reminders ii

So. Lent. Yup, it's still happening. I'm doing that reading I talked about last week.

This week's reading has been the best combination of tough and great.  I worked my way through J.H. Nouwen's The Return of the Prodigal Son, reading which (I will hide nothing from you) caused a whole lot of self-assessment and crying and resolution making.  I can guarantee that I'll be returning to this book more than once as time goes on. 

It's an excellent reflection on the Lukan parable, especially in its assertion that while we can easily identify with one or both of the sons, we're ultimately called to take on the role of the father, who is welcoming, joyful, and celebrates both his sons. A) That's a tall order. B) What an opportunity to shift perspective! Yes, we can spend lots of time reflecting on our shortcomings and seeking reconciliation like the two sons, and these are valuable practices that should never stop. But! BUT! The book and the parable are a reminder that there's also a call to step into spiritual maturity and work on bigger things than just my own faults and concerns, as overwhelming as those concerns can sometimes become. 

Here's my somewhat goofy but potentially interesting for you to think with knitting-ish analogy. When I'm being all graspy and wanty and tied up in my own concerns, I find it helpful to visualize myself taking a skein of yarn that represents whatever it is I'm griping about/mooning over and physically handing it over to God so I can stop worrying about it for a while. Inevitably, I end up holding the skein again and having to hand it over again, but it's still a helpful image of letting go and not spending all my energy imagining 8000 possible scenarios and outcomes.  

In this visualization, God is like the owner of the best yarn store ever, so he's on the other side of the store's counter and he keeps all my awesome daydreams and complaints and "projects" over in his storeroom for more appropriate times when they can actually get dealt with instead of just worried about. However, if I'm called to be like the father of the prodigal son, I don't always have to stand on the opposite side of the counter from God just dealing with my own personal stash o' yarn. I can still hand stuff over for restocking or safekeeping or frogging and reskeining, but I can also go stand on that side of the counter and work on projects or spinning or whatever and share the results with other people who come into the store. Plus those other people also get to help with the stash and the crafting, and there are a whole bunch of us behind the counter working on stuff together.  

See? Totally nerdy knitting analogy for the Lenten journey, accompanied by photos of a hat made out of handspun, a gift for my friend J's birthday. Happy Sunday.

Weekend project - brace yourself

I will not procrastinate any longer. Macarons are going to be made in my kitchen this weekend!

all images from Pinterest, source of inspiration and macaron pushing

Just to present a disclaimer, my first batch will probably not be covered in edible gold foil. That kind of fancy sh*t's for later. Prepare yourself for a success/disaster story.

Word of the Year: kindness

The word for 2012 is

Why kindness?
I wanted a concept that was multi-dimensional and one that was challenging for me in some way.
What's more versatile than simple, sweet, and straightforward kindness?

• To self
• To loved ones
• To colleagues
• To acquaintances
• To strangers

Each one of those groups presents its own particular challenge. Let's start with the three in the middle!
Don't you find that kindness to those close by is easier when you know it will be appreciated, or when you're responding with kindness to something nice/helpful/generous that someone else initiated? Part of my challenge will be extending kindness to others without attaching any strings, even invisible ones in my own head.  That sort of detached kindness would be a much more honest expression of my own innate goodwill than the acts of kindness I sometimes do now, hoping for or expecting appreciation and reciprocation, and being resentful when they don't appear.
Kindness to strangers is something I too often let fall by the wayside, simply because I don't have to see or think about the consequences my brief interaction in the checkout line or my easing impatiently past a slow-mover on the sidewalk have.  This year I'd like to challenge myself to be more aware and more mindful of others.
Finally, kindness to self is a creature of a totally different type.  Except I think it's not actually so different from kindness to others.  My personal challenge is to take the kindness I'm so willing to show everyone else and turn it back around to be more patient, more forgiving, and more generous with myself.

Regular Feature
Instead of having a '10 Things' list every Saturday, I'll be sharing a kindness tip once a week - some way to be kind to yourself or others that I've tried and that you can try, too!  A number of these acts of kindness will also involve crafting, because we knitters ought to use our talents and skillz for good, no?  Get ready for the first post coming up on Saturday (fancy new post heading banner TM included).

What does kindness mean to you?  How do you carve out space for kindness in your everyday life?  Or do you have your own inspiring word for 2012?  I'd love for you to share your thoughts in the comments!

Inspired Etsy Monday: winter wishlist

This week's Etsy finds could be called part 1 of my (probably endless) winter wishlist.  I'm looking forward to a season full of fun parties, snowy outings to see city lights and trees, holiday crafting and cooking, and all those cozy evenings cuddled up with knitting, hot chocolate, and a movie.  Plus my birthday is in December, so I get to plan a super fun cocktail/cupcake party!  But first things first: settling into a new kind of weather and daily schedule.  

At home
*** Crochet slippers in the perfect cold winter colors

WhiteNoiseMaker shop

*** Miniature houses for winter decorating

The haunted hollow tree shop

*** Ceramic coffee mug to enjoy hot chocolate, tea, and coffee

Green ceramic arts shop

Or out and about

*** Shirred pencil dress for holiday parties

Lirola shop

*** Gold barn owl earrings for dressing up a simple sweater and jeans

Seed and Sky shop

What's on your wishlist for a cozy, stylish winter season?

Inspired: Coffee

Combine a broken French press (second one this year! I think it's a sign I ought to invest in a regular drip coffee machine) with a week of excessive tiredness, and you've got one girl who can pretty much only think of coffee.  Here's a little java-inspired photo loveliness for your day.

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And one with a touch of yarn, because everything is better with yarn:

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What's your favorite coffee drink? I think today mine is a white chocolate mocha. Yum.

Friday Link Love

Happy Friday, friends
The weather seems to have made a decisive turn this week, so I've been able to wear sweaters and long sleeves and layers and boots... I love love love fall!  Today's link love is all about fall knitting and crochet projects that I admire and maybe want to make.

*** Tiny owl magnets in so many colors! Made by ATERGcrochet on Etsy (the pattern is also for sale, in case you're as tempted as I am to use all your worsted weight scraps making bird after bird). Can't you just imagine these in fall shades of orange, gold, and brown? I'd like to make a banner for a Halloween party.

*** While cold weather makes the leaves fall off trees outside, you can make a perpetual plant for the indoors. A cactus! I found this on the LMNOP blog, where there are also awesome Halloween costume ideas for kids who like to read books.  If you stop over there, you really should spend a bit of time checking out all the neat features.

*** Nothing is better on a chilly fall night than cuddling up under a warm blanket with a mug of hot chocolate. Extra points if you add a scoop of pumpkin ice cream to the hot chocolate.  Well, the Purl Bee has the perfect blanket, made of felted wool.  I think it would also just be fun to knit squares in these same dark neutrals and not felt them.

Have you seen any inspiring knitting or crochet lately? What's on your fall project list?

P.S. If you haven't yet, please enter the giveaway!

enter, enter, enter

Ways to be strong today

images selected from my favorite board on Pinterest, original sources linked below

Whether you're struggling through a tough day or just looking for a way to make a good day even better, here are some tips that I love for how to find strength in the middle of the everyday (it might be a tiny boost of energy, or it might be like jet propulsion for your afternoon).

1. Make a list of things you're grateful for. Make them small or big, things about the world around you or things about your own body, mind, and spirit. Maybe you're grateful for dreams and ambitions - jot them down and get started on making them happen! Write your list down in pencil on a post-it note, type it up in an e-mail and send it to yourself, or get out the markers and stick the finished product to your fridge.

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2. Stretch your muscles. Go for a walk and enjoy the cool air, or pick up a shampoo bottle and do some bicep curls.  Head to the gym and run until you can't run another step. Put on your favorite playlist and dance around the living room, pumping your arms and spinning until you're dizzy. Just get moving and enjoy how far  your body can carry you.

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3. Hunt for positive influences. Call up your most cheerful friend and ask for a pep talk. Go to the kids' section of your local bookstore and pick up a picture book that makes you smile. Write down the wonderful qualities of a person you admire, then come up with a strategy for how you can emulate that person.

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4. Turn your next task into an adventure.  Whether it's taking out the trash or writing a grant proposal, the next item on your to-do list can be an adventure.  Homework time? Put on your birthday tiara (what, you don't have one of those?) or your fancy socks, and now it's a homework party! Need to hit the grocery store? Challenge yourself to be a cart or basket organizing superhero - do not smash the bread! Put the cans in rainbow order! Seriously, there's no better way to get an energy surge than to turn the ordinary into something extraordinary in your own head.

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Did you take a moment to try one of these? How did it go? Any other tips to share in the comments?

Running: lessons I've learned

1. Running in a regular, heavy-weight t-shirt on a hot day is not advisable.  You will be a horrible sweaty mess, and it will be totally gross when you have to put your backpack on and walk home for 15 minutes. Yuck. Stick to the tissue-thin shirts instead!

2. All this running really helps with making healthy food choices.  When you get home and you're sweaty and tired, all you want to do is refuel with things that are refreshing, to drink a bunch of water and eat some almonds or lean protein (fish, chicken) with lots of spices and some green vegetables.  Long gone are the days of craving potato chips and massive amounts of cheese for dinner.  As Cookie Monster would say, those are "sometimes foods."

3. Keep your ipod charged.  Seriously, I mean it.  When that thing goes kaput in the last 5 minutes of your run, those last 5 minutes will feel like about 20, and you won't be able to trick yourself into keeping your eyes off the mileage indicator or the treadmill clock by saying, "Don't check again until the end of this song." Torture!

4. "Tired" means something very different than it did 6 months ago, and it definitely doesn't mean the same thing as "I need to stop."  Finishing a tough run makes you tired, but also invigorated, and even though you're tired, there's still the extra step of walking home from the gym or climbing the stairs to your apartment or getting on with the rest of the day's business, and you know you have the energy reserves to do it.

5. You can use a whole new set of words to describe yourself.  While you're running, try them on for size:

Powerful.

Dedicated.

Unstoppable.

A force to be reckoned with.

Any runners out there with your own lessons to share?  Are there any words you never thought you would use to describe yourself, and now they seem to fit?  Are there any adjectives you're working for or want to start working for?

Obsessed: Macarons

You guys! Yesterday I ate my first ever macaron. It was coffee flavored, and it was made by the wonderful people at our local French bakery. Also, it was seriously delicious. And I can't stop thinking about it.

I have been obsessed with these pretty confections ever since I watched Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette.  They seem like the jelly beans of pastry: so many flavors and gorgeous pastel colors.

all images found via weheartit

I've seen a couple of posts that describe people's successes (and attendant challenges) making macarons at home. David Lebovitz has a recipe for chocolate ones, and Not So Humble Pie shares her "Macarons 101" here.  After reading these posts, I have to say I'm pretty intimidated, even with Emily's slightly more encouraging account here.  I will readily admit that part of the issue is a lack of proper baking equipment, but eventually that part can be remedied.  Anyone want to come over and help me make a batch later this fall?

Any food obsessions of your own to share? Anything you'd like to learn to cook or bake?

Afternoon Treat

My lovely friend Andrea sent me a link to this shop, and she's got great taste! 

Kijani Wedding Set from the BandScapes Etsy Shop

Happy Wednesday!

Inspired: Jellyfish

Pictures of jellyfish are just so calming and beautiful! Their slow, graceful movement is mesmerizing, the perfect antidote to a rushed schedule; their round bodies and flowing tentacles are a great source of color and shape inspiration for designs.  I hope you enjoy this mini undersea adventure.

(all photos found on we heart it)

What's inspiring you lately?