Category Archives: Texas

Dec 04 2011
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Antics, crochet, Dogs, Embroidery, Family, Texas

The Crafts of Others

Being back in Texas, I am around lots of crafty ladies that I haven’t seen in a while.  I thought it would be fun to share with you some of the craftiness of others around me.

First up is my mother in law.  She recently started making wreaths and centerpieces that are just stunning.  I was the lucky recipient of this wreath.  She let me pick out the baubles and then she whipped this up in an afternoon:

Next up is my sister in law, who started knitting not too long after I did and has also found her place in the crochet world.  One of her specialties is customized amigurumi, and I once challenged her to make a basset hound (Henry, specifically) and she knocked my socks off with this:

And then there’s my Nana, who inspired the beginning all of my crafty endeavors. After reading my blog post where I talked about her teaching me to embroider when I was young, she was inspired to pick up her embroidery needle again.  She very sweetly gifted me a set of pillowcases that I will treasure always:

My mom was also inspired by that same blog post– she found the piece of embroidery that was my first foray into all things crafty.  The piece of embroidery that I wasn’t sure still existed.  I’m sure glad she saved this for me.

I love having inspiration everywhere, and inspiring others in turn.

Oct 22 2011
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Family, NYC, Texas

Full Circle

The first time I went to the NY Sheep and Wool festival in Rhinebeck was after Joey and I first moved to NYC from Texas over three years ago. We had just made this momentous life change; we had let go of everything that kept us grounded and safe so we could see where life would take us. That day turned out to be so much more than a trip to see some sheep and buy some yarn; the drive up was one of the most wonderful experiences I’ve ever had as we listened to music, experienced the changing fall leaves and enjoyed each other’s company. It was one of those iconic days where everything comes together- the sights, the sounds, the smells- and after it’s all over and done with you know that you just experienced a magical day that you will remember forever.

In the years between that trip and now, as October rolled in bringing fall winds and changing leaves, we would try to plan another trip but life would get in the way. “Next year,” we’d say, knowing that it was a trip that we both really wanted to take again. This year as October rolled in, we found ourselves again with life getting in the way. Only this time it’s because we’re on the precipice of another big change; we’re moving back to Texas to follow an opportunity that’s presented itself and we couldn’t be happier. But we also knew that this year would be our last chance to recreate that magical trip.

So it was no surprise to me that this past weekend I found myself getting chills as we drove upstate on those small winding highways once again, as I watched fiery orange and yellow leaves let go of their stable trees and start blowing about in the strong winds, unsure of where they would finally land. And I was left with was a sense of completion, a sense that we’ve come full circle with what we came here to do. The path that we knew we had to follow is finally leading us back home, only now we’re wiser and changed for the better from the journey.

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