Since we are all celebrating "Love" these next 8 days, I want to share a gift of love that I just received from Chris!

Yes!  I am one of the thrilled and lucky people to receive some of these fabulous polymer tiles Chris recently posted pictures of on her blog Prism Trail! 

I nearly fainted when my sweetie returned from the PO, envelope in hand with a big smile on his face!  He couldn't wait to see what was inside anymore than I could!  He enjoys her blog and especially her sense of humor and his curiosity was stretched to the limit by the time he got home.

I am sharing her beautiful tiles in a very static display hoping it's simplicity will encourage you to take time to appreciate each one! She has used so many different colors, even mixing more than one color in a single tile. And so many textures, patterns and glazes.  Eash and every one a perfect little work of art.  I have them displayed in a shallow dish for the time being and love touching them and moving them around into different compositions.

And look at this one! While the other tiles measure from 1/2" to 1 1/4" across, this beauty measures 3" x 3"!   I loved this when I saw it on her post!  I still can't believe it actually now lives with me!

Looks like I am going to be making more frames!

Thank you Chris, for sharing your art and your heart. 

Happy Valentine Day my friend.

Read Alice's (Futuregirl) post "Thanks for visiting" just published on Make & Meaning - read it right now before you read another word here!  I mean it!  Do it now!  "Thanks for visiting"!

Alice discusses the importance of responding to comments left on blog posts,  reminding us that responding is just plain good manners and a door to building friendships with other crafty people.

I read her words yesterday morning.  Yesterday afternoon, my sweetie returned from the post box with two packages in his hands addressed to me! And they were both from two lovely, creative women I met because I responded to comments left on my blog posts!

The box above traveled "over the pond" from England and was sent to me by Linda Forrest, an Estonian woman living in England who regularly shares playtime with her daughter on her blog Loikan ja keebin...cutting and glueing with my little daughter. The two of them seriously know how to have fun playing together.

Linda made yarn stars as teachers gifts this year. Her stars are beautiful and if you notice, she used glass head pins at the tips. She inspired me to explore using beads at the tips of my own stars!

We decided to trade yarn stars! And look where she has gone with them!  I freaked out when I pulled this little guy out of the box! Just look at those little tufts.  OMG!  Soooo cute!

 This one looks so furry!  Her use of this particular yarn appealed to me in the images she shared on my flicker pool too.  I loved the idea.

I wonder if she knew how much I love red and white together at Christmas when she was making this one to send!! (Did you notice that she makes the hanger using TWO colors of yarn?)

And as if the stars weren't enough, she not only included these adorable little birds but she included a template made of cardboard so I could make my own!

Apparently, she used to teach how to make these to school children when she assisted in her daughter's classroom.  I am hoping Linda will post a tutorial for making these so everyone can hang a couple pom pom birdies on their trees next year!

I love this image on the card she enclosed - it is of  the village she used to live in when she first moved to England.

And now for package number 2!

Another yarn star maker!  Kathleen Jackson, a crafter who lives in the mid-western USA just recently started Refashionolgy, a blog about "making old and used stuff into new and cool stuff".  I hope everyone will visit and wish her success with her adventure in the crafty on line universe!

Kathleen made several "grandma" yarn stars - you can see some of them posted on my flicker pool.  She became so enthused about making yarn stars, she made them as gifts for her co-workers at Christmas! I just had to ask if she would consider trading!  And she answered YES!  YAY!

I love the way she has recycled cards for the centers and in this one above, how she actually "centered" the image in such a way as to create a little scene framed in yarn.  I doubt she knew it, but I have a thing for red birds!

And then there is the snowman yarn star!  I left all my snowmen sitting out around my mini-tree.  Only the lights - no ornaments - are on the tree now! The snowmen are romping in a blanket of snow and greet me with good cheer when I awake in the morning!  This is the perfect tree topper! 

Kathleen made this beautiful card for me!  I can't do it justice.  The image is actually printed on a parchment like paper and then overlays the front of the card.  The few times in my life I have been lucky enough to witness low hanging clouds playing hide and seek among the branches of fir trees, I have been without a camera.  I am thrilled to have this image.

Thank you both, Linda and Kathleen, from the bottom of my heart, for  visiting, offering your friendship, sharing a holiday craft with me, and  making me these beautiful treasures. 

One of the greatest rewards I have received from posting Gingerbread Snowflakes has been meeting so many wonderful, creative individuals, and  watching how one idea for a craft project can change so much as it takes shape in a another's hands.

And my heartfelt thanks to you, Alice, for your thoughtful reminder to reach out with appreciation to those who come to visit.

Almost open in time for Imbolc!  Paphiopedilum Orchid!

I am celebrating "Halfway to Spring" or Imbolc or Candlemas by taking a walk in my garden and peering into every container looking for signs of spring returning.

Crocus are just pushing through the soil.

Hellebores are already forming tiny blossom buds almost before they are 2" high.

Jacob's Ladder - only 1 1/2 inch tall and already perfect in every way!

Tulips showing with a promise of brilliant red blooms 6 weeks away

Marsh Marigolds have awakened in my little pond and are beginning to lift tiny leaves above the water's surface.

And now, at dusk, I am floating a few candles in my little pond and sitting quietly, sipping my tea and giving thanks for longer days and joys to come with the returning spring.

My very first Brigid's Cross or St. Brigid's Cross! 

Some people worship the goddess, and some recognize and worship the saint.   Most of the links at the end of the post today are intended to share the stories of both goddess and saint. I hope you will take time to read them and learn more of the rich history and lore surrounding Brigid and perhaps find your own reasons to honor her by making a Brigid's Cross.

I am celebrating Brigid as the goddess of creative inspiration and expression by Making a Brigid or St. Brigid Cross!

You will need wheat straws which even though many tutorials insist are available at local craft stores, I am having a hard time finding!  So again,  the link to my favorite on line source for wheat! Be sure to soak your cleaned straws a couple hours to soften so the shafts won't break.

The thought has occurred to me that yarn soaked in diluted white glue or fabric Mod Podge and then dried before use might just work for weaving these! I have some drying right now - I will let you know!

If any of you can think of another material for making these, would you share in the comments for others to see?

The only other item you need on hand to make Brigid's Cross is dental floss - waxed is best!

This is absolutely the best tutorial out there! 

My original intention was to create a step by step tutorial.  And then I found this !  It is well done and very clear so that anyone can make one in just a few minutes!

I am going to share a few tips, however, that were not mentioned!

You know - things I learned the hard way!  Like don't let go of the last straw added to the weaving - ever!  Not even to take a quick picture!

Holding the weaving in one hand and with the other bending the straw and placing it into the weaving can be just a bit tricky!  So I am sharing my own technique!  First for bending the stray as shown above.

And then for sliding the bent straw into the weaving.  I found it easier for me to hold everything in place if I held my weaving on a flat surface as I worked.

And always, always hold onto that last straw you placed into the weaving!  If you let go, it acts like a dozen little springs suddenly freed from tension and explodes in all directions! 

Of course, if your children are bored and you really want to entertain them....

Now all this instruction to hold on the the last placed straw is well and good until it is time to tie off the first arm!  I still need two hands to tie a knot! 

So I devised the full proof system shown above for holding the weaving in place while I tied the first set of straws together!

Be sure that the first bundle of straws you tie is the one containing the last woven straw.

Now you can remove the book and it will hold together perfectly while you are tying the remaining bundles.

My first attempt at eyeballing the placement of the ties resulted in an uneven cross - so I used a ruler!

When all four bundles have been tied, you can trim the bundles close to the floss. Or leave them long and splayed open like I did in my first one!

I like them both ways! 

Now excuse me while I go make one for Diane!

In case you missed it, there is more information about Brigid and Imbolc, Candlemas and the Feast of St. Brigid in this post!

Here are the links I promised! Enjoy!

Brigid of Kildare 

Brigid: The Survival of a Goddess 

The Feast of St. Brigid 

Brigid: Celtic Goddess of Fire

For all these many years I thought February 2nd was Groundhog Day!!!

It is so much more than that!

Falling right smack in the middle between the winter solstice and spring equinox, February 2nd is a time to rejoice in the earth as it begins awakening from it's winter sleep.  The sun is in the sky an hour longer than it was on the winter solstice, tiny bits of green are popping up through the slowly thawing ground, and ewes, preparing for the birth of their lambs, begin to lactate.  If one looks carefully, Mother nature is dropping hints everywhere that the earth is no longer in slumber but rather in the process of rebirth.

The day is given many names. And is celebrated in many different ways.  It is celebrated by widely diverse groups of peoples with differing belief systems from Celts to Wicca to Christians.  I hope to not offend anyone but rather to inform; and have tried to include links from different points of view.

Imbolc  Lambs are born at this time of year and therefore the ewes begin lactating.  It is a time to clean out the old to make room for the new.  Homes are often cleaned thoroughly, and a broom is placed near the door as a symbol that this has been done.  Old greens remaining from the holiday celebrations are removed and burned and replaced with tiny sprigs of freshly emerging plants.The hearth is cleaned and a new fire laid. It will be lit at sundown on February 1rst  and tended and kept burning through the night and the following day. Candles are placed in every room  to celebrate the returning sun.

 Brigid's Day  Brigid was the virgin goddess of fertility, healing, poetry and agriculture.  AND crafters take note - she is associated with creative inspiration and expression!  A small representation is often made of wheat, dressed in a scrap of fabric or a hankie and laid in a basket.  This practice is found most often in Scotland where she is known as "Bride".   Brigid's Crosses, woven from reeds or wheat stalks and representing prosperity and protection, are given as gifts or hung over doorways.

Celebrations of St. Brigid's Day and Candlemas are also celebrated on February 2nd and have religious significance in the church. The links below explain their religious significance much better than I can.  Candles and St. Brigid's crosses play a roll in the celebrations of this day.  In many parts of the world the day is celebrated by eating pancakes and is known as Pancake Day!  (Pancakes are round and golden (if you don't burn them) and therefore represent the sun!  Traditionally, the pancakes were to be made of grain harvested from last year's crop, but in these days and times, probably the wheat comes out of a bag! 

 Even though Groundhog day can be traced all the way back to Brigid, I have never found the day terribly exciting!  But taking time to appreciate and celebrate the return of the sun and to honor the "goddess of inspiration and artistic expression" seems like a worthwhile way to spend February 2nd!

I have made a special candle for Imbolc and woven a couple Brigid's Crosses.  I am sharing my candle today and my crosses tomorrow! 

At the end of both posts, I am providing a few links so you can read more if you like.

My Imbolc Candle!

While at Ikea looking for candles for my Advent Wreath last winter, I stumbled upon a sale!  These gorgeous, 4"x6" candles on sale for $1.00 each!   Perfect for creating a special candle for Imbolc!

I pulled out my pad of dried flowers, a roll of wax paper and my hair drier.

Following Linaloo's instructions in this cool tutorial, I applied the dried flowers to the candle. 

Tiny little violets and lobelia in a circle around the top.

Jacob's ladder around the bottom.

Violets and Jacob's Ladder are among the earliest to emerge in spring! They are already popping up in my garden!

I love how the flowers and leaves appear delicate and fresh - like early signs of spring in the garden.

A couple notes: 

1)Take extra care when working with dried plant material because it is very delicate and any part of the flower that is not secured in the wax can easily tear and break apart when the wax paper is removed.  Remove the wax paper immediately but do so slowly and carefully.  If the blossom or leaf begins to tear, place the paper back against the candle and heat again.

2) I used a candle with a vertical curved surface.  NOT a good choice for this project as it is impossible to get the wax paper to lie flat against the surface of the candle.  I used it because this was the candle I had to work with and - the more I got into the project the more I was determined to "win"!  You understand that - right? But I lost a few flowers along the way.  Just so you know!

Some great links to better understand Imbolc, Brigid's Day, Candlemas, St. Briged's Day!   And tomorrow - I am making  Briged's Cross!

Imbolc - Celtic Festival   

Imbolc Tradidions 

More Imbolc Traditions

Candlemas and Pancakes 

St. Brigid's Cross part 1

St. Brigid's Cross part 2  

Celebrating Candlemas 

Fifth Century - Weaving a St. Brigid's Cross video

Feast of St. Brigid

Excellent tutorial for making Brigid's Cross

Candlemas (Feast of the Purification)

Inspiration for another Dala from the Land of Unmade Ornaments! 

But we will get back to that in a bit!  First I just have to share these cute little owls I absolutely HAD to make! 

One for Diane and one for me - made using yarn left over from scarves knitted for Christmas gifts!  Since I am still following Alice's (Future Girl Craft blog) challenge to craft from existing stash, I had to improvise on the eyes a bit!  (And I see I have a little loose thread there - ARGH!  Cameras!)

I found these sweet little guys on one of my favorite go to blogs for crafty celebration - One Pretty Thing.   Rachel has introduced me to so many lovely crafters and their blogs, and Maedchenmitherz is a great example!  Maedchenmitherz is German for "girl with heart"! Here is the direct link to her tutorial for making these adorable creatures!  This project is so quick and simple it definitely falls into the category of "instant gratification craft"!

And I am back playing with "tin" again!  I just can't stay away from it for long.  I had several little treasures that needed framing. They will be hung for display during the year, but moved to the tree in December. Since my treasures are Artist Trading Cards - 2 1/2" x 3" - they are quite small - perfect ornament size!

Last summer I traded Artist Trading Cards with two artistic friends who create in completely different styles using completely different mediums!  Since I wanted to keep the cards I received from them out where I could enjoy them every day, I decided to frame them.  I am including them  among the ornaments in the Land of Unmade Ornaments because - up until a week ago - they were still "unmade"!

Teri C  who posts every single day to her blog Teri's Painted Daisies, sent me the sweet little Saguaro Cactus watercolor above because she knows I love and miss the Arizona desert.

And she sent me poppies because she knows I love poppies - especially the Mexican gold poppies and California poppies that can literally carpet the desert floor in wet years.  You can find them here and here!

Like this! One of my most perfect days!

Teri recently accepted a challenge to make 100 paintings in a year!  You might want to suscribe so you don't miss a single one!

I built the frames using Maid-o-Metal tooling foil.  The foil is so thin and easy to cut I was able to cut fancy edges using my Kraft Edgers!

I didn't want to damage the little paintings, so I left them in their little plastic bags and sealed only three sides of the back so the card could be removed.

After the glue dried on the first frame, I decided to try for a backing that would allow for easier access!  I used card stock instead of tin and left a portion of the card exposed.

Chris has a fabulous sense of humor and artistic heart - both of which she shares on her blog Prism Trail.  She sent me these three mixed media cards - each created using layer upon layer of texture and design.  Because they are so complex, I decided to create much smaller, simpler frames.  But, Chris threw me a curve ball by making these double sided!

No way could I cover the back!  So I cut the frame so that it provided a little lip for the card to rest on.

And then I made little tabs at the corners which I attached with wire.  The card will stay in place but can easily be removed.

Don't miss this post!  Chris is sharing her current Polymer Clay Tiles!  They are beautiful!  I love her tiles! AND... I just received some of these in the mail! A HUGE surprise!  I will be sharing soon!

While I was playing with "tin" I framed a little tiny 1 1/2" card I received from a friend and I made an Espejito.  Both of these were made using aluminum roof flashing and have been languishing -cut out but unfinished- in the land of Unmade Ornaments for months!

The last of the unmade ornaments - for this year! 

While I was stitching the "traditional" dala recently, the mix of lime green, pink, turquoise and cream yarns against the black colored backside of the material caught my eye!  I loved how these colors looked together on the black.  So maybe not officially an "unmade" but at least now I will get him completed before next year!

I am still working on this one - lots more flowers to add!

Thank you for joining me on my adventures in the Land of Unmade Ornaments! I have been thrilled to share with those of you who have joined me!  I will be posting most of my rescued ornaments on my flicker pool and hope you will post yours too!

I couldn't resist introducing this post with a shot of our 10" diameter Hibiscus blossom (Hibiscus moscheutos) taken this past summer!  After all, this post is designed to give you a few tools for planning your blog posts for the whole year ahead!  Why not a picture of coming attractions?

My readers in the southern hemisphere are already enjoying summer, so here is what's around the corner in their future!

Diane published our third annual Christmas podcast conversation in December during which I mentioned that I usually have most of my blog posts planned a year in advance.  Now even though, to me anyway, this seems a perfectly normal thing to do, apparently it surprised a lot of listeners and several have written and requested more information about just how exactly I do that!

Actually it isn't mysterious or terribly clever!  But it has been working well for me. And fair warning in advance - it is NOT virtual!  I am sure it could be adapted into a virtual system if you are so inclined!

One of the tools often taught in courses designed to improve memory is to "hang" something you want to remember on a "hook"!  This is an effective and popular way to organize new information as you put it into  your memory.  Well, my "system" really isn't much different.  I have simply created a set of "hooks" for my thoughts, ideas, plans, and information and a place to keep them easily accessible until I want to add to them or until am ready to use them!

Since my blog posts often include such things as detailed tutorials for season specific crafts, a system for capturing and storing inspiration and information is essential.  In fact, I have noticed a trend in the crafty blogosphere - it is definitely season-centric! And this helps immensely because it offers a great framework for organizing blog posts!

Because most of the planning tools I have to show you are a reflection of my own blog, they are season-centric.  But this system can be adapted for those of you who write blogs not related in any way to making tutorials, or sharing recipes, or following seasons. 

The fantastic new blog, Make and Meaning,  is a great example!  Definitely does not fit into any of the above categories. But I am willing to bet that the contributors to Make and Meaning have those brilliant flashes of insight or inspiration that catch all of us when we least expect it!  And that insight may or may not be followed up by "brilliant" related thoughts.  If these are not captured immediately and then filed so they can be found again, this flash of brilliance will disappear - sometimes forever!

Very important to note:  a spiral notebook, although a valuable tool for capturing all those bits and pieces of momentary brilliance, is NOT useful as a tool for storage and retrieval.  The little note book I carry at all times is only the first step! We will get to that again in a moment.

This is a great time of year to score a big discount on a ring binder and a  2010 calendar punched to fit in a binder.  The important thing about a binder is that it allows you to add pages and move pages around easily.  There are many two page per month (like the one above) and one page per month (like the one below) pre-printed calendars available; however, if you are very clever on the computer, have fun designing your own!

Last year I used a one page per month calendar, but this year, I am liking the extra writing space available in the two page per month format - a LOT!

The first thing I do is fill in every holiday!  I bet THAT is a big surprise!  And, if I intend to post for that holiday, I usually will write "Mother's Day post"  or "Imbolc post"  on the calendar day I plan to post for that holiday.

GET A BUNCH OF PENCILS AND ERASERS!  Holidays don't change - they can be written in ink!  Blog posts can be quite fluid!  I always write my planned posts in pencil!  Your calendar becomes a framework written in pencil not in stone! (Those lovely soup recipes I just shared this month were actually originally planned for last October! And you just never know when a post like "Antonio's Gift" will come out of the blue!)

Many of the pre-printed calendar packs come with some kind of "to do" page attached to each month.  I use this page to jot down ideas for blog posts for that particular month - a "post idea page".  (A sheet of notebook paper works just as well.)

During last year, I learned the hard way that planning posts for a given month and writing them on the calendar page, 10 months in advance, is a recipe that guarantees erasures - lots of them!  Better idea - use a "post idea page" and place it in the binder just in front of each calendar page.  I am finding that this works much better, allowing me to jot down ideas that I think might work as posts but not yet assigning a publishing date. 

My calendar page for this coming November is almost completely blank except for the holidays and my blogaversary giveaway!  But my "post idea page", as you can see, is already quite full!  The month of November is already completely planned but I will wait until about two months out before I actually fill in the calendar pages and assign dates.  I may think up better ideas or decide that what was so brilliant today is not so brilliant tomorrow!

Once the calendar pages are filled in, you have created a very effective "to do" list.  You have established what posts will be published on what date and can plan your time, photography and writing accordingly.

Notice the words "see notes" circled.  This refers to the next, very useful part of this system! 

Right behind every month calendar page I install, in alphabetical order, a page for each post I am working on for that month - a  "post in progress" page.  This is where I record the details whether it is some really cool factoid I found about the use of straw house blessings in ancient European cultures or a link stored in my bookmarks about how straw is processed for use in wheat weaving. Anything that I come across pertaining to a particular upcoming post, whether it comes as a stroke of genius while taking a shower or something discovered while surfing the internet, goes on this "post in progress" page. 

Something that never ceases to amaze me is that when anyone actually decides on something they want to do, information and help seem to come from many different sources.  The "post in progress" page works in the same way.  Once a post idea is added to the binder, I am always surprised by how much information starts showing up! And once I am ready to write my post, all those little bits and pieces of information and insight will be in one place!

Don't go anywhere without a pocket size field notebook attached to you!  Your field notebook is where you capture every idea or inspiration or solution that comes your way whether you are standing in front of a rack full of yummy yarn, lying awake in the middle of the night, or waiting in line at the grocery check-out!  (For some unknown reason, many solutions to tricky steps in tutorials come to me while I am in the shower! I get to my notebook as soon as I dry off!)

Again, I want to point out that the field notebook - or any spiral notebook for that matter - is not a good solution for storage and retrieval.  Use it only as a capture tool.  Every day or once a week, go through it and move the ideas, thoughts and solutions to the "post in progress" pages, or "idea pages" or even the calendar page they belong on.

One other capture tool I often use while on the computer is a regular old legal pad!  I use it to record everything I want to remember for personal or blog use.  A cool ornament I want to make, a book my sister would enjoy, a link to a "post in progress", a technique I want to learn, or notes taken while listening to a podcast. And again, these bits and pieces get stored in their proper place once a week!

I wanted to add a couple other sections from my binder that might be useful.  My mind seems to work very well organizing by calendar month.  But perhaps your mind works better organizing by subject.  I actually started out this way - organizing by subject - (and here are my "beautiful" dividers made from reused cardboard salvaged from the backs of 8 1/2 x 11 lined pads!) All "post in progress" pages for tutorials were filed behind the  tutorial divider, all those for recipes filed behind recipes, etc.  But I soon found out that having everything I am working on in any given month all in one place worked much better for me. 

Yes! I have a section already started for next year!!  Usually there isn't much activity in this section until about June.  But as the year progresses, there will be ideas that come along that would best be saved until next year - like the perfect recipe to share at Valentines or a darling bunny pattern perfect for Easter.  Write it down and forget about it - until next year!

Last fall, while making Christmas projects, I had a couple "failures".  But I received mail suggesting that maybe these failures were really possibilities for another crafty technique!  I listed the idea on the August 2010 page. So now, on a "post in progress" page filed for August,  I have begun notes for a possible post turning these little lemons into lemonade! 

So....  there you are!  Simple.  No magic! 

But if, like me, you are blogging your passion, your mind is constantly pulling ideas out of the ethers - more than you can handle all at once.  Get into the habit of writing them down and putting your notes in a system that allows you easy access!

I just bet, if you open your mind to ideas and jot them down when they appear, you will have a year's worth of post ideas in no time at all!

 Finally done!  My red Dala!   Had to make a red one - it's traditional! Been putting this one off because I haven't attempted embroidery in years  and I wasn't feeling all that confident.  

But once I got into it,  I had fun and learned a few new stitches along the way!  I really do not like the mane - huge mistake - but I would not like tearing it out more!!

I found this mirror on Dollar Store Crafts and this one on Craftynest.  I loved them both and thought they would translate into a sweet little sparlky ornament!  The mirror in the center is only 2" (5 cm) in diameter,  I used toothpicks, silver spray paint, and little gem embellishments I had left from another project.

Linaloo posted this tutorial for these cute little fabric stars this past holiday season and for me - it was love at first sight!  I used bits of my "vintage" Christmas fabric stash and for the centers, I used cool metal beads that had tempted me to take them home even though I had no idea what I would do with them at the time!

I've been wanting to make this little "tin" mirror ornament forever!  The oval mirror is about 1 1/2" x 2" (3.75 cm x 5 cm).  The "frame" was made by first cutting an oval from "tin" (aluminum flashing) about 2" larger than the mirror and then cutting it into very thin strips.  As the metal strips are cut they curl - the thinner the strip the tighter the curl!  Lots of fun to do.

Still have several in progress!  Will report soon!

Another wonderful, nourishing soup recipe to share!

But before I get to that  - on the way to this post, I encountered two more delicious soups shared recently on two other blogs I follow!

Since it is January, and still cold and dark and rainy, my need for big hot bowls of lovely soup has not diminished!  So I made them both!

And we enjoyed them so much, I decided to pass them on to anyone who might have missed them!

SWEET POTATO AND CORN SOUP

Avital recently shared the recipe for this very versatile soup on her blog "This and That".  I could tell immediately it was a perfect base for adding a few ingredients I often use when preparing Mexican food - green chile, cumin, sour cream and cheese!  And I added a little Emeril's Essence - just LOVE Emeril's Essence - and used chicken broth instead of water.

Avital recommended running the soup through a blender, but I chose to partially mash the vegetables with a potato masher!  We tend to prefer chunky soups.

Don't delay, give this one a try while it is still January!

And while you are visiting Avital to get her recipe, make sure you don't miss these recent posts - "My Ten Favorite Photos of 2009" and "First Solar Eclipse of 2010".  Avital is passionate about photography and it shows in every image she posts! Subscribe right now so you don't miss a single image!

POZOLE VERDE

As a result of pleas from some of her fans, Angie gave up her secrets for making green pozole on her blog "At Home in Mexico".

Pozole has been a favorite holiday treat for many, many years in my home, but I have always made it with red chile.  Angie makes her pozole with green chile and tomatillos - and it is delicious! 

I used what I already had in the house, so I made mine with 1 pound of pork, 2 - 29 ounce cans of hominy, a quart of  chicken broth and in place of the radish greens and cilantro I used up some chard left over from the sausage soup!   And the best part is that we still have enough Pozole Verde left for dinner tonight!

Angie just posted this beautiful, heartfelt message reflecting on her experience of surviving the 1985 quake in Mexico and insight into the horror the people of Haiti are experiencing.  She urges every one of us to find some way we can be of help and reach out with hands and heart to the people of Haiti. It is very apparent in her message that Angie has a very big heart - a trait she shares with the people of Mexico.

BEET, VEGETABLE SOUP WITH PORK (Also known as Winter Borscht)

A couple years ago, my sweetie and I happened upon a little restaurant/bar that was serving "Winter Borscht" as the soup of the Day.  My sweetie loves Borscht - standard blended variety - and without hesitation ordered a bowl.

"Winter Borscht" turned out to be something completely different than what he was expecting!  And it was absolutely delicious.

Several months later, a generous young Russian woman working in my doctor's office gave me a general idea of how to make a vegetable borscht which included the addition of pork.   And so now, I can make this soup for my sweetie!  And I do so often!  It is easy and it is healthy.  And to use a word again I have already used too many times in this post - DELICIOUS!  Even if, like me, you are not a beet fan - you will love this soup - beets do not overwhelm the many other flavors present.

Beet, Vegetable Soup with Pork

1 pound pork  (country ribs or pork shoulder steak are good choices as they do not      dry out during cooking)

1 1/2 quart chicken broth
1 teaspoon Emeril's Essence
1 medium onion (chopped)
3 medium carrots (peeled and cut into bite-size pieces)
2-3 stalks celery (cut into bite-size pieces)
2-3 cloves garlic minced
4 to 6 medium beets ( remove skin and cut into bite size pieces)
1/2 bunch of chard or tops from the beets
2 medium potatoes (peeled and cut into bite-size pieces)
1 generous teaspoon Herbs Provence
1 teaspoon dill
salt and pepper to taste
Sour Cream

Optional:  1 to 2 cups shredded cabbage.  I don't use it but my friend told me it is almost always added.

Cut the pork into bite-size cubes and place in the soup pot with the broth and Emeril's Essence.  Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer about 40 minutes.

Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic.  You can saute them first or not - I have made it both ways and there really is no difference so I don't bother anymore!

Add the beets, greens, Herbs Provence, salt and pepper, and cabbage if you are using it.  Simmer for 45 minutes.

Add potatoes and and dill and simmer about 10 minutes.

If you happen to have a few leftover veggies like brocolli, zuchini, green beans - toss them in now too!

Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top if you wish.  Great soup with or without the sour cream!

It's cold outside!  Eat lots of soup!

Over 1000 year ago, King Canute of Denmark declared that Christmas should be celebrated for a period of 30 days beginning on St. Lucy Day, December 13th and ending on January 13th   -  that's today! 

Happy St. Knut's Day!

For some Scandinavians, especially those living on the Aland Islands, today is the day Christmas trees are taken down and ornaments and decorations are stored away for next year.

I decided a little celebration is in order!  So I am spending the day in the Land of Unmade Ornaments!

I just finished this tiny little baby Large Tufted Snowy Owl!  Inspired by Lolly Chops who posted a crafty how-to tutorial a little over a year ago!  Even if you don't feel inclined to make an owl, visit to read the brilliantly written story of how Abraham Owl came into this world!

Today is a good day to finally share some of the gifts I made for Christmas 2009!  Since  one of them was actually an early January birthday gift, I had to wait until it was opened before sharing!

More Lolly inspired owls!  A little family!  Notice that the baby's gene pool is immediately recognizable!

Hand woven table runner made for my Mother.  The yarns are leftovers from four weavings I made 35 years ago and fashioned into pillows for her sofa.  She still uses them, so I decided the table runner would be a good idea!

Since my MIL inspired me to return to weaving all these years later, I made her a table runner as well - for her new home on her little island.   She traveled all over the world for many years and brought home textiles and garments in brilliant hues of reds, oranges and pinks. 

So I collected a group of yarns at the Knitin' Kitten in her colors for this project!  Now I have leftovers and I am going to make this adorable hat.  I love that Hanna made her hat even more original by adding a Kanzashi flower! Read her great review of the book!

I decided the best way to learn to knit socks was to learn to kit again!!!  So I started by making three scarfs  - two in this beautiful burgundy variegated yarn and one - for Diane - in shades of blue.

I did learn to make a hat!  Thanks to Ravelry!  But, alas, I did not even think to take a picture before giving it away.  Too bad - it was cute!  Just so you know!

If you haven't already done so, take a minute to visit my Flicker Pool because Angie, who writes a great blog about life in Mexico - "At Home in Mexico", has just posted photos of the yarn stars her students made just before the holiday! 

The two stars in the foreground are a foot across!  She tells the story in the comments that accompany the photo!

If you make a project using a tutorial posted on Gingerbread Snowflakes, I hope you will consider posting a picture on the new Flicker Pool!  I love seeing an idea manifested through the heart and mind and crafty fingers of other crafty people!