Surprise!

Sort of a funny story to share today :)

 You know how I posted about my pining for a specific  NORO knitting book the other day? Well, I had been looking at it on Amazon right before I blogged and for a moment  I thought I might have accidentally clicked "buy it now" but I didn't think anything of it. So exactly 3 days later I receive a package from Amazon shaped very much like a book. I thought, "hmmm... I must have accidentally bought that book..." Turns out my lovely Mother had seen my post and shipped me the book as a surprise gift! THANKS MOM!!  I've already started in on a project :) So many beautiful patterns to make, I highly recommend for the intermediate to advanced knitter. 

Today I'm also applying for alllll of my shows up until about July. I'm really excited to be traveling farther this year so I will hopefully have some interesting stories from the new places we stay! (Kind of like combining vacation and work!) Speaking of traveling, Kirk and I will be staying in Times Square this Thursday - Saturday! He has never been to NY so this is going to be a busy, crazy, adventurous weekend! 

Happy Monday みなさん! 

Early Start

Ah! I got up so early today. Feeling pretty energetic after doing all that cleaning! You could say that my oosouji was a great success :) I got my run in this morning and made this delicious and nutrient packed egg white and spinach pepper omelet. A great start to a great day! Now I'm off to donate clothing since I had a closet Zen moment yesterday haha. Since I'm still feeling quite minimalist today I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from, Tales from the Tao:

"In the world of knowledge,

 Everyday something new is added, 

In the pursuit of Tao, 

Every day something is let go" - Lao Tzu

Pre Spring Cleaning Day

Nothing gets me fired up to clean than a good article about the chore itself! I stumbled on this article from Real Simple magazine on  how to tackle the worst cleaning jobs. I also found this terrifying photo which would be my absolute worst nightmare! Since you all know how much I adore butterflies :)

I'm finished my work for today so from now until dinner time is Pre-Spring-Cleaning-Day! Or more like an oosouji  (big cleaning) day like they do in Japan!  The basic concept of oosouji is, as stated in the article: "... by eliminating the dirt from the old year, it creates a clean emotional slate with which to plan ahead for the next year."  You can read that article here!

Happy Cleaning :)

Knit with Me!

So I've had knitting on the brain lately and I can't seem to settle down with my usual glove or mitten patterns, so I decided to start browsing around for a nice and easy sweater pattern. Since I have never attempted something this large, I'm a little intimidated, a bit excited, and  betting a lot it really won't be finished for about 4 years haha! But since I found a pattern and have a gift card to the craft store, I might as well try my hand at this. Want to knit along with me??   here is the link to the pattern!

While I'm on the subject of knitting, I have been coveting this book about Noro knitting and the man behind the yarn itself. I keep looking at it in the bookstore but I haven't yet purchased it. I got interested in Noro yarn after I saw some wares on Enoshima island in Japan made with these beautiful meshes of colors. I would have bought these hats there if I had more luggage room. Instead, I bought some Noro yarn on one of my trips to Philadelphia when I came home.  I bought 3 skeins of this intense cobalt blue to silvery white blend ( they are so beautiful I haven't used any yet :) However, I'd love to make a pair of mittens like these.

In other  news, I have been invited to showcase my work again at the Carroll County Arts Council this Spring so I'll be happily accepting that invitation. ( Since the gallery over the winter was so much fun! ) I'm also starting to gear back up for my shows starting in March, but not before Kirk and I take some  detours in Annapolis,  Manhattan, and hopefully Colorado!

I'm having a lot of fun this winter :)

OMG

 

 Wow, I just just finished drooling over the new house Vera Wang just purchased. I don't usually buy magazines but I'm going to make an exception this time! Tomorrow, top priority: owning February's issue of Harper's Bazaar just so I can immortalize this home. Check out the full story here!

Love Vera Wang, now I love her house!

xoxox -Amy

Morning Memory

Woke up this morning and was so thankful for my new french press that Kirk got me for Christmas!  I ran for an hour yesterday so that amazing cup of dutch chocolate coffee was just the thing I needed. I also randomly remembered something funny from our trip to Japan. Did you know that Tommy Lee Jones is the face of  Boss Coffee over there?? We just thought it was the best thing ever! Here is the set of commercials TLJ does for  Boss Coffee. He is an alien sent to observe the habitants of the planet:

This is a photo I took of one of the vending machines in Tokyo

Sketch Pattern Series

Sample patterns taken from my sketch-a-day series. I'll be using more of my own patterns in my work this year! From top to bottom: Bullet Flower, Rain Burst, and Endless Fruit. 

Hello New Year!

Clay critters looking ahead to the new year! 

Sketch using Pantone's color forecast for spring 2012. 

Preview of some new designs

So 2011 and the year of the rabbit has finally passed! This year I have no real resolutions so I'll keep this short. I do wish to try harder to stay ahead of things, to flex my creative muscles a bit more, and embrace the things that come my way with an open mind. I accomplished a lot in 2011 but I'm hoping that 2012 will bring even more surprises! (For starters, moving my studio down to the second floor this month) Thank you to all of my loyal customers, friends, and supporters and I hope this year finds you healthy and happy! Let's start this year off working hard to reach our goals and grasp our dreams. Hello 2012!

xoxoxo - Amy