About


  • Thank you for stopping by! Your thoughts are very much appreciated. Though I often try to, I am not always able to reply to each comment on each post. Please know that I read them all and smile!

My Etsy Shop!

In the Kitchen

  • Lentil Tacos
    Here's what's cooking!

The Library

  • Making Vintage Bags and French-Inspired Jewelry
    Books and Book Reviews

Music Box

  • Bach: The Cello Suites
    Current Listening...

Garden Path

  • Winter Morning
    Views from a Nordic garden, nature walks, flora & fauna...

Dear Husband's Music!

Charlie's Fan Club

  • Getting a Tan
    Our angel-boy...

Crafts

  • Lulu Zip Pouch
    A variety of creations I 've made...

June 30, 2008

On Vacation!

LondonPacking We are packed and ready to go!  And umbrellas are at the ready... as it looks like there could be a few showers this week.  But with the map book, good walking shoes and the umbrellas, London will be beautiful no matter what!  We will have the laptop with us and plan on at least one big photo post while we're there.  I probably won't have time to do a written post or visiting until we get back.  On Saturday we're meeting Marie and her husband Todd in Kent!  Many delights await us... we'll see where we end up!  Until soon... :o)

June 28, 2008

Pink Saturday!

Got PINK, will travel!  I was gathering some things to make ready to be packed for our trip to London early next week, and I noticed that many of the items were pink.  Perfect for Pink Saturday!  An oil cloth make up bag with pink roses pattern, which I made last year.  Pink cosmetics.  Pink travel toothbrush.  Pink earrings.  Pink address book and very pink Hello Kitty notebook.  Pink striped hat....Ah, London, here we come!

Happy PINK Saturday...and Happy weekend to you all! :o)   Stop by and see Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for the list of all those participating in Pink Saturday and see what others are doing with pink!

P.S. Today seemed like a great day to say, that just yesterday I found out that my sweet sister will be having a BABY GIRL this fall!   Little pink pretties to make--HOORAY!  And thank you so much, my friends, for your wonderfully kind and very supportive comments on my previous post.  It means a lot and warms my heart so!

June 26, 2008

Everybody hurts...sometimes...

So far this week there's been a lot going on as we prepare for our trip to London early next week.  I was hoping to get a few extra things in my Etsy shop this week...Some new jewelry and a wristlet is ready...Just not enough time to fuss with photos, write-ups, etc.  These new pretties will have to wait until we get back.  We've not even been on our holiday/vacation yet, and already I think of when we get back--LOL! 

But there is much to reflect on when we return from London.  When we get back I will be having a bit of a slow-down, at least for the month of July.  With summer here, I would like very much to enjoy it more with Dear Husband.  And we do have a lot of exterior painting yet to do on the house!  I also look forward to some time to work on creating some lovely things for my sister and her baby.  (She is doing very well, by the way, and the baby is blooming along great, very healthy baby!)  She's due in November, which is not really that far off...So I better get going on some little, tiny sweaters, bibs/burpies, bonnets and whatnot.  My sister has also asked me to make a special tote bag for her too to carry around baby things.  This will be fun!

There is more to the slow-down though.  Along with some recurring back pain I have, which I've mentioned before, I've also been experiencing some acute pain in my hands and wrists.  Basically I've been using muscles and joints in my hands and arms too much, too much repetitive motions.  Time at the computer using the keyboard is especially challenging at the moment.  I'm online a lot daily, more than I realize, tapping away---updating my Etsy shop, doing promotion at Etsy, making photos ready for the shop and blog, visiting my blog friends, writing personal and business emails...We all know this song though, don't we?  Everyone knows keeping a blog, visiting blogs requires a lot of time, energy, etc.  With the back pain and now the hand/wrist pain, I see that I must make some changes to feel better, or at least for my back and hands to feel better.  Part of this will mean reducing significantly the time I spend online and working at the computer.  This makes me quite sad though, as I so much enjoy visiting all you good friends, seeing what's happening at your blogs, responding to your comments you leave here.  I know response to comments is not "expected", but it is something I've tried to do as often as I can since I began blogging.  I like to talk, keep the conversations going, share things, to nurture these special friendships in my life.  For a little while at least though, I will not be able to respond to comments.  Questions I always have responded to, and will continue to do so.  I will still be around to visit everyone as often as I can, at least once a week.  Here at Pink Purl I will be reducing posts/updates to once a week, at least for part of the summer.  Occasionally I'll add a Pink Saturday post for a little extra, and these will mainly be picture posts, of course.  During July I will be updating and adding new items to my Etsy shop.  But I will be working less intensively for a bit and reducing my work time/hours. 

Not to worry though, I am OK!  Just in need of trying to take better care of myself, of my body.  Permanent damage to my back or hands is not something I want--LOL!   Not a good thing...So I'm making some small changes that will offer a big difference to the quality of my days.  I am using special support gloves on my hands while I do my craft work (and craft fun), as well as during time at the computer.   Special exercises for my hands and back are already helping.  I'm rearranging my daily schedule to make room for more exercise and movement.  And hope in time to even return to a more formal sitting meditation practice!

Well, anyway, thanks if you're still reading...and for listening.  I just wanted to let you know what's happening and what will be happening here this summer.  It's going to be a great summer!  And I'll still be around!  ;o)

Happy Weekend, my friends! 

P.S.  On a much lighter note, stop by if you can on Saturday for a little more Pink Saturday fun!  And can anyone "Name That Tune"--the song title and band that I've "borrowed" this post's title from?

June 23, 2008

Delicious...

The past weekend here at Pink Purl was very much about pretty things and fun. So I thought it would be great to start this new week with something tasty and delicious in a different sense...

After years of testing out lots of different recipes, and many tries of attempting to create my own ideal recipe for a meat-free alternative filling for tacos, finally I have made up a recipe that really works!  Since it's not easy where we are living to get tofu, TVP or other soy products, I use beans and legumes a lot in my vegetarian recipes.  My recipe for Lentil Tacos is now in my In the Kitchen section.  This Lentil Taco filling is very satisfying, full of texture, and has just the right kick of spice.  (Although feel free to be even bolder with the spices! ;o)   We loved the taco filling wrapped in soft flour tortillas with leafy lettuce, thin slices of avocado and a good glob of sour cream...mmm...Dear Husband, who does eat meat occasionally, said he prefers my lentil tacos now to the meat kind!   And since he does, I'll be making these again tonight!

Need something sweet after the spicy tacos?  About a week or so ago I was visiting my good friend Tracy's blog, Twisted Blossom, and she was talking about an amazing lemon pound cake she had made.  The very next day after reading about this I made the cake!  I was absolutely possessed.  Need... Lemon... Pound... Cake... Now!  LOL!  And so I followed Tracy's link for the recipe for this Easy Lemon Pound Cake.  This has to be the best lemony pound cake ever!  And if I recall rightly, Dear Husband and I ate about half the cake in one sitting!  But I have to say I did make one tiny change... I didn't make the glaze called for in the recipe, where a simple sugar and lemon mixture was to be poured over the still-warm cake.  Instead I made my own glaze and drizzled it over the cake after it had cooled.  (For the glaze I used about 1/4 cup powdered/icing sugar, 2 tsp lemon juice, and enough water to make it a drizzly-consistency.)  The other half of the cake I had put in the freezer...  But think I'm going to have to go get it out now to defrost for later!

Hope you all have a delicious week... :o)