11.13.08

Check out ETSY

Posted in Redwood Living at 9:54 am by Lynette

I’d like to introduce you to (if you havent already discovered) one of my favorite websites, Etsy. Etsy is, as they put it, “your place to buy and sell all things homemade.” Pretty self explainatory, isnt it? Etsy has TONS of beautiful things to buy that people like you and me have lovingly created. You can find everything from handmade socks to hand crocheted bath and baby items to handmade jewelery to handmade pottery and even non handmade items like vintage fabrics, magazines, etc etc. Basically, Etsy is everything anti-corporate and anti-cookiecutter. Last year at Christmas I made the pledge to buy handmade, and I’m going to do the same this year.

While I wasn’t able to make everything at Christmas last year handmade, I made sure a portion of my gifts were. This year, I fully intend on making sure there are even more handmade gifts given from me at Christmas. Basically folks, this is what it boils down to… here in America we’ve become rabid consumerists. We always want the biggest and the best and the shiniest and the newest. Christmas time has become this forced holiday with little meaning anymore. It isnt even Thanksgiving and the stores are out with Christmas products, commercials on the television are already speaking about Christmas gifts and we’re already being bombarded with pressure to buy.

This year, instead of purchasing a meaningless gift from some random big box store- why not go to Etsy and purchase a handmade item that you know a loved one would truely enjoy? Instead of supporting greedy coorporate America, why not support the stay at home mom who knits sweaters in her spare time? Or the art student who is talented at making jewelry? Etsy even has a function where you can find Etsy sellers in your area- so not only can you support these incredible folks here who make beautiful objects- but you can support those who are local to you. You’ll be giving a gift that was crafted by someone who cares, not pressed out by some machine- or worse yet, made by little kids in some third world country.

In years past I’ve made friends knitted scarves and socks, and a variety of other things. There is just something more special about presenting a gift that you had to think about and create yourself than just going and buying something from any old big box store. So please, this year if you can- make some handmade gifts to give to your loved ones… and if you don’t feel you’re talented enough to do so- join Etsy and purchase a handmade gift from there. Support the Christmas spirit, which should be more about closeness and sharing with those we love than about the gross consumerism which has almost destroyed the Christmas magic.

And that’s all I have to say about that!

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11.12.08

A watch full day

Posted in Redwood Living at 8:56 am by Lynette

Here is what my DailyOM says. I love these emails I get every day. I’m not saying I really believe in horoscopes but you know what? They are right for my day 80% of the time. After reading scroll down and you’ll see why I’m saying today’s entry is just freaky!

A desire to step back and observe your environment may have you feeling watchful today. You may find that this distanced perspective enables you to discern between those areas of life that are getting your proper attention and those you have been neglecting. Often when we spend a lot of time in an environment such as home, office, or some other familiar place, we may not see all the details that a newcomer might notice. By looking with new eyes at a well-known environment, you may feel that it is time to distribute your energy differently. This can be applied to your décor as well as to the people around you. Today allow yourself to follow your desire to gain new perspective, and use your discernment to make improvements in your life.

So, I can apply the above one of two ways. One, my house needs cleaning. Two, my hillside is sliding. In my defense, I am fighting a nasty bug. In fact I went to Urgent Care yesterday and had a chest X-Ray to be sure I wasn’t getting pnemonia. So my house is ‘less than clean’. Speaking of cleaning a house, we’ve become addicted to a program on BBC America called How Clean is Your House? Needless to say, I would not qualify to be on this show!

A bank update~~~

Here is yesterday afternoon.

Here is this morning

I think I should start a slide pool. Anyone want to take a guess when it will actually let go?

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11.11.08

Sliding into home

Posted in Redwood Living at 11:51 am by Lynette

I know baseball is over. I sure did miss all the entertainment we used to have when watching a Little League game.

This post has nothing to do with baseball.

I has to do with the bank behind our house.

Oops!

We seem to have developed a small displacement. I’ve told our neighbors that we will be aquiring some new top soil soon. They said, “where would you like it delivered?” Hopefully it will stay on that level and not become part of the drive way. Check back for updates!

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10.17.08

Eye Candy Friday

Posted in Redwood Living at 7:52 am by Lynette

Apparently the local spiders don’t know it’s summer!

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10.16.08

Summer has arrived….finally

Posted in Redwood Living at 5:39 am by Lynette

Every year we get this. Summer in October. I tell tourists the best time to visit the Pacific Northwest Coast is October but…I always seem to forget. Yesterday it was 75 degrees and when I stepped outside this morning, it was balmy. The elk have been walking down our road and the DH can hardly contain himself.

I have garlic to plant, potatoes to plant an annex to the greenhouse to put up and a fence to finish. I have weeds to pull to clear off a portion of land for the 100 marion berry plants I will be receiving.

I’ve tucked away the pool and winterized the chicken coupe. I’m ready for winter but, apparently, winter is still a few weeks away.

Cranky Baby Warmers

The Cranky Baby Warmers went over great at the Sister’s Harvest Festival. I took along 5 pair to ‘test the waters’. They all sold. So the past couple days I’ve been making more. I figure a dozen pair taken the Sun River after Thanksgiving should do it. I’m also making Adult Leg Warmers. They take a much yarn as socks and take about as much time. I’ll make about a dozen pair of them also.

Aprons

I’ve also been testing the waters with Aprons. I didn’t sell any but there was a couple booths that were totally aprons. I guess the rest of Central Oregon has not gotten apron fever as we have here on the Coast.

Rainy Day Yarn Club

The first installment of the Rainy Day Yarn Club has shipped out. You can join the club any time. Your 5 months of hand paint superwash sock yarn starts when you join and pay. You can go here to get more information.

Sock of the Month Club

With the holidays comming now is a good time to sign up to receive four pair of custom handmade socks. When you purchase the Sock of the Month Club I will knit and mail 1 pair of socks for 4 monhs to the recipient. It is a great gift for that hard to buy for person or a treat for yourself. Check out the above link.

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10.08.08

Baby Warmers!

Posted in Redwood Living at 8:33 am by Lynette

We had a quality visit from the DD, DSL and GD earlier this week. The GD is growing up so fast.

There’s just something about baby toes!

The DS told me the latest thing in baby style is leg warmers for babies. What? Yes, Leg Warmer’s for babies. She said that way you can still have your baby wear all those cute summer clothes they haven’t outgrown. Just slip on a pair of Baby Warmers and off you go!

If you know me, I normally have to chew on a idea for a few weeks then I come up with an answer. But since the visit was short I got right down to business and here there are….Cranky Baby Warmers! Yes, I’ve made several pair on the CSM and they are for sale on the ETSY store. I will also be debuting them this weekend at the Sister’s Harvest Festival in Sisters Oregon.

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10.03.08

It’s Raining!

Posted in Redwood Living at 12:41 pm by Lynette

We’ve wanted rain for quiet a long time but….ALL RIGHT ALL READY!

1.75 inches in the last 24 hours. Geez!

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10.01.08

A flight of fancy

Posted in Redwood Living at 11:17 am by Lynette

This year for my Dh’s birthday a friend of ours, who is a pilot, offered to give him an arial tour of our coast.

First they came over our house; or the compound as we’ve taken to calling it lately.

Here is me taking their picture. That little tiny dot is the plane up 2500 feet….LOL

Then they flew over Crescent City

And ended up flying over Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.

I know he really enjoyed it and I’m sure it will be a fond memory for years to come!

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09.24.08

Socks, more socks!

Posted in Redwood Living at 3:31 pm by Lynette

AF from Round Rock TX will be getting her 10 pair of socks by Saturday.

It never ceases to amaze me how customers send me yarn I’ve never seen. After 700+ pair of socks there is still new colorways. The bottom Opal yarn is a new one for me. The other thing I notice is customers prefer specific colors. I know that is true for me and, apparently, it is true for everyone.

If you have yarn that you need knit up for socks email me here.