Big Talent, Bright Friends

I know we have talked about this before, but it bears saying again; the blogging, making, writing community is a wonder. Many of the people I have "met" on the world wide web since Lola Nova came to be, have become true friends to me, even if I have never shared any "face" time with them. And man oh man do I have some talented friends!

Of course, every once in a while I do get the chance to meet my friends in person, what a grand thing that is! I have found that our conversations come easy, it often feels as if we have really known each other for yonks and that having a chat over tea is something we do on the regular.

I recently had a chance to meet one of those friends (and one of my heroes) in person. Nicole Mallelieu of You Sew Girl, designer extraordinaire of Nicole Mallelieu Design patterns and author of the book You Sew Girl, Your Ultimate Guide to Sewing with Confidence and Style, (mighty big talent indeed!) was in Portland recently for Quilt Market. We made plans to meet up, at the fabric store of course, she with her little and I with my little (our girls are close in age).

During this get together, I was utterly remiss in taking photos, but Nicole took a few and you can read about her Portland adventures HERE and HERE. We had a fine time meandering my two favorite neighborhood sewing shops. Our girls got along, as well as two kids forced together because their mums happen to sew and write blogs about it, can. Funny thing, both of our girls just had to buy some fabric for their own personal projects even though both mums were well stocked with the stuff. I wonder where in the world they could have picked that up? We had some dinner together and chatted away. Nicole was just as stylish, smart, warm and lovely as I thought she would be. I do hope she can forgive me for dropping her off at the wrong train station in the pouring rain.

I am often struck by what a gift I have received in the people I have met through starting Lola Nova and this blog business. The opportunities that have availed themselves and the community that inspires me have truly been a wonder! I am so grateful.

Oh and speaking of grateful; Nicole gifted me with a couple of her marvelous patterns!

The trick is deciding which to make first! 

Hello Monday and Thank You

Hello friends! I thought today would be the perfect day to send you a little love note. Part early Valentine and a heaping helping of Thank You!

I want to thank all of my lovely readers, new and old. You make my shiny place here sparkle even more. Thank you to all the new followers. Thank you for all of the wonderful comments you take the time to leave, I read every one and so appreciate your kind words and your saying "Hello".

I have been taking some time away from my computer of late, I think we all need to do that from time to time, but I'm feeling refreshed and ready to jump back in. Perhaps it is the arrival of the Lunar New Year, new beginnings and all. I am so looking forward to the coming days! And you my friends, are a big part of that.

So thank you from the bottom of my heart, your'e simply the best!

xo

Tiny Christmas

I have declared this year to be the year of the "Tiny Christmas". The big box of fa la la la la has not come up from the basement, only one small strand of twinkle lights has festooned the living room window, and we have cut way back on the present madness as well.

As you can see we even have a tiny tree. We are to be spending the holiday with family elsewhere and we are all very excited for that, but 'round here we are having a Tiny Christmas, just to feel a little jolly and bright on these dark, cold and wet days of winter.

Though today is the official day, we had a little early celebration of my birthday this weekend. A small party of just us three. I will tell you right now that The Engineer is one good man! Not only did he cook me a most delicious dinner, the man baked me a cake! A really, really, amazingly fantastic cake!

I am one lucky lady.

This has been a crazy old year, full of highs and lows and all sorts of in between. I am feeling a bit more of the effects of getting older these days. I am enjoying some of those effects more than others I can tell you. As I look back, I feel tremendously blessed and I look forward to a shiny new year and the adventures it holds in store.

Thank you all for joining me here and sharing this last year with me, I am truly grateful.

My wish is for all of us to have a happy, healthy and inspired new year!

Dear Paris, part 2

24 October 2012 evening

Dear Paris,
I am so sorry we got off on the wrong foot. Thanks to your delicious food and your generous carafe of wine I do believe this actually could be the start of a beautiful friendship.

In Part 1 of my tale of Paris, I left off having finally arrived at my hotel just as evening was coming on...

I scrubbed my face, changed my clothes, sent an email to the Engineer to let him know I had arrived at the hotel, I drew back the curtains and opened my window to look out onto my little street in Paris. It was perfect really and I got a tiny bit dizzy, 'I'm in Paris!' I thought to myself, 'and I'm starving!'

I went down to reception to ask which direction I should walk and off I went out into the streets of Paris as the light faded from the sky.

I simply walked around for a while to get my bearings. Just a block or so from my hotel
(though I had no idea at the time) was the neighborhood of "Amalie" fame, near Montmartre. Cafe after sidewalk cafe, wonderful little shops, fromageries and patisseries and boulangeries oh my! It was heaven.

At last, hungry and weary from the day's adventures, I set my course for dinner. As I strolled past the cafes looking for an empty table - the cafes were at this time full of attractive Parisians eating, drinking, talking and laughing - who should I spy at a table in the corner of a cafe? The Lumberjack!

As I plopped down in the chair, I simply held my hands out in a gesture of questioning surprise. After I ordered my le pichet of Cote du Rhone and a simple supper, The Lumberjack began to unfurl the saga of his mysterious disappearance earlier that day. It involved an old gypsy woman with deft pick-pockety fingers, a labyrinthine tour of a secret Paris underground, fortune telling and a gargantuan pot of borscht. In the end he managed to charm the woman and her kin into letting him go, with the promise that he would send them all the latest "happening" music cds from America. How he found me on the rue des Abbesses, well LJ was strangely evasive about that.

No matter. I had found the Lumberjack, had a fantastic dinner, enjoyed a generous amount of French wine and was gazing out at the Parisian night with a renewed spirit. It is amazing what a bit of delicious food and some wine can do for a person!

Afterwards, I wandered until weariness overcame me and I went back to my room and slept soundly.

The next morning I woke to bluebird skies and a spring in my step. "Good morning Paris!" I sang out my balconied window. Then off for coffee and the perfect croissant, followed by more wandering and a beautifully peaceful exploration of the Cimetiere de Montmartre.

If you are in the area and you have the time, I absolutely recommend spending a little time walking through it. The architecture and statuary are breathtaking, and it provides a respite from the busy doings of more popular Paris sights.
The tour ended at Emile Zola's magnificent tomb; Emile being a personal favorite of the Lumberjack.

It may shock you to hear that I never made it to the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, nor the Louvre; I had this one full day in Paris and there was just so much ground I could cover. I did go to the gorgeous Musee d'Orsay for a bit, something I also recommend if you haven't the time for the Louvre. The art and the building that houses it, is breathtaking.

The day was just too stunning to spend it inside though, so I walked along the Seine in the sunshine.

I wondered about the lives (and the relationship status) of the lovers who had "locked" their love on the bridge. (After locking the love padlock onto the fence, the lovers tossed the keys into the Seine river – a sign of their eternal love)

Then the Lumberjack did a bit of posing with 'the jelly family'.

It was well past lunch at this point, so we headed back to the hotel neighborhood for a baquette and a wedge of cheese, as you do. For me, it was a meal of luxury and splendor for just a few Euros. I could not have felt more spoiled as I sat looking out my hotel room window, chatting with the Lumberjack about our day so far, and reveling in the gorgeous weather.

Along with my lunch, I picked up a treat, something I would never order at home as I have never been fond of them, but something made me do it. It was then that I ate the best chocolate eclair of my entire life. This was pastry madness! This bore no resemblance to overly sweet cardboard confections I had come to know in the states. This eclair changed everything!

25 October 2012

Dear Paris,
This morning with your blue skies, sunshine and wonderful croissant, I started to get a crush on you. This afternoon after the long walk along the Seine, rambling through the Musee d'Orsay, getting lost in Montmartre Cemetery and eating the most perfect chocolate eclair of my entire life, I think I am in love!

Then I strolled the avenues of the 18th Arrondissement, had surprisingly wonderful conversations with shop owners in broken French and English. I found that being able to say "I'm sorry I don't speak much French" in French, opened the way to kindnesses and a willingness to make allowances for this American woman.

When evening rolled around again, the streets came to life, the cafes were bursting with activity and it was time to sit and watch the world go by with my little pitcher of wine.

I ended up sharing a table with a couple and his mother. The man and his mother were from Peru, his wife was Czech and they both lived in Prague. She made a comment about my bag, turns out she makes bags and things like me, turns out her name was Alexandra as well! We ended up having the most wonderful time sharing stories. We wished each other well and they went off into the night.

The lights twinkled on the street, live music seeped out from various cafes and galleries, people walked and smiled as they passed by. There was more than a bit of magic in the air.

I reflected upon the day, thought how lucky I was to be here and how long it took me to get to Paris. I thought about my younger self, how when I was 16 and began reading Miller, Nin, Celine, Genet, Duras, Rimbaud, Baudelaire... how I wanted to be a writer and move to Paris... you know, that dream. And though I felt a bit sad about having never made it to Paris in my youth, it felt amazing to be in Paris now. Perhaps it was the recollection of my starry eyed younger self, or maybe the wine, but I made a solemn vow on the spot to really properly learn French! And then I giggled at myself.

The next morning I would leave Paris, soon I would head home to my sweet family.

My travels, this whole trip had been truly remarkable. It seemed so strange now that I had never been to Europe before. I thought about the bravado of youth vs. the courage of middle age and I smiled to myself. I could not have chosen a better time in my life to be a woman abroad. I am deeply grateful to have had this opportunity and so thankful to all the people I met along the way who shared with me. What an adventure!

25 October 2012 late night

Dear Paris,
You are crazy. I love you!

The Last of London

Oh my oh my, what a strange time we are having! We have just gotten over the sickness and now we are in the throws of preparation for the big family holiday feast!

I am decidedly behind on all bloggy business, but that is life no? First I want to say a big hello and thank you to all the new followers, you are simply lovely.

Next, I will finally finish up with my London photos as these last shots were from one of my favorite outings. Picture heavy and few words to follow.

On Sunday morning before my workshop I went on an adventure with The Lumberjack to Columbia Road Flower Market, and what a wonderful time we had!

The flowers were gorgeous, the hawkers were cheeky, the atmosphere was divine and the air scented with Lilies and roses!

The Lumberjack amongst some knitted bunting of course. The little shops along Columbia Road were somewhat hidden behind the walls of flowers, but once you squeezed yourself inside the treasures were breathtaking. I could have easily spent a fortune on beautiful things and then again on having them shipped home. I limited myself to one teeny tiny keepsake that will always remind me of my time there. I also had the most delicious berry muffin and cup of coffee from a tiny hole in the wall, literally (ok, it was more niche than hole) if you find yourself on Columbia Road on Market day I highly recommend said hole in the wall for breakfast treats.

From Columbia Road we headed off to Brick Lane and perused the street seller's goods. Stopped and had a very nice chat with one of them. The Lumberjack was fiercely negotiating the price of a WWII leather map sack with the gentleman. When they had finally settled on a price the Lumberjack turned to me with his hand out, alas I had spent all my precious monies already which was a shame because it really was a very handsome map sack. The Lumberjack then regaled the seller with stories of his travels and adventures while I reminisced over the old pastille tins just like my grandmother used to have. I can still taste those black current pastilles if I shut my eyes a bit.

Then there was the food. Meringues as big as my head and goodies aplenty.

Then there was this guy! Blaring reggae music and dancing, loved him! I will always think of him as Mr. Spicy!

After that The Lumberjack wanted to hire a bicycle as he was tired of all the walking. What walking I ask you? You have been riding in my pocket the whole time! When he realized his boots couldn't reach the pedals that was the end of it and we hoofed it to Spitalfields Market, where again I could have spent a heap. Still, I did find something nice for my mother.

Oh what a wonderful day! One of my favorites of the trip.

Well that wraps up London for now. Next week the final chapter in my travel saga, Paris! What a wild time that was!

Since the Thanksgiving Holiday is upon us in the States, I wish to say how thankful I am for all of you.

Until next time my friends - be safe, be well.

I hope for the kindness of strangers

but I've always relied on the kindness of friends

As my days are busy with preparation for my big trip across the pond, my hands are always moving, piles of lists and papers growing, I have been thinking on things. Thinking on what an adventure this life is, how fortunate I have been and what surprises have come my way.

I have been thinking about friends, the ones close by and those far away. The friends I have made through this blog yet never seen, and it is a wonder. I am quite excited that I will be meeting a few of them in person very soon. That these friends have offered so much kindness and generosity makes me feel so deeply grateful.

sewing pretty notebooks for my London workshop lovelies

Last weekend the family loaded up the car and set out over the pass, winding our way along the gray ribbon of highway to the coast. It was a planned weekend of friends - that seemed to come at the worst time, only to turn out to be the best time... as it so often does. This group of friends, this exceptional circle of people; they are (if you will excuse the new age-y-ness of my vernacular) my tribe, my community, and my family. There is something just a little bit magic about being with people that make you feel at home, that embrace you as you are... warts and all.

For all of us, big things are happening. The weekend was about one last 'all of us together' before the biologist and the mountain climber leave for an extended stay in South America. What a brilliant memory we now have!

finishing up samples for the workshop

We had the most stunning weather I have seen in years. The Oregon coast is always beautiful, but the weather can be a bit dramatic. There was very little wind, we woke up to blue bird skies instead of a medieval shroud of mist and fog, we sunned in T-shirts on the beach and we sighed deep thankful sighs.

There was a surprise Frenchman thrown into the mix; a stranger to most of us, but he quickly turned into a most welcome guest and surely a long time friend. We collaborated on amazing feasts, we opened more bottles than I care to recall, we engaged in meaningful conversation until it turned crass and we laughed till it hurt.

The Music Man broke out the guitar and then the fiddle, he sang pretty songs in English and then he sang pretty songs in French. More guitars and songs and music. My gorgeous girl sang songs that she wrote and blew the room away. I was not the only one to get a little teary eyed.

working with little bits

Such an abundance of comfort in these friends. What a lucky woman I am to be able to enjoy this superlative company, to revel in the kindness of friends.

As for strangers, I have just this morning been shown great kindness by a lovely woman named Holly from St. Louis Missouri. She fielded my call about bank business and in what should have been a most tedious task, instead became a truly delightful experience. Thank you Holly.

And thank you my friends far and wide, you have been so kind.

I was Hacked!

Dear friends,
If you have stopped by to visit me in the last couple of days you may have noticed I was gone. Poof! Just like that, no Lola Nova, no explanation, just gone! Oh it gives me the shudders just thinking about it!

I was HACKED!!!!

The result of my being hacked was that my Google account was deleted, my blog removed, all of the contacts in my email account were sent a scam phishing email saying that I was stuck in Madrid, had been attacked and needed money! I know many of you received this email, and for that I am truly sorry.

I simply woke up one morning and went to send an email and everything was gone! I'll tell you that I let out a scream, then I double checked everything, then I yelled NO! loud enough for the neighbors to hear. I will admit I had a full on freak out. Then I hid under the covers unable to move for the rest of the day.

I was able to send a recovery request to Google. I had to provide them with a whole lot of details to prove that I was hacked, that I am indeed the owner of my account and then the process took some time. This morning I was reinstated and my blog is back!

I am indeed grateful beyond words to have my shiny place back. The downside is that all of my emails were lost and there are significant repairs needed to my email account, but I'm working on it.

I can not tell you how devastating this whole thing has been. It has truly opened my eyes as to how vulnerable many of us are. My job today is to research my security options. I suggest to you my blog friends, to do the same. I also suggest saving important emails to a separate file on your computer - that is what I'm going to do. Yes, we all have good intentions on backing things up and making sure we are not victims of hackers and computer failures, but I know I get busy and my intentions don't always get the follow through they should.

If I come across any helpful sites or resources on how to protect ourselves, I will be sure to share them with you.

Lastly, I want to thank my readers - my friends, many of you turned into detectives and found me on Facebook, Twitter, etc. and let me know you had received bogus emails, asked if there was anything you could do, did research to find ways to help me, and were so very kind and supportive. Many of you sent kind notes and hugs! I'm getting misty eyed just thinking about this lovely community and family that have gone to such lengths to show me I am cared for.

Extra special thanks go to Sherri, Deb, and Tif for putting on super sleuth hats and sending lots of support.

I might need a couple of days to recover from the shock of it all, but I am so very grateful to be back!

Big love to you all!

Winter Wish

Dear friends,
Thank you for another wonderful year. Thank you for coming to visit my shiny place and sharing with me. I am a lucky Lola!

I wish you a lovely holiday filled with joy and and happiness.

Be well

see you soon!

Lola

xo

Thankful

We had a lovely holiday with friends and family, it was such a gift to spend precious time together. I am incredibly thankful for this, and for so many things.

While this life of mine may have not been entirely enchanted, so much of it is so very good. I do believe that I am able to better appreciate the good things having gone through the bad. I am blessed with the love of family and friends, with kindness and sweetness of grand proportion, I am indeed a lucky woman. I am full of gratitude for all the abundance I have received.

I am also especially thankful for you, yes you! Those of you who come to visit my shiny place here, you make my heart sing!

Thank you.