still here…

Posted on September 29, 2013 by trish

… and still levitating!

It’s been another long stretch of time since I’ve written. Have been really busy with reading and assignments. But one’s got to stretch between pages (it actually helped with the stiffness in the legs after sitting for hours).

I’m actually working really slowly on a crochet pattern that I want to share. I’ve been reading so much and trying to wrap my head around different things that my brain hurts. But crocheting helps. So does the new Plants vs Zombies :D (brrrraaaainnnsssss.….) I’m running off to to either one of those things right after I’m finished writing here…

So I hope to share the pattern with you soon!Â

And I hope you have an excellent start to the week!

happy mid-autumn festival! :D

Posted on September 19, 2013September 19, 2013 by trish

It’s been a while since I last wrote, I’m feeling quite sad about it. But the reality is that the new school year comes with so much work that I barely have time to do anything else.

But today is Mid Autumn Festival. I thought I should take some time to celebrate. So with a hot cup of tea sitting on the table beside my notebook, I made a drawing.

Because of class schedule I’m not able to go home for a family gathering today. But as I was drawing I thought about how part of the tradition of the Mid-Autumn Festival reminds us that (at least how I understand it) even if we can’t physically be together with our loved ones, we know that on this day, when the moon is the fullest and brightest, we are all gazing at and appreciating the same moon as our loved ones over the mountains and across the seas.Â

And so as I was drawing I was thinking about my family and loved ones gazing at the same moon. And I thought about the bioluminescent mushrooms that we saw at an exhibit in Chicago. I don’t think bioluminescent mushrooms usually need moonlight to glow, but in my drawing I was kind of imagining a relationship between the mushrooms and the moon, where the moon gives the mushrooms the light energy so that they, too, can glow and shine. And I’m reminded of this passage:

We love because He first loved us.
1 John 4:19

Wishing you a splendid, blessed fall season of harvest.

this week’s awesome finds

Posted on September 10, 2013September 9, 2013 by trish

Fried honey bananas — such simple ingredients, and they look so good! Recipe by Rachel Schultz.Â

Polka dots with corks. I love the subtle textures that the corks make. From Maria JoÃ£o.

So grumpy, and soooo adorable! Grumpy octopus coffee cup sleeve pattern by Twinkie Chan.

:D Cat shoes!! How-to found onÂ KittenhoodÂ (fittingly so).

Cutest knitted bunny ever! Free Ravelry download by designerÂ Sara Elizabeth Kellner.

Ok, now all these cute animal patterns are making me want to learn to knit with tiny needles in the round, which I currently suck at. But look at the whole gang of them! With scarves!! Spotted on Ravelry, by designerÂ Barbara Prime.

Also from Ravelry, an absolutely gorgeous lace collar by designerÂ Melody Maria Fulone. I might have posted this in another awesome finds post before, but I follow Melody’s blog and saw the photo again and thought I MUST sharing it. This will make any plain old shirt fitting for fancy tea parties :D

And finally, ohmygoodness, A SUSHI ROLL PENCIL CASE!!! (I know all-caps get overused but I’m very careful about all-cap use and know that when I use all-caps, I’m screaming like a fan girl on the inside). So grateful for the pattern shared on Green, Broke & Living in Kits!

Have an awesomely inspired crafty week! :D

one more day

Posted on September 9, 2013September 9, 2013 by trish

School starts this week but I don’t have classes on Mondays. So that gives me one more day with no school assignments burning in the back of my mind. One more day of writing in this blog before I’m knee-deep in paper-writing.

This is where I’m reminded of something my brother-in-law (who is one of the smartest people I know) said once, which has stuck with me ever since, “yes I’m busy, but I’m doing what I want to be doing so I’m happy to be doing it.” (or something along that line. I know I’ve gotten the gist of it but I wouldn’t count on my own memory to quote anyone verbatim. This is why I’m so bad at retelling jokes. Anyway, I digress.)

I’m truly thankful for the opportunity to go to school, learning what I want to learn. It is truly a privilege. I need to rest in the joy of that.

But before we head forward, I want to show you (it is long overdue!) pictures from our final summer trip to Rock Glen Conservation Area. It is extra special because it’s near Mike’s hometown and that’s where his grandparents would take their kids, and later, grandkids, on day trips.

It has a waterfalls! :D

Isn’t it beautiful? :D

We then crossed a very picturesque bridge…

… and followed a very, very long staircase into the woods…

… arriving at the river bank.Â

I can listen to the bubbling water all day.

Rock Glen is famous for its abundance of fossil specimens. It didn’t take very long for us to find aÂ brachiopod.

We also spotted quite a few of these spotted, the fuzziest caterpillars. I told it to hurry into a bush before a bird saw it.

And here we are, back to the city. Last night we walked passed a shrub with these sweet pink flowers. Summer’s last blooms.

But it doesn’t mean that the fun is over. I’m counting down to Mid Autumn Festival when the moon is bright and full.

Wishing you an energized and inspired fall season!

weekend quick sew

Posted on September 1, 2013September 1, 2013 by trish

I inherited a bit of pale yellow eyelet fabric from my mom, but it wasn’t quite enough to make a whole square top, so I made a sort of colour block top :D

The sleeves were sticking out too much off my shoulders so I sewed some elastic on it.