The Daily Grind

The Grind: Iced Coffee on our first truly sunny day here in Colorado

The coffee shop is Jives which is my very favorite coffee shop in town. Mostly because of a print of my second favorite Van Gogh.
Something about Van Gogh's work just captures my imagination. 

Cafe Terrace at Night by Vincent Van Gogh

And if that wasn't enough there is a stage with some acoustic guitars set up that any patron can just play.    

Right across from the park in Old Colorado City 












I was joined today by Deb Buckingham of Dishcloth Diva Knits On. She is an amazing woman, wonderful friend, published knitting designer and perfect kick in the pants when I need it. Sharing my passion for coffee and love of the fiber arts she can usually be counted upon to while away some coffee shop hours. 

Today I was perfecting the pom-pom pattern I gave you a glimpse of last week. I have just finished submitting it to a magazine so wish me luck. This will be my first pattern I did not publish myself. But don't worry. I will soon be showing off more patterns that you will be able to download for immediate gratification. Until tomorrow......

    

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Inspiration Board

I have been listening to a few podcasts and they have inspired me quite a bit. Oh So Pinteresting Podcast has great incite. I have been wanting to increase my online presence for a while and I am not a tweeter, (which is surprising considering how much I talk), I like Instagram. Instagram unfortunately acts more like a billboard instead of a conversation so I have decided to use Pinterest as one of my social media platforms because I LOVE COLOR. 

Color is probably the number one consideration when I come up with my designs. Texture and ease of pattern are probably secondary concerns for me. I have been working on a new collection, the pom-pom scarf seen in an earlier post, and I have decided to create a virtual Inspiration Board based on the pastels in the collection. 

Enjoy......

I will be using the light blue, mint and tan for the boys side and the grey, pink and white for the girls side. I put the two color combinations on the same board to see how they look together. Its a bit cluttered for my first board but these are a work in progress. 

I will probably not be sharing the finished products on my blog because they will be pitched to a magazine. I am very excited. This will be my first magazine pattern pitch. 

Wish me luck. Talk to you Monday. 

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Treasury Trove Tuesday

I know its a day late but this time we are definitely not a dollar short.  

Here is the fantastic treasury 

Today's anchor item is a customized name banner from The Party Orchard. This custom item is handmade and can be used for the babies or kids room. 

Here is what Amanda Juarros has to say about her shop The Party Orchard:

The Party Orchard is family owned and operated in the quaint town of Monument, Colorado. The mix and match flag whimsy design was conceived out of an obsession for flag banners and a desire to remove and interchange the flags frequently and economically. I began by hanging flag whimsy in my kids' bedrooms, the playroom, and my kitchen. As a mother and minimalist I love that it makes my kids feel special and is a clutter free way to bring some holiday cheer or seasonal flare to their rooms and the household. Inspired by life and the people in it; friends and family started receiving flag whimsy. Watching their faces light up as they see their individual personality reflected in their banner is shared joy. It has been so much fun sharing my passion with others. I pour my heart into each flag banner striving to deliver quality products that you'll cherish. 

I love what I do and you will too!

What other's are saying about Amanda at  The Party Orchard and her customized banners for every occasion. 

• Perfect..even better than the pictures!
• We loved this banner so much! It was perfect for our little guy's first birthday celebration. We got so many compliments on it. I think we'll be repurposing it and hanging it in his room :) Thanks so much!
• I received my flag burlap banner on time & it's perfect! It's cuter in person than in the photo! Amanda made a custom order for me & she did an amazing job making it! It was great doing business with her & I will buy more from her in the future! I highly recommend her! I'm very happy with my purchase! :)

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The Daily Grind

The Grind: Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Latte- light on the syrup because here we like coffee better than syrup. 

The Coffee Shop is Starbucks with my incredible Knitwits and Hookers. 

So here we go again. This is my third attempt at making a successful blog. But I think that I have more of a clear idea of where I want this blog to go and what I where I want my crochet to go. The key to new year resolutions are to make a goal for the whole year but break them down in to manageable smaller goals. Sure you want to lose 50 pounds but would it be a bit less daunting thought to lose a pound a week. 

My smaller blog goals

1. Introduce you to my favorite local coffee haunts as I introduce you to new patterns on Mondays
2. Bring back Treasury Tuesday 
3. Post once more during the week 

These are my blog goals. 

Tonight I don't have a local haunt. 

I have free coffee and my local group Knitwits and Hookers. These fabulous ladies are just as irreverent and fun as the name suggests but they do take their knitting and crochet seriously. 

 

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Meet the Models

Photo shoots need friends. You get much better photos when your models have someone to play with. Here is the proof.

Meet Jess

 Jess has been my main model for quite a few years now and she chose the other models she wanted to work with. 

Classic

Dream Girl

Jess describes her personal style as country chic, unique and fun. 

















Meet ElijahMarie

Kindred spirit and gorgeous new mom. She kept the girls laughing. She is my music!

Mom's is crazy.

Fah, Mulan

ElijahMarie's personal style is flamboyant and daring while being vintage chic. 
 



 The best photos were when they were being completely silly. 

Doesn't ElijahMarie look classic here. Gorgeous ladies

But poses are good too.

Meet Chantel                                                            

Unbelievable green eyes. No photshop here.

So spunky and bold. This was my first time working with Chantel. Why did I wait so long? What a waste of time!

More Pictures....really.

Perfection

Chantel describes her personal style as sometimes basic white girl :), sometimes hipster, sometimes classy but definitely my own. 

Meet Rachel                                                                                       

Stunning! Really really stunning. It is incredible how unassuming and fun loving she is. Definitely in my group of favorite people.                                                     

Wish I had been able to use this photo on my Etsy site
but the mirror was fuzzy. Note to self. Bring glass
cleaner to photo shoot. 

Not bored really. Just trying not to laugh.

Friendship

 "I love everything. I love vintage and boho right now. Anything bright I will wear"

-Rachel

Now you have met my models. We will see them again and very soon. This was so much fun. 

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Wanderin' on a Wednesday

As most of the country is experiencing a very snowy February I decided to post a photo journal of a snowy walk I enjoyed with my brother's pup through my neighborhood. Snowy days are gorgeous days and the only reason for cold weather as far as I'm concerned.:)

First thing I see. 

Look Up

Doorway in Yellow

                                                                                              The houses in my neighborhood are so colorful and full of interest, just like the people who live in them. I could not live in a neighborhood that had rules against yellow doors. 

Another perspective

Love this view

The scenes I can see as I cross the creek in my neighborhood. The bridge, the creek bed and the view through the railings. Lovely this snowy day!

The creek bed in winter.

Look Down

The Culprit

Thank you for joining me on my walk. I will see you soon for another jaunt. 

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Treasury Trove Tuesday

Hello Everyone!!! After a very.....very.....very loooooooong absence from the blogging world I have decided to restart this conversation. I have been a part of a most excellent group on Etsy called Etsy Colorado (check us out http://teametsycolorado.com/), and I am going to reintroduce my blog by introducing you to our Member of the Month, PAGEFIFTYFIVE.

Today's anchor item is one of PAGE FIFTY FIVE's fantastic clever cards with original artwork and creative sayings.

Here is what Melissa of PAGE FIFTY FIVE has to say about herself:

Hi! I’m Melissa…the girl behind PAGEFIFTYFIVE. Ever since I can remember, I have been creating. From laying on the kitchen floor with crayons and construction paper, riding on the bus doodling with markers and loose leaf, or sitting next to my Grandpa as he taught me how to fold and design a card…it’s all molded me to be who I am today. 
From this urge to create beautiful things everyday, PAGEFIFTYFIVE was thought up, dreamed about, and finally born! PAGEFIFTYFIVE revels in the simple, delights in the quirky and combines these two ideas to create products that everyone will love! 

Where does my inspiration come from? Seriously…all over! My friends, my loved ones, conversations I overhear at coffee shops, books I read, people I observe, past experiences and the world around me. I never leave home without a notebook and a pen…and without a doubt, I always come home with a little sketch for my next card and some inspiration. I think up, design, print, score, package, paint, sew and package everything in my home studio! This is the part of owning my own handmade business that I love. My hope is that my products will make people smile, make their heart happy and encourage them to pass that good feeling along. 

When I’m not creating new ideas for the shop, I am always consumed with another creative project. I dream up new DIY projects, I research new juicing recipes, I decorate our home with repurposed finds, I embroider quirky ideas onto hoops, I take adventures through novels, I dabble in photography (okay….mostly just obsess with Instagram), and do a bit of cooking and baking.

My ultimate goal is to live a happy, creative life…I would say, so far, so good.

Here is what other's have to say about Melissa and her cards:

• The card was exactly as shown and was wrapped very nicely inside of a protected envelope. Melissa replied to my messages right away and answered any questions that I had. I will definitely be ordering from her shop again. Love the card by the way! Thanks again!
• Who doesn't like a butt joke card for valentine's day? Especially on heavy card stock with a nice envelope.
• AWESOME SAUCE!!!!! I loved it!

Check out Melissa on Etsy at PAGE FIFTY FIVE for the most clever cards online. 

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