Dream, Create, Inspire

Friday Fill-Ins

2012-01-27T12:27:00.004-06:00

1. It's time to start exercising.

2. Clean out the fridge ... and don't forget the freezer!

3. I'm trying to organize my studio.

4. "Oakie Dokie", that was the last funny comment I received.

5. Please send me a new roof.

6. Don't worry cause I'm in it for the long haul.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching TV, tomorrow my plans include Game Night and Sunday, I want to finish my journals for a swap!

Join in on the fun here.

Altered Journal

2012-01-22T14:59:00.003-06:00

The past few days I've been working on my altered journal from the Creatively Made class I am taking. I am finally finished....I think. Sometimes it's hard to know when to stop.

This is what the journal looked like before I began altering it. It's just a inexpensive journal I found in the $1.00 bin at Michael's.

I collaged the cover with lots of vintage papers, inks, paints and stamps, etc.

Next, I added more details to my girl.

And finally, I added some gold wire and beads to the spine of the journal to give it a little bling.

What you don't see is the entire box of neatly organized beads turned upside down on the floor of my studio after it fell off the edge of my work table! I spent the rest of the afternoon picking them all up from the carpet and re-sorting them back into their various compartments.

Vintage Journal

2012-01-18T12:10:00.003-06:00

I've been taking Jeanne Oliver's Creatively Made class. She is such an inspirational artist. I love her sweet, gentle, encouraging spirit. She's teaching us so many wonderful techniques and it's been a lot of fun to create some artwork using them.

This is the vintage journal I made from one of her week one lessons.

I really like the juxtaposition between the frilly lace and rhinestones and the leather

"be strong" piece which I made from the belt of someone very special to me. I know he would want me to be strong.

Friday Fill-Ins

2012-01-13T10:47:00.003-06:00

Here we go!

1. When I looked out the window this morning I saw a lot of snow!

(The snow-thrower didn't work, so I had to shovel by it by hand - Ugh!)

2. Twitter doesn't make sense to me.

3. Remind me to clean out my junk drawer.

4. Journaling is something I love to do!

5. TP is short for toilet paper on my grocery list.

6. I cleaned the refrigerator recently and I found a lot of candy!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching a movie, tomorrow my plans include cleaning the house and Sunday, I want to go out for breakfast.

Want to play along? Join in here.

I Got My Mojo Back. . .

2012-01-12T19:35:00.004-06:00

We had our first measurable snowfall of winter today which is very late for us here in the Midwest. I watched the snow falling from my window - I didn't even go outside to shovel the driveway because I was busy enjoying a steaming cup of French Vanilla coffee and looking at old magazines! Can you say L-A-Z-Y??? I'll probably pay for it tomorrow when the temperature drops and the snow is frozen solid. But being snowed-in has it's benefits, because I got a little creative urge. This is just a peek at what I'm working on.

It felt so good to be making something artsy again.

Morning Routine

2012-01-07T10:08:00.004-06:00

I've been trying to walk at the mall on weekdays. I find I can get a more non-stop continuous walk in if I don't walk in my neighborhood where people stop and want to chat. I listen to talk-radio on my iPhone to catch up with the news while I walk. Afterwards I usually grab a cup of coffee and find a place to sit. I carry a small tablet of paper and pen with me so I can do some sketching. This routine seems to get my day off to a good start.

Happy New Year!!!

2011-12-31T09:46:00.001-06:00

Wishing you all a blessed New Year!

Happy Day After Christmas!

2011-12-26T10:31:00.003-06:00

Christmas is over - it came and went so quickly! I am exhausted, but thought I would share a few pictures that I didn't get a chance to post before the holiday.

I found this door mat for my front door at Target and it states my "One Little Word" for 2012.

Surprisingly, I actually got some last minute Christmas crafting accomplished on Friday and Saturday mornings.

I made this Christmas Cloche from a class taught by the Gilded Life Girls in Christy Tomlinson's 12 Artsy Ornaments class.

A cute little glittered tree in a glass toothpick holder.

This cute bird nest ornament is one I made from another of the 12 Artsy Ornaments classes taught by Margie Romney-Aslett.

I found this candle idea on Pinterest using cranberries, fresh evergreens and a floating candle.

We all had a wonderful Christmas (I hope you did too) and like the doggies, I am ready now for a long nap!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T10:00:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas from Hank and Shooter and ME!

My daughter took these photos of the dogs in their holiday attire. (Be sure to click on the photo to see a larger view....their expressions are so funny!) Our family is so grateful that the boys survived their "adventure" and are here to celebrate Christmas with us.

Wishing you all a blessed Christmas!

The Tree Is Lit

2011-12-22T11:38:00.001-06:00

I put up my white feather table top tree instead of my big tree again this year. Last year it was because of necessity. This year it was by choice. I love this little tree and it fits perfectly in the corner of my living room.
It is filled with handmade ornaments from my friends and some from shops like Anthropologie and Crate & Barrel.

And some are made my little 'o me as well.

This fabric Santa ornament was made by my sweet friend Natalea. I think he is adorable!

Big Snow

2011-12-21T10:00:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we had a snowfall which lasted for about 5 whole minutes. There wasn't much snow and none of it stuck to the ground, but the snowflakes were HUGE! I wish my camera could have captured the way it looked better than it did.

Here is what it looked like collecting on my deck.

It looked as though cotton balls were falling from the sky - that's about the size the flakes were!

And while all that BIG snow was falling, I decided to whip up a batch of nut breads to give away for Christmas!

Christmas Stocking Swap - Part 2

2011-12-20T09:35:00.010-06:00

As promised, today I'm going to share with you what I received from the lovely Kim Gann in Cerri's Christmas Stocking Swap. When I opened the packing box, I found this festively wrapped box.

And when I opened the package, this is what I found!

This beautifully adorned canvas stocking. Here it is hanging above my fireplace.

A snowman card from Kim with some pretty trims.

This metal box with a snow house and sweet snowman on the lid.

And a Santa ornament nestled in these cute star shaped packing peanuts. I've never seen those before - they're so cute!

Here's a close-up of the Santa. I just noticed that his eyes are closed. Perhaps he is resting up before he has to deliver all those gifts to the children on Christmas!

Also included with the stocking were these cute bags full of goodies.

Some wooden shapes - I immediately spotted those people shapes and I'm going to use them to make some of Julie Collings's little angels, shown in this post here.

In the "J" bag, Kim gave me a little kit to make a red mitten ornament. Isn't that clever?

I think my favorite of all the goodies was this pewter ornament in the santa bag.

I have lots of ornaments that mark various milestones in my life - wedding, new house, new baby, etc. But I never thought of getting an ornament (nor have I ever seen one) that would mark my DH's passing.

Here is a close-up of the sentiment. Isn't it a beautiful thought? I love it!

And last, but certainly not least, Kim included some vintage Valentine ephemera to inspire me for the next big holiday. You thought of everything Kim. Thank you so much!

Christmas Stocking Swap

2011-12-16T07:00:00.001-06:00

Last month I signed up for Cerri Campbell's Christmas Stocking Swap. This is the second year I participated in this swap and it is so much fun. This year I was partnered with Kim Gann from the Chicken Coop Series and we both said we liked a cream and neutral color scheme. I found this quilted white stocking at Target that I loved and decided to use it as the base for Kim's stocking. Then I went about embellishing it with burlap, handmade muslin roses, vintage cream ball fringe and a burlap glittered monogramed tag. I love how it turned out.
As usual, I forgot to take photos of the goodies I included with the stocking. But fortunately Kim took photos when she opened the package, so you can see it all on her blog post here.

I'll share the stocking Kim sent me in my next post.

A Special Day

2011-12-15T08:56:00.000-06:00

61 years ago today my dear George was born.

(Shooter and Hank aren't the only ones who love and miss you.)

Giveaway!!!

2011-12-11T07:39:00.004-06:00

Today is the 11th day of Fabulous Holiday Giveaways over on the Where Women Create blog and I am excited to be one of the featured artists. (Thank you so much Paige!)
I am giving away this beautiful, sparkly large ornament. You can hang it on your tree, but it is big enough to hang on your door or wall as well. Be sure to leave a comment on the Where Women Create Blog here to be entered in the giveaway.
I love anything with a touch of glitter or a bit of French influence. I hope you do to.

I also have updated my Etsy Shop with a few Christmas items, with more coming each day. Be sure to check it out here.

Twelve Days of Holiday Giveaways

2011-12-01T07:00:00.001-06:00

Today is the first day of 12 Days of Holiday Giveaways over on the Where Women Create blog. Each day, from now through December 12th, the site will feature four artists who are giving away four fabulous prizes. I am so honored to be taking part again in this fun event. Be sure to check it out here.

Our Prayers Have Been Answered

2011-11-27T21:54:00.003-06:00

Look who has been found!!! Our precious little Hank! I can hardly believe it. My daughter was about half way home when she got the call that he has been found. So they immediately made an U-turn and headed back down to Arkansas. This is truly a miracle....actually two of them!!!

I waited to write this post until she had Hank safely in her arms and she knew for sure it was him. My daughter says he looks thin and as though he had gotten into a few scrapes during the past two weeks, but none of that mattered now that he AND Shooter are back where they belong. Oh how I wish dogs could talk so they could tell us all about their adventure. Thank you once again for each and every prayer you sent their way. It's really true what they say about how much power our thoughts and prayers have. I'm a believer!

And The Search Continues....

2011-11-26T09:34:00.006-06:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends. I had two get-togethers - one on Thursday and one on Friday. Although both were great celebrations of all things we are grateful for, neither day was as joyous as past Thanksgivings. Too many people (and puppies) were absent this year. My dear George, his loving mother, my daughter and son-in-law, who are searching for this little guy. . . . .

Hank, who is lost in Arkansas.

(We're still praying for you Hanky!)

But then there are other things that we are SO VERY GRATEFUL for this Thanksgiving. not the least of which is the safe return of our dear lovable Shooter.

Other than a few nicks around his nose, he looks good and was extremely happy to be reunited with his mama.

So there's good and bad in this world. Bitter and sweet. Some things are difficult to bear, but others are quite marvelous. And in life you can't have one without the other. The challenge is to learn to appreciate all experiences we are presented with.

We're Halfway There...

2011-11-22T20:01:00.003-06:00

A miracle has happened! Sweet Shooter has been found!!! I had to pinch myself when I heard the news. He was found chasing rabbits on the property where my daughter and her hubby were staying in Arkansas. I keep going back and reading the text-message my daughter sent me with the good news. All those prayers brought him back.Now we have to continue to pray and hope that this little guy isn't far behind. Hank usually follows his big brother everywhere he goes. At home they are inseparable.
So if you have a minute as you prepare for your holiday gathering, please say another prayer to help Hank find his way back to us. Help make this the best Thanksgiving ever for our family!

Still Searching. . .

2011-11-20T21:18:00.003-06:00

I want to thank those of you who left prayers and suggestions for finding my lost grand-dogs on the previous post. I passed each and every idea onto my daughter and her husband in the hopes that one of them would be the lucky answer and they could bring their loves home with them. But so far that is not the case. My daughter and her DH have traveled hundreds and hundreds of miles searching for Hank and Shooter for six days now. People have called with many sightings, but the dogs are shy around strangers and probably frightened as well, so it is difficult to get close to them. We are praying that someone will eventually find them and be kind enough to take them in until their mama and papa can go back to Arkansas and be reunited with them. The power of prayer is great and I believe it can work miracles. These boys are very special to our family and they are needed back at home. Thank you all very much from the bottom of my heart. Your encouragement and support means so much to all of us.

Prayers Needed!

2011-11-19T03:33:00.004-06:00

Many of you will recognize these two fellas as my dear sweet grand-dogs, Shooter and Hank. Well, they need your prayers right now- BIG TIME! They are lost in Huntsville, Arkansas (near Fayetteville) - it's a long story which I won't go into now. They've been missing since Tuesday, Nov. 15th and my daughter and her DH have been searching frantically for them. There have been several sightings of them over the past few days, but they are shy around strangers, so no one has been able to get close enough to them. All of our hearts are breaking right now. Shooter and Hank and their happy dispositions and wet kisses have helped our family get through an extremely tough year. And the thought of them being out there alone is more than I can bear. Please say a prayer and bring them home to us so our family can have something to truly be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Please leave any suggestions for finding lost dogs in the comment section of this post.

We've just about run dry on ideas!!!

Thank you so much for your help!

A Little Bit of Nothing

2011-11-10T07:12:00.005-06:00

Brrr! It's a cold gloomy day here today. The thermometer says it's 34 degrees - Ugh! I hate how my mood is always so connected to the weather. Especially with winter right around the corner. It's too early in the season to feel this way. Fortunately I'm meeting a friend for lunch in a cute little shopping area nearby. Nothing like shopping, lunch and good conversation to warm up the spirit! Hope you all have a wonderfully warm day!

Happy Anniversary!

2011-11-08T12:09:00.004-06:00

Three years ago today, my beautiful daughter and my handsome son-in-law were married. It seems hard to believe that three years have gone by so quickly. Isn't that always the way? Time passes by so much faster than we would like. Unlike when we were young and a week seemed like an eternity. Nowadays I'd like to slow down the hands of time so I can take time to enjoy every minute. And it's even more important to take time to enjoy every minute with those that you love.

Happy 3rd Anniversary you two!!!

mom

Studio:Deux

2011-10-27T10:28:00.004-05:00

I've been spending a lot of time this summer up at the cottage we built almost 5 years ago. Fortunately for me, our dear friends from Florida bought a place up there last year and so they have made the transition of going to our "dream place" by myself a little bit easier. While I was there the last time, I snapped some photos of the area I like to call the "crafting room/lounge."

(I took these photos with my phone, so please excuse their grainy quality.) Pictured above is my old desk with all it's cubbies we brought up from my craft room here. The printer sits on a vintage red kitchen cart with an old screen door behind it which doubles as a magnetic display board.
Many of the items in the room have been collected over the years. My daughter's old bedroom used to be decorated in a red and white Mary Engelbreit theme. When she got married I couldn't bare to part with any of it, so I boxed most of it up and put it in storage thinking I would use it if we ever built that "dream house" we talked about for so many years. Vintage Pyrex, red document boxes from HomeGoods, vintage game boxes, red gingham jelly jars, soup cans and Midwest Imports red and white cherry pottery pieces which I bought at the store where I used to work are all used to hold and store various art supplies.
I found these old galvanized cubbies at the flea market and filled them with tiny treasures.
My DH found this counter-high work table (something I've always wanted) which was being discarded at work. We hauled it up to the cottage in pieces and reassembled it inside the room because there was no way we could have lugged this heavy table up the stairs in once piece. The stool is from World Market.
By the way, the white trunk under the window used to be my daughter's toy box to which I added ball feet and red-checked upholstery to the lid. The cork board above the desk used to hang in her room too. I bought a plane wood framed cork board from Target and painted it black with red cherries on it to go with her Mary Englebreit themed room. The school letter "A" hanging on the cork board is from my high school pom-pon uniform (rah-rah!) and the tassel next to it is from my DH's high school graduation.
Even the old TV pictured below is from my daughter's old bedroom! She and her hubby used it in their house when they first got married, but then returned it to us when they bought a new one. It sits on another vintage cart - this one rusty and old with a porcelain top. The triangular stool on casters is from an old family friend's house which he used to roll around on in his crawl space. The bamboo director's chair I got at HomeGoods this summer and topped it off with a red and blue vintage hankie.

All the red-checked bedding is from my daughter's old bedroom. The decorative pillows and quilt are from IKEA. The wicker table was a treasured gift from my husband very early in our relationship. The floor lamp used to be in our family room when we first moved into our house 31 years ago. (I hang on to everything!) Raggedy Ann and her baby Ann are my daughter's dolls.
The white octagonal table was my grandma's. It used to be in her back bedroom and I can remember playing on it when I was a little girl. I was able to bring up a lot of my Rowe Pottery crocks and lamps to use in this room. An old iron bed piece serves as a quilt rack next to a treasured Grandma Moses print which used to hang in my family room. Her art has always been an inspiration to me - perhaps it's because we share the same birthday!

I hope you've enjoyed this tour of my cottage crafting room. It makes me so happy to be in this room because everything in it holds so many fond memories.

Curiosity Swap Reveal:Part Two

2011-10-16T13:03:00.001-05:00

In my previous post I showed you what I sent off to Amy and Kathy for Heather's Inspiration Box Swap-Curiosity Edition. And now I will share all the fun Halloween goodies I received in exchange from the girls.

So many fun things to play with and use in my Halloween creations! I cannot wait to get started! Thanks so much to Amy and Kathy. And a BIG hug goes out to Heather for organizing the swap. It's been a real treat!!!

Curiosity Swap Reveal:Part One

2011-10-11T09:36:00.004-05:00

Earlier this month I took park in Speckled Egg's Curiosity Inspiration Box Swap. These matchbox swaps of Heather's are one of my favorites because they are small and you get lots of new goodies to create with. This edition had a Halloween theme which was just perfect for this time of the year. The box pictured above was what I sent to my swap partners, Kathy and Amy. I covered the boxes with black and white damask patterned paper topped with a big polka dot flower rosette, black vintage lace and spooky skeleton.

On the ends I added some Tim Holtz Halloween tissue tape

and a vintage black button.

I stuffed the inside with as many Halloween goodies as I could.

And before I sealed the packed I tucked in a

secret surprise treat for each of the girls as well.

Next time I'll share what Amy and Kathy sent me!

Autumn Splendor

2011-10-08T09:17:00.005-05:00

I just returned from a wonderful week at the cottage surrounded by these glorious colors!

Girl's Night Out

2011-09-26T10:07:00.005-05:00

It's almost October and I never posted about the fun little birthday party a few of my gal-pals had for me at Anna Shea's Chocolates and Lounge earlier this month. We had dinner together first and then went to Anna Shea's for dessert and it was just heavenly!

We had the difficult task of choosing 4 of their decadent cupcakes, which we cut into fourths so we could have a taste of each of them.

There was a bridal shower going on in one part of the lounge and a little girl's party going on in another. You can reserve the lounge for whatever type of party you want.

And as if the dinner and the cupcakes weren't enough to eat, we decided to order 3 of Anna Shea's to-die-for Frozen Hot Chocolates . . .

and one Hot Chocolate loaded with whipped cream - YUM!

Thanks girls for a night full of birthday fun!

Ole!

2011-09-19T09:36:00.006-05:00

Yesterday was a fun day. My daughter came over and announced, "We're going to make salsa!"

She brought over all the ingredients, including this batch of freshly picked cherry tomatoes from her garden.

Fragrant fresh cilantro.

Green pepper, jalapeno pepper, onion and spices all mixed together.

It smelled so fresh and tasted like a fiesta in your mouth!

If you'd like to make your own, here is the basic recipe we used. We added green pepper and lots more cilantro. Delicioso!

Love Thy Neighbor

2011-09-14T10:00:00.002-05:00

My sweet neighbors stopped by my house to check up on me and to give me these delicious fresh tomatoes from their garden. Yum!

Scripted Autumn Photo Texture by Kim Klassen

Ceramic Produce Basket by Anthropologie

Day One of The Big Project

2011-09-12T10:13:00.002-05:00

I'm hoping to start on a little (LOL!) destash project around here today. I'm planning on scheduling time to do this on a weekly basis. I long for a clutter-free home where there's a place for everything and everything is in it's place. However I'm not very good at purging. I'm a collector at heart. But I hope to move one day and if I don't start decluttering now, that hope will never turn into a reality. Wish me luck....I'm going to need it!

9-11

2011-09-11T05:45:00.000-05:00

Lazy Saturday

2011-09-10T11:46:00.002-05:00

I've been lounging around in my PJs this morning, working in my art journal while watching The Pioneer Woman's cooking show on The Food Network. I've got to get dressed now though - going out to lunch with family today.

In The Pink

2011-09-04T17:55:00.004-05:00

I've been tickled pink playing around over at Pinterest this afternoon. Have you gotten into the pinning fun yet? If not, you can get started by clicking here. To see all the links and sources of all these great pink photos you can click here.

Happy September!

2011-09-02T07:34:00.003-05:00

September (my birthday month) started out in a happy way. I received my comp issue of this year's Holidays & Celebrations from the lovely Jennifer Jackson Taylor over at Stampington Publications. My article, Walk on the Wild Side, is featured on pages 102-104 and I'm over the moon about it! Thanks so much Jennifer.

Photo Challenge - Day 31

2011-08-31T15:39:00.001-05:00

"A Quiet Moment"

I'm at my favorite "go-to" place when I want to escape the drudgery of house duties. I find myself here alot! LOL!!!

xoxo
jeanne

Something New

2011-08-29T13:05:00.004-05:00

I've been working on this collage during the past week. Still have more work to do on it though. Have to wait for further inspiration to complete it.

Photo Challenge - Day 28

2011-08-28T13:00:00.000-05:00

"The Weather Today"

Fortunately we are experiencing nicer weather than the folks on the east coast.

Stay safe, my friends.

Photo Challenge - Day 26

2011-08-26T00:18:00.000-05:00

"Vegetables"

A trip to the farmer's market for some fresh produce.

Photo Challenge - Day 24

2011-08-25T00:12:00.000-05:00

"Close-Up". . .

. . . of a beautiful hydrangea bush.

Photo Challenge - Day 22

2011-08-24T17:30:00.000-05:00

"Sparkle"

Early evening view from one of the harbor towns near our cottage.

Photo Challenge - Day 21

2011-08-24T14:19:00.000-05:00

"Graphics in Your Town"

I love this sign up near where our cottage is located because it's so retro looking. It reminds me of some of the places we would stay on summer vacation road trips with my parents and brother. This particular place is nothing much to look at, but they do serve one of the best chocolate shakes in the county!

Photo Challenge - Days 18 & 20

2011-08-23T13:16:00.002-05:00

"Something You Ate Today" - Chocolate Peanut Butter Explosion - Yum!

"Looking Up a Street"

Photo Challenge - Days 16, 19

2011-08-22T14:11:00.003-05:00

I've been a little remiss in posting my August Photo Challenge pictures. Here's a couple from the past week.

Shadows.

Feet.

County Farm

2011-08-16T17:08:00.005-05:00

Last time I went to our cottage, I stumbled upon this meticulous 14 acre farmette with freshly painted red barns and out-buildings. The owner was having a impromtu tag sale at the time which which is what caused me to stop. The owner was so friendly and generously allowed me to wander around the property. This particular barn intrigued me as it was so picturesque with the tire swing in the foreground.
I walked closer, past the "bunk house" on the right which the owner had fixed up as a playhouse, complete with bunk beds, for her grandchildren. It was adorable!

The barn even had a cozy patio area out in front to sit and enjoy the fresh country air.

And this whimsical fella guarding the door!

Happy Monday!

2011-08-15T09:37:00.003-05:00

I didn't plant many flowers this year. Landscaping and gardening was my DH's domain. I did plant a few annuals in hopes of having a pop of color in the front yard, but they didn't grow with the same vigor and beauty as they did when he planted them. Of course a summer that began with dry, hot temperatures which has now transformed into a cool, wet one certainly hasn't helped the flora in my backyard thrive. The cherry tomato plant, which I carefully transported back and forth from the cottage, still doesn't have a single tomato on it! However, I was delighted to see this small stand of Rudbeckia which my DH planted years ago poke their sunny yellow flower heads out from behind some mystery perennial. :)

Day 15 of Natalea's August Photo Challenge is "One of Your Collections." It was difficult to decide which of my many collections I should photograph. Eventually after much deliberation, I decided upon this collection of hand-carved folk art bunnies. I used to go to a very nice craft show held each year in my town and always bought one of these adorable pieces made by artist Sue Parsons. (Sorry, I couldn't find a link for her)

Love them!

{Not Very Exciting} Saturday

2011-08-13T14:36:00.004-05:00

This is where I spent my Saturday morning. Exciting, huh? Suddenly the blower for the fan in my car stopped working. Fortunately I was within 2000 miles of the warrantee expiring so it didn't cost me anything to repair. Hope you had a more fun and/or glamorous Saturday than me!

We Love Lucy

2011-08-06T09:08:00.001-05:00

Today is the 100th anniversary of Lucille Ball's birthday. The "I Love Lucy" show brings back such fond memories of my childhood! Oh how we giggled and laughed at her and Ethel's silly antics. Now that was great television!!! My mother-in-law especially loved to watch videos tapes of Lucy's past shows. She could watch the episodes over and over again and they still would make her laugh. Those shows certainly brought her a lot of joy in her later years.

Happy birthday Lucy - and thanks for all those happy memories!

Photo Challenge - 8/5

2011-08-05T09:41:00.002-05:00

Today's theme is "Architecture"

This is the beautiful chapel where my DH and I were married many years ago.

Photo Challenge - 8/2

2011-08-02T09:01:00.000-05:00

"Texture"

I find both the color and texture of the lichen on this tree so interesting.

Photo Challenge - Day 30

2011-07-30T09:54:00.000-05:00

Game Night

Photo Challenge - Day 27

2011-07-27T10:00:00.001-05:00

A corner of my home.

Photo Challenge - Day 25

2011-07-25T19:35:00.003-05:00

"Growing"

My cherry tomato plant has really taken off in the past couple of weeks. Still no tomatoes, but I feel it won't be long now. Below is how this plant started out earlier this summer when I first planted the seeds. You've come a long way baby!

Photo Challenge - Day 24

2011-07-24T19:50:00.000-05:00

"Something Red"

Photo Play

2011-07-23T13:08:00.003-05:00

I woke up this morning to a lake in my backyard. (Look along the tree line in this photo.) We've had some bad thunderstorms the past two nights. It's been pretty dry here and the rain is much needed since everything has been looking pretty brown lately. But when we have a downpour like this it usually results in the creek overflowing and a "lake" forming in the back of our yard. I always get concerned that the potting shed will end up underwater, but so far the water has only come dangerously close to the foundation by the time it stops raining. Whew!

It took the photo above with my iPhone using the Instagram app that I recently downloaded. I been having fun with it and I just love the old timey look it gives the photos.

Photo Challenge - Day 15

2011-07-15T19:29:00.000-05:00

"On My Coffee Table"

My DH made this twig coffee table for the living room in our cottage.

Vintage Market

2011-07-13T18:45:00.004-05:00

This past weekend I went to the Vintage Market at Viva La Cottage. This is the 5th year of the sale and I have missed going to it every year - until this year. It is a small sale, but oh so worth going to.

The weather was perfect and lots of people in attendance.

I bought the shabby chic white tool box pictured above from Janine at Chippy Shabby. I did get a few other goodies and wished I had bought more. I missed out on an adorable green shelf that would have been perfect in my guest room. Oh well - finders keepers, losers weepers - I should have been quicker and more decisive!

Beautiful picnic tables ready for you to sit down and enjoy some refreshments.

The pictures below were taken inside the Viva La Cottage shop. Angie does such a lovely job at merchandising her treasures.

Don't you just love this bed swing?

White ironstone - I've bought my share from this shop.

Vintage mix-masters - Love them!

You can see more pictures from the Vintage Market here and here.

Photo Challenge - Day 11 and 12

2011-07-12T17:53:00.003-05:00

Day 11 - "Something I Made" - I needed (wanted) a narrow chalkboard on the side of the cabinet that holds my refrigerator, but I couldn't find one that fit the dimensions. So I bought a behind the door mirror at Target and painted the mirror, first with magnetic paint and then with chalkboard paint. So now I have a magnetic chalkboard which fits perfectly!!! By the way, if you are interested in what the quote says that I have written on the chalkboard it says, "Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly."

Day 12 - "What Makes Me Smile" - My two grand dogs of course!

Photo Challenge - Day 10

2011-07-10T16:02:00.002-05:00

This is the 10th Day of Natalea's July Photo Challenge. Today is "Orange & Pink Together." I found this pot next to the market full of all sorts of gorgeous colored flowers. I tried to zero in on just the orange and pink ones, but a few others peeped their heads into the photo!

Photo Challenge - Days 7 - 9

2011-07-09T18:00:00.003-05:00

Day 7 - Bold Bright Colors - on my Vera Bradley Purse

Day 8 - The Sky

Day 9 - A Summer Necessity - Flip Flops

Day 6 - Something Sweet

2011-07-06T06:16:00.003-05:00

The theme for Day 6 of the July 31 Day Photo Challenge is "Something Sweet." These delectable cupcakes are from Buckhead Bread Company Bakery in Atlanta where I visited earlier this year. Yum!

Days 3, 4, 5

2011-07-05T06:46:00.003-05:00

I'm playing catch-up on the 31 Day Photo Challenge. I hope you all had as wonderful of a holiday weekend as I did. Good friends, Good Food, Good Conversations!

Day 3 - "Where you went today." I was invited to BBQ's on both Sunday and Monday.

Day 4 - "Red, White and Blue." This one is self-explanatory; taken outside my front door.

Day 5 - "In your refrigerator." It's a good thing I decided to clean out my refrigerator last week - LOL!!!

Passionate About . . .

2011-07-02T13:07:00.004-05:00

- Day Two of the 31 Day Photo Challenge -

"Something you are passionate about."

Lately I can't say I've really been passionate about anything in particular. I guess you could say I've lost my mojo. So much has happened this past year that it's left me kind of numb. I know this feeling will pass and something that has gotten me though the hard times is working in my journals. I enjoy anything to do with journaling - inspiration journals, art journals, writing journals, reading about journaling, looking at other people's journals, learning how to make journals, etc., etc. So I guess I'd be correct in saying that these days I am quite passionate about journals!

Breakfast This Morning

2011-07-01T07:42:00.002-05:00

I'm starting July off by participating in the 30 Day Photo Challenge on Flickr. My friend Natalea is hosting the challenge this month and Day One's assignment is to photograph your breakfast. So today I am having Archer Farms Cinnamon Raisin Bread topped with the my newest delectable discovery . . .

It is to die for - it is SO good!

An Anniversary of Sorts

2011-06-27T06:57:00.003-05:00

Forty years ago today, I met my beloved. It really doesn't seem that long ago. I had just graduated from high school. He was an "older man" by 3 whole years. I was from the north side and he was from the south side. We met while biking along the lake front in Chicago. It was the beginning of a wonderful life together. I miss him.

Journal Pages

2011-06-25T07:44:00.004-05:00

I've been working in my art journal and thought I'd share a couple of my favorite recently completed pages.

On the pages above I was channeling Donna Downey and her infamous poppies. You can see how to make a page like this by clicking here. The quote by Mary Lou Cook says, "Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun."

And here is my first She-Art girl I made after taking Christy Tomlinson's fabulous She-Art class. This quote says, "She knew the answers would come with time."

Well, I'm heading over to my daughter's house today. She recently broke her foot and has a big old cast on her right leg - poor girl!

Wildflower Update

2011-06-19T14:06:00.003-05:00

Remember the picture (2nd one down) from this post? Well, things have progressed in the wildflower garden up at the cottage and it's looking a lot nicer these days than it did back then.

Bunches of Daisies. . .

Lupines (I think). . .

and several colors of Phlox.

Even more varieties have popped up since I took these photos. Enough so, that I picked some to

put into a vase and enjoy inside!

Cool Old Cars

2011-06-16T14:55:00.002-05:00

A Beautiful Way to Spend a Sunday

2011-06-13T16:26:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I went to a wonderful art gallery to watch artist Tom Nachreiner demonstrate his plein air oil painting techniques. If you look closely, the canvas he is painting on is

upside down.

Above is the photograph he is painting from. Tom says that starting the background of his paintings upside down allows him to not get bogged down with the details of the photograph and concentrate only on the basic shapes.

Here is his painting (still a work in progress) shown right side up.

Part of the art gallery is located in the woods, which creates a beautiful natural backdrop for some of the sculptures.

Tail Wagging Fun

2011-06-05T09:45:00.004-05:00

This weekend I am having a much better time than I was last weekend (see previous post). I am dog-sitting for my two sweet grand dogs, Shooter and Hank. They are the best dogs ever!

I decided to snap a few photos of them while they are here,

but that is much easier said than done.

Trying to get two dogs to stay still at the same time is no small feat.

My daughter is able to capture all sorts of pictures of the two of them posing quite nicely for the camera. But not me . . . .

One or the other is always out of focus.

Ahhh finally. . . .Here is a nice shot of Hank.

But the best way to capture them on film is . . . .

. . . while they are sleeping!

What a Way To Spend a Tuesday!

2011-05-31T14:03:00.003-05:00

Guess what I'm doing on this beautiful Tuesday afternoon??? Spending it with Mr. Plumber who is in my laundry room right now trying to fix the pipe that burst on Saturday while I was at the grocery store. He's been here almost two hours so far. I'm starting to worry about what this is going to cost me. Yikes! Old houses are a pain in the you-know-what. That's why I like our cottage home because it's new and less likely to have things go wrong. Until it becomes old too eventually. My DH used to be able to fix these kinds of things, but alas, I now must call on the professionals since he isn't here to do it anymore. I must admit, I kind of took for granted all the things DH could do. He was quite a handy hubby. And don't you just know now that he's not here anymore EVERYTHING is probably going to break! I sure hope not. The good news is, my laundry room got a thorough cleaning after I found the shut-off valve and stopped the water.

I sure hope you are having a more delightful day than I am.

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T00:01:00.000-05:00

"Freedom is Never Free."

Coloring the Garden

2011-05-27T08:50:00.003-05:00

I couldn't sleep last night for some reason. Not sure why, but by 5:00 am after tossing and turning for hours, I thought enough was enough and decided I might as well get up and get started on my day. Since today is the first sunny day since I returned from the cottage (and the weatherman is predicting rain for both Saturday and Sunday) I went outside to plant my annuals in the front beds. DH always planted impatiens in one bed and geraniums in the other, so that's what I did too. Both of these flowers do very well in those areas, so I figured don't mess with success.

I think I will try to make it a habit to work in the garden each day as soon as I get up, while it is still cool and nice and quiet outside. Gotta run ~ my dryer is buzzing at me! Have a great day!

Surprise Mail!

2011-05-25T08:16:00.002-05:00

While I was spending time at the cottage the past couple of weeks, my mail was piling up at the post office here at home. I picked it up yesterday and sorted it into piles all over the living room floor. . . advertisements, letters, bills (yuk!), magazines, etc. And what do I find in the magazine pile? This lovely pastel pink summer issue of Somerset Studio Gallery. The mailing label said it was an "artcomp" issue, which means there is something of mine inside! After flipping through the pages, I found this little Halloween assemblage of mine on page 50! Woo-hoo ~ what a nice surprise!!!

It's always an honor to be featured in Stampington's beautiful magazines along with talented artists like Becky Shander, Karla Nathan, Jeanne Oliver, Ruth Rae, and Linda Harre, whose art is also pictured in this issue.

Weekend Work

2011-05-22T19:23:00.005-05:00

I thought planting wildflowers up at the cottage was going to be a low maintenance type of gardening. Seventeen wheelbarrows full of dead stalks and debris later, it's hard to believe that this picture from last year. . . . .

. . . .can turn into this the following year.

Never fear though. I finished cleaning it all up and hauling the debris away. And I'm planting additional wildflower seeds tomorrow and hoping for a pretty view again in a month or so. My DH used to refer to this kind of work at the cottage as a "different kind of work." I suppose that was because it was work done in a pretty get-away type of location. For me though, work is work no matter where it is done!

2011-05-08T07:55:00.000-05:00

More Inspiration . . .

2011-05-05T07:25:00.005-05:00

Heather held another of her infamous Petite Inspiration Box Swaps a little while ago which I took part in. I just love these small scale swaps of hers. I think they are my favorite. Who can't use a little box full of trinkets and artsy goodies to inspire you to create something beautiful? As you can see, my swap partners Cassandra and Marti went all-out decorating their boxes their tiny boxes.

Thank you SO much girls!

Beautiful Inspiration

2011-05-04T07:03:00.009-05:00

A friend sent these photos to me. These beautiful sculptures created by Bruno Torfs I am told are nestled amongst a rainforest setting in the village of Maryville in Australia. They are beautiful, whimsical and fascinating and the attention to detail is amazing!

What a talented artist . . . enjoy and be inspired!

Comfort Food

2011-04-30T17:42:00.003-05:00

I was supposed to meet a friend for lunch today, but she came down with an awful bug. I think it's that same bug that's been going around for months now. When will it end?!

So I decided to go out anyway and treat myself to a bowl of Loaded Baked Potato Soup, a Harvest Salad and a pretty magazine at Corner Bakery. Yum!

Get well soon, my friend!

Atlanta Trip - Part 4

2011-04-27T15:35:00.001-05:00

Here are some of the beautiful orchids and other tropical plants from inside the greenhouse at this place.

These were part of an orchid sale they were having later in the week.

Don't you love the stripes on the flowers above?

There were lots of these frog sculptures scattered about the gardens. They certainly added a whimsical touch.

The Frog Baby sculpture below created by Edith Barretto Parsons is so sweet. Sorry for the poor photography, but the small child is holding a frog in each hand. Adorable!

Thanks to fellow blogger Jeanie Callaghan, who told me the name of the artist who created Frog Baby and also that she has a twin at Ball State University.

Atlanta Trip - Part 3

2011-04-26T17:33:00.002-05:00

The sculptures above and below done by Dale Chihuly are part of the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Chihuly is an amazing American glass sculptor whose work I have seen in Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory, The Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, and the Milwaukee Art Museum.

I believe this fountain, surrounded by the beautiful gardens, is my favorite.

These pink and white tulips are a little past their prime. Just a week before they were in full bloom and quite breathtaking.

Atlanta Trip - Part 2

2011-04-25T18:44:00.007-05:00

Here's the next installment of photos from the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.

A rainbow of Pansies

Pansy Topiary

Potted Pansies

Above and Below - Iris Cristata

Above - Fairy Blue Clematis

Atlanta Trip -Part 1

2011-04-21T05:17:00.004-05:00

One of the sites I visited on my trip was the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. The beauty of the flowers in bloom was truly glorious. My friend told me the week before I arrived the blooms were even better. I can't even imagine! Today I'll share the rose garden with you. Enjoy!

Where I've Been

2011-04-19T10:39:00.003-05:00

I went on a little trip to Atlanta last week, thanks to a friend of mine.

It felt good to get away.

A change of scenery is always good medicine for the mind.

I saw beautiful things like this.

And I came home to the likes of this!!!

Quite a difference, huh?

I'll have more photos of the colorful type to share soon.

Hello Monday!

2011-04-11T10:05:00.003-05:00

My mailbox has been filled with fabulous inspiration due to the Postcard Swap that Natalea from Kandeland organized. I've received almost all the postcards now, with just a couple more coming. It's been such fun to go to the mailbox and find something other than bills inside!
And guess what? Lucky for you, Natalea is running a second round of the Postcard Swap! She's taking sign-ups now and you can get all the details by clicking here.
This past week I drove up to our cottage for the first time since this happened. It was very difficult since having this getaway was my DH dream. I'm so grateful he was able to enjoy it for a few years, but I must admit it's not quite the same without him being there. Fortunately our good friends have bought a place in the same town and will be spending the summers there, so that will make things a little easier. And as you can see by the photos, I was not alone at the house on this visit.

Have a great week!

Vintage Hat Boxes

2011-04-01T11:00:00.004-05:00

I was so inspired by Jessica Enig's pretty little hat box project featured in the March 2011 issue of Romantic Homes Magazine, that I decided to make a few myself to give to some special friends I was seeing for lunch yesterday.

I used this lavender, aqua and green floral vintage wallpaper that I bought ages ago to cover the paper mache boxes.

The girls just loved them and now I have to find some time to make one for myself!

Mail Inspiration

2011-03-31T17:37:00.003-05:00

I took part in a little Inspirational Postcard Swap that my friend Natalea organized. What fun it is to receive a little inspiration in the mail each day. The photo above shows the postcards I sent out with inspirational quotes stamped on the back.

A Little Springtime!

2011-03-28T09:50:00.004-05:00

I just couldn't wait any longer. I had to get my Easter decor out and start decorating. Spring is my favorite season of the year, with all the wonderful colors and the miracle of new plants sprouting up from the earth. It's especially appreciated here in the midwest after all the ice, snow and dreariness that we have during winter. So I set up this little Easter vignette on my dining room table to brighten things up around here. Hopefully my African violets in the basket will start to bloom again soon. Have you started decorating for Easter yet?

Happy Springtime!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2011-03-17T08:56:00.000-05:00

1. Green, 2. Green fabrics, 3. Green, 4. Green with Envy Cupcakes, 5. Green Leaves - Spring Crocheted Doily, 6. Cuba Gallery: White and green house with the white picket fence, 7. green shoes, 8. Green Bicycle Playing Cards, 9. Green ink

Weekend Fun

2011-03-16T11:39:00.003-05:00

This was a fun weekend ~ busy and spent with good friends. I went to the flea market on Saturday and picked up a few good finds. Here is just a sampling of some of the vintage lovelies I came home with.

Sweet little chairs :)

Bottles galore!

Seam binding and lace in pretty pastel colors for spring.

A lovely tea-stained French towel, religious medals and mitten clips.

And yet ANOTHER treasury!

2011-03-12T07:03:00.005-06:00

So much fun to have my Rustic Eggs featured in yet another Etsy Treasury by A & B Originals shown here. The set of 5 eggs are available for purchase in my Etsy Shop here.

And here's a sneak-peek at a little something I've been working on this week. Can't reveal it in it's entirety yet because I don't want to ruin the surprise for the recipient.

Gotta run now as I'm headed over to the flea market this morning with a friend. Hope there's a lot of cool stuff waiting there for us!!! Have a great weekend everybody!

Market Monday

2011-03-07T07:03:00.004-06:00

It's Market Monday over at Etsy Cottage Style. Check out all the lovely items by clicking here.

Shelly from Bella Rennie was nice enough to include my Rustic Eggs in her Etsy Treasury. Get a close-up of all these "treasures" by clicking here.

And Angela from A & B Originals also included the eggs in her Etsy Treasury here.

Thanks so much ladies!

Have a great week!!!!

Sunny Side Up

2011-03-04T08:14:00.003-06:00

"Rain, rain, go away ~ Come again some other day." If it's not snow, it's rain. I can't tell you how gloomy it looks outside. I guess I should look on the bright side and be happy that it's warm enough (41-degrees) to be rain and not sleet or snow. I wish it were warmer though and more importantly, sunny. It's interesting how much sunshine can effect my mood. It can be freezing cold outside, but if the sun is out it makes everything seem SO much better. My Norwegian grandmother used to sing "You Are My Sunshine" to me when I was little and it always put a smile on my face. Maybe there's some sort of connection.

Creating Again

2011-02-24T10:59:00.004-06:00

Ok, enough with the wishing, hoping and longing for springtime and sunshine. It's still only February and the weather man is predicting 2 - 4 more inches for this afternoon. Ugh!

So I decided to take things into my own hands and create a little color surge in my studio. It really felt good to get my hands covered in paint and gel medium and play. It's been way too long since I've done that.

Thank you again (I just can't say it enough) for all your well wishes and sweet thoughts and comments. They have really and truly meant so much to me and are the very thing that has kept me afloat during these past 5 weeks. (Is that all it's been? It seems so much longer than that!) I'm taking baby steps to get my life back in gear and it helps to be surrounded by so much love.

These new creations are currently listed in my Etsy Shop and I hope to be adding more in the coming weeks.

Longing for Springtime

2011-02-22T08:28:00.002-06:00

More Blizzard Photos

2011-02-03T09:00:00.001-06:00

Blizzard 2011

2011-02-02T07:58:00.003-06:00

We are smack dab in the middle of a record-breaking blizzard here. These photos were taken near daybreak so the quality isn't all that great. I can't get out of my back door since the snow is drifted in front of it. So far we have about 16-18" of snow on the ground with no end in sight. The 50 mph winds haven't help the situation as the snow drifts have made a bad situation worse. I'll post more pics later, once I can clear the snow away from the door!

I'm back....well, sort of

2011-01-27T09:45:00.004-06:00

I've been spending a lot of time at home lately. Not doing anything in particular. Just trying to make sense out of the past couple weeks. The house is empty and very quiet. No doctor appointments to drive to. No chemo treatments. No walking every morning at the mall with my beloved. No spending quality time together. Instead I am going through the motions of day to day living and slowly trying on this new life of mine to see how it fits. I did spend a little time in my studio creating this little college. It depicts the place I am at right now - nesting and trying to heal.

I'd like to thank you all for your touching comments on the previous post about my DH. I can't express how much your sweet words have meant to me during this time. I treasure the written word. Probably because it comes much easier for me than verbal communication. But mostly because the written word can be read over and over again. The words console me and help to mend my broken heart. Thank you so much.

2011-01-18T07:20:00.000-06:00

Good-bye, my dearest!

A Fresh Start

2011-01-02T13:18:00.003-06:00