I am Back

Hi There everyone. 

After what seemed to me longer than ever I am back to my little space. 

I could probably spend a whole day trying to write about everything I have been doing since the last time I was here ... 
Instead I will just give you a little bit of what we did this summer and will tell you all about what I have been doing lately ...

I have been so blessed this year with graduation, getting my daughter to college, my son is a Senior in HS now and my trip to Brazil to see my family. 
We have been having such a great time this year and our family time together has been exceptionally happy. We made great memories this summer and have done so many things I couldn't possibly start to tell you all the details, but I can share a few of the highlights from our summer and hope to start coming back here to share a bit of my life with you again. 

I have to warn you that this post has an overdose of pictures ... but I do think they are worth looking at.

I continue to be a bit "out of commotion" and my shoulder is still "frozen".  After spending most of my day writing assessments in a computer I really can't stay in the computer for very long and that is why I have been more present on IG (Instagram) as it is a bit easier for me to do it - shorter posts and shorter comments makes it easier on my hands and shoulder. If you fancy take a look at my pictures there once in a while.

But I do MISS YOU ALL A WHOLE LOT .

Here is a small overview of our summer:

First my daughter graduated from High School. It was a happy moment for all of our family and we are so proud of her. 

and here is one of her Senior's picture ... She is the light of my life.

After her graduation we had a nice party for a few friends and family and she had a great time.

I finished a T-Shirt Quilt for her and Java was there supervising me the whole time. 

and of course I had to knit her a blanket also but I don't have a picture today.

Right after her party it was time to fill our luggage and get ready to go to Brazil and see my family ... We had a wonderful time and spent every second we had together 

oh that was so wonderful ... 

We spent so much time with my Mom, both my sisters and their families and a lot of my family members. Some of them had not seen the kids for over 4 years ... It is amazing how much they have changed in 4 years. 

We went to an art fair and I cannot start telling you how much fun it was

All 3 generations here together ...

Here we are with an artist who made the cutest African dolls and I'm wearing a shirt my mom embroidered for me ... that is her favorite craft. 

We saw all kinds of beautiful arts ...

and crafts ...

We had lots of fresh fruits and saw all the beautiful places we could get to ...

My city is about 500 years old so it has lots of beautiful historical places to see.

and the beaches are just so gorgeous ... we really did soak up the sun 

And when it was time to come back we spent a wonderful weekend with my family at a beautiful beach about 2 hours from our city ... it was heavenly. 

From there we went to spend almost one week in Rio and it was like another vacation on it's own. The city is wonderful and it was like a dream ... unforgettable.

This is the "Christ the Redeemer" point 

 And this is the Sugar Loaf Mountain 

The view of the city from the Sugar Loaf Mountain right at Sunset ... Just breathtaking

We took ALL of the hats, blankets, little sweaters and mittens and my mom continues to distributes them every single week with a new layette she puts together for the underprivileged pregnant women in the Center and in their community. It's hard to believe, but sometimes she has over 5 of those a month and with every deliver she sends a note from where the hats came from ... 

My mom and I want to say A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU who contributed to this project. I was amazed at your response and the kind and warm heart in each one of you. Your gifts and donations continue to make many happy  families and continue to protect many babies in Brazil.

This is what I took with me 

My mom is sending pictures and I will soon be posting some here for you to see where your hats all went.

We have been back here for a few months and it took me a while, but I can now say we are getting back to normal, although the holiday is upon us again and we continue to be as busy as ever.

I know I am already so busy , but I have decided to start a little dream I have had in the back of my mind for a very long time. It has always been my desire to write patterns, have a knitting store, sale knitted items ... do something on my daily life in which I share my love for knitting and crocheting. 

Well, I think I have found the beginning of the way to achieve that dream. 

I have reopened my ETSY shop. 

TaciStudio.etsy.com

I have been making these cute, decorative kitchen "T" towels (and baby blankets) with a crochet edge for over 20 years. I have always loved them and have shared with hundreds of friends. I have decided I will now share it with the world and wanted You to be the first ones to see them as I open my etsy shop.

I am selling the ready made towels, and now I'm also going to be offering a KIT which will have all you need to make one of them yourself. I will also have the pattern for the crochet edge there and you will be able to download the PDF if you want to buy just the pattern. 

Here is the KIT 

I know it seems crazy to add one more thing with all the things I already have going, but I have to say you have no idea how excited I'm for this new adventure. I really think it is something I will still be doing when I finally get to retire :) :) 

Now, I will have to say this is a new adventure so I probably have lots to learn and I'm sure It will take me a while till I get it all right ... I'm also going to start very slow, but I know you are all so very patient and such great supporters you will be right here beside me on this exciting adventure. 

Again, thanks for coming back to see me here today after this long absence and for your continuos support. 

I MISS all of you so very much and can't wait to hear what you think about what I shared with you today. 

Till next time and I hope you are enjoying your fall harvest.

All my love,

Taci 

Thanksgiving is gone and "It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas

Hi There Friends...

Thanks so much for all your kind and nice comments. You are the reason I come back here (almost) every week and I'm so grateful and thankful for you ... We had a wonderful and not as quiet as I was hoping for Holiday, but we had a great time with our family and then on Saturday we had another feast with our friends...

We all enjoyed and probably eat a lot more than we should've ... but we don't do that every day so it was just fine...

I was working on doing a leaf to put on my table ...

 

My builder (and now friend), Kristy told me about this pattern which I absolutely love.  It's on Ravelry and you find as Wolly Acorn and Oak Leaf designed by Marie Mayhem.

 

   It Looked great when I had the table all set up, with a table cloth it looked so pretty. Unfortunately I have been getting home so late that we really do not have any light to take good pictures...So that is all I have for now.

 

 

I bought the yarn and my plan is to have 2 more done. They are all different colors and I think it will look great when they are all together, but I really don't think I'll get to it again till next year as I won't really put them on the table till next fall...

I can't wait to work on them again and see it all together.

 

I also bought some yarn for more hats ...

 

 

I'm sooooo very excited as I had been wanting  this yarn for such a long time. I found it at one of our local yarn shops and could not resist ... so 3 more hats will be born before Christmas...

 

and talking about Christmas ... I did a little decorating this weekend also. The Christmas tree is not decorated yet ... just lights... but it does give the feeling that "it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas" around here ... and I love it .

 

 

 

 I just love this santa ... he has such a great attitude and he looks so happy ...

 

 

And this is my nutcracker collection. My husband and the kids have giving me one every year for the 24 years we have been married.

 

A couple of years ago I made the stockings for us and I was so happy they turned out cute and fun ....



 

I know you cannot really see our Christmas tree very well, but I thought this picture turned out  really fun ... When the tree is decorated I will show it again soon ...

 

 

I hope you are enjoying the beginning of your Christmas season and that you are enjoying time with your families, loved ones and friends whichever way you celebrate...

 

I'm very happy you are here to "see" me and wish you a wonderful Christmas month ... 

Hats, Hats, hats

Hi There Dear Friends

 

 It has been cold over here. We had a very cold blustery week last week and then so much ice I couldn't get out of the house to go to work. I brought some work home as the weather people had predicted the cold front, but I had a little bit of time to also knit and get started with Christmas gifts ... yay!!!

 

I did get my daughter's cowl finished. However, she loved it so much I could not get a hold of it to take a picture and show you yet ... soon...

 

But what I have really been very excited about it lately is ... hats ...

I don't know about you but sometimes I get obsessed with making so many cowls... so many gloves ...

and now It's hats ...

it seems to happen on the holidays to me ...

In general I prefer the variety and I make a lot of different things at the same time ... but the holidays I always find myself making the same thing over and over ... It might be easier since I have to make so many of them,

 

I found a lovely pattern on Pinterest (yes another obsession of mine) and you can see it here at www.shemakeshats.com . What a wonderful blog. She literally makes tons of hats and donates and gives most of them as gifts. She got me really inspired to start a project I have been thinking about doing for a very long time ... I am getting ready for it and will tell you all about it next week.

 

For now I have been knitting, knitting, knitting ... hats... hats ... hats... like a crazy woman.

 

It all started with this hat for myself ...

I have never liked any ... I mean ...I have made hundreds of hats and I have never found one pattern I like on myself ...

this one is a first .

 

I have make some adjustments .. I made it with a ribbed border ... and changed the length a little... but I love it so much I think I'm going to make a dark color one for myself after I finish all the Christmas gifts.

 

Not sure if you can see the hat very well ... it's kind of tricky to take a selfy with the camera by my "official photographer" was not home...

 

I'm having so much fun I just wish we had a few more hours in the day (who doesn't right ?) or my ultimate wish is that I had 8 hands and arms (like an octopus - God please I'm just joking really ...) ... but what I really need is to just enjoy this really fun and great feeling ... and continue my journey ...

 

 

 

 

My niece, my daughter, my son... everybody wants one  ... and the list goes on ... what is a girl to do ??? just go buy more yarn (darn :)) and keep knitting ...

 

 

 

and that is exactly what I did ... 

 

 

 

 

We are going to celebrate thanksgiving next week and I'm most incredibly thankful for so many blessings ...

 

And amongst all the blessings I have to count I have you my friends to be so very thankful for ...

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving !!!

 

 

 

Another sunset picture from Gino ...

 

 

)

and our beautiful Mt. Hood seen from our window

 

And here is a picture of my charming photographer ...

 

Picture credit to Gino Simmons

( intagram simmonsgino