KnitPony

March News

It's been a very busy month for Miss Mel and Stella (and me by extension).  We went to the Flintridge Horse Trials in early March.  They did great and Mel's coach told her she was ready to move up to Novice level.  I hope I'm ready!

  Not the best picture of Mel, but I'm trying to learn to take action equestrian pictures. 

After Flintridge, Mel was home for a week and then left for a Hunter/Jumper show in Scottsdale.  AB and I joined her on Thursday.  She had ups and downs in Scottsdale but came home enthusiastic and ready to compete at the next show.  I'm very proud of her attitude.

Yesterday we drove to California for a USPC teaching clinic.  Her first time teaching in front of a crowd.  She was able to keep to her lesson plan, she felt the girls she taught understood her lesson and grasped the concepts. 

My March was sort of productive.  I have started reorganizing my studio so that I can find art supplies and not spend my free time looking for something I know I have.  I was able to complete a couple of sewing projects.  Since I went through a crazy fabric buying phase recently - I really need to sew some of it up and resist temptation.  I was able to complete one measly art project, a birthday card for my friend.  I have a couple of other birthdays in April that I'll need to complete cards for - but hopefully we are done traveling for a bit.  I used Character Construction stamps.  I love these stamps, they are so fun. 

This is my friend, KC's, birthday card.  Her birthday is April 1 and she's my favorite April Fool but unfortunately it will be a few days late.

Here are a couple of pictures from Scottsdale.

Happy Leap Day!

I feel like a fog has been lifted from my life.  I've had two very sick people in my home.  Both Mel and AB came down with a horrible respitory cold/flu thing and it felt like they were sick forever. 

Mel and I were planning a girl's day on February 15.  I had taken the day off, we were going to go shopping, out to lunch and see a movie.  The poor dear was so sick there wasn't even a protest about giving up a shopping day.   She did go and and try to ride Stella a couple of times during that weekend. 

I slept in the guest room to stay away from AB's germs and his snoring from the cold.  I was so happy when he started feeling better and I could sleep in our bed again.  My cat was not happy that I was downstairs and woke me several times a night to let me know about it.

Mel had a dressage show last Saturday and it was pitiful to be able to hear her sniffling as she rode her tests.  Stella was not the best behaved horse also since she had week off.  Thankfully Mel's back to riding her and it's a good thing because we have two horse shows coming up.

Next weekend, we are going to the Flintridge Horse Trials.  I love the Flintridge Riding Club, it's the very first place Mel rode cross country on her little pony, Skippy.  FRC is like a little jewel hidden in Los Angeles.  One time Mel was in the dressage court on her horse, Whisper, and a deer ran in front of them.  Whisper was not bothered at all, one of the comments on Mel's test was "nice job with deer on course".  I am always happy go to shows there and stay in Pasadena.  Mel's friends from Tehachapi are competing also and I get to see my Tehachapi friends too.  I'm looking forward to hanging out with them at the show, going out to dinner, hopefully a bit of shopping and window shopping on Colorado Blvd.

Over spring break, Mel is going to an A rated Hunter Jumper show in Scottsdale.  We're letting her go down with her trainer for the first part of the week.  I have always been with her when she competes so this is a new, sort of scarey thing for me to stay home.  AB and I will come down for the weekend.   The Scottsdale shows are fun because Mel is usually finished riding by 10 am.  She likes to stay on the show grounds and absorb all the horsey goodness.  AB and I usually head out to a nice lunch and just meander around.  I have a list of places that I'd like to visit.  I may swing by and take more pictures of my Grandparent's old home in Phoenix.  Growing up I spent at least a couple of weeks there every summer - usually during the monsoons.

Hopefully I'll get to spend some time this weekend reading on my front porch.

For the Love of Supplies Valentine Goodness

I have been blogging - In My Mind!   If only I could make my entries just appear as I think about stuff - or may that's not such a great idea.  Computer problems created a big slow down in my life, right as I was ready to jump up and be crafty in the New Year.

I was lucky to participate in Artsy Mama's "For the Love of Supplies Valentine Swap".  Grace in New York was my partner and she put together a wonder package of glittery, pink supplies and treats.  Even the box she mailed was decorated.  I sort of forgot that I would be getting a swap package.  Then on Friday the mailbox locker would not open - the package was jamming the lock.  I was thinking the package was something I ordered for Mel but once the mailman brought it to my house and I saw the pretty valentines on the box, then I remembered.   

Check out these photos of the swap package I received.  Grace sure knows how to put together a package.  I loved her little touches, glitter on the edges of the cups, the extra valentines.  It was Christmas but with a Valentine theme.  Grace doesn't have a blog but she probably should.  Thank you, Grace!

Isn't that the best heart shaped box you've ever seen?  I can't wait to start playing with these supplies. 

Gone So Long

I have been gone so long.  I recently discovered some websites that have inspired me.  I have looked at the fabrics at Gorgeous Fabrics for quite a while.  I suddenly realized that the owner has a blog, Gorgeous Things.  From that I discovered Stitcher's Guild.  I am so happy.  I feel so "at home" reading sewing blogs, I understand things.  I sometimes feel a bit out of the water with scrappy, artist blogs.  I sew primarily and attempt other things but I always feel confident about sewing and worry about exploring my artistic side.  I'm happy, I ordered fabric today, life is good. 

I am so happy with one of my Christmas presents.  AB gave me a new camera.  I am enjoying playing with it.  I leave you with these pictures.

I've started to push myself to get more craftiness into my life.  I made some things for Halloween in September and early October then let time just slip away from me.  I now have ideas bouncing around in my head and am wondering what to tackle first. 

I pulled out fabric and patterns on Monday night and started to sew.  I finally made a muslin for this pattern from Hot Patterns.  It fit pretty nicely, better than the old tee pattern I've been using, so I cut out a couple of tee shirts and started on them.  I have this Textile Studio fabric.... that I think I'll use for an out of print jacket pattern.   

I'd like to make up some aprons out of the massive amounts of fabric I have stashed away.  I was thinking about gifts for my SIL and mom for Thanksgiving. 

I have a three day weekend this week, so I am hoping to get a lot of fun stuff done.  However, I'm taking Mel to the Ram Tap Horse Trials for her first event with Stella.  We'll be leaving on Thursday morning so part of this weekend will be spent getting coordinated for that. 

I need to start making lists, what I have scheduled, what I want to do/make, what to pack, what crafty stuff I can bring to work on. 

South Carolina and Pennsylvania

One of the problems I have in posting is that I am always forgetting to download photos – because what good is a post without photos?  Another problem is that I forget to take photos because I am busy, don’t want to ask people to stop for me, etc. 

A few weeks ago I visited two friends on the east coast.  I first spent a few days with KC in Landrum, SC.  After a scare at the airport when I thought my bag was lost, it was an easy drive to her home.  Then we started talking and it seemed like we didn’t stop for two days.  We drank wine, went antique shopping, spent over an hour at Random Arts in Saluda while the owner kept showing us different techniques, visited Hendersonvilles and Greenville, hopped into and out of shops.  I was fortunate enough to be able to watch a riding lesson for KC and her daughter.  They are both such talented riders. 

Then I hopped onto a flight up north to visit Shari.  She lives about an hour west of Baltimore in Pennsylvania.  I loved the area she lives in, full of farmland and rolling hills.  The leaves were changing colors, the town is full of historic buildings but she lives in a brand new subdivision.  We mostly ran errands, but what fun.  She took me to the Amish market – the Amish come down from Lancaster on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.  Everything looked so yummy there.  We visited the barn were they board their horses, I was able to met Kira’s new horse, Ellie Mae.  On Saturday, we ran errands to find the rest of our Three Blind Mice costumes for a Halloween party we went to with another Las Vegas friend, Susan, who moved to Maryland last April.  We visited a market which sold mostly local fruits and vegetables, cheeses, the best apple cider and wonderful sandwiches.  I want to go back and look around her area more.  I am wandering if I would like living there when Mel finishes school and we retire.

I had never given much thought to living anywhere else or retiring but I am getting a bit of wanderlust.  I don't think I want to move back to California - the fires scare me.  I would want to live somewhere away from a city where I could see the stars, which in California is prime fire area. 

These women are so wonderful.  I feel blessed to have them in my life.. 

So Excited

I am so excited.  Tomorrow morning I am flying to South Carolina to visit my dear friend, KC, for a few days.  She asked what I wanted to do and I told her just poke around her part of the world.  We're going to visit downtown Greenville and I hope we will be able to visit Random Arts in Saluda.  I'll be tagging along with her to a jumping lesson for her and her daughter - I haven't seen her ride in soooo long. 

Then on Friday morning, I will be flying up to Pennsylvania to visit another friend, Shari in Glen Rock.  She's going to drive me around and show me how wonderful it is to live there.  On Saturday night, another friend, Susan is joining us at a Barn Halloween Costume party.   These ladies all lived in Las Vegas, I met KC and Shari through their daughters in Pony Club and Susan is KC's best friend.  I miss them and going on road trips with our daughters.  I'll be leaving Mel and AB at home.

Speaking of Mel, she attended her first high school Homecoming Dance a few weekends ago.  It felt like a rite of passage - for ME!  She went with a group of 18 kids; 5 boys and 13 girls - only two couples.  One of the boys arranged for a "party bus" to pick them up at one of the girl's homes, they went out to dinner, to the dance and then back to another girl's home for a sleepover (without the boys).  She had a great time. 

In this picture Mel's friend is showing her that Mel could be a chameleon and blend into the wall. 

Swap Complete

This is what Laurie sent to me for the Sinister and Sweet Swap.  She sent them way before the official mail date so I kept the box out of sight until my stuff was boxed up and mailed out.  On Monday evening, AB took Mel to her vocal lessons and I had a few minutes all to myself.  I sat down with a glass of wine to fully enjoy the moment.  Everything is so cute and it felt like Christmas opening up the packages.  I have the Halloween fairy hanging in my sewing room, the candy boxes are displayed in a window niche.  I'm afraid to put anything out where Victoria can get at it.  She has a talent for shredding paper.  Laurie also sent me a supply of Halloween paper, a cute black and white bag with matching pen (that Mel tried to steal), a glitter "D", a pearl "D" and two cute vintage coaster - and some candy. 

I hope that Laurie likes what I sent to her.  I didn't do much paper crafting, I sometimes feel all thumbs with paper.  I finally realized how everyone got such great gathers on their crepe paper - they sew it.  I've been gluing it into place, trying to pleat it at the same time and sometimes ending up with a big gluey mess.  What a fool I was to not figure this out sooner. 

Laurie - if your packages have not arrived don't look any further or you'll ruin the surprise.

I stenciled two craft pumpkins for Laurie.  That's a jar of gooey eyeballs (better known as chocolate) in the back.  Laurie likes polka dots so I made a little runner from fabric yo-yos.  Continuing with the polka dot theme, I made a pearl and black bead necklace - pearls being the polka dots.  Maybe that's stretching it but I really was happy with the necklace and sad to send it off.  I need to make a similar one for myself now.  I trimmed a little tote bag for Halloween goodies and filled a box with crafting goodies also.  After the picture was taken I decided the box needed something else so I added the word, Nevermore to the top.  Then Mel suggested if I did that I should include the Mr. Poe's poem, "The Raven".  This is the second swap I participated in.  The first was about 3 years ago before I had even heard a lot about blogs. 

Sinister and Sweet Swap

I am participating in Artsy Mama's Sinister and Sweet Swap.   My partner is Laurie at Happy as a Lark Designs.   I feel lucky to be included in this swap and with such a creative partner.  Some artwork created for this swap is aready posted at the Flicker group, the pictures make me itch to get back to working on my projects.  I have several things I am working on...if only I didn't have to sleep!      

At least it is cooling down in Las Vegas, we can start leaving our windows open at night.  I'll start pulling out my fall decorations this week. 

On Friday afternoon I took Mel and another Pony Club friend to a competion in Tehachapi, California.  We started the trip by driving through a hugh rainstorm right after entering California.  It was the first time I've pulled the horse trailer in heavy rain.   The girls had a great time - even though it was rainy and cold on Saturday.  Poor Mel and all the other C level kids ended up riding in the pouring rain - well, it was better them than younger, less experienced kids.   

Scare

Victoria has made herself at home here.  She's decided that everything in the house is hers.  She drinks from Max's water bowl and even eats his dog food if she feels the need for a nibble.  Max just stands and watches her in amazement.  She has stolen his favorite toy, a stuffed duck, while he slept next to it.  She dragged the duck (which is bigger than her) by the neck under my sewing machine where she ravaged it with bunny kicks.  Victoria sleeps in Max's dog bed with or without Max. 

The scarey thing she does is that she cuts the corner between our upstairs hallway and the stairs.  I've seen her walking down the stair railing.  This really bothers me and last night she may have learned a lesson.  She was goofing off in the upstairs hall and decided to look at us downstairs.  She then went for a stroll on the outside of the railings.  Just as I was saying to AB and Mel, "This really bothers me", she slipped and fell onto our stone floor.  She jumped up and hid under the coffee table.  Mel started crying, Max was barking and AB was trying to calm everyone down.  Mel was able to reach under the table and gently bring her out.  She seemed to be fine although her heart was beating very fast.  We took her into my studio and let her down into her catbed.  After a while Victoria seemed to be better, she ate some food and played a bit.  She was happy to be held and finally started purring again.

This morning she stuck by Mel and didn't stray from her.  Mel just called me to stay that she's still a little subdued.  Victoria went to explore upstairs (really to find our other cat, Bilou, to harass) and when Mel called her, Victoria came running down the upstairs hall - staying far away from the railing.  I'll watch her the next few days but I think I'll be putting something up on those rails to keep the silly kitten safe.