my emmeline and other updates

I finally got around to making my own emmeline apron and I'm like a little girl with a new party dress-- I want to wear it all day, every day, and maybe even sleep in it too!

My sweet little niece Amy Elizabeth made her grand appearance last week so I've been in a bit of a rush to finish up this lovely little piece of knitting:

And finally, here's a week's worth of progress on our lilac blossoms:

I can see the beginnings of tiny blossoms in the middle of those leaf buds, but I'm so thrilled with the baby leaves that I won't feel too bad if we don't get actual lilacs. I've brought in a couple of branches from our flowering plum tree and waiting with bated breath for our crabapple tree to show signs of being ready. What I wouldn't give for a forsythia or pussy willow right now!

Forcing buds-- well, at least forcing leaves-- is easy. Just cut a few little branches off a flowering bush or tree. Bring them in and immerse them in a basin of water for an hour (give or take)-- this helps soften the scales on the buds. Cut the stems at an angle, put in your favorite water filled vase (I'm partial to recycling glass salad dressing and soda pop bottles), and place in a sunny window. Change the water every three days and wait for Spring to arrive early to your house. This can take up to a month, so be patient.

Seriously, you gotta try it.