What to write a day before Christmas?

Hold on, you will say, Christmas is not on Dec 24th, but for me it is.
Christmas Eve has always been Christmas for my family. The day of opening presents and anticipation to share time with the kids, small or all grown up now.
Christmas Day is the official dinner day, it's all about food and visiting with relatives in a wider sense.
We did put up a little cedar tree today, just an itty bitty thing from our own land. A slightly pitiful version, very low key like everything else this year. Totally fine with us. We will strip the cedar needles later this year and use them for sweatlodge ceremonies.
I am so through with taking product pictures or trying to sound interesting or social-network-worthy, I have chosen to keep silent for the most part of December and focus on getting all the hats and scarves shipped in time for the holiday shipping deadlines.

When everything was finally said and done business-wise I tended to my personal little pleasures:
Ebay shopping, cleaning my closet (and regain space), sleeping in, watching the lunar eclipse, it basically has been a very enjoyable mini vacation at home.


Holiday wishes to you and yours from Purple Sage Designz aka Angelika

1970s styles...my kind of eye candy

Love these random pictures of this era, before cellulars and pcs in our ever faster moving life.

THESE PRINTS AND THE HAIR ROCK!

Veruschka, the model legend who dared to be different and a true amazon woman.

Hair culture icon: Marsha Hunt

Living the future in the past

Seventies sophistication

I wanted a Karman Ghia convertable, like this

These 3 women seemed incredible beautiful on the tv screen

The Gift of Time, German St Nick and 2 candles burning on the advent wreath

If I had more hours in each day I would post thoughts, wishes and events.
Retail season is brutal and does not leave enough room for contemplation or rest.
I have come to realize that by giving myself the gift of some "free' time I give myself (and loved ones) the best gift ever. Blogging has to move to the backburner, same for facebook or any other social networking.

2nd Advent Sunday...

2 candles burning
and traditonally it will be St. Nikolaus Day in Germany on Dec 6th.
http://german.about.com/library/blnikolaus.htm

Take a stroll through German traditions with pictures and related links.
(A huge pile of almost finished tams will be listed in January...been busy like an elf:)

ADVENT NOSTALGIA

Bringing back some long lost traditions for the advent time...with handmade decoration for our table, essential myrrhe oil (alternating with sage) and real candle lightning.
I am taking control of Christmas again, which seemed to have vanished with gift commercials, big spending and plastic trees. Instead of running from it (we just reconsidered and not fly to Jamaica over the holidays) I will embrace it in a new and yet old way, guided by childhood memories when advent and Christmas were the most magical times of the year for me.

(cedar tree branches, pine cones, potatoes sliced in half as base for the small branches, insert about half of an inch, keeps them moist, simple red scented candle, container or platter from around the house, protect bottom with scraps of bubble wrap etc)

Every year my mother handmade advent wreaths, they were traditional, natural and (compared to 2010) rather plain, but smelled of pine and bees wax. One candle was lit on the 1st advent Sunday, and every day during the first week, then 2 candles burned on the 2nd advent Sunday...until all 4 candles were lit on the last Sunday before Christmas Eve and Day.

More information about Advent here

Preview of new scarves...

 

Pistacchio green woven & crochet scarf

...will be listed AFTER Black Friday (no sales pitches on black Friday from me)

 

My first model sold within a day and I am so happy about the design idea

Happy Thanksgiving, Meister Eckhart quote and new dread tam hats

In honor of Thanksgiving I have added tams in beautiful calm fall colors.
Scroll past my Thanksgiving greeting
to get a first glimpse, they are listed in the pre-made section on my website Purple Sage Designz
Be safe, have a great grateful time with family & friends.
Peace and love!

One more note to new buyers:
I monitor my website daily, so you can order with confidence:)

pure cotton long dread tam
for green lovers patchwork tam
neutral plus soft tam

Crazy busy

I haven't shown much blog love lately, time just passes by in a blink and highlight of my days are the pick up of my daily mail to customers.
Updates with pictures of new hats coming soon:)

Harmony

Oscar and Masha are best buddies now, what a lovely site.
2 peas in a pod, we are very happy that they are so compatible and have found their match. 2 dogs are happier than one, just like we humans.
Happy weekend!

Finally a 70s hippie inspired Project Runway Design Winner --- Gretchen Jones

Love her collection and her styling. Green organic feel with a touch of retro and hippy vibe.
I am glad that the IMO punk influenced and more juvenile collection by Mondo did not take the spotlight of the winning show, even though he appeared to be great as a person and designer per se.
Gretchen may have not been everyone's darling but she evolved into a very talented true-to-herself designer with self-reflection who actually takes us women into account. Her tops, pants and skirts have such a beautiful ease. I am tired of seeing sexy bare little cocktail dresses coming down the runway...but that's just me:)



The fab music is "Icarus" by White Hinterland.

Tam Hat news...NEWSBOY HIPPIE AND DREAD HAT DESIGNS LISTED

Back in the groove with new yummy hats. All listed on Etsy.

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:

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

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!

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.

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".

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.