The Mint Needle

 Am I the only one guilty of putting a few Halloween decorations away before today? Well, as horrible as it sounds, that's exactly what I did. Two reasons. Superstorm Sandy had me huddled in this home feeling like it's been raining forever & I was unusually late bringing our potted plants indoors this year. Finding them knocked over first thing in the morning gave me no choice. It was now or never. After an hour of repotting plants and giving everyone of them a new home next to a window,  our home began to look like a greenhouse. Vines, succulents, & even a large mango tree have been relocated indoors. No question, there needed to be some decluttering. So... the window clings, gourds, skeletons, & a few witches made their way out. Ouch..... I know, I felt a little terrible but in hindsight it might have been the half a pot of coffee & a half a dozen pixie sticks that were the culprit;) Eve...

    I got my Country Living magazine for the month of November yesterday. The cover of the issue I received, ( 'cause you know they always have two ), was packed with DIY art with pressed leaves. I loved it! But I didn't feel like pressing. So I decided to do something really pretty, that would give me immediate results with white paint & stamping. Why white paint? Why not? It's my way of trying to find clarity in the mish mash of orange, blacks, & browns that have taken over our house! Plus....with white paint, the art might have a longer wall life. Here's how it went after a nice walk gathering leaves with my little ones.    I grabbed two fabrics. One, a white linen, that I will be making into another project & the second being a wool type grayish, green burlap. (The white on whites will be displayed in those needlepoint loops & I'm kinda debating on adding some white embroidery to the outer edges.) I used acr...

What's so special about today, you ask? Well....nothing much except.... it's been a year since I started this blog:) I can't believe it either! I re-read my first post.... A Proper Introduction, and can't be happy enough that I took a chance & let creativity flow. There's no better day than today for a reflection. A toast to Autumn, all its smells, sights, & sounds and what they inspired a year ago, May they inspire, today, tomorrow, & always.           Happy Trails & Happy Birthday to The Mint Needle:)

  Need a little kick in the morning, but your just too tired of coffee? Try some flavored black teas! I've been on journey trying to eliminate my coffee consumption....We'll say it's a smidgen too high.  But, I still need a little caffeine to get my day rolling. I was blown away & had to fill you in on Boston TP's Orange Spice Blend. It smells amazing. Packed with bits of orange & cloves, I felt like it bottled up the season and gave it a flavor. It's eye-opening, refreshing, & super scrumptious. I added dark, natural honey to sweeten the spices. It's just too good not to share!     To good mornings & good teas!

To my surprise, look what Mr. Postman delivered!     They were just too pretty & I was all too excited not to share. Thanks Namemaker! I absolutely love them:) 

 Cold weather has arrived & it's time to enjoy hot teas, fuzzy socks, stews instead of soups, & knits instead of t-shirts. I purchased some new yarn, but I haven't taken the plunge of starting a new project. Beautiful, soft pink bamboo thread is sitting on my sewing table just waiting to be used. I have to get inspired. And there's one thing that always does it. The knit vest. I remember seeing my grandmother wear these when I was a little girl. And at the time, I didn't think much about them. In the eyes of a child, they were what 'grandma wore', slightly itchy,  & ....too 'grown up'. That was until a couple of years ago. As I learned how to knit basic stitches, it became a different story. Now, I'm completely enamored with the details. I think of the difficulty and hard work it took to create these pieces. Just imagine, hunched over with needles and a ball of wool for hours. And don't think they served no purpo...