Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas to all of our Soldiers and their families!! We are so grateful for your sacrifice, especially during this holiday season. You are in our thoughts and prayers. Stay safe and come home soon.

We wish our family and friends a very wonderful Christmas!! To all the beautiful crafty bloggers....I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas. I hope you have a wonderful filled with love, joy and health. 


Merry Christmas E!! I love and treasure you so very much. Thank you for always giving me such a wonderful Christmas! Merry Christmas to our sweet lab Holly!! 

Happy Hanukkah!!

Source: Style at Home

Hanukkah is known as The Festival of Lights and is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the re-dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greeks in 165 B.C. Olive oil was needed for the menorah in the Temple, which was required to burn throughout the night every night. The story goes that there was only enough oil to burn for one day, yet it burned for eight days, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of oil for the menorah. An eight day festival was declared to commemorate this miracle.

Source: Getty Image

There is a custom of eating foods fried in olive oil to commemorate the miracle of a small flask of oil keeping the flame in the Temple lit for eight days. Traditional foods include potato pancakes, known as latkes and jam-filled doughnuts, called sufganiyot. Other Hanukkah traditions are Hanukkah gelt (chocolate money) and the dreidle game.  Dreidles are four-sided spinning tops that children play with and each side is imprinted with a Hebrew letter.

Happy Hanukkah!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope you are all having a wonderful day spending time with family and friends, eating delicious foods and scrumptious desserts. I know we will and we are really looking forward to it. I will be missing my family and friends up North and will be wishing that I could be spending today with them. My Mom will not be joining us this year. She will be with my sister, her family and then with my brother and his girlfriend's family. 

I am so thankful for my husband who makes me proud of the man and Army Officer that he is. He has accomplished so much this past year and now we are celebrating this wonderful holiday in Canada. We had the honor of celebrating Canada's Thanksgiving last month with our next door neighbors, their family and friends. So, we get to enjoy another Turkey and all the fixings today.


He is supportive, romantic, giving, thoughtful, makes me a better person, loves me unconditionally and always makes me laugh. He always encourages me to excel at all my craft's and this year it has been knitting and photography. 

I also wish all of our troops serving our Country and their families a very Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you for keeping Americans and our country safe. Thank you to the Military families who stand by their side and support what they do.


I am thankful for my Mom who has taught me so much about being the woman I am today, about life, love and happiness. More importantly, to wait for the right man to come along, how to be a good wife, daughter, sibling and friend. Thank you for being in my life! I am also very thankful to have a wonderful sister and brother. I just so love and treasure you both. I am thankful for our nephews G and M...both a gift. Thank you for being the sweet, loving boys that you are and always putting smiles on our faces. We love you both very much. We can't wait to see you next week.


Also, thank you to all my blogging friends out there, old and new, who have been supportive since I started blogging 2 years ago this October. You have all been so kind with your encouraging and funny comments and I have really enjoyed reading your blogs, learning from and getting to know you.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Recently I started using Bloglovin' to read all the blogs I follow and I'm really enjoying it. It lets me scroll through posts with a thumbnail and snippet, so that I can easily pick out the ones that interest me the most, and don't have to scroll through entire posts.

As I click on the link it takes me to their actual blog. I just love how easy it is to view everyone's beautiful creations that each blogger has worked so hard on. As you go to their blog, their page will get a hit, which I'm sure anyone with a blog out there appreciates! 


To start following my blog on Bloglovin', click on the link below.
Follow my blog with Bloglovin'

Have a great day!!

Photography and Photoshop Classes

I have been a busy girl lately. I have been taking photography classes at the local college. I wanted to better understand my camera and take better pictures. In class we learned about the "Holy Trinity" (ISO, Shutter and f.stop), composition, Rule of Thirds, Golden Mean, etc. I definitely noticed a difference in my pictures from one week to the next. I will keep you posted on my upcoming classes and what I've learned.

Here are some examples of photos that I took about a month ago:

The beginning of October we had an outdoor photo shoot. It was very cloudy out and started to drizzle, but, when you learn how to operate your camera with the manual settings it makes a world of difference. Don't get me wrong, I love the auto settings on my camera and have appreciated the beautiful shots they have given me. I just know that I will be able to do more with all of the new found knowledge I now have.

I am really enjoying the Adobe Photoshop class that I'm currently taking. I am learning so many different things within the software for the editing process. There is so much to learn, but, with a lot of practice and patience I'm sure my pictures will have an amazing end result. E, thank you for being so supportive of my hobbies and interests!!!  I love you!!

Have a great day!!

Knitting and Loving it!!

I have always wanted to learn how to knit. My Grandmother used to make my sister and I sweaters with cute matching hats. I started taking knitting classes at Wool Tyme here in Kingston at the end of summer and  I look forward to them every week.

I started out learning a Garter Stich or "g st" where you knit every row.

Photo source: Knit Picks

I then learned how to do a Stocking/Stockinette Stich or "st st" which is a combination of a knitted row followed by a purl row.

Photo Source: Knit Picks

Next, was a K2, P2 rib or 2x2 rib. This is a combination of knitting 2 stitches and purling 2 stitches.

Photo Source: Knit Picks

A checkerboard pattern is a combination of several K2, P2 rows follwed by an equal number of P2, K2 rows.

Photo Source: Cyber Seams

I then learned a making a dish cloth in a diamond pattern. The materials I used is 1 ball/skein of Sugar 'n Cream yarn and 1 pair of size 8mm US knitting needles (2 balls/skeins make 3 dish cloths). Here is how my first project came out.

Then I was ready to make my first hat/toque for E. I used a pattern from my instructor and used bamboo circular needles and knitted in the round for the very first time. It seemed intimidating, but, after a few rows, it made life simpler.

To avoid sewing seams, you can work in rounds using circular needles or double-pointed needles. To work in rounds, cast your stitches on one end of the needle the same as you would on a straight needle. Check to make sure that the cast-on lays flat and smooth and is not twisted. I added a stitch marker to the end of the needle to mark the beginning of the round and work the first round according to your pattern instructions.

As I got to the top of the hat it became very taut, so, I switched to double pointed needles. First, you evenly distribute your cast-on over three or four needles, keeping one needle out to knit with. Make sure the cast-on lays flat and smooth and no stitches are twisted. The needles either form a triangle (if you cast on to three needles) or a square (if you cast on to four needles). With the empty needle, knit all stitches on the first needle. When that needle is empty, use it to knit the stitches on the next needle. Continue to knit the stitches from each double-point onto an empty needle, working the stitches as instructed in the pattern.
 
I'm really happy with how this came out and I can't wait to see it on E. 

I am currently using the same yarn to make him a matching scarf also on circular needles, but, I'm not knitting in the round for this project.

I already have requests to make hats/scarfs for my family. I will post pictures when I complete those too.

I'm linking up with these parties.

Have a great weekend!!

September 11, 2001 - 10th Anniversary

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the worst attack on the United States. I can't believe that ten years have passed since that tragic day. It is with heavy heart writing this post.

Last year I wrote about my experience on that day. You can view it here. Being a New Yorker, we are resilient and can manage a lot of things headed our way. I can tell you that nothing prepared us for that day or for anyone else in our country. September 11, 2001 touched every American in some way and it also reminded everyone of the many heroes that are in our lives, that protect us and that are still protecting us every single day. They help to keep a horrific event such as this from ever happening again.


America's Military, Police, Firemen and EMS have done such an amazing job keeping our country safe. Please take a moment to remember the nearly 3,000 men, women and children killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and aboard Flight 93. Please also keep our men and women in uniform in your thoughts as they continue to fight for our Nation. Military members and their families have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country since then. We salute you and thank you for your service. America sleeps easy knowing you are there to protect us.

We will never forget the events of that fateful and horrific day in September 2001.

My thoughts and prayers are with those lives lost and families who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. Thank you to all the first responders from the FDNY, NYPD and the NYARNG (101 Cav, 69th IN, 256 FA) who risked their lives that tragic day. Thank you to all the men and women who defend our freedom by serving in the Military. We will never forget!!

Isn't she beautiful!!!

E and I have been looking for the longest time for an antique Singer treadle sewing machine. We came across one up here in Canada and couldn't wait to pick it up. It is an F model and was manufactured sometime between 1910-1920. It is in wonderful shape and still works. I love the treadle machine and the beautiful oak desk/cabinetry it is housed in.

I love all of the detail on these machines, the cabinets and the beautiful wrought iron .

History of the Treadle Machine

Although sewing machines were invented in 1790 they were not mass produced until over sixty years later. In the 1850s Singer developed a machine where the needle moved in an up and down motion through the fabric rather than the side to side motion that had been used previously. The other difference was Singer's treadle design, a machine that was powered by a rocking motion of the seamstress's feet rather than hand cranked.

Singer machine used the same stitch that Elias Howe had patented in 1846. Howe sued Singer for patent infringement and won the case in 1854. Singer had to pay Howe patent royalties from each machine sold. Not only did Singer have to pay retroactively, but he had to pay Howe $1.15 per machine sold from that point on.

I hope you all of have a wonderful day, especially, my family, friends and everyone dealing with Hurricane Irene.

We have arrived!!

Hello Everyone,

Just wanted to let you know that we arrived safety in Canada on Thursday. We had a marathon trip of over 30 hours (this includes a few naps on at the rest stops). E was amazing with the whole drive up. I did some driving, but, not much. Holly did really well too. She is loving the cooler air up here and we take her swimming in the lake across the street from us. She is making a lot of new friends (human and canine). We just got our phone and internet up and I can't wait to see what you all have been up too.

Our household goods will arrive on Friday. We can't wait!! The air mattress is not the best thing to sleep on and we can't wait to eat dinner at our table LOL

I hope you are all doing well and can't wait to catch up.

Hope you are having a great day.

Canada...here we come!!

Soure: Google.com

We are so excited!! Tomorrow and the rest of the week, the packers/movers will be here  to get us ready for our duty station. We have been so busy this past week with packing up what we will be taking with us. We can't wait to start our next journey. I am so proud of E and all of his hard work and accomplishments with his career. E will be an Exchange Officer to the Canadian Army. He really does shine as an Officer, but, most of all he shines even more as my husband.

I won't be able to sew, blog, and join any linky parties (I am going to have some serious withdrawal LOL). Most of all, I will miss reading your blogs, seeing your beautiful creations and what is going on in your lives. I promise to catch up once we have internet service again.

One Lovely Blog Award

Hannah from Daughter of Design surprised me with a One Lovely Blog Award. Thank you so much Hannah. It was so very sweet and thoughtful of you.

The rules of the One Lovely Blog Award I am to share 7 things about myself. Here they are:

1. I love listening to Big Band music when I sew and craft.
2. I am fascinated by E's talent. He is an amazing musician, songwriter and artist.
3. Until I met E, I never knew that I had a passion for cooking and baking.
4. I miss walking on the beach with E. I miss the smell of the ocean and sand.
5. I am a huge NY Yankees, NY Rangers and NY Giants fan.
6. We have the greatest fur baby Holly. Our beautiful yellow Lab is so loving, smart and always wants to be with us...even in our kayak.
7. I miss my Grandmother and wish I had her longer in my life so she could have taught me everything she knows, tell me about our family history and just spent quality time together.

Here are some lovely and deserving ladies I am sharing this award with:

• Anita and Kelly @ Rhinestone Beagle
• SJ @ Homemaker On A Dime
• Shabby Soul @ Shabby Soul
• Mongs @ my thrifty closet
• Stacy @ Elle Belle Creative
• Katie @ Sew Woodsy
• Jessica @ O. Alouette

Thank you again Hannah!! I hope you enjoyed getting to know me and I hope you enjoy getting to know these ladies too. Have a wonderful evening!!

Happy Independence Day America!!

From History.com:


"When armed conflict between bands of American colonists and British soldiers began in April 1775, the Americans were ostensibly fighting only for their rights as subjects of the British crown. By the following summer, with the Revolutionary War in full swing, the movement for independence from Britain had grown, and delegates of the Continental Congress were faced with a vote on the issue. In mid-June 1776, a five-man committee including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin was tasked with drafting a formal statement of the colonies' intentions. The Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence--written largely by Jefferson--in Philadelphia on July 4, a date now celebrated as the birth of American independence."


Thank you E for keeping us safe and protecting our country and our freedom!! I love you and I am so very proud of you.


I wish you and your family a very safe and happy Independence day!!


“In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved.” – Franklin Roosevelt

"Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.”  – Albert Camus

Happy Canada Day!!

 This is the perfect time to let you know that we will be PCSing (moving) to Kingston, Ontario shortly. E will be an Exchange Officer to the Canadian Army. We are very excited and can't wait to start our new journey together. 


On July 1, 1867, Canada became a self-governing dominion of Great Britain and a federation of four provinces: Nova Scotia; New Brunswick; Ontario; and Quebec. The anniversary of this date was called Dominion Day until 1982. Since 1983, July 1 has been officially known as Canada Day.


What do people do?

In many towns and cities, municipal governments organize a range of events, often outdoors. These include pancake breakfasts, parades, concerts, carnivals, festivals, firework displays and citizenship ceremonies for new Canadian citizens. The celebrations often have a patriotic mood. Canada's national flag is widely displayed and a lot of people paint their faces red and white, which are Canada's national colors. The celebrations in Ottawa, which is Canada’s capital city, are particularly exuberant.

In the province of Quebec, many home leases start on July 1 and last for exactly one year. Hence, many people in Quebec spend Canada Day moving their possessions from one house to another. In this province, Canada Day is also known as Moving Day.

In the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, July 1 is also Memorial Day. This commemorates the heavy loss of life in the Newfoundland Regiment on the first day of the Battle of the Somme during World War I. In Newfoundland and Labrador, the morning of July 1 is usually somber. Flags are flown at half-mast and memorial services are held at cenotaphs (war memorials). In the afternoon, Canada Day celebrations in the province are similar to those in the rest of the country.

Public life

July 1 is a statutory holiday in Canada unless it falls on a Sunday; then it moves to July 2. All provincial governments observe this day. Many organizations, businesses and stores are closed, although some book stores, pharmacies and gas stations may be open. Post offices are closed. As Canada Day falls in the Canadian summer holiday period, all schools are closed.

Public transport services may operate to their usual or a reduced timetable. In some areas, extra services are provided for large scale events. Street closures due to concerts, parades and festivals may cause some local disruption to traffic.

Background

On July 1, 1867, the British North Americas Act created the Dominion of Canada as a federation of four provinces. This event is known as the confederation of Canada. The four original provinces were created from the former British colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the Province of Canada, which was divided into the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. Canada's boundaries have been extended since 1867. The country now consists of 10 provinces and three territories.

On June 20, 1868, the Canada's Governor General proclaimed that Canadians should celebrate the anniversary of the confederation. July 1 became a statutory holiday, known as Dominion Day, in 1879. However, no official celebrations were held until the 50th anniversary in 1917 and the 60th anniversary in 1927. After World War II, Dominion Day was celebrated more frequently and more events were organized by the national government. After the centenary of the confederation in 1967, Dominion Day events became more widespread. July 1 became popularly known as Canada Day. The date was also officially known as Canada Day from 1983 onwards.

Since 2006 Canada Day celebrations were also held at London's Trafalgar Square in the United Kingdom. It is expected that these celebrations will be held annually. Depending on the availability of Trafalgar Square, these events may be held just before, on or just after July 1.

Symbols

Canada's national flag is seen on Canada Day. This consists of two vertical red rectangles separated by a white square. The white square contains a red image of a maple leaf. Canada’s national colors are red and white and are used in many ways on Canada Day. Some people wear red and white clothing and others paint their faces in these colors.

Have a wonderful evening!!

Summer Pillows

Hello Everyone,

I finally finished my summer pillows and I love them!! I took a class last month on how to put cording around pillows and other accessories as well. I love how you can change the style of a room with either cording, tassels and most of all the fabric you select. Thank you Sue!!

I was able to get outside before the rain started here. These are indoor pillows, but, I am loving them on our Adirondack chairs. I might have to go find some outdoor fabric similar to this and make them for these chairs. LOL I also will have to remember to get outdoor cording too.

The colors in this fabric always make me think of Summer. I grew up near the beaches of New York and I have always loved the beachy cottage decorations, the smell of the sea air and listening to the water and sea gulls.

I used two 18" pillow forms, 2 1/4" cording and 5/8 of yard of home dec fabric.

I'm linking up with these parties.


Have a great day!!