An Analytical Craft

I have hoarded a lot of yarn and thread over the years, and I have finally decided that the one perfect project destined for each skein will most likely never arrive, so I have done the unthinkable.... I have used the good yarn on random projects! I have had to push myself to do such, but I think I shall be glad in the long run (and certainly have some more room to store... more yarn).

So, in my free time, I have been working on this lovely little creation. It is ever so delicate, especially after I wet-blocked it (which, by the way, was my first time wet-blocking a crocheted item. Very interesting experience, but now I want to wet-block everything!). The pattern stretched out and became even lovelier. There are things I would do differently, yes, but I am still very happy with the result.

Just to update, the new job is going very well. I love it so much and I am so happy with not only my 35-minute drive there and back, but the hours I spend there as well! Saving money for textbooks has never been this nice, and I thank God for working in my life as He has so that I am at this salon now. I am most grateful and thankful, and cannot wait to keep working!

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I have been coming to grips lately with the fact that I am a more analytical person than creative, as I am sure I have mentioned before. My entire family is very creative, with regards to arts and crafts and things of the like, and I am finding out more and more every day how much more my mind is like my father's. Numbers, patterns, words, business... these things all appeal to me, and instead of trying to force my mind to understand how to draw a person's face or how to sculpt a bird from clay, I am embracing the fact that I am more comfortable following crochet patterns, writing papers, and dealing with mathematical problems. Yes, I am creative, but more so in the problem solving manner. It is very hard to analyze one's strengths and weaknesses objectively without comparing oneself to another, and I am still trying to map out all of those things for myself. It's quite the process, indeed, and is very humbling when I take a step back and realize that there is so much I simply cannot do. Not many people like to think of those sorts of things, and I don't care to linger there either, but I still have to give myself a break and say that there are certain things that I simply do not do well, no matter how hard I try. Once I set those things aside and tell myself that it is perfectly all right to not be able to do those things, I feel freer to focus on the things that I can do, and those are wonderful days.

Wishing you all a wonderful Tuesday! I have been busy, but I hope to get some more things done and post some more in the coming weeks! ♥

Blanche the Basset Hound

My family loves hound dogs. It is something that just comes naturally to us -- we all work best with hound dogs or rather big-boned dogs like our Saint Bernard. Whichever is the case, bloodhounds are our favorites of the hounds. My mom has been searching for a smaller dog, though, to round out our pack of lovelies, and as she was looking over her favorite pet-finding website today, she saw a future family member: a tiny little female basset hound.

So, I threw on my shoes and grabbed my purse, then hurried out of the house with my mom. Soon we were on our way to the local humane society, and when we got there, we quickly asked to see the basset hound. Turns out, she was in the little pen area behind us, so we turned around and looked over the chest-high wall to catch a glimpse of the tiny creature we had come to find. A pair of smart brown eyes looked back up at us instantly, and two chubby feet slapped onto the wall as the short little hound stretched to see us better. 

It was instant love. When we saw how mild she was, and how sweet and smart she was, we knew she was coming home. All while paperwork was being filled out, the little one was trotting all over the main room, running from me to my mom to various volunteers and other dogs, just plopping one chubby foot after another in a gentle manner that was void of over-exuberance. This one knew she didn't have to get anywhere fast, and she didn't try to get her stubby little legs to do so anyhow.

We were quickly informed that she loved to be a shadow. She would follow on the heels of whoever moved about, and then stop when the walking feet stopped and roll onto her back begging for a tummy rub. She was by no means invasive, as some little dogs can be when begging for attention, but rather rolled over and held up a sign that said, "Hey, I'm down here if you want to scratch my belly. Thanks." 

So she came home, and she handled the changes superbly. We introduced her to our Saint Bernard, Liesl, first, and the two instantly hit it off (especially since Liesl loves little creatures!), and then the two bloodhounds hurried out to meet their long-eared comrade. Our oldest hound, Ellie Mae, was first out the door, running ahead as elder hound. She instantly loved the new arrival, and our young male bloodhound, Moses, quickly greeted her as well. The pack then proceeded to follow the stubby one around the yard, and when the two big hounds went back inside to eat, Liesl proceeded to show her new small love around the yard. It was a darling sight indeed!

After conversation and the consultation of the baby name book I use for writing, our little one has been dubbed Blanche. Sweet and mild, simple and darling. The name was perfect.

The younger kids were thrilled to have a tiny dog, and we all look forward to having Blanche calmly trotting through the house very soon!

...But first, potty training!

Have a lovely Friday, all! ♥

The Dreamy River Valley

Spent a lovely weekend with the family going down the Tennessee river, and, oh, what a lovely trip it was! Once in the valley area along the river, the surroundings quickly became enchanting and almost foreign. It was like a little piece of New Zealand or something smack dab in the middle of Chattanooga, and it made my heart and soul rather joyful at the sight of so much green! Green trees, green hills, green cliffs... it was amazingly gorgeous.

There was this one hillside, pictured all the way at the top of this post, that I was particularly captured by. It looked like a small orchard of vineyard of some sort, and up near the treeline there was a small house surrounded by solar panels. It was too ideal for me to handle, and I should very much like to live in a place like that someday.

Simply perfect. If you ever get a chance to go here, do so. It is well worth any amount of money, and I plan on going back in the fall to see all of it again in stunning orange and yellow hues!

My first day of work was yesterday, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I'm trying to get back into the feel of working on the floor of a salon, and it is honestly going quite well. A lot of new things to learn with this salon, but I will catch on! It's a great place so far, and I plan on staying quite a while.

Have a lovely Tuesday, all! It has been raining quite a lot lately here, so I hope wherever you are, it's a little less soggy! ♥