A Productive Day!

Oh, indeed it is a productive day today! The first one in many weeks when I got to make things I love!
So a final was written (doesn't even matter how I did, just as long as I am done!)

A yummy pot roast was made


A cover for my project journal was finished (it is knitted out of that roving I spun myself - it is so warm and soft, just perfect to lay on a lap and write or sketch in, and creative as will be the projects recorded there I hope!)


And another dolly was started - my favorite thing is to make toys, brings me so much joy! My kids are going to be spoiled!


Too bad my love wasn't here to share all that with me, he is still working and it is almost twelve at night! How crazy is that! Thank God it doesn't happen often!

Yarn and Cheesecake

After work I went and bought some nice yearn, but I am not telling what for just yet...


Instead I will show you my small progress on the scarf that I am making - 2ft to be exact. Now I know it is not much but you have to account fir the fact that I only get to knit a couple of hours a week, so it is all good!


Also before I jump into my dress, grab my husband and go to my friends house for the dinner I was talking about today, I will do what I have been meaning to do for some time now. Some time ago I was mentioning this cheesecake that you can make in a slow cooker. Well I made it and it was delicious, so if anybody is interested here is the recipe:

You will need
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
Salt
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 cup sour cream





What to do:
1.In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter, cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of the sugar and a pinch of salt. Press the crumbs over the bottom and 1 inch up the side of a 6-inch springform pan that's 3 inches deep.
2.In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle, combine the cream cheese with the flour, the remaining 2/3 cup of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Beat at medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs and the almond extract. Beat at medium speed until blended. Add the sour cream and beat until smooth. Pour the batter into the springform pan.
3.Fill a 6- to 7-quart round or oval slow cooker with 1/2 inch of water and position a rack in the bottom. Set the cheesecake on the rack. Cover the slow cooker with a triple layer of paper towels and the lid. Turn the cooker to high and cook for 2 hours without peeking. Turn off the heat and let stand until the slow cooker has cooled, 1 hour.
4.Remove the lid and the paper towels and transfer the cheesecake to a rack to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours.
5.Heat a sharp, thin-bladed knife under hot water; dry the knife. Carefully run the knife around the edge of the cheesecake. Release the spring and lift the cheesecake out of the mold. Cut into wedges and serve.

Enjoy!

P.S. It's my 101st post! I will somehow coordinate myself to someday finally produce a giveaway! I just can't find time, but I will!

Glorious Rain!

Today it rained, and it was a glorious thunder! We were honored to enjoy a whole week of rain which has been waking us up at night, and flooding during the day.




It felt very good to knit a worm and fuzzy hand spun wool, that I made before, into what is soon going to be a blanket, while listening to the thrumping of the rain.


Hope you enjoyed your day as well!

To Be Inspired By Simple

I was quite busy with getting my projects done. As a result here is a lovely bear - the first one made by my own pattern. I am a bit proud! :) Haven't come up with the name yet.



I wish I could show you some pictures of nature, but non have been taken, it is still quite hot and I wasn't able to find time during the day to plan a trip to the mountain. I am anticipating a family trip for the Thanks Giving holiday.

I did have time, however, to learn how to knit, or at least begin to learn, so I started on my scarf. It is not exactly a beginner piece - it is like knitting a spider web with twigs - very fine yarn and big needles, but I am having fun and can't wait to start spinning yarn!


Just thought I would give an update on the way my married life goes. I have been married for almost two month now - and I got to say, being married to my husband is the best thing that ever happened to me! I am so loved, happy, inspired, confident, full of plans for future!

Hope everyone is as inspired about something as I am! :)

Buisy With All The Wrong Things...

I worked hard today to finish my "Welcome" doll so that I can dive into knitting without any tails hanging. I finished her, and she looks adorable!



Tomorrow is the day without homework and I am going to go visit my mommy to have some knitting lessons. I can't wait!
Can you believe my yarn has arrived already? I just ordered it a day ago!




I am also going to learn to spin yarn as part of my knitting adventure. I will share on that more later.

I wish I would be as excited about my school as I am about all of this goodness! I am barely hanging there, it is getting harder and harder to make myself study!

Winter Projects

Winter is near and I am anticipating the cold! I wish it would snow here, but I am sure we will go somewhere, where it snows anyways. This weak I am going to fulfil one of my dreams and finally learn how to knit! Knitting world here I come!
Here are a couple of easy but awesome knitting projects I am going to get myself into. I got ideas, materials and photos from and amazing web store called Purl Soho.
1. Kusha Kusha Scarf. It is light, natural, and amazingly beautiful. It will go well with the outfit that I am planing on getting for this fall/winter season (I know it looks light for winter, but remember we are talking about desert here, so it should be perfect!).

2. Lap Blanket. It is amazing and I want it so bad! But it requires lots of hand spun yarn, which is very expansive and ends up being about $250 in just that ONE blanket. I am doing a research now about spinning my own yarn to see if that will be cheaper... and more fun! :)

There are many more inspiring projects to be found on their blog, but if you are a broke little student like me, you might get a bit sad that you don't really have money for all the goodness, but then you eat some chocolate and decide that you can always find the way if only you want it bad enough, which I personally do, so I will acquire the means gradually. For now, scarf it is. I can not wait for the arrival of the goodies, and I will certainly let you know how it went! Until then I still have a dolly and a bear (which I don't think I mentioned...) to work on.

It is good night for now, and anatomy midterm for tomorrow... Wish me luck!

Long Sleeves, Hot Tea, and Photo Albums

You know what I realized today? I missed long sleeves so much! It was so hot for so long, I never had a chance to wear one, but today it finally got cooler and I could put on one of my favorite. It makes me feel cozy and warm when it is cold and I am all wrapped. This is the time to drink hot yummy tea with chocolate and dream about the future, and write a bit depressed stories about rainy days...


I was on the lookout for a good big cup for my tea drinking, and could not find the one I liked, but today I stumbled upon it at last, while walking around Pier One. I love the texture it has to it, the size and as soon as I learn how to knit, I am hoping to make a lovely cozy for it! Tea makes my life easier and warmer and is definitely a mood booster!


Yesterday I took some time off studying and went to shop for an album for my scrap booking (which I haven't done for quite some time). I bought two albums:

- one for our wedding pictures.


- and one for our honeymoon trip.


I am excited to begin the process, but barely have time to order the prints!
I have so many plans for that half a year break I am going to get in 2.5 month! Guess what I want to do? Take some classes in college. Oh yes. :))) Never a break in this life. But I am going to take the ones that I always wanted to: photoshop, photography, and web design! Can't wait!

That is all for now.

Projects And Giveaways

Remember this little thing from way back?


By the way, her little paper says "Bon Apetit" in Russian.

Well there was an idea to make one for each room - the one in the bathroom would say... well there is no equivalent in English, but it would be something we tell people after they take a bath, the one in the bedroom will say "good night" only in Russian again, and the one in the living room is going to say "welcome" in Russian. The living room one is the one I am working on now. It took me a long time, because I simply could not find time between school and work, but today I am going to make myself to, because I want to see them done and up.


Also I would like to say a couple of words about two wonderful giveaways that my fellow blogger that I gladly follow have up right now.

One is by Stories at my fingertips - an honest, and very lovely blog she's got, go check it out. She reached 100 follower mark, so she is throwing a giveaway for a $50 gift card to Anthropology!

Another one is by Bearbits - if you are a fan of teddy bears, or want some inspiration for your own creativity, go look at her lovely teddies! She is actually giving one away, a cute and cuddly one to so go see it!

That is all for now. I wish I would have funner things to talk about but it is time of creative hibernation for me, school is the most important thing right now...

Have a terrific Sunday!

Elka + Pinky

HaHa! I finished my funny little kitty named Pinky! She is so adorable, no? I worked all day, but when I got home, I couldn't resist to finish this silly one! And then sure enough we had to have a little photo shoot! Check this out!

Saying HELLO to everyone!


Day dreaming! :)))


And of course Elka loved her little new friend! Aren't they both adorable! I can't believe how raw materials can turn into something with such character. I mean this is me, this is what is somewhere there inside and it just pours into these materials and creates this...


Also when I got home I found this in my mailbox. These are so nice! I bought them at this Etsy store. This wonderful girl makes them with her own hands. I think they are so pretty AND hand made for such afordable price!


In addition I got this extra! Isn't that nice!? Go check her store and blog out!


That is all news for now! Wish you the BEST Sunday ever!

Do You Need Recognition?..

I was thinking... Don't we all need at least some kind of recognition? I mean, I know I do, and I am the kind of person that doesn't go by what people say or think about what I do and who I am. Yet I just can't help it, but wonder if sometimes all of us need encouragement in the form of praise, adoration, marvel, or at least simple attention. Why is that? How come no matter what path we chose to follow, it is always helpful to walk with someone else? In that case it is great to have God, the One Who is always with us. How do atheists survive in this cruel world?.. Then it is also great to have some kind of support here, in a flesh form to hug, love, impress and care for...

Anyways, today I got my crochet hook kit on mail! It has every hook from 00 to 12 and from D to K! I am so excited!


I want to learn how to crochet baby clothes, because I want some day to have my babies to have nice clothes made by me, but then I think, maybe it is too weird, too early, I mean, we are thinking about kids, but I don't suppose it is going to be this year, or probably not in a couple of years... So what should I do? Does anyone knows a good pattern source for something adorable for a newborn?

I had some time today and almost finished my flower crochet for my jewelery chest that I was talking about a couple of posts ago.


I bought a wooden box, and decided to cover it in fabric and put some crochet motives on it. It should look great!


It is 10:40pm and my Evgeny is still not home from work! I am so upset!
Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Feeling Vintage

Feeling kind of vintage today. Maybe it is because I have been searching for vintage pearl jewelery for half a day, or maybe it is because I've read this article today about Merilyn Monroe's house going on sale. By the way! This house is amazing! I am so building myself one like that in Vegas, when I get a chance! They sell it for 3.5 million, but I bet to build a new one just like it, would be no more than $500 000. I mean look at this! It is everything I ever wanted - small but cozy, natural, filled with light (the roof window in the kitchen is an amazing idea...)!

Here are some pics taken from the actual listing:

Isn't that everything?!

Well, so, inspired by one or other, I dug through some of my very vintage treasures that my grandma gave me, that her mom gave her, that her mom gave her mom! Isn't that something?! I love things like this! This is why I decided to make my own treasury chest and keep all of these things along with some of my own treasures for my future kids! This is one more project into my big and heavy project book, but it's all good - my projects are my way to keep me busy so that I don't have to think too much about how I don't have any friends and how no one cares about me and how life sucks (haha, I sometimes tend to get into that silly kind of thing...).

Craving for more old things, I looked through two of the oldest books I have in my house. Both of them are there because they are so old, they are too much fun to just throw them away.

Then searching Etsy for inspirations I found this store! Just wanted to share, I think it is lovely!