High Tea at the Heathman with Mamacat

2010 Holiday High Tea Terez

Our Neighbor

Ready, Set

May Your Days Be Merry and Bright

Mamacat

Under a Glittering Tree

Merry Christmas circa 1987

Walk to Work Wednesday

Swirl and Slash

Someone to Watch Over Me

Winter Fire

There is a Light that Never Goes Out

Red Spark

Stained Glass Mini Quilt

Stained Glass mini quilt

Well, we're getting there.

My trusty 1952 Singer Sewing Machine decided today it was going to test me. My pop quiz included:
--Breaking thread
--Top thread not looping with bottom thread
--Jammed bobbin case
--Broken needle
--Inserting new needle incorrectly
--Inserting new needle correctly
--Removing bobbin casing
--Fishing out broken thread in bobbin casing
--Learning to be patient while sewing. It's a marathon, not a sprint!

But oh it was worth it when I pinned the quilt top up in window. Made me realize it makes a mighty fine window treatment. The way the light filters through the colors.... But that's after Christmas!!

XOXO Terez

Flock to Audubon Circle

Cardinal and the Clock Tower

When my office moved to Kenmore Square my commute shifted and started taking me through Audubon Circle just over the Brookline line in Boston where Park Drive and Beacon Street meet. Right about that time something spectacular was installed but I didn't notice it right away.

Robin

It took some time for me to "look up" but eventually I noticed some interested birds perched on the lamp posts.

Heron and Swan

Swans, crows, robins, herons, cardinals, humming birds, a swallow, and a hawk perch on 20 lamp posts throughout the intersection and spin ever so slowly in the wind (each is on an axis).  

Hummingbird

The silhouettes are around two feet wide and thirty inches high and were inspired by the circle’s namesake, the Audubon Society.

Heron

Part of a public art commission for the city of Boston, the installation was created by the sculptor Mark Favermann and dedicated in 2005.

Crow

I still haven't spotted the hawk or swallow: more birding to be done.

XO Terez

My own galaxy

Rays of Light

It's been cold lately, the mercury has been dipping into the 20s and teens and below zero with the windchill.  I don't care, though (ask me again in February). In Portland, Ore., it may be more temperate in the winter but it is cloudy and clammy and you might not see the sun for weeks. You need to wear a hat and gloves every single day for 5 months in Boston, but at least you need to wear sunglasses, too!

While tripping down my stairs in my "stabilizing," sensible clogs I was arrested by a miniature galaxy in my entryway:

Enchanting Entryway

What in the heck? It took a few seconds to realize it's coming from me! My 100% sequined bag was creating some magic of its own with the sunshine.

My Milky Way

How can you not love a walk to work that includes this:

Harvard Avenue

Beautiful. A perfect start to a perfect day that ended with a perfect viewing of the Nutcracker with K-Lace:

Boston Opera House on Washington Street

The Boston Opera House--foyer ceiling

XOXO Terez

Walk to Work Wednesday

Gingerbread Roof

Happy Holidays

Holy Crow

Last Holdouts

Cold Hands...

Warm Heart

A glimpse of what's to come

A glimpse of what's to come

I can't tell you a whole lot more than this is a certain project that I'm working on for a certain little person who is not old enough to wade in let alone surf the web yet but it's in the works and this little person is going to love it. This is my first attempt at a start-to-finish quilt~so let's see how this goes, shall we?


PS and yes! Those are the fabrics from the Bless You Tissue Cozies. Unbelievably adorable, yes?

XO Terez

My fine feathered friends

King of the Hill

I was running late this morning after a visit to the Verizon Store with a phone that was fatally injured in a freak accident by a falling window shade at 1 a.m. this morning and I was mad, irritated  and stressed to the max.

I hopped off the T to make my way to the office when I spied a flutter of brown out of the corner of my eye in the bushes:

Sing a Song of Six Birds

I stopped mid-stride and they all patiently watched me. Their little eyes seemed to say, "Slow down. It's a beautiful day. We're here."

I moved as close as only five feet from them and still they stayed on their various perches. Pulling my camera out of my bag, I willed them to hold still. I think they heard my thoughts because I was able to capture this:

Three Little Birds

And finally this:

And Then There Was One

The day was a much better one with that experience to reflect on.

Here's to moments that stop us in our tracks and remind us to breathe.

XO TEREZ

My Scarf of Many Colors

Rainbow Bright

I've had this double basket weave scarf pattern by Anne Budd (adapted from another pattern by Barbara Walker, free download at knittingdaily.com) printed out for over a year and it kept falling down to the bottom of my "I'll get to that later" project pile. The below zero wind chill temps hitting me in the face last week was all the encouragement I needed to start rooting around in my yarn pile to find something new for this winter.

Knitting Nest

If you knew what my living room looks like when I knit, you'd know why I don't do it all that often. Messy! But also cozy and comfy so I prefer to think of it that way. I didn't change anything when I took this photo, so if you look closely you'll spy an oven mitt tossed on my throw pillows. I am that much of a multi-tasker!

I fiddled with the white balance on my camera but I can't quite get the teal color to translate--it's more richer and blue green than the color shows in the photo. I'm using Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky Yarn on size 10-1/2 straight needles, which has helped a lot with all of the knitting and purling. The color line up is:
Tahitian Teal
Limeade
Creme
Lotus Pink
Blue Blood Red

Tahitian Teal, meet Limeade

I'm going to stitch one 6-1/2" square of each and then repeat it out the other end so it will read Teal-Lime-White-Pink-Double Red-Pink-Creme-Lime-Teal.

I love how it looks cable-y without the cables! Priceless!

Now if I can just remember what row I am on:

Keeping count

It's a bold scarf but I feel like 2011 is going to shape up to be a bold year, so let's kick it off in style. What are you working on?

XO Terez

How Brewster the Rooster came to roost - here

Brewster the Rooster

Today laundry and other basic necessities drove me out into what was surprisingly balmy 45 degree sunshine (yesterday my walk to work was 14, RealFeel -1 degree!). I plodded along to my favorite laundr-o-mat, too tired to rush but wanting to get home as soon as possible. While things bubbled and whirled in the wash I crossed the street to Thrifty Threads at United Parish in Brookline to see what was new.

I didn't even need to try too hard to find my treasure; he was looking at me from the front door:

What a flirt!

I scooped him up--he was quite a bit heavier than I anticipated. "How much for the chicken?" I asked the ladies behind the counter. "Oh, it's a rooster, and he's not really for sale, hon." Sigh.

"Oh, okay. It's just that I collect chickens and I just sewed a hen and he would be perfect for her...."

"Well, in that case, you can take him for one dollar."

One dollar.

I could not believe my good fortune. A Christmas Miracle!

I tucked him under my arm and finished up my errands in Coolidge Corner. I was stopped by four passersby:
"Lady, that's an awesome chicken."
"Where did you get that chicken?"
"Great chicken!" and my favorite:
"What a radical chicken!"

All the excitement tuckered me out. I took a few photos of my new friend and went to roost in my own down nest. Later I did some research online and it looks like he is from a pattern in the 80s by McCall's. Ebay to the rescue! I lurve my original little guy but I can't wait to make a friend in the Folksy Flannels I've been sewing with.

Brewster the Rooster settling in

I'll keep you posted on how it turns out!

XO Terez

Chez Terez & Friends in all their magnificence recap~*

Chez Terez & Friends Lauren, Cindy, Kim and Anna {in spirit!}
at the end of the night!

I think I've basked enough in the Post Chez Terez & Friends Holiday Bazaar and Open Studio glow that I'm finally ready to share it with you. Readers who were able to be with us in person--here's some visual memories. Readers who were there in spirit, here's some highlights of our once-in-a-lifetime experience.

2:00 p.m. No one is here yet! Panic starts to set in. Will no one come? Will our amazing back room be all for naught? My mind starts to whirl and spin and then....Bam! Lightening strikes my brain. I wonder aloud: "What if me make a doorprize for our first guest?" Immediately everyone is in. We came up with this:

KimKitch biscotti, Chez Terez earrings, O-Snap bracelet,
Lauren Cards card and "You're #1!" declaration

Now jumping out of my skin with excitement I dance around the house with the bag...who will it be?:

Terez and doorprize

2:30: Knock, knock, knock!
It's Lisa A.! Hoooray! We couldn't have picked a more deserving guest {although all of our guests were so deserving!} if we tried. Lisa has been supportive of this project since Day One. Every time we write about it, she would comment with well wishes. She had been anticipating this event as long as we had. Congratualations, Lisa!

Lisa, our #1 guest!

3:00 p.m.: The floodgates open and we realized we need not have worried. We enjoyed a steady stream of visitors and friends for the next 5 hours:

Guests!

One snafu: the Christmas Mixed IPod was lost before the party started. Darn thing still hasn't turned up. I misplaced it right before the bash, so Rosemary and Bing stood in as a soundtrack:

Rosemary: gorgeous, classy and very  Chez Terez

The shops were spectacular:

The Kim Kitch

Kim transformed my old utility closet into a bakery wonderland.

Charmed, I'm sure

Cindy's O-Snap bracelets and hair accessories were charming.

Red.House prints

 Anna's prints were precious.

Lauren's Cards

 Lauren had quite the catalogue of cards.

Chez Terez Resparkle

Chez Terez made a spectacular showing.

I'm sorry I have to share one more Chez Terez--but this is my blog, afterall:

Chez Terez

And the Bless You Cozies! They flew out like hotcakes!

Bless You Tissue Cozies by Chez Terez

It was amazing. I'm still breathless by what a wonderful experience we had nearly a week later. It was so sad that night as the gals were breaking down their shops--it really did feel like elves (or at least fairygodsisters) had descended on the place. It would not have been possible without Anna, Cindy, Kim and Lauren. Nor would it have been possible without all of YOU. Your support and encouragement and excitement powered us through and has kept us uplifted and inspired in the days following.

We can't wait to see you at the next one.

With love,
Terez

PS Photos in this post brought to you by me, Kim and Cal.