?

Many animals are popular when it comes to naming landmarks. Colorado has 21 Eagle mountains, a Lone Eagle, a Bald Eagle (which I did not include in the Balds above) and a Spread Eagle. There are 19 Horse mountains and mesas. There is a Sleepy Cat Peak. Not necessarily animals, but there are more than 28 Twins, be they mountains, peaks, hills, lakes, rivers or other geographical feature.

There are 10 Castles and Castle Rocks and 16 Haystacks, a couple of which are pretty darned tall, which, in my opinion, means they are not aptly named. There are 18 Middle mountains, mesas and hills and 26 Round mountains, hills and peaks, and of course, 1 Round Mound. There are 14 Lookouts. We Coloradans have a real sweet tooth, too: 27 Sugar Loaf and Sugarloaf mountains, two Cinnamon mountains and a delectable Cinnamon Pass, an appetite perhaps partially accounting for so many Rounds. We love to eat: 18 Table mountains, rocks and tops. Yes, we have a couple of Chair mountains and a Handkerchief Mountain to go with those Tables.

In spite of all this amusing but pointless trivia fun, Sheep as a mountain name does win, hands down, as long as we're not talking head coverings or the color red. Colorado has 35 Sheep mountains, not including the gut-busting, funny, hilarious, wonder-why-they-named-it-that Sheep Nose Mountain. So Lizard, I guess I'll make 35 Sheep Mountain Snowflakes. Will that do?!?

I would be remiss in composing this post of landscape names without tipping you off about a couple of not-so-common names. There are two Bellyache mountains in Colorado. One of them made this special list. I think I've met the folks this mountain was named named after. Seriously. Oh, and The Lizard wants to make sure I tell you about the "classic climb" of the Pope's Nose, as well. Yes, skilled rock climbers ascend the Pope's Nose deep in the Weminuche Wilderness and brag about it. You heard it right! The Pope's Nose!

I've never seen the Pope's Nose in person. So here's a picture of another rock nose I found while hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park. Complete with nose hairs...

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Snowflake Monday

While shooting pictures of my Silverheels Snowflake, we witnessed a gorgeous sunrise on nearby Horseshoe Mountain, named for the horseshoe-shaped cirque on the east face. A snowflake idea immediately popped into my head.

I began crocheting with Jelly Yarn before even we left the four-wheel-drive road and, still being somewhat new to the unusual yarn, realized patterns such as the one I was thinking will not work without being stiffened. So I frogged and pulled out my size 10 white crochet thread and my size 11 hook, which is smaller than what I use while I'm working on flakes at home, but all I had with me in the car. The bumpy road took its toll, and I had to frog again because I miscounted or miss-stitched.

Back on flat paved road, I started again and finished the prototype horseshoe flake. It didn't look like six horseshoes at all. Strike Three, and I was out.

I obstinately started yet another flake, and this time, eureka! Just like the miners of the 1800s must have felt when they struck silver on the very slopes of the mountain that inspired this pattern, I designed a flake that looks like six horseshoes!

Horseshoe Mountain is three miles from 14er Mount Sherman, the only 14er to date I've climbed in winter and the easiest of all Colorado's 14ers (explaining why I was able to make it to the top in winter). Horseshoe Mountain, a Centennial 13er, was never on my list of peaks to climb until I began researching it for this post. An old structure atop the peak supposedly demonstrates how hard life in the 1800s was at 13,898 feet, and I expect I will get some phenomenal pictures there. Plus, Horseshoe is just a hop, skip and a jump from the 13,348-foot summit of Peerless Mountain, which I have been eyeing for a while because I love the name.

With St. Patrick’s Day next week, Horseshoe Luck o’ the Irish be with you!

You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!


Finished Size: 4 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 11 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, glue, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

Horseshoe Mountain Snowflake Instructions

Ch 48. Taking care not to twist, sl st into starting ch.

Round 1: *Ch 13, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook, ch 2, sk 2 ch, 1 dc in each of next 3 ch, 1 hdc in each of next 3 ch, ch 10, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook, 1 dc in each of next 3 ch, 1 hdc in each of next 3 ch, 1 sc in each of next 3 ch of ch 13, 1 sc in each of next 2 ch of ring, bring up loop through each of next 2 ch, yo and bring through all 3 loops on hook (dec made), bring up loop through each of next 2 ch, yo and bring through all loops on hook, 1 sc in each of next 2 ch; repeat from * around 5 more times for total of 6 horseshoes or 12 points; sl st in 1st ch of starting ch 13; bind off. Weave in ends.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Finish: Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap.

Mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.

Horseshoe Mountain photo by The Lizard

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Friday Funny

You may know I tried to climb Pikes Peak on my bike last year. You may know I came up short. You may know I did not like being Lanterne Rouge one bit. You may know I designed a 3D snowflake pattern to commemorate that day (and make the best of an embarrassingly painful finish). You may know I'm registered to give it a go again this year.

But did you know I now have my official Pikes Peak honor in lights?!? (scroll to the bottom of linked page...)

As if I wanted this lovely achievement bronzed and broadcast to the world!

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Ode to Spring

Stunning video!!! Amazing birds!

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Wordless Wednesday

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Project Blizzard

Last Project Smile post 'til Octoberish...


Finally got the 2011 Denver National Quilt Festival quilt top printed and pieced! (Actually, I've been planning to do this project since 2009...) Now I just have to do the applique and quilting. By March 15.

Finally designed a snowflake rug!

The Lizard gave me my first orchids ever!

I had SO much fun playing with Wordle!

Valentine's Day was romantic...

I got flowers!

Inspired by love, I designed new greeting cards for the first time in many, many months.

Ever since I finished my first pair of monster socks, I've wanted to make a monster cowl. Finally took a break from white boredom (caused by making too many white snowflakes) and went crazy with color. I love this so much, I can't wait to make more!

I gave my Etsy shop a facelift for the first time since I opened it in 2009. I also answered the Etsy challenge to describe myself in six words: Cycling Snowflake Designer Craves Vibrant Color. Doesn't touch cross-country skiing, photography, journaling, writing, poetry, backpacking and gardening, but well, hey, it hits a couple of the main points!

And I got flowers!!!

Finally got to go cross country skiing. Everything was white when we first arrived, but then the sun popped out, we had a beautiful day, and the snow returned with fury as we got back to the car after seven glorious miles of smiles. More photos from the outing tomorrow when I go wordless.

And did I mention flowers???

Thank you, Alicia, for giving us a new tool to fight seasonal affective disorder. I've enjoyed the Project, I look forward to doing it again next winter, and it was great getting to know you and being able to enjoy your stunning photography.

another flower, another smile...

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