Why is it that in the hottest days of summer I start to dream about jingle bells and frosty snowman and all that is wintry and Christmasy? If you are a knitter and crafter then I imagine your Christmas craft timer has sounded off its alarm too, so please come on in and see the absolutely adorable things I've got planned to make for the holidays. I'll divide them into three groups: the Already Made Department (as in finished in July), the Almost Finished Category (will finish this month), and those projects on my Wishful Thinking List.

If you love zinnias as much as I do, then this is your post! It's packed with pictures of the new varieties I planted this year and I'll share my honest opinions. This was an exciting year for zinnia lovers because this old fashioned flower has been getting a lot of attention. Roses have always been the darlings of breeders, and in recent decades both peonies and dahlias have received a lot of attention, but recently breeders have settled onto the humble zinnia. I have been following along like a fangirl and as a long time zinnia lover I found all this terribly exciting. This year I grew some of the newest varieties and I invite you to read on to find out what I loved and didn't love.