turkey feathers

Here Comes the Sun

There's a rumor that it's going to be 108 degrees here today, and that calls for: 

 

Iced Borage Tea

A summer "do".  (This is my favorite style year-round actually.)

 

Maybe get around to doing something with these recent thrift shop treasures.

Other random good stuff that's making me happy right now:

These plain burlap & muslin bags here; to use in place of plastic bags (from the grocery store) when buying fruits and vegetables.  They breathe and keep everything perfectly fresh much longer when stored in the fridge as well.  Fancy ones here.  More cute bags with embroidery.

And I love these fun polka dot journals.  I imagine them documenting only the good bits.

thanks for the memories

I never know what surprises my mailbox has in store for me.  Mostly good ones.  (With the exception of some ridiculously high gas bills over the winter; rather a frightful experience opening those. I could've gotten my silver-fillings replaced for less.)  Nevermind.  Let's focus on the generous people among us.  Those who send sweet letters with pictures of what they are working on, and sometimes little presents they've made.  Like this darling Sunbonnet Sewing Case, from Chase.  She actually sent this awhile ago, but I'm just getting around to showing you.  I love all the sweet things she tucked inside.  Check out her ETSY shop to see more of her crafty handiwork. She also included some yummy linen prints she picked up on her trip to Asia earlier this year. I haven't decided how to use them yet.  I'm still staring at the little cars.  They remind me of some I hand-stenciled across the wall (bumper to bumper), in our son's bedroom when he was a little guy.  We were living in southern California at the time, so freeways and cars featured prominently.  He had these "classic" sheets too, which inspired the wall art. Hard to believe they're still available today.  I can't look at them without thinking about those early years of his childhood. Isn't it funny how certain images imprint on your mind? 

 

Update on the Spring Chicks tea towel; it is happily residing in Shari's farmhouse kitchen and it couldn't have been a better match!  Go take a look--you'll see what I mean.

Sock-It-To-Me

 

Grace knitted me this pair of darling little socks.  Her very first pair.  She painstakingly taught herself through books, pictures, and online tutorials.  I'll treasure these forever.  Hey, and they just happen to match my new apron.  Awesome!

Cutting Up

 

These silhouette pictures seem to be everywhere right now, and I can't stop thinking about them.  Years ago, I made a few the old fashioned way--by hand with a tiny pair of sharp scissors.  Fun, but somewhat time intensive.  So, today I dusted off my Pazzles paper-cutter and in just a few minutes time had several dancing ladies all cut out and ready to frame.  The black and whites here are from Dover Publications.  I love their books and have used them as a major design source for years.  This collection is actually part of a CD-Rom & Book, which is on sale for nearly half price right now during their winter sale.  I just ordered mine and a few others.  I also signed up over there and have been getting a few pocketfuls of clip-art once a week for over a year now too.  Gotta love those Dover folks.  You can check that free offer out here.

My finished project.  I REALLY need to make more of these!

 

Feast for the Eyes

There's a little thrill of excitement whenever Marie Claire Idees arrives in the mail box, and usually a tussle as to who gets to devour it first.  Grace got first dibs this time.  That was fine though because it gave me time to finish up my work, grab a cuppa, a warm blankie, and settle in with it later in the day.  Because you can't just flip through this magazine quickly.  It's like a fine French meal, to be savored and lingered over.  And there is so much to look at in this December 2008 issue.  Oh my - eye candy galore.  Every turn of the page is a sweet surprise.  And this is only a tiny portion of what's inside.

I always feel a little funny posting photos from foreign books and magazines.  Hoping it's OK.  Let's just pretend that you're here sitting next to me, and we're perusing the pages together around my kitchen table, shall we?  Please scoot your chair up - or click the images to enlarge - so you can see all the wonderful details.  And help yourself to a cookie.

I poured over this for hours.  Drooling.  It's all so colorful and fun.  The ONLY downside is---it's all in French.  Unless, of course, you speak French and then it must be even more wonderful.  Still, pictures are worth a thousand words and I thoroughly enjoy looking at them.  But sometimes you want to know things.  Like what those little green paper cups are holding and why they are inside adorable felt baby shoes.  Just little things like that.  I'm curious.

This pillow really makes me excited about Christmas!  I know the economy has tanked and things seem dismal everywhere, but this sings festive and hopeful to me.  We may not have any money but we can still sing and dance and laugh.  I'm finding happiness in the small details these days.   I used to love doing needlepoint and cross-stitch.  The preciseness of it is so satisfying.  Putting in that perfect stitch.  My eyesight isn't as sharp as it once was though, which makes me appreciate work like this all the more.  All the hours of concentrated effort.  It's a joy to behold.

More holiday goodness in a softer palette.  Those are beads and shiny sequins, in all shapes and sizes, handsewn onto that fabulous linen bag.  It's like a tiny work of art in itself.

Page after page of amazing needle stitchery!

Naturally, I nearly cried when I saw this.  Edible chocolate cups full of something equally amazing.  I think I read they're made by dipping balloons in chocolate.  I don't care, I want one.

This Redwork advent calender sent me into a virtual tizzy.  How adorable is this?  I don't think I've ever seen anything like it.  I'm not entirely sure how it works though. There are numbered tags, gold chocolate coins, and two small bags hanging on buttons.  Again, I need a translator to explain these intriguing mysteries to me. 

Now I really wish I would've paid attention during French class. Because here's an article I'd like to read if I could.  I've been an admirer of the Apolline website for a few years now, and it's nice to finally see the lovely person behind these whimsical creations.  If you visit the website, be sure and turn up the sound, the mule is hilarious (in a very understated way.) WE were giggling anyway. 

I'll leave you with one more pix of her dolls.  And then I have to get back to my sewing.  Nothing as exciting as all of the above.  Rather, it's been more about necessity than whimsy - although there is a bit of that as well.  As much as I could muster, considering the nature of this patch-job.  But, I think I've got it covered.

Around the House

Remember this corner?  I've made a few changes in here since the last time I shared it.   I'm always moving things around until I get the right mix.  I can't help it.  This cozy nook seems especially inviting now with the cold drizzle outside the door.  In case you're wondering...the slip-covered chaise that used to be here, was moved upstairs to our bedroom and has become the perfect landing spot for all the pillows that come off the bed at night.   Children can sleep on it in a pinch when the house is full of company now too.  It was replaced last year, by this compact slip-covered loveseat that I found online [here] that just happened to fit between the bookcases perfectly.   I was so pleased.  After months of searching for something similar locally and coming up empty-handed, I took a chance doing it online and I must say, our experience with that particular furniture company was excellent.  The comfort and quality was better than expected, the personal service was incredible with fabric samples and actual phone conversations with a live person, topped off by a stellar white-glove delivery.  So no regrets.  The Mister built the floor-to-ceiling bookcases shortly after we moved in about 5 years ago.  We've actually built bookcase walls of some sort, in every house we've ever lived in;  we always seem to need them, and its always hard to leave them behind.  This one wraps around the room flanking windows on one one side and a corner fireplace on the other.  The room was originally a long narrow and somewhat awkward "formal" living room.  By dividing it in half, we now have a well-proportioned library and a quiet study (behind the curtain) for the man of the house.  His desk and computer and music equipment are all tucked away neatly back there.  The cute vintage coffee table was a $30 find at a flea market last year. It has a removable glass top, and one of these days I'm going to display some old photographs or something interesting under it.   The old swing-arm wood-spindle floor lamp was also a bargain from a tag sale a few years ago.  It was recently moved into this room (from another) and transformed with a new ticking stripe shade from one of the Pottery Barn catalogs--forget which one.  Fresh flowers, compliments of my Prince in Shining Armor, who is constantly coming to my rescue.  He came around the backdoor with these on Sunday, in celebration of the completion of that afore-mentioned book project.  He looked so cute standing there.  He cooked many a meal during that time, without complaint and even rescued a few (including the eggs this morning when I forgot to check them).  Poor guy.  I think he's ready to hang up the apron for awhile!  My turn to take him out to dinner.  We're still working on the girl's bathroom and the den.  I've been visiting websites and blogs for inspiration.  The serene design aesthetic here appeals to me.  The fabrics are quiet and easy to live with.  And I absolutely love Posy; I've been following Jane's decorating escapades for awhile and adore her style and ingenuity.   Especially that darling kitchen.  (Scroll down to the bottom of the post.)  I ask you, have you ever seen one cuter than this?

Creative Hands

I think I’m pushing Typepad to its breaking point inserting this fancy font again.  I’ve had to reload posts several times to set it straight.  If you’re having trouble, try refreshing the page. If it keeps acting up, I’ll repost without the frills. 

One of the things I love about blogging is how through a vast network of readers, things you need or want will somehow find you when you put it out there.   Such was the case with the knitted slippers I shared about.  It just so happens, that Twyla makes the very same ones my grandma used to make us.  I found these in her Etsy shop that she and her daughter share, and placed an order for Christmas.  I thought it would be fun to revive an old tradition this year.  She’s also making other wonderful knitted things like pumpkins and coasters.  Aren’t they darling? 

Speaking of slippers, my friend Missy, just stocked her shop with more of her beautiful needle-felted baby slippers.   She literally starts from scratch with these, gathering fiber from her own alpacas, which is then combed and dyed, and finally transformed into booties with a felting needle.  When they’re dry, she finishes them off with a little hand-embroidery.  I’m proud to say that I taught her how to do that when she was in the development stages of her design.  (Before she moved 4,000 miles away! ) On several occasions we sat around my kitchen table and went through the various stitches.  I miss our afternoon sewing sessions, but I think she’s on her way now because these look incredible.

And, can you stand how cute these are?  Grace has been so busy with lots of things  lately, but made time to hand craft a special custom Halloween order and added a few other tiny treats to her dollhouse bakery shop today.  This apple pie is truly a work of art.  And take a look at the strawberry cake, it will have you drooling for sure.

I’m off to bake a real one now...we could use some comfort food around here!

What's In A Name?

The holiday catalogs are already starting to trickle in and are taunting us with their undeniable cuteness.  Yesterday when my daughter "Sarah" turned to page 53 over here, she begged me to make her this owl.  These children of mine think I can make anything. And maybe I did get off easy with just the request for the owl considering the other amazing things shown on beautiful glossy pages.  Still, I thought I’d buy the owl and save it for Christmas. Found out though, they aren't even available until January! Boo-Hoo.

So I just might have to make her one after all. And I bet you didn't know I had a daughter named Sarah did you? Well, actually, this is the new name Ginger has given herself. She thought a different name might be interesting, (like having curly hair instead of straight hair), so we're giving it a whirl.  I'm trying to remember to call her Sarah, but I keep slipping up.  When I was a tween I wanted to change my name too.  I forget now to what, but the phase only lasted a few weeks and then I was over it, having moved on to worrying about my freckles, or some other imagined defect.  And I'll never forget when my son, who was also about ten, announced that he wanted to be called, Jake. It was hard to keep a straight face. Not that there's anything wrong with the name Jake, it just caught me off guard. I was at the sink washing dishes and he made me stop and look at him because, what he had to tell me was ‘pretty serious’. His resolve only lasted a few days, but I still crack-up remembering his determined expression and the attitude shift when he became his alter ego, “Jake”. 

Apologies to everyone waiting on me. It's been crazy around here, you will hear back from me soon! 

Toasty Toes & Warm Hearts

It’s official.  I’m another year older and wiser!  Had a fun week of surprises.  Got the royal treatment, and Grace baked one of her fabulous yummy chocolate cakes.   I feel so loved and appreciated.  My tootsies are telling me that fall has arrived.  There’s definitely a nip in the air and my feet are cold.  Time to pull out jeans and sweaters again and find a new pair of warm slippers.  One of my grandmothers used to knit slippers year-round, for every member of the family, big and small, every year, until she died.  I was well into my thirties when the last pairs were placed underneath the Christmas tree, and oh how I miss them.  They were usually knitted from colorful combinations of worsted and the girls pairs always had a big fluffy pom-pom on them.  Silly and fun.  I get a cozy feeling just thinking about that.  Tried to find a pattern or something similar, and was pretty excited to find these (above) instead from Craftsbury Kids, unfortunately, not my size, but darling for a certain grand-daughter.  Some cute pom pom peds from PurlBee, that Grace can make for me if she wants (hint-hint) and this slipper pattern, which is adorable.  Must give those a whirl when I have some time to stitch again.  I'm looking at another busy week here at the moment though, but hope to get back to sewing and sharing again soon. 

Before I go, just a quick reminder about the two-day NieNie Benefit sale that Morgan has organized, starting Tuesday, over here.  (Nie Family news, recovery status, and other ways you can help can be found here.)  Keep sending good vibes their way.

Mighty Fine Music

It’s nice to hear from so many of you in response to my trip down memory lane.  Even the Mister had an accute recollection after seeing that blouse again.  Ah, the memories.  I’ve been sitting here sipping tea with a wonderful cool morning breeze at my back, reading your stories.  Most of us have never met, but we obviously share much at heart.  I’m reminded of so many things; scrappy skirts made out of ragged jeans being one of them.  I wore mine with real “granny shoes” I scrounged up somewhere.  (My poor Mother.)  Funny what we think of as 'fashionable'.  Won’t even mention the hairstyles! Thanks for sharing your stories.  Keep them coming.

On a completely different subject; wouldn’t it be great if we had appliance WI-FI? Well, until some braniac gets cracking on that, the Mister and I collaborated on a little project a few months ago that’s working well for managing my camera and music cables. It all hangs neatly behind the door now, so I can actually find what I need without sorting through a tangled mess on top of my desk.  My cameras all have different cables (why-O-why must they do this to us?), I almost never seemed to grab the right one.  Now they are ordered by size.  It’s all so efficient!  And it was simple; just used a painted 1x2 with cup-hooks screwed in and mounted to the wall.  A jewelry or hat rack might also work if you have one the right size.  If you have a closet to hide it in, all the better.  I just put mine behind the office door where it's convenient for me as I come and go. 

Quail have taken up residence in my backyard again and a pair of them just paid me a visit while I was sitting here with my backdoor open, camera in hand.  These two have been busy.  They’ve got at least 15 chicks they’ve been herding around for the past week.  I’ve been trying to get a picture of them, but they zip and roll like ping-pong balls all over the ground with just the slightest movement.  The males stand-watch above the rest, chirping out marching orders and warnings with that hilarious head-feather bobbing.  He’s the fancy one standing on the rock, the female is peeping under the fence, following her chicks.  (You can click on the photo for an enlarged view.)  She’s just there behind the rosemary.  What is your view like today?