Friday, February 29, 2008

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

The Pity Party ends today.

Hello.

I have been wallowing.

Sorry.





The weather is turning around here in Saint Paul.


I really like February. This is Winter's last stand and the battle with Spring is raging.


Monday morning we had lovely dense fog and the temp was in the higher 20s.

















The hug-a-bugs and myself went out for a lovely walk.


The fog was thick enough that we couldn't see across the Mississippi.















This is the storied Fifth Lamp. As you can see, visibility is at about 20 feet.


What greater harbinger of Spring can we have than fog? Maybe birdsong.



It doesn't register with me that we haven't heard birdsong for a while until I hear it again. Beautiful.
This morning it is pretty cold, but I can see an afternoon walk in our future! I think I'll look for the binoculars and we can have a Bird search.




On another note, I have finished the second installment of the Love From Wooly project-
A hat for Bobby the Bat.















Wishing a glimpse of Spring to you all,
Jess

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Sacred Voice

I sing with a small a capella group called Sacred Voice.
I joined last year and really enjoy the people and the singing.

We have had a couple of years full of ups and downs.
Last year one of our members had three surgeries.
There have been three babies born to members over the last 9 or 10 months.

Two of our number chose not to return this year.
Our artistic director, who was half of our tenor section, left after the rehearsals had been going for a couple of months and before all of the music had been chosen for the year.
Luckily we were able to find a fantastic tenor and were able to continue with the season.

All of this flux has brought us closer as a group and ultimately it helps the music-making.
This is the closest-knit group I have been a part of since college and it fills a need in my life.

Tomorrow is our first concert of the year and I am a little worried.

First of all, I have to buy new black pants.

Second, I have a cold.

Now, I was a vocal music major in college and I love singing.
It is one of a few effortlessly joyful things in my life.
However, sometimes I wish I could have been good at something that didn't depend so heavily on my health - like science.

Every winter I get this cold, and I feel run-down and my voice gets tired, just like everyone, but I feel so stressed when it comes to concert time.

The Sacred Voice is an 8 voice group.
When anyone is sick it impacts everyone.

I am sucking down the cold-eaze and ricolas and hopefully I will feel well enough tomorrow to truely contribute.

Thirdly, we are all wondering if we can pull it off when we have had such a turbulent time.

We had our final run-through on Monday and I'd say we were 90% ready.
That's not too bad, but I think we would all feel better if it were closer to 95%.

I'll give you the update on Monday.

I updated the fifth lamp look. What do you think?

Have a happy Saturday.
Here in Saint Paul the weather should be terrific!
Jess

Friday, February 22, 2008

Swap goes out today!


Merci Melissa et Lynne pour la bon idee de le swap costume puppees!

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Newest project

I do a lot of custom work, and I don't usually talk about it here.

However, I am working on possibly the cutest project ever and I had to show it off.

There is a children's librarian in Saint Paul who likes to use props, and, lucky for me, she likes to use knitted props.

She gave me a bag full of puppets and stuffed animals, and I get to knit them all winter wear.

She is preparing a project with a book called Love, From Wooly.

Wooly the sheep knits gifts for her animal friends and then they all thank her.

The first installment of this project is a long red scarf for Jane the Giraffe.















I will give updates periodically as I complete the other pieces.

talk to you soon,
Jess

Swap

The fifth lamp household has been in turmoil for the last week.

The hubby and myself went to Cancun last wednesday, but B got sick on Thursday and stayed sick, we caught an early flight home, and he is still sick.

The children are also very ill, with explosive everything.

The upshot of this, other than my extreme crankiness and the crankiness of those around me, is that I have missed the mail deadline for the doll-clothes swap.

The outfits are finished and will go out in the mail tomorrow, if the health gods are in an amicable mood.

Here is Siobhan working out her film noir tendencies.



















And here she is studying her favorite Seurat paintings.
She just loves pointilism















Wishing better health for all of you,
Jess

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Hola


It was fun to be away.
Now I am glad to be back.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Ribbons!

I am on a ribbon kick.


I will blame the Sugar City gals, because it began when I was looking for doll accessories for the swap.


I keep finding stuff that needs to come home with me.


There have been two very productive visits to Treadle Yard Goods, and then I stumbled on The Ribbon Jar (see my list of links).
The volume of inventory there is boggling.


















I got my first of what are sure to be many orders in the mail yesterday.

I think the girl with a horn and a sheep needs to border a sweater for the elder hug-a-bug. and I am contemplating a ric-rac as dragon scales project.
The other two were just calling to come home with me. They will find a project sometime.

The very cool thing that they sell is a Special Collection Ribbon Jar.


Every month the ribbon experts at The Ribbon Jar choose a theme and fill an antique glass jar with ribbons.
This month the theme is Sunset.
The jar is layered with sunset colored ribbons from golds to deep purple.

If anyone is looking for a birthday present for me, hint, hint.
I wonder what the July theme will be?

The husband and I leave tomorrow for sunny climes.
I will see you all in a week or so,
have a terrific Tuesday,
Jess.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Je vais a Paris aujourd'hui



There is a parisian-themed doll-clothes swap going on over at Sugar City Journal, and I received my first package today!


Thanks Lynne!


The Elder Hug-a-Bug couldn't wait to fill the purse with Duplos.


We had a lovely day today. The Hug-a-Bugs and myself went to the Como Park Conservatory.


It is always soul-nourishing to go to such a beautiful place.

For those of you who haven't been there before, it is a glass house full of gardens. There is a room full of ferns and a room with a terrific fish pond.

My favorite room is The Sunken Garden, seen here in a photo by the Elder Hug-a-Bug. They have different flower displays every 2 months.
Right now there are hundreds of giant Stargazer Lilies and azaleas and other pink and purple delights.
One other excitement lately is the shift in the weather.
There has been a little more warmth and a lot more sunshine!
Have a terrific Thursday!
Jess

Sunday, February 3, 2008

February from the Fifth Lamp


Grumpy

Hello,
I haven't posted for a while.
I have been sick and cranky.
I have tried thus far to follow the credo -"don't blog angry" so I have stayed offline.
There will be pictures next post.
I am working on something fun for the doll clothes swap over at Sugar City Journal.
I am also nearly finished with a UFO from last year which will be very satisfying.
Hope your Super Sunday and Super Tuesday are full of excitement,
Jess