Another Month to Share and Create, Isn't the Blog-o-sphere Great?

 I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving and has recovered from the festivities. With Christmas looming I have to admit I am feeling a bit of a pinch this year. Why did I promise quilts? 

Hope you are not tired of the Fungus fascination.

My brain has turned to fungus! I am going to cross stitch a little sign, attach it to my computer and hope for the best. What is this about you ask? Well dear readers, I had a brilliant post prepared for the first of the month reminders. Brilliant I tell you. All the stars aligned, all the ducks were in a row and then poof!!! I have no idea where it went. It has been a bit of a week or two but yowsers, an entire post lost in space? Yes.

If you have visited here on the first of any given month you know I have this little routine of doing all my mending, hemming, etc. on or very close to the first. It has worked well for me and keeps me a little bit organized. I share it here for that reason. I am a firm believer that habits create inner peace. With all the disruption here recently it has kept me grounded and the life processes mostly on track.

• I broke down and purchased (heaven forbid!) a new pair of dress trousers in black. Of course, I ordered the wrong length. Hemming will be required.
• I have a button on a favorite sweatshirt-made-into-a-jacket that needs replaced.
• Lucy always wears a neck tie. With multiple washings two of the hems are shabby, a quick serger repair there. That's about all on the Mending Monday Front.

Another Monthly chore is de-cluttering the magazines. While I have drastically cut my subscriptions down because they no longer suit my tastes or I have no more interest in that genre, I still have several that need reviewed and culled regularly. In the process yesterday I decided to sort through those magazines that were only cooking related. I store those I am still reading or need for a certain recipe in this little rack. It is 1940's-'50's era discovered in a family members attic when I was cleaning out the house for sale. I am sure it is one of a million or so manufactured at the time because it is a bit flimsy and not particularly special but I liked the Chippendale theme and brought it home. I had great intentions of refinishing it, but haven't gotten around to it. Anyway, I wiped it down, gave it a little beeswax polish and returned the current reads to its little dividers. I am a fan of "Cooks" magazine. I like the scientific testing the recipes endure. I like the art work. My Bon Appetite's go in there until I scan them. I will pick up an occasional specialty periodical if there is something that catches my eye as well.   

Some other First of the Month habits:

• I clean all my make-up brushes. A few drops of Dawn dish washing liquid in warm water, swish around, rinse well, dry and re-shape.
• Since I discovered that Palmolive dish washing liquid does a super job cleaning jewelry, it has now become a habit to soak the jewelry, particularly rings, in a solution of 1 drop of the Palmolive to 1/2 cup of water, warm. A soft brush helps out as well. I have also started using this to clean my combs and brushes as well. (I keep a little plastic tub I picked up at IKEA hand for this purpose. )

Lest you think all I did this week-end was piddle around let me assure you that was not the case. 

The looms have been pressed into service again. Dear friend has unfortunately lost her hair as a result of chemotherapy and her head is cold. Now that the weather has chilled she needed a cap or two that covers her ears. I used two strands of yarn for each hat. I added the gray on the the last third of this one. A pom-pom was required as well. This one has the knit on brim.

This one is a white yarn with some pastel pink, green, yellow and blue spots. A rolled brim on this one and another pom-pom.

*I have an idea or two percolating for New Year projects. One involves journal keeping while the  another involves linen and cross-stitch. I will share those soon. You might want to take on a new artistic theme next year as well. I feel the need to branch out, change, challenge myself each year.