Amy Artisan

Family | Travel | Craft | Life | Books

Author: Amy (page 63 of 84)

Just a few miles…

June 23, 2007 / / 13 Comments

…down the road…but so far away…

One of my favorite things about going to Harbor Country, MI is that is really is a quick escape from the City (under 100 miles from my house) and yet as you travel those miles East from Chicago, over the Skyway bridge, through Indiana and on towards Michigan you really feel as though you are “far away” from the hustle and bustle of city life. Last weekend’s “Sister’s Weekend” was no different.

This is the 2nd summer weekend that my sister has flown up to join us for the fun and the fourth year that Jen, Kristy & I have gone over there. We booked the weekend several months ago and had been looking forward to it ever since – on several occasions, one of the four of us would comment about “can’t wait till the beach weekend…”

We left downtown Chicago at noon on Friday – a large Dunkin Donuts Iced Hazelnut coffee for each of us and a car picnic of lunch items and the fun began.

Among the highlights:

Friday Fun!

Friday afternoon was filled with shopping – including some antiques, and the charming Pomegranate Home shop…Friday evening was dinner at Cafe Gulistan – yummy Turkish treats. We sat right by the windows out on to parts of the beautiful garden…The evening was capped off by ice cream at Oink’s…And a quick glimpse of the sunset over Lake Michigan.

Saturday was a beautiful day…

Saturday Fun!

…for shopping among the Sidewalk Sales in downtown New Buffalo……a quick salad lunch at Rosie’s, a local institution…part of the afternoon was spent at Sit & Knit. Jack & Kim were away at the Estes Wool Market; however, we had a delightful time sitting & knitting with Angie, one of their teachers who was minding the store. I don’t know what the Cotton Blossom yarn will become (St. Croix for me & Tangerine for Rebecca).

Winery Fun!

…the rest of the afternoon was spent on the Michigan Wine Trail…first to our favorite, Round Barn Winery…and then we checked out a “new to us” winery, Free Run Cellars, which is operated by the sons of the Round Barn family. It is a new favorite winery and will be included in any outings that include a Round Barn visit.

Italian Cafe Fun!

…for dinner we went to Brewster’s Italian Cafe…earlier in the day, Kristy & Rebecca had checked it out & proclaimed that we needed to go there for dinner. It didn’t disappoint. Their “Dinner for Two” option, twice, was the way to go. Their gazpacho was so fresh it was as if we were eating vegetables straight from the garden. The brick oven Pizza Margharitas were so yummy, flash backs to Italy. And both pasta options the table selected were excellent choices as well…After a bit of outlet shopping over in Michigan City, IN we were back at Oink’s for ice cream.

Beach Fun!

Sunday morning brought a few hours on the beach – we love staying at Gordon Beach Inn because of the private beach access. Because of the heat it was a hazy morning & you didn’t see much of the lake. We enjoyed our breakfast of iced cappuccinos and scones/pastries, did a bit of reading & then walked the shoreline for a bit.

Before we knew it, it was time to pack up the car and return to the city. After some careful packing, everything and everyone fit in the car. On the way out of town we stopped at a produce stand to pick up Michigan cherries to bring home. The weekend was capped off by a quick lunch at Culver’s and then we picked up custard treats for the drive home. We all agreed that the weekend was filled with just the right combination of relaxation and fun and we are glad to have a summer escape like this.

We are already looking forward to next summer’s weekend – what annual summer trips do you have?

p.s. Stay tuned – contest winners & more blog fun in the next post…

Summer Sleuthing

June 14, 2007 / / 22 Comments

“When confused, sit back and try to arrange the facts into some kind of order.” – The Ghost of Blackwood Hall

When I was younger, the summer break from school always meant plenty of time for reading. When we lived in California and in Overland Park, KS we were just down the road from the local library. At least once a week I was checking out more books to read. At some point I became hooked on the Nancy Drew mysteries and remember going through the entire collection at the library. Many a summer day was spent in Nancy’s blue roadster zipping around the city and countryside to solve the latest mystery.

“Moxie and a good sense of balance are essential when crawling on a roof.” – The Hidden Staircase

Earlier this year I finished a excellent history of Nancy Drew – Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her by Melanie Rehak. This was a fascinating peek behind the pages at the syndicate that created Nancy Drew (among others) and all the authors that penned stories as Carolyn Keane. Throughout the decades since Nancy first debuted in the 1930s she has always been a gal ahead of her time. Nancy embodied a fiesty spirit of independence that many of us can relate to. It was interesting to read about the evolution of Nancy and how readers responded to the changes in her character – she has withstood the test of time and the original books are still the most popular ones.

“Don’t pass up a great deal on a used sailboat because of a sorry paint job. It could be a real gem.” – The Clue in the Old Album

Even though the books were fun fiction, they were filled with all sorts of “tips” that seem as applicable in the real world today as they were when Nancy first spoke them. A quick search around the web finds lots of Nancy Drew sites – and of course a new movie is set to open with an updated Nancy story. (And that has sparked lots of new articles.)

“Don’t let you troubles get in the way of enjoying a leisurely and delightful lunch.” – The Secret of the Old Clock

In April I had the opportunity to hear Jack Olseker read from his new knit mystery, Cast On, Bets Off at My Sisters Knits. This is the first in a series of knit mysteries that Jack is writing – it is set in the fictious town of Indigan right along Lake Michigan – Harbor Country that is a favorite weekend getaway for me. This was a breezy read – full of the local sights and sounds that make Harbor Country a fun place to visit. While the knit shop sleuths, Max and Lisa, may not encounter all of the “bumps in the road” that a Nancy mystery includes, they do indeed sleuth in a sporty car. The references to the current knit culture were fun to read – when I saw The Yarn Harlot in April, Jack had me pass along a copy of the book to Stephanie because she indeed makes a fun appearance in the book. Jack has quite a writing history – both for the page & for the screen; with this series he is putting the books in yarn shops instead of selling them through traditional bookstores. (P.S. Jack & Kim will be at the Estes Park Wook Market for a book signing on Saturday.)

“It’s good to toast space exploration and fancy gadgets, but it’s more important to raise a glass to the beauty of soft candlelight.” – The Sign of the Twisted Candles

This weekend I will be heading over to Harbor Country for the annual “Kansas Sisters Weekend” with my sister and our friends, Jen & Kristy. While we won’t be in a blue roadster, my blue car will carry us on our adventure. Our summer sleuthing goals for the weekend: finding some fun yarns at Sit & Knit, “investigating” some of the local wineries, searching for “great finds” in the antique shops and who knows what else.

“Don’t let fear mean more to you than your friends.” – The Clue of the Velvet Mask

Jack has given me two copies of his book for a blog contest. How to enter? Between now and Wednesday (June 20) leave a comment about your favorite summer reading memories: Nancy Drew…other mysteries…any other book/series that defined summer reading for you.

“Learning a new craft will make you chatter on incessantly about the art form. Be careful not to bore your less artsy friends. – The Clue of the Leaning Chimney

Artisan Guesthouse

June 6, 2007 / / 8 Comments

The time has just flown by in the last couple of weeks since my last posting. The last 2 weekends have seen Artisan Home function as a guesthouse with friends & family visiting for a couple of days each.

Butterflies & Lions & Bears – Oh My! – The Memorial Day reservations at the “guesthouse” were for Miss Butterfly & her mom. Their first night in town they stayed with me – Miss Butterfly made a little nest to sleep on the floor since she didn’t bring her sleeping bag with her. On Friday morning when I asked what she wanted for breakfast, the immediate response was “French Toast!” So, with her standing on the helping stool in the kitchen we made a quick breakfast of French Toast with strawberries and bananas.

Our first adventure was to the Peggy Notaebart Nature Museum. They have a great butterfly haven, so of course we had to take Miss Butterfly to visit.

Butterfly Fun

After the museum we went to the Lincoln Park Zoo. We arrived right at lunch time as the myriad of “end of the year” field trips were starting to leave. After a quick lunch we walked around the zoo and saw all sorts of fun animals: lions, bears, camels, giraffes, rhinos, flamingos, polar bears, the great apes…

The zoo adventure ended with a ride on the carousel – since Miss Butterfly declared the zebras her favorite animal of the day we had to ride the zebra.

Riding on the Carousel

Other fun times of the weekend included hanging out in Miss Butterfly’s old neighborhood & seeing lots of old friends, including a Memorial Day cookout. On Sunday evening, Miss Butterfly had a sleepover with her best girlfriend in the old neighborhood – so her mom & I were able to enjoy sushi at our favorite, Sai Cafe. What a great way to start the summer!

(more pictures here)

This past weekend my parents were in town for a couple of days as part of a summer road trip that also includes a trip over to Ohio to see family. It was a quick trip but our itinerary was a good mix: a bit of shopping, meals from some favorite Chicago restaurants, just hanging out and a few home improvement activities (a new grill for the deck and curtains hung in my bedroom).

Since last Memorial Day weekend I have spent over 130 nights in hotels while traveling for work. What a nice change of pace to welcome family & friends into my home instead.

In the midst of guesthouse fun, work has been nonstop; however, other fun in recent weeks has included hosting a great book club discussion and seeing a fun flick with a friend – stay tuned for more…

Random Bits

May 20, 2007 / / 12 Comments

Wow – it has been quite a while since I’ve posted. Life has been pretty busy the last couple of weeks. It looks like assorted “random bits” memes are going through blogland again. Julie tagged me for the “7 things” – I generally don’t join in on memes; however, I’ll use that tag as the framework for writing about the random things that have been going on. (After several lovely days here in Chicago the weather is cold & gray today – so pardon the pictures…)

Railroad Socks
1. I’ve been working on the railroad – Last month I started a project with a new client here in downtown Chicago. Within the last 3 weeks I’ve visited 2 of their divisions in the southeast and have spend quite a bit of time around rail cars. The required outfit included a hard hat, safety glasses and ear protection. The travel time gave me plenty of opportunity to work on the current socks on the needles.

Knitters Tea Swap 3
2. It’s tea time – Knitters Tea Swap 3 is in full swing & I’m co-hosting this round. For this one we have decided not to have secret swaps. I’m swapping with Katie. Now that spring is here the iced tea pitcher is always full in the fridge these days. Currently I’m loving Black Currant tea with a sqeeze of lemon – I first became hooked on this combo when I did my college internship in Houston in 1995 & became a frequest diner at Cafe Express.

3. Peony in Love – I recently received an advanced copy of Lisa See’s latest novel. I thoroughly enjoyed Snow Flower and the Secret Fan last year so I was looking forward to getting started on this new one. This newest novel was an excellent read – I started it on the plane down to Atlanta last Friday morning & had it finished by Sunday afternoon. Stay tuned for a review about it in the coming weeks.

Rebuilding Greensburg Sunflower Yarn
4. Kansas Knits – As a Kansas gal, when I saw Laura’s request for squares for afghans for Greensburg I knew I had to participate. When looking through my stash for yarn for the squares I knew I had just the thing – some Sunflowers superwash that I picked up from Cabin Cove Mercantile last summer.

Garden Green
5. Early Blooms – So far the only attention I’ve paid to gardening has been to kill off the weeds in the flowerbed. In the coming weeks I look forward to planting some new plants & working in the garden in the evenings. A few perennials from 2 summers ago survived through the neglect of my travels last summer and now the clematis has climbed up the fence, the sedum continues to grow and the Bachelor’s Button is in bloom this weekend.

6. Family Knits – While visiting the family in the ‘Ville over Mother’s Day weekend I had everyone try on the socks that I’ve already made – ya know, just so I could see how they would fit in case I were to make socks for the Artisan family in the future. Artisan Mom was gifted with plenty of hand knits while I was home – for Mother’s Day and for her birthday. For Mother’s Day I knit 3 garden themed dishcloths (red ladybug, sage hummingbird & yellow sunflower) – hmm, I thought I had taken pictures of those when I finished them back in January but evidently I didn’t. For her birthday I made the Berthe collar from No Sheep for You in bamboo. Of course, I forgot to take a picture of it – maybe when she is up here in a couple of weeks she’ll bring it so we can do an appropriate photo shoot. I had plans for a cotton Bejeweled scarf for Grandma for Mother’s Day; however, evidently I can’t talk & knit on this pattern – I managed to mess it up while talking with Mom once I got home, so it will be done for her birthday in August.

Hokie Heart
7. Healing Knits – In the midst of everything this month I’ve continued working on squares for the Hokie Healing project. I love the subtle shading variations of this maroon and burnt orange. One skein of each has yielded 2 grandma’s favorites, 2 bejeweled and 1 double heart square. These will be going in the mail this week.

If you haven’t posted in a while or haven’t been tagged by a random meme – consider yourself tagged!

Community in Action

April 29, 2007 / / 9 Comments

On Saturday while out and about running errands just about every intersection was an example of community in action. It was the annual Misericordia/Jelly Belly Candy Days drive – where many volunteers were out collecting donations to support a local community that supports those with special needs. As I drove around the city and up in the northern suburbs, car after car after car after car had a red “I Helped” tag on the mirror or dashboard.

Misericodia Jelly Belly Days

Our book club book this month focused on community as well – Better Off by Eric Brende was his memoir of the 18 months he & his wife spent living within an Anabaptist community. While his focus was giving up technology, the community was an integral part of being able to live with less. This week there was a crash on the Indiana tollway killed several people – including a couple of members of the Amish community. One of the articles I read about the crash showed community in action – as soon as word spread through the community a neighbor arrived to help milk cows, women showed up with food and everyone gathered around a grieving family.

The blog world, especially the knitblog world, is a community of sorts – with many virtual connections. Since starting to blog I have enjoyed participating in a community that comforts by knitting squares for assorted blanket projects. When I saw the Yarn Harlot earlier this month, in addition to her humorous stories I was touched by the details about how Knitters Without Borders has raised over $320,000 in some extremely short timeframes.

In the wake of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, Mosaic Yarn in Blacksburg has launch Hokie Healing with the goal of providing knit blankets to the families of the victims and those injured. Through May they are collecting 8″ x 8″ squares in the Hokie colors – orange and maroon. Phyl has a great post offering suggestions for colors and themes. Over 2000 squares are needed to make these blankets come together. (Thanks Robin for posting about this earlier & making me aware of the need!)

Hokie Healing

One of my errands on Saturday was a trip to The Village Knit Whiz to pick up some Hokie color yarns – I came home with 2 beautiful skeins of Araucania Yarns Nature Wool Chunky (colors 104 & 108) yarn and plan to keep knitting squares until the yarn runs out. I don’t know anyone at Virgina Tech; however, when I was in college I was a part of a solar race car team. In June 1994 we were in Indianapolis for a prep/information weekend & I remember the VT team there showing their Hokie pride when it was time to introduce their car name and number. In the spirit of “We are all Hokies” my weekend knitting has been orange & maroon – so far a “Grandma’s Favorite” square & a “Bejeweled” square.

Hokie Knits

How have you seen community in action recently?

« Older posts Newer posts »

Archives

Meta

Pages

© 2025 Amy Artisan

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑