Saturday, September 29, 2012

Embracing Fall......

Yes, there are changes in the air

The beginning....


it was just like that in Boston 2 weeks ago


and this was what I saw in Amana 2 days ago


yes, there are changes in the air


precious treasures....



look, they are everywhere around you


I love the yellow against the brilliant blue of the sky



 this trip to Iowa, after visiting my brother-in-law, I took an afternoon off, drove 30 miles south to The Amana Colonies all by myself while husband went back to office for work


The Amana Colonies are a group of settlements of radical German Pietists in Iowa. They were first settled in New York State near Buffalo but in order to live out their beliefs in more isolated surroundings they moved west, to east-centrla Iowa in 1856. They lived a communal life until the mid 1930s. Due to this, the Amanas are sometimes mistaken for Amish
A striking feature of the Amana Colonies is that for eighty years they maintained an almost completely self-sufficient local economy, importing very little from the wider, industrializing U.S. economy.
The Amanians were able to achieve the independence life style by adhering to the specialized handcrafts and farming occupations which they had brought with them from Germany. Master craftsmen passed on from one generation to the next, the knowledge, techniques, and skills of the artisan iron and copper smiths, woodwrights, weavers, shoemaers, cheese makers, etc.
Today, Amana is a major tourist attraction known mainly for its restaurants and craft shops.  The colonies as a whole have been listed as a National Historic Landmark since1965
(** the above notes about Amana Colonies are from Wikipedia, read more here)





the weather was amazing so I walked my legs off and saw a ton of things



and when I got tired

happiness is a cup of coffee and a really really good piece of German cream horn


I sat there, sipping coffee and watching someone tweeting.....


It was such a beautiful, peaceful afternoon


simple pleasures......



I hope you are finding joy 

with the little things around you today




on the personal side, we got home worried as we were still waiting for the news of my brother-in-law, he looked really pale and weak when we were there, like us, he was very worried about the scanned results. Just a few hours ago, we received the good news, doctor said his condition is treatable, what a great relief.
I want to THANK all of you, my lovely blog friends, for your thoughts and prayers, please continue to pray for our family, Dan, Randy's eldest brother, is kind of the male model in Randy's life, he is 14 years older and Randy is the baby of the family, he grew up mostly with Dan and his wife Marilyn. We love Dan and hope to see him healthy again....

and


I got to meet up with Stephanie this trip, we had sushi and chatted quite a bit, it was fun!
Isn't it wonderful when you get to meet your blog friends IRL?



Friday, September 28, 2012

Dashing through the snow...

Here's another pre-scheduled post

for 

Jingle Belles "Dashing Through the Snow"








thanks for your lovely comments while I am gone, will visit you when I get home



Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Pink Dreams........

We just got the news that my brother-in-law is not feeling well, and we are making a last minute decision to fly out to Cedar Rapids as soon as possible, I better schedule my post since I am not taking my lap top with me....

Here's what I make for 

PTI Make It Monday #84 ~ Reflected Sentiments

this is the new technique I learn, I love it, there is a video tutorial by Betsy Veldman over at Nichole's blog "capture the moment", it is fun, go check it out!



Pink Dreams........



my layout....



the details.....




I also used a bit of water color and glimmer mist on the patterned paper





Patterned Paper - Teresa Collins
Stamps for sentiments - PTI for the graduate stamp set
Stamps on Label - PTI Label Basic stamp set
Stamp for Oval shape label - PTI framed out mini stamp set #8
Borders Die - PTI Loop De Loop Die
Flowers - Michaels and Martha Stewart




Tuesday, September 25, 2012

City Crafter Challenge Blog Week 128 ~ An Early Boo....

Happy Tuesday crafty friends....

I am hosting the challenge this week at 




I am shouting an early BOO!!!!!

that means - a halloween project


can't remember where I got this button, but I just love it's vintage look




we have a wonderful sponsor this week


freckled fawn is giving away a $15 gift certificate to our winner, you must check it out!
not just that, the followers of City Crafter Challenge Blog will also enjoy free shipping this week, hop over to get the code


Freckled Fawn is a lovely little shop filled with hundreds of washi tapes and deco tapes, perfect for all your crafting needs. Check them out for sure!!!!!



I can't help but to share with you again my cute pumpkin at the front door! : )
You probably going to see them again and again until winter arrives! LOL!



Sunday, September 23, 2012

Autumn Party

Hello crafty people, did you have a fun weekend?

remember this little project I started a while ago?


It's done last week, I put all the little granny square together and make a cover for my bench at the backyard...


the red bench on my patio has a little stain because I used to put plants on top, the stain just stay even I wash the benches again and again, we had a little house party yesterday, and I didn't want my guest to think the benches are too dirty to sit on, so I make a little cover for the benches.



and that's what happened when you get bored doing the same thing lazy, instead of making lots of tiny granny square and sew them together, I make 2 big square instead, that saves time, LOL!


and the benches at the backyard is now all dressed up for the party


I also have a little pumpkin project for the front door




since the party was at the backyard, I put my pumpkin project and little sign up on the wall to show the way...


now a little "kit kat" dressed up for the party





That was all I did the past few days......