While Turtlegirl was getting her socks off at Sock Summit 2009, I took care of her boys Calvin and Ripple. Also her fish. Which died. But the cats are thriving, so that was good enough to earn me some loot! Look what she brought me back from Sock Summit! Socks That Rock Rare Gems. Turtlegirl knows me so well. These are exactly my colors. I’m all about the cool tones.
Incidentally, Turtlegirl has a really cool sock pattern named after her cats Calvin and Ripple (Ravelry link). It’s really two patterns in one, with one sock named Calvin (wild and unpredictable) and one named Ripple (the traditional old man with traditional construction). I’ve seen them finished in person (Jane Prater did a particularly nice one), and they’re really cool, so if you’re looking for two new patterns for the price of one, I recommend it.
Thanks, Turtlegirl, I love my new yarn!
Today’s moral is, look for the handmade option first.
My daughter had been asking for an old-fashioned sleeping cap for quite a while. Not only was this handmade cap less expensive than the mass-produced “made in China” ones at the larger sites, it looks a lot more stylish. It actually looks better in person than the picture shows, and is quite soft and comfortable. I… um… might have tried it on. Ahem. Anyway, the seamstress got it in the mail immediately and it was here within a few days ordering it. Excellent service! Many thanks to Pam at sewwoman.etsy.com!
Add to this an adorable “Cinderella” nightgown made specifically to Emily’s size by It’sHandmadeByMelanie and you’ve got a very happy little girl. It’s satiny on the outside but flannel-soft on the inside, and the tulle apron is removable to make it more comfy to sleep in. Melanie always does great work. We’ve got a Snow White nightgown that she made for Em in February that shows very little wear considering how much use it gets. I’m absolutely sure that she’ll outgrow it before it wears out, so I had her make the Cinderella gown a little big. Just as well too – Em’s had a growth spurt so it fits great. If you’re looking for a cute little gift for a cute little girl, I highly recommend It’sHandmadeByMelanie. Order well in advance – it looks like she’s gotten so popular she’s had to cut back to only doing custom orders.
Now if only it weren’t 98 degrees outside. Long nightgown, nightcap… this kid’s going to bake like a ham tonight. Well, that’s the price of fashion!
This one’s for Ellyn. She knows why. It’s also for anybody else who might need a smile.
Today is not just Father’s Day, it’s also my mother’s birthday! It’s not every day you have a special holiday to celebrate TWO wonderful people in your life. So Happy Father’s Day AND Happy Birthday, Mom and Dad! I count myself lucky every day to have such great parents!
Best. Parents. Ever.
I LOVE YOU!!!
I’m sure I’ve posted before about the kindness of . But the thing is, we’re not talking about one isolated incidence of kindness, no, she just keeps going and going. has a heart as big as Texas. No surprise, since that’s the state she calls home.
Why do I bring this up? She sent not one but TWO care packages to us. One for my daughter and one for me. First, let’s check out Em’s. She’s remembered Em’s love of space and sent a sticker book (ALWAYS a good choice) and another book on the subject. Also, a bendy toy that is adorable. Topping it off we have a variety of Texan treats. Austinuts cinnamon pecans, Cowtown cookies and Texas Chewie pralines. Mmmmm!
Now let’s check out my package! Holy frijoles!
First of all, note that has wisely included snacks with my package as well. This is good, as otherwise there was a very real chance that I would steal my daughter’s. Altruism only goes so far, you know.
There are several other me-specific items such as a fridge magnet reading, I dreamed my whole house was clean…” Heh. She knows me.
And check it out. I got yarn! Sock yarn! It’s Plymouth Happy Feet, which I didn’t even know existed. I’m very excited to have a new brand of sock yarn to play with. AND she got me needles appropriate to the yarn. The ball band calls for size 2, but she got size 1, which is perfect because I am a loose knitter, as I have said many times on this blog. Is that thoughtful or what?
, as usual I am blown away by your generosity of spirit. I count myself lucky to know you. Thank you. I owe you more legwarmers!
Since I started making Jayne hats, I have met some of the nicest people in the world. And one of them is , also known as Wendy from Alaska. First she sent me her Jayne hat order in the form of a letter from Patience (Browncoats, this is the lady on Whitefall who had previously shot Mal). Then she became a regular reader and commenter on this journal, and her responses have brightened up my days. Then, upon hearing that my daughter and I had birthdays coming up, she really went way above and beyond.
More shininess behind the cut!
I saw a lady’s SUV get dinged in a grocery store parking lot. It was a small scrape in the plastic that did more damage to the other car than it did to the SUV, but still. The other driver, an older woman, backed out of her spot (which was a pretty tight squeeze) and found another one a few rows back, then went into the store. I figured she might be going to get them to do an announcement over the loudspeaker, so I didn’t feel compelled to waylay this lady on her way in. I did, however, take down her license plate number and description and hang out to give it to the other driver. I didn’t notice the older lady come out and drive away, but she did, so I’m glad I stayed. I was doubly glad when the ding-ee was coming back to her SUV and met someone she knew in the parking lot. Her friend asked if that was her new car, and she said yes.
The lady was extremely grateful. We waited for the police to come so that she could fill out a report. He went and talked to the other driver, and it turns out she didn’t even realize she’d bumped the SUV. It did make a noise, but not a big one, so I can buy that. Especially since she went in to do her shopping instead of immediately taking off. The two of them spoke, and the other driver is offering to pay for the damage, and everybody’s being very nice and civilized about the whole thing.
SUV lady was so grateful that she came by my house the next day to show her kids the good Samaritan and to drop off a loaf of freshly baked sourdough bread. Can you see that there’s still steam in the bag? Mmmm.
I know good deeds are their own reward, but this bread is pretty darned good too. Awesome is doing the right thing for its own sake and knowing that you’ve made someone feel good. Awesome on top of that: sourdough bread infused with good karma.
This installment of Avalanche of Awesome focuses on etsy seller Stitchado!
Read on, gentle netcrawler, to find out why!
