Hooked on crochet!

I am hooked on crochet, I just love it. This is a picture of my first real creation that I found here.
Look how proud I look wearing it!
I am also working on an afghan, and that will take a looong time I know, but I love the colors that I chose and how they look together. I will post some pictures when I am a little bit further into it, I don't want to hex it by posting brag pictures too soon (lol!)
Right now what frustrates me at this very novice stage is reading crochet patterns, or at least attempting to read them. Is like learning a new language! I love when designers understand that is a stage that all novice crocheters go through and explain the process some more, specially on those projects labeled as "beginner".
I am also taking on some knitting...yes that is just like me, doing a couple of things at the same time. I find that knitting is even more complicated that crochet, but I also find the charm to it. I found this website to be a lot of help: knittingHelp.com

All that chat above brings me to this: Have I told you how much I love HANDMADE? I sometimes think I was born in a time and place where I don't belong. I wish I were a lady from the south, hand quilting under a tree in a lazy summer afternoon. My busy 20th century life and full time job doesn't let me spend a lot of time working on my handmade creations and so I am always a novice sewer, embroiderer,knitter, quilter, crocheter...I have tried it all. I can't help it...I just drool over the work of the human hands and the creativity I see in them.
In the end that is what made me blog, and then again I will have to admit that is one of many good things about this time we all live in. I am always in awe about how the computer is a window that opens up to so much knowledge and lets me see into the creative lives of so many people...when I feel tense and overwhelmed I just spend some time reading the wonderful blogs of so many women like me, who appreciate the beauty of the creations of the human soul and hands.

Thank you fellow bloggers for letting me in into a little bit of your life and thank you for reading this...

And after....

I think there is quite a change, huh? This is how it looks only $200 after.
Of course, I brought my old furniture from my former office so I didn't need to buy new stuff and that was a huge saving. As a matter of fact I sold everything that I wouldn't need.

I think the space is really nice and I enjoy the time I spend there. It has wonderful light and a fig tree that I can look at through the window (yes, I know I have said that before, but I think that tree is what sold me into renting this space)

My color scheme is a complimentary gray-blue and orange. I chose these colors because the cool gray-blue makes the space look a little bit larger and also helps the brain. Then my orange choice was mainly because I like orange...it is such a happy and optimistic color!
I think this place only needs a small area rug and maybe a couple of comfy-but-not-too-large chairs. I will keep adding little knick knacks that add charm...it will be fun!

Before...

I am very happy about my new office space.
Yes, it is small and yes, it is not glamorous...but there is so much charm about an old building that harbors a fig tree that I just couldn't resist this place.
The picture above is the before, of course. One good thing about an ugly before is that "after" pics always look great.

French is Yummy

Pain au chocolat, croissant...everything is so much sexier and tastier in French!
I used the Joy of Cooking recipe, that is one book I couldn't live without for sure.
Everything's so well explained it makes it easy.

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Baking the blues away

I've had a rough week, really. Who doesn't have some not-so-nice-days every once in a while?

What I do when I am stressed out is first, I take a deep breath, and then I go to my usual therapies of either running, crafting or cooking (I have to admit I also have kid like tantrums and meltdowns, but those are the lesser occasions)
This week's therapy was baking...and I had so much fun! I prepared a heavenly Challah that we had with spiced wine for dinner, pizza dough for tomorrow's lunch and croissant dough for tea tomorrow. I also baked a whole wheat sponge bread, but I was watching a movie and I thought I had turned the oven off and I didn't...The bread did not burn, but it is really hard! Well, one of four is not that bad, is it?
I've never made croissants myself, all that turning of the dough makes it look so complicated!

I'll let you know how they turned out tomorrow. See ya!

My paid job

I think I have never posted anything related to my paid job ( I have so many other jobs, all other done in exchange of love!)
Well, these pictures are from my latest project, a Wyndham will-be property in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica.
This project will end up being amazing when it is finally done, right now these are only model rooms.
Hope you like them!

Creative Outlets

I live a full life as a wife, designer and mother of three. And full comes with stress, for sure.
So I have two choices for winding down: either I put on my sneakers and run or I start creating something. Anything. A gift without a recipient or dateline, just because.

I found this cute pattern of a Russian Doll in my blogger surfing adventures and I couldn't resist it. There is no little girls in my family anymore, but I did it, just for the joy of creating it. And one was not enough for me, I had to make three!

My kids loved them so much that Vicente already took one of them, we named her Chloe, and gave it to his teacher who is expecting a baby girl. She just loved her!