Sunday, October 24, 2010

Masha and Oscar...and why I love Australian Kelpie dogs

I have posted many times about Oscar, our almost 6 year old KELPIE, a neutered male.
Yesterday we added Masha to complete the Kelpie pack. A female that was found by the Muscogee Animal control and put up for adoption by the humane society.
She is the most calm and laid back dog I have ever met.
Don't they just look like twins?





And this is our Oscar:

Saturday, October 16, 2010

On the Oklahoman map... LittleCrow Trading Post in Tonkawa

Meet local  handmade artists and crafts people in our North Central Oklahoma neighborhood.
I especially love this new store which also serves in community support and shows positivity in hard economical times.


 (In Historic Downtown   119 E. Grand Ave   Tonkawa, OK 74653
20 miles S of KS State Line, 2 miles E of I-35 on Hwy 60, S 1 mile on Hwy 77 to stoplight, Left 1 block) 


Littlecrow Tradingpost is the newest addition to the shopping scene of Tonkawa, a friendly small town where the clocks seem to go a bit slower and  the historic down town area has preserved a 1950s/60s vibe.
Janet and Sonny LittleCrow had their grand opening today and we enjoyed their hospitality during their open house. It was a wonderful October morning with a classic car show downtown which really set a nice retro tone for locals and visitors who strolled on Grand Avenue, the main street.



Their store has been newly renovated and it has been stocked with mainly Native American regalia, but you can also find art, jewelry, leather work and gifts for every taste and budget.  They specialize in custom made clothing for powwows and are very professional leather and fabric artists but yet very friendly and down to earth. They have a wealth of knowledge about authenticity of styles and traditional wearables.
Go stop in Tonkawa on your roadtrip and enjoy awesome "handmadeness" in Oklahoma.





Picture of store and inventory copied from their official website

Friday, October 15, 2010

Random things that may inspire you

like they inspire me, revive me, when fatigue or a certain "seen it all" feeling creeps in.
My #1:
Traditionally, Earl Grey is a blend of black China teas treated with natural oils of the Bergamot citrus fruit, which gives the tea a distinctive perfumed aroma and flavor.
More about this wonderful tea mixture here

Even later in life we still can experience many Firsts, it's never too late to try something new or give something a chance that may have never intrigued before:
today I went to my first estate sale. I have been to hundreds of flea markets and thrift stores, but the special structure of an estate sale was something new and I loved it, as it was a very "people oriented" event with lots of chats with strangers waiting in line to be let in. As banal as it may sound, a first can be the first step into a new direction of interest or understanding.





Booooooooooooooooks....
I still consider them a pleasure to hold in my hand, sniff its old scent when it's a second hand paperback or cherish the beautiful artwork of a hardcover book's sleeve. Books let you take your time, and reread a passage that may have a special message, or just make you pause after a paragraph of deja-vu or sudden understanding.


There are wonderful spiritual books out there that don't necessarily have to be religious or orthodox lore.
Amazon is my favorite source for finding books on topics off the beaten path.





Sleep is a wonder drug. Once we realize our body's demand for a certain amount of rest we should respect the message our physique is sending us. I run best on 8 to 10 hours of sleep and if life permits I'll sleep until I wake up on my own. One of my favorite German proverbs says "While you sleep you cannot sin":)


Salvadore Dali...Sleep

HAPPY Friday!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Out of the box knit, crochet and woven scarves

I don't want to sound like an advertisement spokeswoman, but I got to show off these 2 latest scarves, as I had a ton of fun making them.
And the concept had not been clear until I finally sat down to finish them. Little additions usually set the tone for the final look and feel.
Listed on Etsy.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Golden October dread tams & slouchy beanie hats

In Germany we call a sunny and warm October the "golden October", similar to an Indian summer here.
This slouch beanie was inspired by all the bright leaves colors soon to fall.


I love to start new projects ... and I dislike finishing them. These tams could have been listed weeks ago, but better late than never:)

I don't get tired of making these patchwork tams, they turn out differently each time and I won't know the overall look until the rim has been finished. Predictable can be boring, and I love surprises.


A different version with a wool blend as 2nd strand.

This improvised star tam is a prime example of procrastinating. Finally listed on Etsy.

Extreme bulky yarn, but wonderfully soft and casual. A tam of my "blue hat period".

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

X-ing the malls, checking the fleamarkets and crafters' booths

Thanks to a fantastic fleamarket at the Ponca City Art Center where the proceeds go back to the art society, I had a blast this afternoon.
This picnic basket is filled with several goodies, wood beads, craft book, fabric, yarn. And picnic dishes:)


New additions to my mid century to 1970s dinner ware and ceramic collection.

Restoration project for Sid: old little side table with colored glass table piece and stained glass candle holder.

Little beaded medicine bags, purchased from a craft booth at the Standing Bear powwow, Ponca City.



Handmade wall pocket made out of clay by an Oklahoman artist from Tipton, bought at the "Laughing Lizzard" at Medicine Park".

I hope you enjoyed this little tour through home decor and things that make me happy.
Re-use, make it by hand, keepsake the old and this world will be a tiny bit better place.

Monday, October 4, 2010

A gem in the handmade shopping scene of Oklahoma: Medicine Park



Many days go by when I think about posting about a little event, a trip, a new hippie tam hat design, and I simply don't have the time to put it into a well written little blurb or upload an accompanying picture.



I have reconsidered trying to make the perfect posts, but just share...in unrefined words and phrases and pictures not highly edited, an honest glimpse into the life of the PSD people, hubby and me.

Last Saturday we spent a very interesting day in the Southeastern region of OK, close to Lawton where we visited Mount Scott in the Wichita mountain wildlife refuge, Medicine Park, the cutest little town with river walk, handmade shops, unique cafes and just a great vibe.



To top off a busy day we headed to the Comanche Fair where we visited with relatives, looked around, had dinner and overall had a pretty good work-out walking all over the large fair grounds by the Comanche headquarters.
And finally, I have a picture of myself posing in front of a genuine tipi.

Escaping the routine of working at home often is rewarded with a renewed feeling of inspiration and satisfaction.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Artfire is all grown up now aka out of BETA, a beautiful red collection including my hemp wool hippie tam hat


and I have been so lucky to be included:)