Wander With Me

Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe.

(Anatole France)

Today has been absolutely gorgeous.

Blue skies without a cloud in sight.

Perfect weather for getting out and about.

Wandering up and down the streets of the neighborhood.

Looking for spots of beauty along the way.

I so appreciate homeowners who have green spaces around their properties as it makes my walks so much more enjoyable.

And as I wander up and down each street, there's always something new and wonderful to see.

 

Those who contemplate the beauty of the Earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.

(Rachel Carson)

Happy New Years Eve!

Beach Weather

While we were in Dubai, the weather was absolutely gorgeous with very mild temperatures.  Perfect for walking and outdoor dining but you would not find me sitting beside the pool or beach in a bathing suit.  Weather is relative.  I was still dressed warmly while Europeans who had left the snow and cold were only too happy to shed their woolly clothing.  My kids say I have been living in Kuwait far too long.  Anything below 70 degrees to me is chilly, 

 

Here in Kuwait, daytime temperatures are in the mid-70's.  Perfect for walking along the beach which is just what I did yesterday, collecting sea treasures along the way.

And then I doodled my collection once I was back at home.

A very relaxing way to spend the day.

I love Winter Break!

Best wishes,

Christmas in Dubai

My husband had business meetings in Dubai on Christmas Day so I was fortunate to tag along for the ride.  We left Wednesday afternoon and returned Friday night, but even a quick trip there is refreshing.  There is a sense of freedom you don't find here.  My husband says the country could survive alone on the money generated from tourism.  It has a true international feel and they certainly know how to invite people in and show them a good time.

On Christmas Eve there were carolers in the lobby of our hotel and Santa could even be found in the Japanese restaurant where we ate dinner.

Everywhere we went there were trees and lights and Christmas greetings.

 

 

I hope you all had a lovely celebration with family and friends.

Happy holidays,

Weekday Outing and Some Stashbusting

Morning outings any day of the week is one of the benefits of being on Winter Break.  Yesterday a friend and I went for a traditional South Indian breakfast and then strolled around Al Kout enjoying the beautiful weather.

 It would seem that my afternoon crochet creations were inspired by the colors I had seen earlier in the day.

 While visiting some of the participants in the stash-buster link party at Linda's Crafty Corner, I came across this easy crochet gift bag pattern from Marianna's Lazy Daisy Days.

The size can be easily adjusted to whatever you may gifting and unlike the gift bags I usually make, there's no sewing up of sides as this pattern is worked in the rounds.  I will definitely be making many, many more of these in all different sizes for all different reasons.

Happy Holidays,

Anything But Cleaning

Winter Break is in full swing here.  My intention yesterday was to do some cleaning, but instead I was skywatching ...

baking ...

zaatar and tomato flatbread from veganricha

crocheting ...

crocheting...

and crocheting some more.

As a friend said, cleaning will always be there.

Just not sure when I will get to it.

Linking to Linda's Crafty Corner for the Stash-buster Party.

Best wishes,

Yadawi Open House

Yadawi.

An idea not limited to handmade.

It's a philosophy with the focus on the process of being a maker.

It's about weaving and creating a community and a way of life that's rich with meaning and beauty.

The Arabic word yadawi means handmade.

Today I attended an open house of Yadawi, an artisan collective.

The venue was a beautiful home called Casa Biyana.

The large wooden front door opens onto a central courtyard which is where the artisans displayed their handmade adornments.

 

 

There were even handpainted and carved eggs from chickens, ducks, geese, emus, ostriches.

Incredible work that takes a whole lot of patience.

 

We were served Arabic coffee and spice apple cider and were able to chat with the artists about their work.  Such a lovely event.

 

This stray kitty was happily ensconced in a potted plant right outside Casa Biyana.

 

Truly a beautiful oasis for everyone.

Best wishes,