Creative Stuff & Birthday Dinner

I can't believe it's been two weeks since I updated my blog, but that is what happens when summer is over. It seems that with cooler temperatures we all come back to life and get really busy with meeting up with friends, going into town, going out for walks. In short, we love being able to be outside again without melting!

It also means though that computer time is cut short. And that means that I'm behind on e-mails and blog visits. I think I'll try adopting a once-a-week-blog-post approach for the rest of the year (which I can already see getting busy with fun stuff) and see how that works. Flexibility is the key, I think!

I have been so busy with creative projects and it has been beyond fun for me. In this post, I'll share a couple of my latest paintings, which have sold already. I'm working on another one and will maybe get that done today.  I'll also show you some of my recent sewing projects.

My art continues to excite me, especially since I work so intuitively for most of the painting and never know where it will lead. Fun!!

So, yesterday was Daniel's birthday and I planned a surprise dinner with some friends for him.

Because we've all been to Spain, I decided to make paella (the real thing!) and a few tapas for appetizers.  I was so nervous and really studied quite a few paella recipes and then put together my own combination of ingredients.

I finished these little clutches last week to send to a boutique in Texas to hopefully sell for me. They turned out beautifully, although I have to admit I am still a bit insecure about my sewing.

Speaking of sewing, just in time for the dinner I finished sewing these fun placemats. Each one is different and they all make for a happy table, don't they?  

And the paella? It was perfect and delicious!! I had bought the real paella rice for it and added chorizo, chicken, prawns, squid and clams. I was so relieved it turned out well!

For his birthday, I got Daniel (well, us really) a fire pit for the backyard. We've talked about it for a long time and I figured we'll make great use of it all winter long.

And as you can see, we tried it out last night. It was perfect! Even Winslow joined us for some conversation (although I suspect he was more intent on checking out dessert!).

It was one of those evenings that is just rich with all the good stuff: friends, family, laughter, good food, perfect weather and simply spending time together. In the end, those are the things that matter, aren't they?!

Sending you love and joy on this beautiful Thursday!

❧ Silke
P.S. I made a fantastic Sangria to go with the dinner.

P.P.S. It may be responsible for the slight headache I have this morning...

P.P.P.S. It was totally worth it! 

Color

I can't deny it. I'm a glutton for color. I crave color.

I tried once to join the white/off white elegant crowd, but it was no good.

I soon found myself in color withdrawal. Brightly colored - that's how I like my little world.  

As you can well see on this latest painting in progress. Quite colorful! And it's not even done yet...

Same with my sewing yesterday. My studio upstairs has dropped below sauna temperatures (let's hear a big cheer for Fall!) and it's possible again to sit at my sewing machine without sweating profusely onto my projects in progress. That's a good thing!

I'm making placemats in fabrics that just make me want to jump up and down with happiness!

And just in time for Dia de los Muertos! I'm not the huge fan of Halloween that most others seem to be, but I LOVE anything to do with Dia de los Muertos.

Give me a smiling skull anytime over a scary pumpkin.

I have four more to finish and all with different fabrics! Just you wait and see - it's going to be a color explosion!!

I'm sure they will make our food taste even better than it already does! How could they not?!

Sending you brightly-colored wishes for a happy day and lots lot love!

❧ Silke
P.S. One thing I found out while sewing these (not that it's really a big surprise to me) is that I cannot sew a a perfectly straight line for the life of me. Another thing I found out: it doesn't really matter! Isn't that nice to know?

P.P.S. Perfect is highly overrated! 

Busy, busy...

Dearest friends and readers, I've had a hard time getting back into blogging (as you have probably noticed), not because I have lost interest, but because I have been very busy with lots of fun things.

Here's the reason:

Fall has started making an entrance, even if only very cautiously here in the south. It's still quite warm out, so how can I tell?

Well, the first sign in our garden is the fig tree losing its leaves. The first years I thought it had some disease every time, because it is the first tree to lose its leaves every fall. By now I know it is the signal that the long summer is coming to a close.

A few leaves have started turning color (although the real gorgeous fall colors don't arrive here until November) and our beautyberry bush is producing the most intensely colored berries.

But...summer hasn't left yet either and I have been indulging my zinnia love every day! Daniel just threw out some seeds in June or July and our garden is filled with them now.

 So many that I can have beautiful bunches of flowers in the house all the time.

These photos also show a few of my favorite things. The tiny blue vase we got at an art fair, the dragonfly fetish we bought on the Zuni Indian reservation, the beautiful green ceramic piece Daniel brought from Minneapolis a few years ago,...

... a pretty little candle holder we brought back from Oaxaca, Mexico and my new favorite tea cup my sister-in-law sent me for my birthday.

Speaking of fall, it makes me want to make things. Every year I get this urge to be über-creative around this time of the year and this year I've been indulging fully. Daniel will spend a couple of months teaching in the south of France this winter where it can get very (very!) cold. So I knit him a hat and scarf to keep him nice and toasty with gorgeous wool yarn I bought in Münster on our last visit. Turned out nicely, don't you think?

I've also been trying some new things such as making pickled okra and bread & butter pickles.

The pickles are delicious and the okra I just made yesterday, so we have to wait a little before tasting it. Canning things has always intimidated me, but this year was the year to just forge ahead and do it. It all went perfectly!

My inspiration? My dad who decided he was going to learn how to preserve all the different kinds of plums in his garden. He made enough jam to last him through the entire year until the next harvest! And then some...

Also yesterday, I sewed my first pillow complete with piping around the edge. It turned out beautifully. I'm going to make another one this week. Sewing always seems like such a big deal to me until I actually sit at the sewing machine - then I just love it!

I promise there will be more pictures of Europe, but for now I had to show you all the things that delight me around here. Life truly is good!

Wishing you all a most wonderful week!!

❧ Silke

About this blog

When I started this blog, I was spending some time being creative, but not much as I was starting out. I spent much more time blogging and visiting other blogs. And now that this has changed, I am both excited and also constantly feel bad I'm not spending more time with all of you.

These days all I want to do is paint. And when I'm not painting, I'm thinking about painting. This is one I am working on that I am building very slowly with many layers (I think I have 10 so far).

And when the layers are drying, I sit at my sewing machine and make little bags out of the most fun fabrics! (All of those are in my Etsy store with more to come.)

And that's my dilemma. I am constantly making things, but the time I have to blog and - more importantly - visit your blogs has been diminished.

I used to spend hours every day in the blog world and it was fun! Now, when I have free time like that, I want to spend it painting or sewing or knitting or cooking, but not so much on the computer.

Facebook has been great in this as I can post these things and connect with people without spending much time online. But my blog has suffered. And I am not sure what I should do.

As I am coming up on my 4th blog anniversary, I am wondering if it's time to pack it in. It doesn't feel fair to you - my loyal visitors - that I often don't visit you back. Or should I do it like some of my friends and have a long post once every week or every two weeks?

I also wonder if anything I post is of value to you anymore. Every once in a while I have a deeper thought on here, but mostly right now I am driven to create, which is beyond exciting to me, but might be boring to you all.

Do you still enjoy visiting here? Even though I have no tutorials or even recipes to share right now? Would you miss this if I were to not blog anymore? Any thoughts?

I'm just not sure at all...

❧ Silke

Show & Tell

It has been a busy and full week. Daniel started teaching again, which always takes us a week or so to adjust to. And someone close to us passed away last weekend. It wasn't entirely unexpected, but still it occupies my mind a good bit. What soothes me in times of upheaval are my busy knitting needles, my paint brushes, my sewing machine and my kitchen.

Here just a few results of this week's creative outpouring. The oh-so-soft-and-warm pink scarf above is going to Vicki for the Pink Scarf Project she is so kindly organizing. You can click on the Pink Scarf Project image on my sidebar to get more information if you want to participate.

I made another scarf from my new favorite yarn, this time with larger needles, which makes it much more lacy. It's beautiful!

I've been wanting to put some applique free-form flowers on my little clutches, so yesterday I tried it. So cute!! Even if I say so myself... (The last two are in my Etsy shop)

And here's what's currently on the needles ~ and my trusty helper in the background...

Wishing you a wonderfully restful weekend filled with sunshine and happiness!

❧ Silke

My Friday

Here's how my day went today:

(I had no new and exciting picture to show you, so these are of a second little clutch purse I made yesterday - notice all the fancy and random machine stitching I added...I didn't even know my little old sewing machine could do such things!!)

Ok, back to my day:

I woke up this morning and Daniel brought me a cup of tea - wonderful!

I thought, when I get up, I'll go straight upstairs to paint and sew some more. Great plan!

But first I'll check my e-mail (big mistake!). I sat on the couch and suddenly the sunlight was illuminating every single dog and cat hair in the living room. Not to mention the dust particles flying around. I was horrified!

I jumped up and got out the vacuum cleaner and proceeded to vacuum the downstairs. Then I thought I might as well make the bed. And empty the dishwasher.

Then I realized that I hadn't eaten anything yet, so I had some homemade bread with almond butter and sour cherry preserves (yum!).

Daniel came by and mentioned something about a pumpkin pie. Did someone say bake?!? Of course I immediately made my favorite pie crust to have enough time to let it chill and bake the pie.

I got all my stuff together to take upstairs (finally) and saw that I had an email that the latest Real Simple magazine was available for download. I did download it and immediately got lost in all the great holiday gift ideas and recipes and the many ways I could make my life simpler if I could just get my act together...

By then it was lunchtime and Daniel had to leave for a meeting at school. I made him lunch and after he left thought I might as well eat, too.

I had roasted a chicken the other night and was about to pick the last of the meat off the carcass when I remembered that I had had a craving for chicken soup and promptly combined the leftover chicken with some herbs and veggies for a great smelling broth that is simmering as I write this.

Almost on my way up the stairs, I decided that I might as well bake the pie now so that it is cool when Daniel gets home and we can eat a piece. I rolled out the dough (oh, it was wonderful), assembled the filling and now it's in the oven baking.

I am staying downstairs so I can hear the buzzer go off and thought I might as well do a blog post.

If you like this, you can click through to my etsy shop from my blog sidebar.  :)

You might think that this is a day that has gone quite astray, but I love days when I have no concrete plans and can just follow my bliss! I may not have sewn or painted anything today, but there is soup simmering on the stove, a pie in the oven and happiness in my heart!

I'd call that a great day!!

Wishing you one as well!

❧ Silke

Stitch & Slash

I told you in a previous post that I signed up for a class on Craftsy called Stitch & Slash.  It definitely was money well spent (plus it was on sale). I'm having the best time!!

It's perfect for overcoming your inner perfectionist. In fact, it's like wonderful fabric therapy. :)

You basically layer four (or however many you want) fabrics one on top of the other, then sew them together in a pattern you make up. It doesn't have to be exact (oh, how freeing!).

When it's all sewn together (I just chose to use wavy lines), you start slashing away layer after layer to expose the very bottom layer while still showing some of the other fabrics.

Oh, the fun I had slashing away with my seam ripper.  You want the edges to be raw and frayed for wonderful texture and depth.

I felt like stopping with the third layer, which was so pretty, but I made myself slash down to the last one, just do do it!  No fear, right?!

Basically, you create you own artsy fabric - and there really is no limit to what you can do with it. The instructor, Carol Ann Waugh, adds couching with yarns and ribbons and fancy stitching, and some people add beads.  Your imagination is your limit! There are no rules and no mistakes - I love it!!

I didn't do any fancy stuff with this one as I liked the way it looked. I cut it up and am making more little clutches, combining it with yet more different fabrics.

 This one has a really fun lining.

You can see more photos in my Etsy store if you are interested.

In any case, if you love sewing and (like me) don't like following the rules, this will be perfect for you. It's like painting with fabric! 

On the weather front, the winds are starting to die down here (and luckily we only lost two trees in the storm) and it's sunny again and quite cold. We've gone from having the air conditioning running to turning the heater on within one week. That's how it can be here in the South. I'm not complaining though. Cold weather agrees with me!! 

❧ Silke