Gretchen

A tall glass of an opaque beer. The can next to it features a black woman in a futuristic costume.

I bought it because it had a black woman on the can. Fortunately, it tastes really good.

And, because it’s a triple IPA, I am feeling really good 😊

#HoofHeartedBrewing
#BskyBeer
#TripleIPA
#OhioCraftBeer

I’m not in NY anymore, so I can’t rely on public transportation. I’m happy to have my own wheels now. I no longer have to share a car with my sister.

Me in front of a red Audi A3

I bought a car today 😍

Falafel, hummus, stuffed grape leaves and lots of pita bread.

Beef kebabs with salad and french fries. These were some of the best kebabs I’ve ever had.

On this trip, I was surprised by the middle eastern food. I went to M Cocina Arabe, and the food was beautiful, affordable, and delicious. I ended up eating there 3 nights in a row, just cuz. When I go back, I will definitely eat there again.

A nice cold refreshing lemonade with mint. The Caribbean Sea is in the background.

Fried fish - mojarra roja - with patacones, arroz de coco, and salad. I had already taken a bite of the patacones before taking the picture of the food.

I like the traditional food in #Cartagena. When I go, I look forward to eating a plate with fried fish, plantains, and coconut rice. And mint lemonade! Which is awesome and refreshing when you’re on the beach.

A nativity scene made with lights. Palm trees are included in the scene

Lighted arches outside the historic center

2026 in giant, lighted numbers. Lots of people, mostly families, took pictures there.

The entrance to the historic center, all lot up with a Christmas bell and tons of people.

When I arrived in #Cartagena last week, the city was still all lit up for the holidays. It was so pretty, and it made this magical city even more magical for me.

If you have to spend all day in an airport, at least ATL is huge and has a lot to offer. I’m at concourse E and they have buskers who play lots of R&B and soul.

This Venezuela thing has contributed to all kinds of air travel delays.

6 skeins of yarn. 3 are in a variegated burgundy, 3 in variegated dark brown. Hawthorne yarn from KnitPicks.

I’m planning to make a Christmas gift for a loved one and the yarn arrived today. I’m so excited!
🧶🧶🧶😋😋😋

#knitting #knitsky #knitpicks #yarn

A bowl of split pea soup. It’s not puréed so you can still see the carrots and spices. Also pictured is a glass of rosé that paired nicely with the soup.

Thanksgiving remix: I made split pea soup using the ham bone from our meal 😋😋😋

Introduce yourself with 5 concerts you've seen:

1. Prince
2. New Edition
3. Beyoncé
4. Janet Jackson
5. Corinne Bailey Rae

A brown, corduroy pencil skirt made by me, for me, using a pattern that I drafted.

My left forearm with a bright red scratch, about 4 inches long and slightly painful.

Sewing can be dangerous. One of my straight pins scratched up my arm. But I didn’t let that stop me. I persevered! And now I have a new skirt.

🧵🪡
#sewing
#garmentsewing
#sewsky

It’s so fast!

A still from the video for Where is my husband. In the foreground there are 3 singers in red dresses. Raye is in the center. A brass band plays behind the singers.

The first time I heard “Where is my husband” by Raye, I only heard the part with “I wish I had a ring…” I was impressed by the song’s technical complexity, but I rolled my eyes at the pick-me-ness of the lyrics.

I’m glad I eventually heard the whole song, because now I love it 😍🎶🎤. It’s on repeat.

a boy playing a guitar in a dark room with candles Alt: a boy playing a guitar in a dark room with candles

Time to rewatch Coco! I have my Kleenex ready bc every time… 🥹😢🥹

A bag of treats for Halloween, given to me by my parents

Happy Halloween 🎃 👻 🎃

Crochet bandana made with granny stitches. The body is pink. The border is white and ruffled. The lighting is dark and moody.

I crocheted a bandana for my sister. Her love for Barbie inspired the pink and white color scheme. In person, it’s sweet and light and pretty. For contrast, we decided to have fun and photographed it with dramatic lighting and shadows.
🧶

#crochet
#crochetsky

Love on Top
Cuff It
Virgo’s Groove
7/11
Partition
Drunk in Love (Homecoming Live)
Alligator Tears
Freedom
Countdown
Savage Remix

I’m sitting on my couch crocheting, and my watch thinks I’m working out. It just closed my exercise ring. I’ve gone out on 45 minute walks and it hasn’t closed my ring. I am confused. 🤷🏾‍♀️

It saddens me to know that D’Angelo has passed away. At the same time, I’m glad that he was here. I’m glad that we still have his music.

He helped me find sanctuary. I hope he finds peace.

Album cover Voodoo by D’Angelo

When Voodoo came out, I was going thru a really difficult time, personally. One of my coping mechanisms was to get in my car and drive, and listen to Voodoo, on repeat.

When I mentioned it to my then-therapist, she pointed out that I had found sanctuary, driving my car and listening to D’Angelo.

Crochet bandana made with granny stitches. The main color is brown, and there is one row of baby blue.

Crochet bandana made with granny stitches. The main color is brown, and there is one row of baby blue.

As the temperatures fall, I start looking for ways to cover my head and stay warm. This year, I opted for a crochet bandanna. It was a quick and easy project, made with yarn already in my stash. And now that I’ve made one, I’ll probably make more, in other colors. 🧶

#crochet
#crochetsky

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It’s spooky season, which means it’s a good time for a rewatch of Agatha All Along.

I loved this series when it first came out. And now it’s even better watching it and knowing what happens. There are so many layers!

media.giphy.com/media/kqO0HO...

This song has so much optimism. It acknowledges all the bad in the world, and then offers comfort.

I moved to Ohio so that I could live closer to my parents. I gotta say that I love being able to have dinner with them on a random Tuesday night. So far, the move was worth it.

🙋🏾‍♀️

Congratulations! 🎉🍾

6 donuts from a local donut store

It’s National Donut Month and I’m happy to celebrate 🍩

Thanks for the warm welcome 😊

Hi - I’m Gretchen.

I recently moved from NYC to Ohio, and wow, that is a very big change.

While I’m making changes, I’m also gonna change how I interact with BlueSky. I’ve been on here for a while, mostly as a lurker. I’m planning to start posting more.

#AddtoBlackSky

I also really enjoyed the Daniel Cabot and Tommy Cabot books. All of her mid-century books have been comfort reads for me this year.