Roses are red macarons are crisp I bought myself my own valentine gifts Not out of lack of a beau or a boo but because I need practice saying "I love you" to myself.

A hat, a hat! I finally made a Sockhead Slouch Hat , after seeing nearly every knitter I know make multiples of them years ago. This one was accelerated by being iced in, in part because it was very cold outside, and in part because I persuaded my littlest to let me cut his hair (which was in his face and he kept asking to have cut but then deciding he wasn't comfortable with the trimmer) by letting him cut mine, so we have matching #3 buzzes, and let's just say there's a reason I usually buzz my hair in August rather than February. I also got to do a lettering commission for someone, which was an enjoyable project. I haven't done many of those recently, and it is something that I like doing. The challenge of fitting specific words nicely into a given space, and needing it to look nice at the same time, provides a pleasant sense of accomplishment when done. We had a Target pick up (I'm still not going in anywhere I don't have to) the day before Valentine's D...

This month has been typical of an Arkansas winter (as I know them - I'm told my grandfather watched the grown ups cut ice blocks from the river when he was a child and I've never seen that river frozen solid enough to walk on). There have been several days out of almost every week that allowed for outdoor walks in short sleeves - aaand we were also iced in for three days. Some parts of the state (and country) got snow, but we got three inches of danger sprinkles, tiny sleet balls that fell with a sound like broken glass and were absolutely impossible to mold or walk on without slipping. The ice came after grocery day but regrettably spanned the days the Bigs would normally have ninja gymnastics and ballet, respectively, but since neither got to go, both were at peace with it. My partner downloaded the Spyro video games and taught the Bigs how to play, and the little one sat on the bed with everyone else and provided commentary. I took everyone to a park the next week to make up...

As mentioned previously , I've been on a tarot journey of late. It started with pulling cards for a monthly moon circle several years ago (over three, at this point). Then the circles went virtual and I had to get my own cards when the pandemic began, as I was unable to use the leader of the group's like I had been. I still held them at arm's length, only pulling them out once a month, until late last year. Something about how I viewed them shifted. They're just pictures. But they're a set of pictures that pretty well encompasses the human experience (depending on ones resonance with the specific artwork, which took me a few tries) and they can be an excellent therapeutic shortcut to ones own inner workings. For example. I started an examen practice last July.  The format I use has changed as I've tried to find what works best for me, and I recently hit on something that feels right. I wanted to have a written mediation that didn't take up an entire page, an...

One thing that I did in January was "omen days," which involved journaling and pulling cards to gauge the themes and energy of each month in the year ahead. While I do not believe that tarot cards have the ability to predict  the future, I do know that where and how I am right now does effect where and how I'll be in the future (barring change) so I did it more as an exercise than as something I took very seriously. The journaling and cards for February suggested some sort of shadow work, which was not a particularly terrible prospect, since I like knowing where I could be better. The timing felt like a bit of a downer, but I was almost looking forward to finding what inner demon I needed to dispatch. Except as January progressed, I was given a very consistent message. Stop trying to make things better. Notice what is already good. That goes for you, too - you aren't in constant need of improvement. Enjoy yourself. Ex cuse me? I was more offended than I had been when...

Things made! For being snowed in for a week, I only made a few things (I did, however, do a lot of reading). First up, I made another Edie tee . I liked the one I made in December , but I struggled to get gauge with the fingering weight yarn the pattern called for. For this one, I used Ewe Ewe Yarns' Ewe So Sporty and I'm very pleased with how it turned out. While I was pregnant with my middle, I discovered the delights of wearing short sleeves with cardigans all winter, and it's a habit I haven't made an effort to break. Even with the short sleeves, I plan for this to get winter wear. Next, Graphic ! This was a fun one, and I did enjoy writing up a design after not doing so for awhile. The colors and the way the color pooling shifted between stripes and stained glass patches made my Lisa Frank loving/gel pen collecting 90s child heart very happy. This was a collaboration with a local dyer, so it's available through her site . One of my snow day projects was a blank...

The snow is coming thickly down on what was already a couple of inches from yesterday (here in the South we get our Winter all at once over a week, if we have it at all) so this will be a week of staying home, staying warm, and doing lots of reading and knitting. But for now, here's a little round up of some of the hearts that I've spotted (and quested) over the past few weeks. Where are the hearts near you?  

Yarn Kandy, located in Little Rock   LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS -- At the end of March 2020, when people still believed that the pandemic would be over soon and had grand plans for everything they could accomplish while being stuck at home, some turned naturally to knitting. And while Kandy White initially started doing a daily Facebook live, sharing a few pattern ideas and putting together yarn combinations, as a way to stay connected with her customers, it's now become a part of her routine. "People used to feed off of what other people were doing at the table," says Kandy White, who's owned Yarn Kandy for 5 years. "The table" sits in the middle of the shop, surrounded enticingly by cubbies of colorful yarn and chairs usually filled with happy crafters, discussing their projects and life in general. Now the chairs are draped with samples from this morning's Live and the table is buried under yarn from the pairings Kandy has put together to recommend to her ...

Last year, I started to move away from tangled pursuits and back toward my high school sweetheart and first love: writing. I had wanted to become a journalist, because I love research and story and sharing what I love - since I could talk, I've been a question asker, and since I could write, I've been a note taker. I deeply enjoyed a four month experience as a magazine (yarn) editor, as well, and years of being first a library volunteer and then a page brought joy to my heart. I've proofed and edited books for friends on a volunteer basis, but my writing (and reading) has almost always been recreational. But last fall I stumbled onto a journalism specialization on Coursera from Michigan State University. It was all online prerecorded videos so I could do a month's worth of class in a week if I wanted to, and I loved it. The final project was writing a real feature, and I've broken mine up to share here as small business spotlights. Brandy's posted last week , an...

I got to interview several local woman business owners about how the pandemic has affected them - each week this month, I'll be sharing a little local love! This is part one. Bella Vita Jewelry, located in downtown Little Rock LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS --  With the exception of the now ubiquitous sign telling customers to put on a mask before entering and the bottle of hand sanitizer just inside the door, Bella Vita Jewelry looks much the same from the outside as it did a year ago. Inside, upbeat oldies music  softly  fills the quiet spaces and incense and candles scent the air. "We try to keep a fun vibe," says owner Brandy Thomason McNair. The effort is apparent in the carefully curated items - books and  crystals , incense and craft kits, tea and home goods, and an array of unique  jewelry  including Brandy's own designs.  Before Covid-19 started causing temporary shut downs, the shop website only showcased the original pieces. But Brandy and her team h...

It's February! Host of my favorite holiday since forever. Not the commercialized version (although I will absolutely take a box of chocolate covered strawberries, thankyouverymuch, and I have the capacity to be someone whose home turns into an ode to love like some people have an ode to Jack Skellington in October) but the excuse to be extremely extra about something that brings me great joy already. I usually expand my heart art collection by one piece every year (and then somehow forget to ever put it away...) and I've already given a plant a valentine in the form of a tiny balloon. While I do try to be ready with a positive affirmation when one arises spontaneously, I may also try to share a little about that here, as well. So this month watch for lots of hearts, and lots of delight - because all others are significant, if we choose to see them that way.