Poll: What should I name my new baby cockatiel?

Hey all!

I'd like to invite those of you who haven't voted already to cast your vote for what you think I should name my new baby cockatiel! The poll can be found in the upper right corner of this page.

Thanks!!! :D

New Birdie!!!

Hey all --

Just wanted to let you get a glimpse at the newest addition to my home: a little 6-week-old baby cockatiel (name still unknown)!!!

Here are some pics (including my cat Ling Ling checking out his new baby brother/sister):





:)

Inspiration at the Beach

One of my all-time favorite places to go and rejuvenate my soul is at the beach by my house. As soon as I pull my car into the park I feel the old familiar feeling of relaxation and a melting away of cares. As soon as I step out of the car and head toward the beach I feel the joy of being able to breathe in fresh air and feeling a nice breeze on my skin. And as soon as I step into the sand I feel any remaining cares slip away as I become entranced in a state of utter relaxation and bliss.


Ring-Billed Gull

While I am at the beach I not only slip into a meditative state, but I also am collecting shells, rocks, driftwood, and other tidbits; I am birdwatching; I am getting exercise; and I am becoming filled with ideas and motivation of positive things that I want to do once I leave the beach. I try to make going here a regular practice, but sometimes (like in the winter) I don't keep up with it, and I suffer in very obvious ways.

Great Black-backed Gull

Each and every one of us needs a place like this to retreat to. If you don't have a place like this you should make it an active goal to find a place where you can go and sink into a state of utter relaxation. Sometimes you don't even need to leave the house -- the bathtub or the garden are other places where I can achieve this state as well (although they're not quite as good as the beach). Without a place like this, we can become easily irritated, worn out, depressed, and stagnant with our creativity. Life's too short to let that happen.


Herring Gull coming in for a landing


Ring-billed Gull, Two Herring Gulls eating a crab, and a Great Black-backed Gull yelling in the distance

"Fashioning Felt" Exhibit at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum

So I went to the felt exhibit on Sunday, and it was pretty cool. Don't know that I would bother traveling very far to see it, though... there's not all that much there. I also was not allowed to take pictures (I snuck in a couple anyway, though, until I realized I was on camera and they could see me with my camera...):

felted costume jewelry

entrance to the "yurt"

Anyway, you can see the pictures of everything there online:
http://exhibitions.cooperhewitt.org/Fashioning-Felt/

Or buy the book with all of the photos and TONS more info than is offered online OR at the exhibit here:
http://www.cooperhewittshop.org/?path=item&topid=1&itemid=453

AND, they mentioned nothing about needle felting!!! :(

Oh well... you win some, you lose some. Luckily, we also had a visit to the Met planned, where -- interestingly enough, you ARE allowed to take pictures:







And then on a walk through Central Park on our way to get dinner, we saw at least 12 American Robins, a surefire sign of spring!!! :D




All in all, a very nice day!!! :)

First Robin of the Year!!!

Just wanted to stop in quick to mention what a lovely day I had outside today! It was in the 60s, the sun was out even though it wasn't supposed to be, I saw 24 different species of birds today, and the most important one was the American Robin, a symbol of the arrival of springtime weather!

Mah First Blog... well, not really

But this is my first blog on here, and I intend on taking this blog a bit more seriously than the other one I have. My mission here is to document my progress (or lack thereof) through the world of handmade arts & crafts. I am in the process of making items that I have made for a long time for my etsy shop -- www.notsoshabbychic.etsy.com -- , but I am also in the more interesting process of learning some new crafts (needle felting) and re-learning some old ones (knitting). I wanted someplace to post notes and photos as to my progress so that I can [hopefully] see that with time and practice that I am improving.

I am also an avid birdwatcher, gardener, and lover of all things nature, so I also wanted someplace in which I could share with the world (or just the one or two of you who will be following this) what it is that fills me with joy and what inspires me. :)