Ruffle Scarf

Finished this last night and took a few pictures today.
  
I wasn't all that crazy about this while I was working on it, but once I saw it wrapped around Lillian's neck, I love it.
  
Worked a slip stitch border around the outside edge, using just dark blue and purple I cannibalized from the last ball of yarn. Wanted something besides the usual single crochet blah, blah, blah finish -

  

I like the thickness of the edge

 

and how the front

 

and back edges

 
have totally different looks. Almost as if they were bound off in knitting. 

Very happy with this one. 

Favorite Picture

I'm not fond of most pictures of me, but I rather like this one.
 
Taken with hubby's several years old cell phone. He done good.
 

Flutterby

I can't remember who first called them this - probably Rachel - but butterflies have always been 'flutterbies' at our house. 
 
I had to consciously stop myself from saying that when we bought tickets today at the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum for the butterfly exhibit (through Sept. 16). 
 
Leanne wasn't sure what all the fuss was about. 

She thought the butterflies were ok; she quickly figured out they weren't going to let her touch them and that pretty much ended her interest. 
 
What she really loved was the water fountain at the exhibit entrance. Splashing in the water was lots more fun.

 

Hubby and I enjoyed the exhibit -

 

and the opportunity to take yet more pictures of Leanne -

 

even though the temperature was a bit high for Santa Barbara - all the way up in the low 80's!

  

We spent some time walking through the permanent exhibits - have to take Leia to see the mammal hall; she'll love it - and admiring the animatronic T. Rex stationed outside the temporary dinosaur exhibit.

 
I thought Leanne might be afraid of Rex but she took him right in stride. 

It's been awhile since we've been here; I forget what a nice little museum it is. 

 

But with the butterflies and dinosaurs here until September, and the nice permanent exhibits, I think we'll be coming back again soon.

Birthday Girl

Her birthday isn't until Monday but we celebrated with Leia on Saturday, starting at the local mall. Hubby and I told Leia we were taking her to pick out a birthday present, but didn't tell her where, exactly, we were going. The minute she spotted Build A Bear Workshop, she started begging to go there - which was nice, since that was our destination.
 
Leia waited patiently while her pony - 'like Addy has' - was created, 
then carefully bathed her, Leia's favorite part of the process.
 
After surprisingly little debate, Leia picked out an outfit - a Rapunzel princess dress. Surprise! -
 
roller skates and a leash ('like Addy has'. See a theme here?)
 
Keeping with family tradition, Leia got to choose her birthday cake. No surprise, her choice was "cupcake", her name for the chocolate lava cake* I found recently on Pinterest. She looooooooves that cake (we all do.) 
She also loves helping me make it -
 
which can get interesting when I turn my back for 5 seconds and she pours the cake topping into the batter and starts stirring . . . .
Licking the spoon is still the best part.

We ended the day by opening presents from Daddy,

 
including a twirling bathtub Princess Tiana,
 
princess jewelry and make-up.
  
and an mp3 player from Gramma and PopPop for listening to her 'tunes'. 
Make a wish -
 
then blow out the candles.
 
Happy birthday, Leia! 

* I omit the vanilla and substitute water for milk; more lactose-friendly that way.

Ravellenic Games

I always work better to a deadline - like the Tour de France spinning marathon - so when Ravelry's Ravellenic Games were announced, my response was "h*ll yes, I'm in!"

My first project is done -
 
a for-pay pair of mittens made with sock yarn.  The fingers are each worked with 2 strands of yarn, alternating every few rows to break up the color bands. 
Note the solid color fingertips? A nice touch, yes? (You don't even want to know how many ends there were to weave in . . . . )

The main project, the one I've been working on every day since the Opening Ceremony, is a cabled sweater for hubby. 
I've wanted to make this since I bought the book, years ago (the project's been in my Ravelry queue since 2007.) I love the cables 
but I love the color-work bands even more. 
The front and back are both 3/4 done. Which leaves the remain 1/4, both sleeves, finishing - including the color-work neck band - and weaving in my ends. All in 3 days. Crossing my fingers I can make it across the finish line in time.

My Little Thespian

I love how expressive Leanne's face is.  

Between that and her (very) carrying voice,  

the girl may be headed for 

a long and successful career on the stage.

 

  

My sweet little drama princess.

 

Rainy Day Do's

On a nice rainy summer afternoon, do you . . . . 

nap?
enjoy a nice stretch? 
watch a movie? 
play dress-up? 
look for rainbows? 
have a nice, refreshing drink? 
How do you celebrate summer showers?