QueSara

The Sun is Shining Again

2010-01-07T11:45:00.004-05:00

And with that, dear friends, I think that we are finished here.

For a lot of tiny little reasons and out of a hope for a new year with more time and experiences spent away from in front of a laptop screen. (Now and again, I may pop back in with an especially inspiring find or an art journal page that is sort of a blog post on its own. We'll see!)

Adios, best wishes and blessings to you all!

(This little hope needs all the help it can get! Already I'm dreaming about what project to cook up next... :) )

On Traveling Light (And Warm)

2010-01-07T10:49:00.008-05:00

We made it! We have survived the airport terminals, flown in a plane, been witness to a sweet wedding (love you, Clara and Levi!) and returned safe and sound. Wanting to travel with as little fuss as possible, Laura and I each tried to pack only a carry-on and purse.

It worked.

I was amazed.

In fact, I think there were even a few things in my suitcase that I didn't even pull out!

So this is the grand voice of one-time experience making note of

How To Pack for 3 Very Cold Days in 1 Very Small Carry-on

{This is what I had planned to wear.}

At the last minute, after another glance at the weather forecast dipping below the teens, I put a few more layers into the mix (aka - all the warm tops I own), as well as a warm green wool hoodie that Mama and Daddy gave me. Additions and changes are *ed below.

DAY ONE

(Flying from Atlanta, Georgia to Omaha, Nebraska)

- CuddleDud thermals

- Yellow henley

- Trouser jeans

- Socks

- Boots

- Wool coat

* Green hoodie

- Orange scarf

DAY TWO

(Wedding preparation and rehearsal)

- Wine tneck

* Wine waffle tee

* Trouser jeans

- CuddleDud thermals

- Socks

- Boots

* Red 3/4 sleeve tneck

- Cord skirt

- Tights

- Boots

* Orange scarf

DAY THREE

(The wedding!)

- CuddleDud thermal top

- Blue tneck

- Black lacy skirt

- Bow belt

- Black tights

* Black leggings

- Blue flats

DAY FOUR

(Flying from Omaha, Nebraska to Atlanta, Georgia)

* CuddleDud thermals

* White warm eyelet tee

* Green hoodie

- Trouser jeans

- Orange scarf

- Wool coat

- Socks

- Boots

* Beret

Everything was warm and comfortable, fitting snuggly into the bag which fit easily into the overhead compartment. The 3-1-1 ziplocs went into the little purple backpack with other essentials and room to spare. I was so thankful for that green hoodie! And for the extra tops...the thermometer dipped below zero more than once!

We were blessed with good flights and great friends! In fact, I'm looking forward to doing this again...anyone want to get married in say...Maui?

This Week...

2009-12-27T20:36:00.006-05:00

Actually Laura and I will be taking our very first plane trip to go to a dear friend's wedding!

Say a prayer?

Wilson's Sweater (And a Bowtie)

2009-12-23T10:01:00.004-05:00

{Inspired by Bentley's sweater...}

Wilson's new sweater is made from the sleeve of a felted sweater from the thrift store. The shoulder folds around his neck like a shawl collar. A section cut from the other sleeve makes the strap around his underbelly (edges covered with an overlock stitch).

He liked it the minute the sweater came out of the scrap basket!

Which is good...because the bowtie I was making him...didn't really show with all his fluff.

So the girls can have it.

They don't look all too thrilled about it, do they?

These canine fashions may be a bit silly, but after working on them, I am feeling much more confident that I can sew and make things fit. Maybe next, something for human proportions?

Judy Wears a Cape

2009-12-20T13:16:00.004-05:00

To tickle Mama's fancy, I made a little cape for her Judy-dog. (Inspired by the ones from bugduds on Etsy) It took me a while to figure out the right curves for a pattern...consisting mostly of quite a few versions of newspaper and tissue paper shapes pinned around a very patient little dog's neck. Read "patient" as half asleep. Judy dogs need their beauty rest. After the fitting, she perked up and tried her very best to help, pulling out scraps and running away with the ruler. Finally, once the ruler was returned, a pattern was born, the fabrics picked and even the collar attached without too much of a to-do. I was worried about the collar...those were new for me and I could not find a tutorial or instructions online.

So a....what do they call a draft in sewing? A proof? A 'muslin'? One of those was called for. There was some faded vintage nursery rhyme fabric in the stash downstairs that would suit just right. Whew! The seam allowances that I left were far too large! How nice to have a Bebe dog just a little bit bigger!

Over a green knit sweater and tied with a blue grosgrain ribbon (with fashionably inconvenient length), Bebe models the Nursery Rhyme Cape.

With much smaller seam allowances, Judy wears her semi-reversible cape with a button and loop fastening over a red cable turtleneck sweater for warmth.

And just in time. The next day....

...brought the biggest snow we've seen in a long time!

Bit #5 - Lots of Purple Going On

2009-12-17T10:53:00.002-05:00

My free kit (from a local group) for Project Linus was a really simple one this year.

Just purple on one side. Green on the other.

Stitched up like a big pillowcase and tied with green floss.

Bit #4 - Baby Blossom Hats

2009-12-15T09:34:00.005-05:00

I can post this now since both hats have been recieved at their respective destinations.

This is the free pattern: Clochette. (Bless you, Knitting Pattern Central!)

(Bebe wasn't a lot of help on this photoshoot. She prefers to stay cuddled in her blankets....)

There was a video on Etsy's Storque that suggested sewing sheets of pretty paper over recycled mailing envelopes. It worked pretty well and everything got to where it was supposed to, so I guess that the post office didn't complain too much! The illustrations are from a salvaged nursery rhyme book. I love these old colors and lines...don't you?

These little blossoms remind me of Campanula flowers and were a real delight to make. (This was my first time knitting small, separate forms - like these leaves. Very fun!) The petals were a little...floppier than the picture had led me to expect. Maybe because I haven't mastered the art of weaving in ends yet. Hmm... Must knit more - to practice!

Kisses to the babies to whom they now belong!

Bit #3 - Bathroom Window Makeover

2009-12-06T22:42:00.002-05:00

oooo....the ratty old blinds in our bathroom have been broken for a long time. Since this picture was taken, one of the lift cords shredded, rendering the whole thing lopsided if you wanted to let any light in at all. We looked around for a replacement, but the hardware store always seemed out of the right size or style, so we lived with it.

Then I spotted this tutorial and figured "what do we have to lose"? It looked easy enough to turn our grimy, tattered blinds into a beautiful Roman Shade....

Sure, it calls for an existing lift cord, but threading a bit of yarn (yes yarn...) through the header was not TOO hard. Pulling up diagrams for the repair work made me feel like a little grease monkey! In a very, very...small, blind-repair sort of way.... sorta. We had some muslin in the stash and a new bottle of fabric glue in the drawer. A fancy new shade was done zipzipzip! (Note: fabric glue is aaaawwwwwessome.)

My triumph was short-lived. The lift cord snapped. Again. We are blaming it on some faulty rollers in the heading.

Still, with the help of a spare piece of muslin, the desired Roman Shade was transformed into a dainty sort of ribbed valance. SO MUCH BETTER! (Excuse the cluttered toilet top - I was deciding between the wider tie or two narrow lace ones... Also - that tiny picture on the ribbon is one of my travel journals! Easy, huh?)

Bit #2

2009-12-01T15:55:00.003-05:00

russel sprouts are love.

To look at anyway.

And then when all the little sprouts are snapped off, the most marvelous pattern is left on the stalk! Kind of like a vintage modern wallpaper print.

Bit #1 ~ Watercolor Packing List

2009-12-01T15:39:00.005-05:00

hew! So Nanowrimo is over.... Writing 50K aside, November was a pretty creative month at our house and now is the time to share bits of it here (in no particular order).

Laura and I are going to a dear friend's wedding at the end of the month. I'm trying to figure out what to pack... (And what will fit in a carry-on!)

Doodling things out can be such a big help sometimes, don't you agree?

(NOTE: totally in love with www.dailydropcap.com!)

The Words Keep Coming

2009-11-14T22:56:00.002-05:00

There are several blog posts floating about in my head, but my fingers are rather busy plotting a tale without me, so you'll have to excuse the lack of updates.

Upcoming:

I-pod covers
Knit baby hats
Project Linus quilts
Altered book beginnings
Lots of pencil sketches

(P.S. That is 'mummy' as in the endearment for British mothers, not an embalmed Egyptian artifact. My story is veering into odd directions this November, but that is not one of them!)

Nanowrimo 2009

2009-11-01T08:46:00.003-05:00

I'm writing a novel this November.

Are you?

www.nanowrimo.org

New Journal

2009-10-22T10:48:00.002-04:00

The new journal I bought at E. Shavers in Savannah.

Isn't it the most decadently beautiful thing you've ever seen?

And it feels so soft! I still haven't brought myself to write in it yet. A journal like this deserves great thoughts (and a good pen).

Dear God, please bless me with great thoughts (and a good pen)?

Beach Sketchbook

2009-10-22T09:42:00.005-04:00

I ran out of journal pretty quickly this trip and had to turn to my little "just-in-case" folded stack of watercolor paper. (About 3"x5")

I got to paint this en plein air, sitting on warm, soft sand under a fiercely brilliant sun. It was so much fun playing 'artiste' and the colors came out just right. Those squiggly things on the right are boats...

Sunsets are really rather too presumptuous for me to try yet...

And last but not least, The Depressed Pelican. I love pelicans. This one has a newsprint sea, because truthfully that's what it looked like just then!

I kind of enjoy keeping these mini journals on vacations...the one from the Blueberry Cottage still makes me happy. The simplicity of them is so easy and un-overwhelming. I can dab and doodle all I like without feeling guilty about it - but the next one needs more pages!

About the Pirates...

2009-10-18T11:42:00.002-04:00

We happened to be in Tybee for the annual PirateFest, so we pulled together some costumes to go to the parade in. Not bad for straight-out-of-the-suitcase deals, huh?

And since we stole the dogs' bandannas, we gave them piratey names instead:

SeaBeagle, Beatrice Queen of the Western Main and ScurvyDog.

ScurvyDog knows how to say "ARRrrgh!"

Beach Houses and Cobblestones

2009-10-18T10:48:00.003-04:00

We've been away at the beach.

It turns out that Tybee Island, Georgia is a very nice place to be the first few weeks of autumn! The weather was gorgeous, the housing adorable (big shout-out to Mermaid Cottages here!), the water warm, the pirates friendly (yes, pirates), the food yummy, the side-trips to Savannah glamorous...We even saw a little of The Conspirator being filmed! Robert Redford, James McAvoy and crew were inside the house shooting, so we didn't see them. Lots of fun anyway.

I spent more time behind a novel or a sketchbook than the camera. Go to Laura's blog to see some pretty pictures from our trip! Shucks, even this one was just me jabbing Laura and saying "Take a picture of our feet!" Because sisters in purple shoes deserve to have their picture taken with Savannah cobblestones.

Maybe next time I'll blog as we go and take y'all along with me. Provided there are no decadently warm mornings for biking, dolphins playing at sunset to watch or seashells perfectly pierced for beads to gather....

A Quick Bit of Conversation

2009-09-30T19:12:00.002-04:00

{image from sun_star_n_moon}

First off, it tickled me to pieces that more than a few of you participated in the recent sidebar poll. Thanks! We should do that again sometime.

Second, you might have noticed the lack of QueSara entries on your reader. Have you? From the very beginning, Laura has never gotten my updates, and due to the number of followers vs the number of comments, I'm thinking that happens to you too! It's really bugging me, and I can't get a scrap of help from the Blogger people, so...

I'm thinking of changing hosts. To SquareSpace maybe. Or a fresh new Blogger. What do you think?

Anywhoo, it's high time for a giveaway round these here parts. More about that when we get back from the beach.

7 Days/7 Outfits

2009-09-30T19:08:00.000-04:00

Rosh Hashanah goal: to put effort into dressing femininely every day.

This was how my first week went.

Sunday

Chunky knit sweater, thrifted

Belt, Tanner Outlet?

Denim skirt, Gap

Boots, Belks?

Accessory, turquoise bracelet/ring

Agenda: "Prop Assistant" at ActuallyLaura's SC photoshoot

Wearability: ****

This top is SO comfortable. Never a big fan of handknit clothing, I now want to copy the pattern and make five. Or six. I think that the beaded bracelet wound into a ring may be my new statement piece too.

Monday

Teal plaid dress, Target

Knit v-neck, ?

Belt, Belks

Canvas ballet flats, Teva (<3!)

Accessory: that bracelet/ring again

Agenda: ?

Wearability: ****

First time "remixing" this dress as a skirt/blouse.

Tuesday

Pink tank, Jockey

Blue striped shirt, Bitten

Capris, Belks?

Rain boots

Accessory: brass layered necklace, AE

Agenda: warm rainy day at home, walking dogs

Wearability: ***

Weird outfit. Also, new shampoo making my hair unmanageable.

Wednesday

Gray square-neck blouse, thrifted

Striped vest, inherited

Khaki skirt, Bullwinkles

Brown mules, Belks

Agenda: grocery shopping

Wearability: **

One of the blah-est outfits I have ever worn. People were unusually pleasant to me this day though. Perhaps because I looked homeless?

Thursday

White tank, Belks

White sweater, Gap

Khaki capris,

Purple flipflops, Old Navy

Agenda: helping transport Belle-the-Doberman

Wearability: ***

Yeah, didn't plan for Belle's transport, but notice! Picture taken afterwards and no major damage! That doggie is a sweetheart.

Friday

Magenta tank, Eddie Bauer?

Pink cropped sweater, Old Navy

Western-inspired belt, ?

Denim skirt, Eddie Bauer?

Sandals, SAS

Agenda: DMV road test, household chores

Wearability: ****

While not entirely flattering to my shape, this outfit felt pretty to wear!

Saturday

Black tee, AE

Floral dress, Belks

Jeans, Eddie Bauer

Tennis shoes, Lands End

Agenda: Nephew's jungle themed 1st b-day party

Wearability: **

I must love him or something. I wish this dress were more wearable, because the artwork on it is just my cup of tea! Japanese primroses, anyone? Next time, if there is a next time, colorful tee a MUST.

Vote for Little Bitsy!

2009-09-18T09:11:00.000-04:00

Hey guys! Time for a doggy promo. Would you like to help dogs like Charley (the Shepherd I posted about yesterday)? Sometimes all it takes is a click...

VOTE BITSY CUTEST DOG!

"Friends and Family,

My fellow REALTORS with Steve Owen and Associates are helping us raise money in order to receive funds to create a non-profit organization to further help our efforts in animal rescue. This will allow us to have fund raisers, accept donations that are tax deductible for the donors, to apply for grant money, to pull animals from the shelters and do so much more to help our abused, thrown away, neglected, abandoned, unloved, sick animals. It will be called the Charlie Powers Memorial Animal Rescue in honor of my father who loved and cared for animals his entire life and taught me to do the same by his example.It has been a labor of love for me to rescue and help the animals for almost 50 years.

Please take a few seconds each day to click on the following link and vote for Little Bitsy. You will only have to register to vote the first time. You can vote everyday. Each new week begins on Sunday and continues until end of October. Let's help her win so she can help the other dogs and cats that have not yet been rescued.

If you would like to make a donation to assist with the estimated cost of $3,000 to create our non profit status, please make your checks (if we raise more than needed for 5013c, all donations will be used for welfare and rescue of the animals) out to:

Charlie Powers Memorial Animal Rescue
% Evelyn Bridges
226 Panther Gap Road
Brevard, NC 28712"

(She's already in the top 30! Let's help Bitsy get to the TOP!)

PosieDork

2009-09-17T18:48:00.004-04:00

I admit it. I'm a Posie Gets Cozy dork. Aren't you? Gorgeous Oregon, scrumptious stories, delicious photographs, lovable CloverMeadow the Corgi, recipes to die for - all spread with a delightful array of handicraft goodness and vintage homeyness. (Yes, that is a word. Apparently. Safari didn't correct me!) She has a perfect way of putting things that I can only aspire to reach one day... There are always so many comments on her blog that I always feel a little shy, throwing in my two cents. But I did, the other day, because Laura and I saw an apron in a movie that reminded us of hers....

Imagine my absolute bliss when I spied THIS on my blog guest list:

From www.rosylittlethings.typepad.com? From Portland, OR? And on a Mac?? That has GOT to be Alicia Paulson herself!!! A Posie spotting! On my blog!

So, thank you for visiting, Alicia. I hope that you saw something that you liked. I'm so glad you came - it made my day. :)

Heart: Stolen

2009-09-17T16:05:00.003-04:00

Sometimes one of the shelter dogs just steals your heart.... This fluffy old German Shepherd gets to me this week. He has a touch of old 'arthur' and paws the size of baseballs. It doesn't help that he takes treats and has a bark like my old Collie-girl. We call him Charley.

Mountain State Fair 2009

2009-09-15T11:25:00.005-04:00

{We rode the ferris wheel!! Not sure if I took this picture or not...Laura, Daddy and I kept trading the camera back and forth. Yes, even at the tippity-top. Don't you love the colors?}

{View from the ferris wheel! The grounds didn't look nearly as crowded as they felt and the mountains suddenly took center stage.}

{My three favorite parts of the fair are... 1: the cut flowers.}

{Especially this gorgeous shell pink dahlia touched with amethyst.}

{2: the food. The apple lady has the most wonderful fritters!}

{Next door to the apple lady is the maple sugar cotton candy stand. Yes. Maple Sugar Cotton Candy. It's like dying and going to heaven!}

{And most of all...3: the animals have always been a fair highlight for me! This picture is by Actually Laura. My intentions were to go Roz Wound Up style and take leisurely sketches of the piglets and Brahman bulls - even had sketchpad in tote - but the whole big fair experience swept me away!}

So do you have a fair? Is it a state thing, a county thing...or a strange regional-pretending-to-be-state thing like ours? Does it have llamas? What's your favorite fair food? And did you get to see the human cannonball? (We missed him by a flash!)

Knotted Hobo Bags

2009-09-12T21:58:00.000-04:00

Inspired by the breezy, colorful bags I've seen tossed over the shoulder of every teenage fashionista in town, I set out in search of a tutorial to make my own. The one I found from LivingCreatively was just what I was looking for! My appreciate for all things versatile made this right up my alley. No seams! No cutting! And when you're through, a perfectly usable scarf still intact. I knotted up four in a jiffy.

Hobo Bag Tutorial

{My favorite! Scarf from Tzinus.}

{A pareo makes an odd shape.}

{Smaller, I think the way the pattern made a border on this one is cool.}

{ Second favorite - itty bitty bandanna bag with chunky nautical chain necklace as handle. <3!}

Being from delicate fabrics, they all fall rather limp when put to use, but I surely see myself taking one or two of these along when we visit the beach next month! Next month? Goodness, is it autumn already?

{Behold Anthropologie's one oh-so-similar!)

Are you watching?

2009-09-11T06:20:00.000-04:00

(I haven't played with photoshop in forever! You can tell - everything is quite pale. ;)

Beware of Cake-Eaters

2009-09-10T05:23:00.000-04:00

More US History goodness. The very real Anti Flirt Club (1923) was "composed of young women and girls who have been embarrassed by men in automobiles and on street corners."

Anti- Flirt Club Code of Guidance:

Don't flirt: those who flirt in haste oft repent in leisure.
Don't accept rides from flirting motorists—they don't invite you in to save you a walk.
Don't use your eyes for ogling—they were made for worthier purposes.
Don't go out with men you don't know—they may be married, and you may be in for a hair-pulling match.
Don't wink—a flutter of one eye may cause a tear in the other.
Don't smile at flirtatious strangers—save them for people you know.
Don't annex all the men you can get—by flirting with many, you may lose out on the one.
Don't fall for the slick, dandified cake eater—the unpolished gold of a real man is worth more than the gloss of a lounge lizard.
Don't let elderly men with an eye to a flirtation pat you on the shoulder and take a fatherly interest in you. Those are usually the kind who want to forget they are fathers.
Don't ignore the man you are sure of while you flirt with another. When you return to the first one you may find him gone.

Amusing, yes, but I do tip my hat to these ladies.

Dear Diary...

2009-09-08T08:48:00.001-04:00

{Never underestimate the tag art from a can of peanuts -

this is probably one of my new favorite journal pages....}

I've been a journaler for a long time and have the shelves full of tattered bindings to prove it, but it's always been a struggle for me to get beyond a shallow ramble when I write... This blog series at A Holy Experience encouraged me lately and I thought I'd share.

It's funny how each time I sit down to write, trying hard to listen for my Redeemer's voice, the Jason Mraz song 'Lucky' plays through my head!

". . .Do you hear me? I'm talking to you

Across the water, across the deep blue ocean

Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying.

Boy I hear you in my dreams

I feel your whisper across the sea

I keep you with me in my heart

You make it easier when life gets hard. . ."

He's there.

5 Lovely Things

2009-09-08T07:11:00.006-04:00

{Loving this illustrator and her vintage fashion sense.}

{Do peek at the botanical background/image on this illustrator's site!}

"The Leopard of Little Breezes yawned up and further off from the rooftops of Omaha, Nebraska, to which September did not even wave good-bye. One ought not to judge her: all children are Heartless. They have not grown a heart yet, which is why they can climb high trees and say shocking things and leap so very high grown-up hearts flutter in terror. Hearts weigh quite a lot. That is why it takes so long to grow one. But, as in their reading and arithmetic and drawing, different children proceed at different speeds. (It is well known that reading quickens the growth of a heart like nothing else.) "

- The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, Cathrynne M. Valente

{One day, Laura and I are going to go on a Chitty Chitty Bang Bang tour

- especially to the very real Cobstone Mill. }

{Are these paperdolls by Breezy Tulip and Emily Rose not the sweetest things?}

Also, you may have noticed a new poll in the sidebar. Now you can put your 2 cents in on what this blog should post about next! (Highly useful to indecisive characters such as myself...)

Where Beth Skwarecki Writes

2009-09-07T19:51:00.002-04:00

"I'm a freelance writer by profession (nonfiction - mainly science writing) and I've just moved into a new house, where I have the best office ever. Feels like I'm in a little cabin in the woods.
The desk is an old kitchen table that is big enough for not just my laptop, but any papers or notebooks I care to work from. Cubbies and drawers built into the walls hold my office supplies, reference books, and spare notebooks (I'm a notebook junkie). There's also a couch to lounge in for a change of pace."

Just spied this on the Nanowrimo blog. Isn't it yummy? I love the cabinets inset into the wall - they're practically invisible!

Bucket Bike Giveaway

2009-09-02T10:56:00.002-04:00

Now imagine the library books, farmer's market muffins and cut flowers I could tote in that!

Check out the weekly (yes, weekly!) Madsen giveaway HERE.

What would you do with such a cool bike?

Veggielove

2009-09-02T03:39:00.001-04:00

The beautiful fluffy puppies that I just posted about have parvo and since we're worried about one, I'm up on night duty - Annie shift.

Bear with me as I distract myself here.

{I wish these pretty little oriental eggplants tasted as good as they look. They're akin to kosher squid substitute IMHO!}

{My favorite part.}

{A FoodNetwork recipe, Giada I think, for eggplant with goat cheese and fresh basil. Balsamic vinegar makes it very fragrant!}

We Have Puppies!!!

2009-08-31T07:53:00.002-04:00

Adeline, Roo, Annie (the sinking fluffball) and Arizona ZoZO are our first litter of foster puppies! They're going like hotfire - already everyone but Annie is spoken for. They are all adorable! Puppies are easy fosters too, especially these. They entertain themselves, sleep a lot, and only require us to go down to feed and clean them every few hours. And to play with them of course... Hard work that!

Lady Bird Johnson

2009-08-24T09:13:00.001-04:00

CollegePlus!

2009-08-23T09:29:00.003-04:00

{calling cards maybe? image from darknoises }

Dear friends,

I haven't sat down and told you how much of a blessing CollegePlus! has been. In the four (!!?) months since we started, I've been able to earn 21 college credits and am only 2 1/2 CLEPs away from finishing freshman year. Working with my coach has been a wonderful experience...the set up there has been great for me, since I'm sort of a self-starter who needs one-on-one attention to keep going. It is a real blessing to be able to do this at home, where I can still be with my family. It's college, just home-style. :)

If it's something that you've been considering, I'd encourage you to enroll soon. (Before September 30th would be lovely because I might win a MacBook then. That would mean more blog posts and comments for all - and every one likes that, right? ;D)

Please do use this Code: 5134

Red Dress and Silver Slippers

2009-08-21T10:32:00.002-04:00

{Portrait of Grace Coolidge}

I wonder what sort of dog that is?

A Look I Love

2009-08-18T23:31:00.000-04:00

{Redbook}

{Rutherford B. Hayes and his bride Lucy on their wedding day}

2009-08-18T15:55:00.003-04:00

  March  16, 1853.-On the 14th, Rutherford and I had our daguerreotypes taken. No difficulty in getting pictures to suit us. The large one is for ourselves, that as old age draws on we might see what we once were. Rutherford has that expression I love to see. 'Tis a mixed one, love, happiness, and a tinge of pride - enough to give a noble, manly air. And he seems to have just said, "This is my wife." How dearly I will prize this pic- ture. It will always bring sweet memories. And whatever shall be our lot, may he retain that look. It is a speaking one, but I cannot tell all it shows. To me the greatest and best expression is only love. I am pleased with mine. It has rather a meek, subdued air, clinging to its only support,-remove that and it will droop.  -From the Hayes journals.

Falling Early

2009-08-16T12:47:00.005-04:00

Way back in December, I promised my big sister Rachel a Clemson-orange hat. She looks so cute in hats!

The pattern: Foliage from Knitty's archives.

The yarn: Lamb's Pride Worsted, Orange You Glad

It took me three fun days to knit - my first attempt at circular needles. EarthHeart Designs saved me there, with their handy tip to make the circle smaller with a double-pointed needle. First I had to uncurl grandma's long curly plastic needles. Running them through hot water water was not enough for these...maybe they were too old and stiff. A quick swish in just boiled water and then a run of cold tap water did the trick. Yay!

As usual, the pattern threw me a little and I had to bluff for part of it. The resulting hat is a little large even on my big head, so I hope it fits RayRay! It's *awfully* comfortable to wear though and if she doesn't want it, I do! I heart orange. :)

What have you been up to?

Bags are Essential

2009-08-15T19:43:00.002-04:00

Custom Amy Butler bag giveaway @ Grosgrain!

Masking Tape is my new best friend - and it comes in colors!!

2009-08-12T11:21:00.003-04:00

I can think of about 3 dozen different things (at least!) that I'd do with this HappyTape.

Country Living used it to dress up a lampshade with stripes.

I love this little card garland from the HappyTape blog!

What would you do?

Ruling Passions

2009-08-07T10:04:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time...there was a charming little quiz in a gardening book. (I don't remember which one, alas.) After making a list of 21 favorite plants/uses/accessories, you played them against each other in 'survival of the fittest' until only one remained.

These are the "Ruling Passions" for my dream garden:

{Ruling Use: A quiet place to drink tea and think.}

{Ruling Sensory Pleasure: Something to taste at every bend.}

{Ruling Emotion: A place to inspire.}

{Ruling Accoutrement: A garden gate that clicks or squeaks.}

{Ruling Plant Category: Herbs.}

{Ruling Plant: Old-fashioned climbing roses.}

www.gardenrooms.typepad.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/june-oka/129224213/

Carnation Lily Lily Rose - John Singer Sargent

http://www.flickr.com/photos/medicalvegetable/3791404288/in/pool-herbs

http://www.flickr.com/photos/liquidskyarts/163210529/

Pirate

2009-08-01T15:49:00.002-04:00

Another puppy dog portrait. This is Pirate, a very handsome and dapper chap. He's at least a little Blue Heeler (Australian Cattle Dog) - he's on the small side. His fosters all adore him, but come this month, he'll be going to a forever home of his very own!! It was very tempting to slap a King-of-the-Pirate's crown on him in Photoshop. I resisted.

Happy August!

Yumberries

2009-07-31T15:20:00.002-04:00

I haven't had much success at battling the bugs, birds and beasts away from our new little pot of strawberries. (Yes, beasts. The dogs seem to think "treats"!) Just the same, they've been delightful neighbors. Tolerant of all my neglect, the little pot of strawberries is always fresh and cool looking - even in the muggy weather we've been having lately. The leaves are refreshingly, uniformly green, the flowers are perfectly pink, the berries are a delicious shade of red and this week, I got to taste one.

There is was, a tiny gooseberry sized dot hidden in the foliage, ripe and unblemished....

Even at this late date, it was yummy. The flavor was exactly half sour and half sweet - like a candy.

I'm looking forward to next year. :)

Touched

2009-07-29T15:22:00.003-04:00

The surprise lilies are at it again.

I just can't get over these things!

{Inspiration 5}

2009-07-23T09:13:00.003-04:00

1} Love this - DesignSponge

2} Ruffles, linen and boots = love - BurdaStyle

3} Perfection - aquiltisnice

4} The chairs don't look comfy, but the evening certainly does! - An Indian Summer

5} I love the hint of collie in the background :) - wideopenspaces

Oh no!

2009-07-23T08:48:00.002-04:00

{images from FunkyFrum}

I'm in big trouble. My beloved Google Notebooks are no longer being offered to new users. The old notebooks are still around, but I have an urgent feeling to find new homes for my piles of favorites elsewhere! There must be a program out there somewhere, just as simple, where you can right-click-save in folders and tags...! Besides my own laptop, of course.

Where do you keep all your online inspirations in check?

You may be expecting an onslaught of fashion/decor/crafty pics soon.

Penny Plie

2009-07-18T17:40:00.000-04:00

Next to Collies, my next favorite breed is the Corgi (fault laying to Tasha Tudor and Alicia Paulson). Imagine the sad little ker-flop that my heart did to see a beautiful little wheaten corgi mix being carried into the shelter this week. How can people do these things? Knowing that a dog as good as Penny would be adopted in no time flat, we took her home to foster before she even made it through the door.

Sure enough, here it is Saturday and her new parents are coming tomorrow. She loves them already and will be so content to have a home of her own again!

About the picture, I've been meaning to experiment with doggie portraits for a while now. Our aunt gave us a big bag of matting scraps that seemed to just call for a touch of acrylics. The medium was new to me, except for murals, stenciling etc, so I was glad to see it work! (I love how Penny's little legs bow together in a ballet plie from the Doxie half of her parentage) Hmmm...who should I try next? Bebe, my favorite model? Roomba, the wide-eyed little beagle getting better on our screened porch?

What strange lesson is the Lord leading me in with both collies and corgyn to pass through in one month?

I want to make one of these.

2009-07-18T17:18:00.000-04:00

{a love story, illustrated - by inspireco}

June Through a Camera

2009-07-13T09:04:00.003-04:00

I finally uploaded my June Project 365 pics to Flickr. Yay!

1. 169 - June 18th, 2. 164 - June 13th, 3. 162 - June 11th, 4. 161 - June 10th

Why, Yes, I Think I am Obsessed with Animals

2009-07-12T11:40:00.006-04:00

{These posts from Pioneer Woman tickle me beyond measure.}

{Roz Wound Up has been inspiring me to take up pen lately.}

{How did I survive pre-CONKbunny? It reminds me so much of Eli & Abby!}

Weekend Fun

2009-07-11T08:54:00.002-04:00

You said your birthday is 5 / 18 / 1988
which means you are 21 years old and about:

71 years 6 months younger than Walter Cronkite, age 92
66 years 10 months younger than Nancy Reagan, age 88
63 years 11 months younger than George Herbert Bush, age 85
56 years 8 months younger than Barbara Walters, age 77
54 years 6 months younger than Larry King, age 75
48 years 3 months younger than Ted Koppel, age 69
44 years 10 months younger than Geraldo Rivera, age 66
41 years 10 months younger than George W. Bush, age 63
36 years 10 months younger than Jesse Ventura, age 57
32 years 7 months younger than Bill Gates, age 53
27 years 9 months younger than Cal Ripken Jr., age 48
21 years 11 months younger than Mike Tyson, age 43
17 years 10 months younger than Jennifer Lopez, age 38
12 years 5 months younger than Tiger Woods, age 33
5 years 11 months younger than Prince William, age 27

and that you were:

13 years old at the time of the 9-11 attack on America
11 years old on the first day of Y2K
9 years old when Princess Diana was killed in a car crash
6 years old at the time of Oklahoma City bombing
6 years old when O. J. Simpson was charged with murder
4 years old at the time of the 93 bombing of the World Trade Center
2 years old when Operation Desert Storm began
a 1 year old during the fall of the Berlin Wall

You said your birthday is 5 / 18 / 1988
which means you are 21 years old and about:

69 years 3 months younger than Zsa Zsa Gabor, age 90
58 years 0 months younger than Clint Eastwood, age 79
55 years 3 months younger than Kim Novak, age 76
52 years 3 months younger than Burt Reynolds, age 73
48 years 3 months younger than Nick Nolte, age 69
47 years 1 month younger than Ann-Margret, age 68
41 years 2 months younger than Billy Crystal, age 62
38 years 6 months younger than Whoopi Goldberg, age 59
35 years 10 months younger than Robin Williams, age 56
31 years 10 months younger than Tom Hanks, age 53
29 years 6 months younger than Jamie Lee Curtis, age 50
27 years 1 month younger than Eddie Murphy, age 48
17 years 10 months younger than Jennifer Lopez, age 38
9 years 3 months younger than Jennifer Love Hewitt, age 30
0 years 1 month younger than Haley Joel Osment, age 21

and when these movies were released in the U.S. your age was:

Steel Magnolias: 1
Home Alone: 2
Wayne's World: 3
Jurassic Park: 5
Forrest Gump: 6
Fargo: 7
Saving Private Ryan: 10

Toy Story 2: 11

So, how old were you?

(Zsa Zsa Gabor is 90??)

Off into the Great Unknown

2009-07-07T17:18:00.005-04:00

{Caspar David Friedrich - Wanderer above the Sea of Fog}

It's nice discovering pretty things among the piles of words.

Excuses

2009-07-06T20:38:00.001-04:00

{Dame Ellen Terry as Imogen in 'Cymbeline'}

I have an English Literature CLEP test on Thursday. Me oh my!

(Don't you love the colors and folds to this costume? I do!)

The Vacation After the Vacation

2009-06-30T09:06:00.006-04:00

{these gorgeous photoshoots from sweetanthem's Etsy shop almost make me wish I wore perfume!}

{Carl Spitzweg - The Butterfly Hunter}

{Lol... I wish I could remember where I found this!!}

Can it really be almost July already?

Our Dogz

2009-06-25T11:16:00.003-04:00

{I posted this on a forum just now and it came to me - this should be on my blog too! So, just in case you've been wondering....}

{picture by ActuallyLaura}

I don't have a dog of my own, but these are our three pups.

Judy, the tiny beagle was our little heartworm foster patient. When she first came to us, her nose was pink from running through frozen brush and she was a 'statue dog'. Where ever you put her, she stayed. Now she runs to greet us, ears a-flyin'. Loves: watching tv on her sofa, FOOOOOOOD! and chewing homework. Hates: squeaky toys and slow cooks.

Wilson, the purebred Aussie Terrier is the newest addition (about a month?). Another failed foster. Loves: traveling, squeaky toys, his teddie and following you everywhere. Hates: tight places and being left alone.

Bebe, the sharpei/beagle is our beautiful queen bee! She's been Laura's dog since she was the size of a chipmunk. She has the funniest bark! She also thinks that she has long wavy blond hair, like my collie Essie who "raised" her. Mirrors are a terrible let-down. Loves: cuddles, singing while Laura practices piano, and being the official greeter. Hates: having to sit in the floor, eating vegetables and fostering dogs bigger than she is. Especially puppies. It's just wrong.

We love our doggies!

Sometimes It's Hard

2009-06-25T07:34:00.005-04:00

The day before going to the cabin, we took our foster collie MaKayla on transport to her rescue.

We thought we might cry, but she had fun. ;)

When will another quiet, well-behaved collie like her come along?

We got to do another transport after we came back. (whew!) Oscar, a grumpy little doxie who had to be coaxed into a good mood. Once he was relaxed though, he was just as sweet as he could be!

So...if you need a pet in the WNC area, please do take a look at our Petfinder page. We have tonnnnnnssss of adorable tinies this week.

Always check with your local shelter first and remember to spay and neuter your pets!

(Lol...never thought I'd be saying that on a regular basis!)

The Woods Came Out to Say Goodbye

2009-06-25T07:16:00.004-04:00

If you don't see me 'round...

2009-06-16T10:19:00.000-04:00

It's 'cause I'm off camping!

...Sorta.

Be back later, gals!

Image discovered at wideopenspaces.

Collie Love

2009-06-15T23:30:00.001-04:00

I love collies.

One showed up this week in the shelter. We whisked her right home and alerted the Collie Rescue of the Carolinas. Tomorrow we drive her to meet them. It's gonna be hard.

There is something about their sweet intelligent faces always looking out for you...their fluffy elegant manes...their love for work and readiness to learn. Their hardy spirit wraps up adventure and home all in one. They're very American (Lassie, anyone?), but like me, they've been here a long time and trace their roots back to old country, Scotland mostly. So expressive and patient!

(Are the vintage pics in here not the best? That's a way to perk up a day! Look up 'vintage collies' on Flickr.)

You see, my first (and only, in fact!) dog was a collie. That's us playing in the leaves. Her name was Essie (Esther) and she was our nanny-dog.

So when a dog like MaKayla comes along, it's hard to let her go.

It's reminded me...of how much a collie completes a girl like me.

MaKayla and me outside the shelter

FLICKR COLLAGE: 1. the friendship of a collie, 2. Lyle and Scott Cashmere 1954, 3. Collies, 4. Better Homes Garden--Fabtastic Collie in Front of Cottage Door-1927, 5. Growing the crop, 6. Rough Collie Puppy portrait, 7. Our New Collie Friend, Vinnie, 8. Blue merle collie,Vintage photo, 9. Collie in a yard, 10. Nætur Cató resting on the floor, 11. Carolyn 1940s, 12. Sittin' on the dog, 13. furry Friday fun, 14. Lady with collie, 15. 1970's, 16. glory be to dogs Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

Free Camisoles for everyone!

2009-06-15T11:35:00.005-04:00

SHADECLOTHING.COM

I have coupons for Shade Clothing's modest spaghetti strap camisole! I was thrilled when a friend sent one to me and can't wait for my cami to arrive. You do have to pay for shipping and subscribe to their newsletter, but that's not much of a problem.

Leave a comment with your email address and I'll send you the coupon! All comments will be screened. (I don't like to have my email out there on the World Wide Web either...)

Do check out the other things that Shade carries. I'm particularly attached to the Shirred Band Skirt and one or two of the bathing suits. I think that I'll set my cami to work under a split neck tee that I have. What'll you use your's with?

Where's a pen?

2009-06-09T14:42:00.007-04:00

[above picture from Alinamation - the girl reminds me of ActuallyLaura!]

Blogs that have been inspiring me this week:

ValWebb's tutorial on drawing a butterfly.
Draw a bird, own a bird.
Alinanimation

So then I drew a butterfly! Now I get what she meant by "make sure that you start with a good sketch".... ;) The acrylics were really fun to work with in my journal...will have to try that again!

I love taping special notes and cards into my journal. Do you ever do that? (I've skewed the address here - Mary Alice really has lovely handwriting! Just wanted to make that clear. :) )

Another Month

2009-06-07T14:34:00.002-04:00

I just uploaded another month's worth of 365photos to my Flickr.

See that last pic? That's Jiminy Cricket. He's here until next weekend. He's squirming in my lap. Making it quite difficult to type.

Hoping you had a blessed weekend!

(LOL! The puppy is watching the words go across the screen. Make that was. Now he's chewing on my journal. Silly puppy. I'm going to take him outside to have some fun now.)

_____________________________________

1. 132 - May 12th, 2. 135 - May 15th, 3. 136 - May 16th, 4. 137- May 17th, 5. 139 - May 19th, 6. 146 - May 26th, 7. 153 - June 2nd, 8. 157 - June 6th, 9. 158 - June 7th

Look at this!

2009-06-07T10:00:00.001-04:00

Banners and layouts and icons, oh my!

2009-06-02T15:57:00.005-04:00

I do believe that today is the last day of ActuallyLaura's 1st birthday giveaway!

Examples:

Go Enter!

www.ActuallyLaura.blogspot.com

Shiny teapots and cozy tables

2009-06-02T07:34:00.002-04:00

We girls watched "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" again this week.

This time I was struck by the kitchen in Delysia Lafosse's flat. It's so big! I'm especially fond of the big freestanding, peacock-colored cupboard on the left (though not in this screen cap) and the generous working table in the center of the room. Very nice. :)

Musing in Color

2009-06-01T13:54:00.001-04:00

Yes, I am addicted to photo collages, thank you for asking. :)

As the 3rd project of my English Gardening Course is working out, I thought having a visual picture of some of our ideas would be a good idea. Turned out that I have a more distinct picture of what I want in my head than I thought! And that it's very hard to find someone else's photograph to fit the one in my head.... This collage, for instance, turned out far more rustic than I imagined. Hmm...

Anyway, no one tell Daddy about the bamboo. I'd put it in pots! Promise! :D

From the Archives

2009-05-31T13:44:00.002-04:00

1. http://www.punambean.com/blog/?p=355 2.http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21687833 3. Helen G.C. Marsh Lambert (1888-1981) - The Queen of Hearts, 4. Blue Flowers

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

Remember me talking about the overflowing piles of things that I've stuffed into my Google Notebooks? Well, the time has come to pull them out and share one or two with you. I just picked four random pictures (ones that did have direct links - whew! I always seem to lose the credits...)

1) Pretty, pretty wedding - especially the dress.

2, 3) Don't you just love illustrations like these?? I like the colors and details - Monsieur Hedgehog's wallpaper and the little queen's striped robe. It's perfection!

4) Gorgeous photograph of cornflowers. Cornflowers, yes? They surely look cornflower blue!

WIld Things

2009-05-27T15:11:00.002-04:00

I was delighted when an rare opportunity came up to tour a local native plant reserve with my fellow Master Gardeners. And since the tour landed on the very day of my birthday, how could I refuse?

The place was very lovely (the rock work especially). While being a reserve, part of the idea was to demonstrate how native plants can be used in our gardens.

Not that we all live at 5000+ feet.

(I always find myself drawn to the wild bits. Do you?)

Please Excuse My Absence

2009-05-26T16:40:00.002-04:00

I've been off turning 21, tromping through un-wild woodlands, filling my head with literature and going to a very happy wedding.

Not a halfway bad way to spend a springtime.

I <3 May

2009-05-12T14:31:00.002-04:00

I love the balmy mornings,

the drowsy hum of bees,

the soft rain landing

on freshly unfurled leaves

with a crisp pit-pat.

I love the hint,

the hope,

the lure of a perfect summer

whispered by crickets

in a not-quite-navy dusk.

I love that bowls of soup

still grace the table,

set with a promise

of walking downtown

for ice cream later.

I love that the earth

smells like poetry in May.

And that people come alive

to smell it,

gardening gloves in hand.

(Being a May baby has nothing to do with it. ;) )

This Weekend

2009-05-05T13:13:00.004-04:00

Our Eliza got adopted!!!!

PetSmart had an Adopt-a-Thon event and all the pups from the shelter/fosters got to come. Not a single one left without a home to go to. Not a single one. What a miracle! Several people had prayed for that morning to go well and because of them, it did. Little Miss Eliza has an awesome new family with new doggie siblings (and a kitty!) and I can study in peace. :)

Last Weekend

2009-05-05T12:53:00.003-04:00

{Virginia Bluebell by Daddy}

Give me a quiet garret alone

Where I may sit for a few casual callers

And tell them casually, offhandedly

'This is where I dirty paper.'

Thus each poet prays and dreams

The eternal hobe asks for a quiet room

with a little paper he can dirty

with birds who sit where he tells 'em.

Carl Sandburg, Breathing Tokens, 1945

Last weekend, we went for a picnic at Connemara, the poet Carl Sandburg's home, now park. I hadn't been since Laura and I were little girls. I'd forgotten how much I like a little Sandburg in small doses.

A Short Tutorial for a Rainy Day

2009-05-05T08:42:00.005-04:00

Is your summer unplanned? Do you need a family calendar to hang in a prominent place so that everyone remembers you're going hiking on the 12th?

Do you have some scrapbook paper lying around? A ribbon? A glue stick? A printer?

Then you can make a Rainy Day Calender!

Here's how:

Hang it on a tack and voila! How easy was that?

I like the Eprintable calendar because they make it so easy to add a picture and verse/quote. There are loads of others out there to choose from. Just Google "free printable calendar". There are so many ways that you could spice it up, too! Imagine collage, a touch of stitching...big hand-calligraphed names of the months.... (This plain Jane makes me content enough for now. :)

If you make one, let me know! I'd love to see what you come up with. :D

(Hehe...this is my first tutorial!)

Yay!

2009-04-30T10:27:00.002-04:00

100 pages of script, written.

100 pages of very poor script, written.

1 futuristic world, created.

1 plot, lost.

6 characters fed to dinosaurs, check.

Okay, for my first sci-fi/fantasy, it was fun! In my world, where culture has returned to a Victorian standard, Earth has been devoted entirely to agriculture (a new mega-power), while humankind has been relocated to the planets. Karaoke is illegal and wine ages ten times as fast on the faster-than-the-speed-of-light interplant highways. :)

Miss Eliza Jane Dolittle

2009-04-28T18:33:00.002-04:00

I posted about our latest foster puppy over at SunnySpot Inn, if you want to read a little about her!

(We've been beefing her up and giving her beauty treatments to get over a skin condition. Question: do you think she's cute enough to go to an Adopt-a-Thon this weekend? LOL...she looks so uncharacteristically serious here!)

{photo - my fantastic sis, ActuallyLaura}

Fashion Love

2009-04-26T23:19:00.005-04:00

Playing with Polyvore can be dangerous.

You might fall in love with cute clothes that are just your style - a mix of vintage, artsy and classic - but the company is in Korea. Is that why I've never heard of YesStyle before? I'm in love with their sweet and feminine photoshoots!

Will definitely, no bones about it, be copying some of these ideas for my own. Grrr....if I could only sew!

Okay, you can tell me to stop right-click saving now.

By the by...if you find yourself in need of a pretty picnic dress or Swanki hat to go with your outfit, check out the giveaways at www.grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com! (I'm crossing my fingers for the hat.)

Spring at the Arboretum

2009-04-20T17:57:00.003-04:00

Solomon's Seal

Columbine unfurling.

I'm in love with this so-very-fragrant viburnum.

One of the coolest things about Master Gardeners is the field trips, even just around town. Last week, we went to the Arboretum in Asheville, this week to the parks downtown. Rainy both times, but that's the loveliest time in a garden....

Happy Spring

2009-04-19T12:25:00.002-04:00

It's a soft rainy spring day here in the neighborhood and baby kisses rock.

Why don't we celebrate by entering Grograin's Pleated Petal Tank Anthropolofication Giveaway? (Pictured above.)

Confession:

2009-04-14T10:57:00.003-04:00

{from absolutelybeautifulthings.blogspot.com}

I have 418, er, 419 notes in my Google Notebook's inspiration folder!

(That's where I stash all my favorite pics & ideas from blogs on gardens, crafting, fashion, home decor....)

I'd say someone needs to clean house!

Where do you keep your online goodies? How do you keep the credits straight?

Another World

2009-04-14T09:28:00.005-04:00

We went letterboxing this weekend. I love letterboxing - it's always an adventure. You never know what you'll find. Sunstruck layers of age-old granite...

Mossy trunks tucked in with mossy stones laid in shambles....

Cascades of galax, still tinged with purple from the cold...

The hike was more than we bargained for. (Muddy 45* slopes, anyone?)

But the waterfalls made it well worthwhile. Their grandeur dwarfed the evergreens - it was like we had suddenly stepped into Colorado or Wyoming, but no, this beauty is our neighbor! Gorged on a weeks worth of rain water, the noise was enormous, reverberating Psalms in my soul. "Deep calling unto deep." "...the waters clapped their hands in praise."

Then after all that, we didn't find our letterbox. Oh well. We'll try again later - when the rhododendron is in bloom.

And this time we'll wear boots.

A New Lump

2009-04-13T14:38:00.004-04:00

Our family keeps Passover...

Not because we were born to it...

(Unless by being adopted in).

Some people become confused...

... saying it isn't Christian.

But could anything be more so?

And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying,

This is my body, which is given for you:

this do in remembrance of me.

- Luke 22:19

Everything is a Process

2009-04-08T09:05:00.003-04:00

Try your hardest

to furnish your FAITH with

GOODNESS,

goodness with

KNOWLEDGE,

knowledge with

SELF-CONTROL,

self-control with

PERSEVERANCE,

perseverance with

GODLINESS,

godliness with

BROTHERLY AFFECTION,

and brotherly affection with

LOVE.

2 PETER 1:5

(I'm working on making a little 'plaque' of this verse for my room. It is always an encouragement!)

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

2009-04-07T20:28:00.004-04:00

Wait, that's the wrong season! Nope. It's April in the Carolinas. How does there always happen to be a big freeze, just as the second flush of green comes up? It's snowing now, just a light constant flurry that I hope doesn't get to my baby forsythia.

However I may despise the crushing of wisteria buds by frost, this weather is making me feel less guilty. My green thumbs (that really lean more towards violet) have been cowering in shame over the scramble of empty pots and lonely soil outside. I must have been subconsciously prepared for this winter-esqe weather, yes. Of course yes.

Now I find myself in a giddy readiness to be decorating inside and out. Ideas have settled in my head and seem positively possible.

Join with me, procrastinators! Raise your trowel, your brush, your unbelievably delicious flower catalogs and toast to the possible!

Image from CountryLiving - this article, which I am dying to replicate. How dare the latest issue be so good!

In The Shop

2009-04-06T17:35:00.002-04:00

I should be posting.

But I should also be fixing dinner.

Dinner wins.

Have I showed you what's in the shop these days? They've been up for a while...working on some new paperdolls this weekend reminded me.

One is a really cute retro/indie top pattern that I got in an estate sale box, but alas, is the wrong size for me! Embroidery and embellishments on blouses always get to me. It's from the Marlo Thomas collection, which kind of tickles my funny bone. I wish it were xxsmall - Laura is such a That Girl!

The puppy card was a pet project of mine. I really expected someone to take it home by now! It was lots of fun to make. :)

REMEMBER: There's nothing I like more than custom orders. Right now I'm on a pet portrait streak. Anyone need their very own pup in watercolor? Send me a photo!

Wah!

2009-04-01T13:37:00.004-04:00

(This was taken back when he was still in shelter-shock and his dad-beagle was doing all the talking.)

My life has been taken over by a 14ish pound puppy who decided to get some morals at 4 in the morning (then he decides that maybe being crate-trained is a good thing after all!) and is now squirming in my arms, making typing quite a chore, let alone sane posting. He's been fed three times already today - what now?

Cash Puppy: Play with meeeeee!
Sara Slave: Okay, puppy.

(Hehe! There -I've written a script!)

BRB

2009-03-24T13:04:00.003-04:00

{neice De'Anna & sister Laura}

Been off having crazy fun with my folks. 'Bout ready to hop out the door and take some new shelter dog pics. You should check out the new blog that we've set up for our adventures in fostering/rescue: SunnySpot Inn.

So were you curious?

2009-03-20T12:11:00.002-04:00

Inside of that fuzzy green album, I've tucked and stuffed a season's worth of catalog and magazine pages. It's an addictive habit, pulling pretty pictures...one that I started as a home ec project and one that has snowballed into a pile of papers five inches and two folders thick on my bookshelf/bedside table. When my sister gave me this photo album, I knew exactly what I was going to do with it! Finally set to organizing my loot.

A lot of the images are ones that I couldn't afford (i.e. Anthropologie, anyone?) but are always inspiring - especially when it comes to finding modest ways to combine clothing. Like straight denim skirts. What do you wear with them?? And which shoes with which skirts? Having an inspiration book around helps!

A few plain pretty pics tend to find their way in too - as well as home decorating projects that I've just GOT to make for myself one day. Garlands, wreaths...felted sheep teapot cozys?

So, that's my little inspiration book. I'd love to take you through page by page sometime....

P.S. Thanks to the Hungry Little Caterpillar Google logo today: www.ericcarle.com has some really cool tutorials under his video and picture gallery! Now I want to paint some tissue paper and cut out little creatures.

P.S.S. Since Q&A is going around, care to give me some fuel for the next post? Ask a question, any question! (Ok, well not any question...but do ask!)

Three Things:

2009-03-18T19:48:00.004-04:00

One: if you're going to do a hanky wall quilt with good ol' Scotch tape, don't put it over an air vent.

Two: whatever I may have thought of crocuses yesterday as I was regretting the sad, dowdy purple ones from last fall...the white ones that bloomed today wiped the slate clean. There is a powerful pureness to them that just captures you!

Three: I have a $20 gift certificate for Boden. I think I'd like a top or sweater. What do you think I should get??

A Paper Miser Gathering Jewels

2009-03-16T20:41:00.003-04:00

Do you know what this album is full of?

I do. :)

(...to be continued...)

Boots? Flats? Sweater??

2009-03-16T11:20:00.005-04:00

Don't you hate it when, for once, you know exactly what you want to wear...and it's about a season off? Please tell me this happens to you too! Rainy springs always throw me for a loop. Speaking of what to wear, I've really enjoyed reading the Modest Fashion Week over at SAHMissionary. Go check out the nifty Polyvore outfits the ladies there have pieced together!

Handkerchief Dreams

2009-03-12T16:01:00.003-04:00

I don't feel so great today. Something about the change in seasons has left me stuffy and sniffly and still in flannel pjs late in the day. Yet this feverish state of mind somehow yields productivity...

We have lots of vintage hankies stuffed in baskets around the craft room and in my closet. Most of them were inherited and one especially has captured my inspiration for years. It's clear lemon yellow with luscious pink and cream peonies that inspired the color palette for my old room (which has carried over into this one, with a more "grown-up" neutral base). Unlike a lot of its relatives, it doesn't have any stains or tiny holes.

It was just too pretty to be left in a basket, so I pulled and pressed it, along with eight others from a reproduction set Mama and Daddy gave to me several years ago. (Fun fact: one of the reproduction hankies is the exact same pattern as one of Grandma's!) Using regular Scotch tape, rolled to be 'double-sided' and stuck on each of the corners, I arranged them on the blank wall beside my bed. I hope it sticks!

So far I'm really liking the cheery, easy color and pattern that they've added to my room. (The old resident martins seem to like the company as well.) I'd love to see what a whole wall looks like!

Happy Purim!

2009-03-12T14:48:00.003-04:00

You know, like in The Book of Esther, in the Bible...

Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns,

made the fourteenth day of the month Adar

a day of gladness and feasting,

and a good day,

and of sending portions one to another.

Esther 9:19

We do it just for fun and to celebrate God's goodness and constancy to his children - even those adopted through Christ like us. The meal in our household ranks up there with Thanksgiving. I'm not sure what it is...something about the tapestry of flavors that blends together sweet and salty and spicy - MMM, it gets to you!

We finally figured out how to get a swagged/canopy/tent effect from paper streamers - Woo hoo! It involved a lot of blue painters tape, but the dramatic and festive effect made my heart happy. I've been dreaming of tissue paper canopies since our very first Purim ages ago.

I wish that I had more excuses to wear this Purim outfit. It's a traditional Persian 2-piece costume: a long tunic, split on each side and the biggest pair of pants you've ever seen. Letting the drawstring out, the waistband is probably near 30" across! Ultimate in comfy, super slippery and the embroidered detail is to die for.

Think that Queen Esther ever wore something like this?

Things I Learned in Master Gardeners

2009-03-09T21:24:00.003-04:00

North Carolina is one of the few states to still offer free ~~soul~~ soil tests. Check and see if your state has a similar program! It's so easy - and if you take your little box back to the office, you might not even have to pay postage. Nice, eh?

Spring before last, we took a new road though the mountains and were surrounded by clouds of pink, white and rose. They looked like azaleas to me. Could it have possibly been Pinkshell Azalea (Rhododendron vaseyi)? I learned today that these pink flame azaleas are found in only 5 counties - in the world. Can you believe that? (And I just used Latin - yes! How exciting...) I forget sometimes what a horticultural gem mine I'm lucky enough to live in.

Will spring (and Pinkshell Azaleas) be here soon?

Amazon Kindle

2009-03-09T21:14:00.002-04:00

As much as I adore books, I've been dreaming of something like this since I was seven years old! Except that I wanted it to be waterproof. By the time I'm able to splurge on such a gizmo, I bet there'll be a fancy shmancy cover for bubble baths. Shucks...I bet there already is!

What's Your Style?

2009-03-06T11:08:00.003-05:00

{Nantucket Style}

According to Sproost, my style is...

50% Rustic Revival

25% Hollywood Couture

25% Nantucket Style

I was aiming for more of a vintage modern, but then as I consider exactly what a Rustic Revival with Hollywood and beachy accents would look like, it's not so bad!

Anyway, because the StyleEngine kept messing up on me a little, I took it again. Now it's...

67% Cottage Chic

17% Vintage Modern

16% French Eclectic!

Well, that's more what I expected. But third time's a charm?

40% Cottage Chic

40% Nantucket Style

20% French Eclectic

There. Now we have some overlap anyway!

Have you Sproost?

(Have a happy weekend!)

Don't Shoot!

2009-03-05T15:39:00.005-05:00

When I can't remember what else I needed to get at the library, I tend to grab anything and everything off the shelves. I don't know why...a futile attempt to make the trip worthwhile? Hoping that I'll subconsciously pick something really good? Well, whatever the reason, sometimes it turns out quite nice. Case in point:

How To Photograph Absolutely Everything by Tom Ang

I like this book. I can understand this book! The introduction compares taking pictures to cooking,and following the author's "recipe" for Garden Bird photography, I went on a bird hunt today. Prey? An ordinary robin - or even a starling. I didn't much care what. (Did however catch the silhouette of what looks like a cedar waxwing to me - Hmm!) Catch? This:

It's still nowhere near great, but I got a picture of a bird - and you could tell it was a bird! And you can actually see that it has feathers. That makes me pretty happy. Now...which "recipe" should I try out next?

WARNING: there is a "recipe" for nudes, just so you know. Pretty easy to skip over, I think.

Best Photos of the Week

2009-03-03T20:06:00.002-05:00

It's rare that I get a good, clear photo during my attempt at Photo365. The light must have been really good or something this week!

Feb 26th - I adore daffodils. Particularly these first brave ones who come with snow.

Feb 27th - The tiny beagle puppy that we fostered for a day before her new 'parents' came to pick her up. Her name is now Mosely. Sweet, no?

Pretty Things

2009-03-02T12:05:00.003-05:00

Anthropoli-fication Cardigan Giveaway!

Grosgrain made this gorgeous $6 rendition of an Anthropologie sweater. How sweet is that?? I want to make one! (And not only that, but she's giving it away!!)

LittleBlackKitty has my dream chicken coop. One day I want a little pink coop full of mix-matched hens with fluffy petticoat legs who follow me around like a puppy. That's the life. :)

So, those are my two new favorite blogs. What are yours?

Life in the Doghouse

2009-02-26T16:43:00.005-05:00

For a few hours yesterday, we were a 5-dog house.

How did this happen? Simple enough. This week, we got to work with the local animal shelter, photographing the pups and then putting them online at Petfinder. The results: %100 of the adoptable dogs that week were placed! How wonderful is that?? Of course, we can't take all the credit. Cute puppies help a lot. ;)

There was a family of beagle/dachshunds among the lot. Two of the puppies were adopted right off and while the mum and dad waited for their transport to a foster home, they sat in our den. The third puppy, Ginger, a golden fluffball, has excited adoptive parents coming to pick her up on Monday. So guess who gets to keep her until then? Yup. You should see me now, Bebe on one side, Judy on the other, little miss Ginger snoozing in her crate just a few feet away....

We're a 3-beaglemutt house. And it's pretty awesome.

(This blog will be returning to its regular diet of posies and pretties soon - look for a new foster-blog coming up!)

N.I.C.E.

2009-02-24T19:01:00.009-05:00

Eli the Bunny is no more.

We're going to miss our grumpy clown. Bebe may think she's a cat, Abby may think she's a watch dog, but Eli always knew he was prince of rabbits.

(N.I.C.E. was his ear tattoo from the show days - nearly eight years ago!)

Hi dears.

2009-02-23T19:15:00.002-05:00

How are you?

Busy week.

It's nice to have Judy back from the vet's. When did she become such a couch hog??

Just so you know, "Lorna Doone" is impossible to get into.

Helping put really great dogs from our local shelter onto Petfinder is an awesome feeling.

Having an adoption pending on three of the puppies in under 72 hours is even awesomer.

Watching Kate Winslet on TV is something like watching an old movie in reverse. (She is SO lovely....)

Eli, the resident lop, has been ill. :(

My paperdoll was featured in an Etsy treasury - and then sold! In her first week! Hmm...which doll should I paint next?

Living a prayer tonight and breathing praises. Thank you, dear Lord, for this life!

QueSara

The Sun is Shining Again

On Traveling Light (And Warm)

This Week...

Wilson's Sweater (And a Bowtie)

Judy Wears a Cape

Bit #5 - Lots of Purple Going On

Bit #4 - Baby Blossom Hats

Bit #3 - Bathroom Window Makeover

Bit #2

Bit #1 ~ Watercolor Packing List

The Words Keep Coming

Nanowrimo 2009

New Journal

Beach Sketchbook

About the Pirates...

Beach Houses and Cobblestones

A Quick Bit of Conversation

7 Days/7 Outfits

Vote for Little Bitsy!

PosieDork

Heart: Stolen

Mountain State Fair 2009

Knotted Hobo Bags

Are you watching?

Beware of Cake-Eaters

Dear Diary...

5 Lovely Things

Where Beth Skwarecki Writes

Bucket Bike Giveaway

Veggielove

We Have Puppies!!!

Lady Bird Johnson

CollegePlus!

Red Dress and Silver Slippers

A Look I Love

{Rutherford B. Hayes and his bride Lucy on their wedding day}

Falling Early

Bags are Essential

Masking Tape is my new best friend - and it comes in colors!!

Ruling Passions

Pirate

Yumberries

Touched

{Inspiration 5}

Oh no!

Penny Plie

I want to make one of these.

June Through a Camera

Why, Yes, I Think I am Obsessed with Animals

Weekend Fun

You said your birthday is 5 / 18 / 1988which means you are 21 years old and about:

and that you were:

You said your birthday is 5 / 18 / 1988which means you are 21 years old and about:

and when these movies were released in the U.S. your age was:

Off into the Great Unknown

Excuses

The Vacation After the Vacation

Our Dogz

Sometimes It's Hard

The Woods Came Out to Say Goodbye

If you don't see me 'round...

Collie Love

Free Camisoles for everyone!

Where's a pen?

Another Month

Look at this!

Banners and layouts and icons, oh my!

Shiny teapots and cozy tables

Musing in Color

From the Archives

WIld Things

Please Excuse My Absence

I <3 May

This Weekend

Last Weekend

A Short Tutorial for a Rainy Day

Yay!

Miss Eliza Jane Dolittle

Fashion Love

You said your birthday is 5 / 18 / 1988
which means you are 21 years old and about:

You said your birthday is 5 / 18 / 1988
which means you are 21 years old and about: