Escape winter

This week winter hit our city hard, thankfully DH and I had some plane tickets booked to the desert. We did everything right, checked in online, prebooked our cab and packed carry-ons only for a quick few days down south. 

Friday morning Mother Nature flipped the winter switch, heavy snow was falling throughout the day, the temperature dropped to minus 20 plus wind chill and the blizzard winds started around mid-afternoon. Our flight was set to go at 7:30 that night, all day flights were getting delayed, and then cancelled but ours said on-time. We waited for the cab to arrive for our 4:30 pick-up. Knowing traffic was going to be slow we had left lots of time, but no cab and at 4:50 gave up, loaded our truck and drove ourselves, the roads were getting bad, the snow was getting worse and still our flight said on-time. Get parked, get into the transport van, get stuck in traffic then finally get to the airport. Clear customs, clear security, flight still says on-time. Get to our gate, a different plane is loading when ours should have been there, delayed by an hour is the announcement we hear....

so we wait......and the other plane leaves, ours arrives and that's when the announcement of mechanical failure is made. No flight going out tonight. So back out into winter, into the transport van, back to the parked truck and back home. 

We find out we are re-booked for Saturday at 10:30AM. So we book another cab, go to bed. 

Saturday morning we wake to clear sky's and our cab actually arrives. It's a freezing minus 30 outside. Back to airport, back through customs, back through security and finally on a plane.

It took two tries over two days but we are successfully escaping this first blast of winter to land in paradise.

A hot mess or creative genius?

On Saturday I attended a 12 hour crafting event with a new group. I was trying them on for size. And it was an excellent day. The food was well organized, the venue was close enough to home that even if the weather wasn't great it would be an easy drive and the lady running the event seemed very kind and like she really loves crafting. 

I spent my day working on Christmas cards (got 19 made) plus four one off christmas card designs, plus two birthday cards, plus so many hand coloured gift tags that I lost count. There would have been more cards I am sure but I ran out of white paper, then I ran out of adhesive and then I gave up and say to knit for an hour or two before giving in and heading home.

My table mid-way through was a mess, I had glitter everywhere including all over myself.

But I am totally proud of all that I got done and will defiantly join the group of "http://stephaniebell.wix.com/letsgetscrappin " again.  Next time I will be better prepared with supplies and will plan on making a lot more cards.  Perhaps there is even a crafting weekend away in my not too distant future with this group. 

A yarn day

On Saturday in my home town it was our first (hopefully annual) fibre fair. 

It was small but well attended with two great yarn dyers who I hadn't seen in local stores very often.  I loved all the colours they both had, Ancient Arts Fibre Craft and Dragonfly Dyewerx.  There was also a lady with some great stitch markers and about 6 other booths. I hope it was enough of a success it will continue and grow in years to come.  And I must admit a skein or two may have followed me home. 

It was a beautiful mid-teens day, feeling more like early fall than mid-November. And our weather gods decided enough was enough. By noon on Sunday our street looked like this:

And I gave up and went downstairs to knit and not sit hating our change in weather. Today it's a very cold -14 (-23 with windchill).  As our weather gets colder I am pretty thankful for a few winter escapes we have booked to Palm Desert to help pull me through till spring.