Patriotic for the Remainder of Our Stay
The bunnies, eggs, and butterflies are put away, not to be seen again until next spring, back in Kansas. I get a bit of a break now, April, May, and June, as I won’t switch the decor again- in fact, the movers will pack it up at the end of June, leaving me a few weeks in July to explore our new home, new floorplan, and new decor ideas. “Patriotic” is the theme for the next few months, and will probably be the theme once we unpack before school starts, unless I’m ready for autumn, at which point the fall leaves and pumpkins will appear long before October!
Being a military family, red, white and blue, stars and stripes work for us no matter what:
I love this garland!
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My husband and I have been watching John Adams on HBO. The mini-series is wonderful (though not appropriate for young children), as is its broadcast timing while our country’s politics continue to make history in front of our eyes:
More Blogs
Big surprise, I’ve found some more wonderful blogs!
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~Joy has a charming blog, really! Cupids’ Charm has had most of my attention this weekend, since I love china, even broken bits of it, and ADORE jewelry made with porcelain treasures… Go here to see the most beautiful spring bunny charm bracelet- I’ve happily subscribed so I can get all of Joy’s latest news, thoughts, and photos of her treasured creations!
~With categories such as “Beautiful Books,” ” Cultured as a Pearl,” “Gaze Upon This,” “Hooray for Holidays,” “Something Sparkly” and “The Universe is My Catalog,” how could anyone ignore ToMama’s Dwell on These Things? Yes, I know, I know… I know YOU know that she had me as soon as she used the word “sparkly…”
~While the textile lover in me lives vicariously through other spinners, weavers and knitters (Rosie, Mom…), I have no intention of picking up a set of knitting needles or making room for a loom. That leaves me to lurk at blogs such as Spincerely Yours, though I’ll admit, I am green with envy over Tamara’s gorgeous new “Wild Cherry” washer and dryer!
Serene Saturday, Creative Space
Here was my morning view from the couch, coffee in hand:
Sunlight pouring in, temperature not-too-hot, quiet in the neighborhood. After finishing off my first mug of liquid morning energy, I poured another and moved to the computer to check email and read blogs. Pearl, at A Storybook Life, posted “Creative Spaces- Nurturing Our Need to Create” (part one) and I was instantly rescued from the other blog entries regarding dilemmas in public education and teaching that had scrolled ahead before hers. After expressing her belief that we are each born with an innate sense of creativity, Pearl went on to share photos and descriptions of some of her friends’ creative nooks and crannies, encouraging readers to “finally give yourself a little place to nurture the creativity inside of you!” Go, look, and be inspired!
Unlike her friends, I don’t have a work/craft room or full-fledged work shop, rather, I truly have a “nook.” One small area between the kitchen and laundry room, large enough for a desk and medium size bookcase. To sew, scrap, or make one of my wreaths, I have to spread my materials out along our large kitchen island countertop or across our dining room table. But for my reading, email communication, blogging, researching, photo printing, and organizing of craft materials and inspiration, my nook is just the right size. The only thing I’m missing are inspiration pinboards, something I hope to make for my own “creative space” in our next home (we relocate this summer). Until then, my Inspiration Binders will have to do, one for home decor, holidays and craft inspirations, and the other for kindergarten and teaching materials.
Here is the nook- I’ve taken several photos because it’s such a tight space and difficult to see in one shot:
My desk, chair, and bookcase are tucked in, out of traffic’s way (the door you see is the one to the laundry room), with enough wall space for my favorite artwork, photos, etc.
My killer whale art above my computer was made for me by my friend Karen (her family also introduced me to Bunnies by the Bay) while my Russian lacquer platter was purchased off of QVC years ago. Yes, yes, that is an “old” eMac, but guess what? It has everything I need at this point in time, except the ability to save space!
Anyone know how to get my webcam to work on Yahoo Messenger for Mac? Nothing, nothing, and more of nothing, despite my best efforts (and questions to Yahoo Groups), though the webcam will work on MacCam or something like that. I do cross stitch every now and again, so two of my samplers are framed and hanging on the right of the wall. And see those plastic drawer cubbies under the desk? They’re full of glue sticks/adhesives, ribbons, paper cutters, hot glue guns, etc.
This is the bookcase next to my desk, full of books, construction/craft/printing papers, my binders-in-progress, and drawers of correspondence note cards. The red bag? It’s an accordion file case, full of stickers, special papers, and other crafting embellishments, a Christmas gift from my grandmother.
On top of the bookcase are some of my favorite photos…wedding, me and my husband on our Harley, and our friends, Bill, Polly, and Shannon:
Nope, no piles of fabric in this house, darn it! Just a little to-do pile, stacked on top of storage drawers.
Finally, a plain white door just wouldn’t do for my space:
There’s the valentine wreath I made, the pretty pinkness of it seemed perfect for spring, along with block prints made from wood block carvings by my friend Sue. Yep, she did them all, the perfect Alaska images for this Alaskan girl!
I have no idea where we’ll be living when we return to Oz this summer… on post? Off? Three bedrooms or four? How many family rooms, and what’s the size of them? Will I have a creative corner, a creative nook, a study, or a closet?
I’m dreamin’ BIG!
Friday’s Crafts-n-Tunes
I’ve got that crafty feeling again…but I’m not going to share any details until this project is finished, because it just might…be a gift!
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A friend recently asked what 80’s music I had on my iPod. After looking, I had to respond, “uh, what 80’s music do I NOT have on my iPod?” While the music had me dancing in junior high and high school, now it keeps me moving when I’m cleaning the house or jogging on the treadmill (I miss dancing!). Being a part of the MTV generation (the first one, the one that actually had music videos on all day, and all night), I have to sneak over to YouTube for an 80’s fix from time to time:
Rick Springfield: Affair of the Heart
A-Ha: Take On Me
Chicago: Hard Habit to Break
*Sigh*… all better now.
Show and Share Thursday: Sarcasm, Sparkle, and Desserts
I’ve been more of a blog reader than a blog writer this week, content to read the posts from all 168 blogs to which I subscribe daily, “flagging” ones that I’d like to go back to, re-read, ponder over, and possibly share, and then getting on about my day. There’s been a lot of sweetness and light out here in Blogland (at least in the neck of the woods I frequent), and I’ve even contributed to the online sugar, caught up in the springiness of the season, but let me share this with you: I’m no Pollyanna. No sir-ee Bob (or Jane, Fred, or Betty).
And here’s the proof: my refrigerator magnets.
Most of the magnets are from Ephemera, Inc., and I’ll be buying MORE, thanks to a peek at this at Barnes and Noble:
A wonderful flip-book with a built-in stand full of the sarcastic humor that brings wicked laughter into my life- naturally I’ll be buying these as magnets:
and of course…
Nope, no “Chicken Soup” for ANYONE’S soul here- just sassiness, which works for me!
What’s on your fridge?
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Oh, but glamour and sparkle do catch my attention…
Morning Glory Antiques and Jewelry is a site I just found online, and I’ve only drooled over the photos- I have no idea if this place is up and running! Seeing as they are located in New Mexico, I might just have to schedule a road trip before we move back to Oz this summer… If you’re a Miriam Haskell fan, take a look!
As do hunger-inducing desserty recipes:
Rice Pudding with Dulce de Leche, from Cream Puffs in Venice
Cupcake Bakeshop by Chockylit shares a recipe for Sweet and Salty Honey Peanut Cupcakes
Smitten Kitchen’s “Hamantaschen” are three cornered cookies that I’d never heard of before…probably because I’m not Jewish.
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Happy Thursday, and thanks for reading!
“What Happened” Wednesday
Miss me?
While I was happy to share the wonderful Muppet video clip on Monday, I haven’t written anything in the past two days other than grocery lists and email messages, which is odd for me. It’s not that I haven’t had scenes, situations, or thoughts to share, in fact I’m happy to catch you up in a sec… I suppose I just needed a little break from blogging. Now *reading* blogs… I’ve been up to the task, and have even been rewarded for my reading and commenting…
Hostess With the Mostess hosted a giveaway with Childish Clothing.com last week, and GUESS WHO WON? Oh yes, ladies and gents, that would be ME! Five hundred dollars to shop for my almost three-year-old, and don’t you know, it’s perfect timing since the last growth spurt made most of our boy’s wardrobe much too small. I’m making sure that the boy gets one of these:
It’s the shirt that inspired me to comment on the giveaway post in the first place- I’m such an Army Wife/Mom!
Sigh, here are the skulls that Daddy likes:
Just perfect for our toddler, who is ALL BOY!
Thank you again Hostess and Childish Clothing, you have made our week, and our toddler’s summer!
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Along with fun surprises, we had a not-fun one this morning. One of those that makes you wonder as a parent just *how* exactly your own parents allowed you to live past the age of, oh, thirteen…
I asked Dear Daughter to please wash my truck yesterday. Apparently she took my truck keys in order to stick them in the ignition so she could listen to tunes during her dreary task. An hour later (she washed the outside and cleaned the interior), she came back into the house, and since I wasn’t aware that she had taken the keys, I didn’t ASK HER FOR THE KEYS. This morning we headed out the door to run some errands, and guess what I couldn’t find?
And guess where daughter found them? In the ignition. With the ignition on. And it had been on, all night long. The problem was solvable, doable, but a pain in the sheer timing of it. Military Spouses, you’ll understand this one: guess where Husband is this week? Yep, out of town at training. For those of you non-military families, believe me when I tell you that Murphy’s Law LOVES to lurk around the homes, vehicles, and workplaces of military spouses and families. Just waiting. Yes, you can almost hear the theme music from Jaws in the background begin to play as soon as our soldier deploys or leaves town for training. Pipes burst, tornadoes hit, cars die, and basements flood as soon as we’re on our own. Add “teenagehood happens” to that list.
So after a phone call to Dear Husband to find out 1) where the jumper cables were and 2) just HOW I should use them to bring my truck back to life, I was moving vehicles, getting into the tool box, poppin’ the hoods, and making sure red went to red and black went to black (my husband warned me that “bad things” happen when the reds and blacks on the jumper cables are mixed up on the vehicle batteries). Ten minutes later, my truck was running, and I had cooled down enough to know that I could speak to Dear Daughter without bursting her eardrums or the windows of our neighbors. I even fed her lunch.
Good mommy.
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I’ve got the urge to make a banner…or two…or three… with inspiration from Holly at Decor8, and Candice at Peacoats and Party Hats, and easy directions from Beth at Stitch, Rip, Repeat. One for kindergarten, another for birthdays, and possibly one that says “Welcome Home!”
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Jenny and Doug, I’ve started thinking about the passion-quilt meme, really! It will be coming up in a future post!
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See you back here tomorrow for Show and Share Thursday- I think I’ll go make sure my keys are where they’re supposed to be!
Happy Spring! Happy Easter!
Happy Happy Hippity Hoppity!
Oz-Fest/Inspiration Binder
My family and I will watch The Wizard of Oz, Return to Oz, and Tin Man this weekend because…
Uncle Sam says we are to return to the land of Munchkins, scarecrows, and ruby slippers this summer!
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Please do me a favor and help me in the “oohs and ahhs” department once you see my latest attempt at scrapping (my husband doesn’t quite understand the need for encouragement for this kind of thing). In preparation for moving this summer, I’ve been snipping and clipping my favorite recipes, photos, craft and home decor ideas for my Inspiration Binder. I’ve mentioned before that we have a weight limit for our household goods each time we move, so packing and hauling stacks of magazines isn’t feasible. I just can’t bear to be without all of the beautiful, creative and innovative ideas I come across though, so I sort the clippings by season/holiday or subject (health/diet; home decor; houseplans; fashion; crafts/patterns), pop them into page protectors and add them to my binders. Wouldn’t you know it, I had to buy larger binders because my old ones were stuffed! Here’s what I started with this afternoon:
There were so many pretty papers I wanted to use, so I decided on a nine-patch pattern:
I used ribbon as border around some of the squares, and photo corners, brads, and embroidery floss on others:
Out came the chipboard:
Then tags,text, paper flowers and more ribbon:
And a bitty photo of little ol’ me when I was MUCH younger (don’t worry Mom, it’s a digital copy):
I was only able to finish the front cover before the toddler woke up from his nap, so tomorrow I’ll be adding the spine detail and back cover:
I feel like it’s a bit of a “sampler” of scrapbooking ideas, though I didn’t use stamps or “fancy scissors” yet…not sure if I will…
Show and Share Thursday: Vera Bradley…an Addiction
Hello, my name is Michaele, and I’m an addict. A Vera Bradley Addict.
What’s surprising is that I wasn’t aware of the extent of my addiction until today, as I went through the hutch in our dining room to find Easter-ish or Spring-ish place mats or tablecloths for this weekend.
I kept pulling out set after set of VB place mats and realized that there were still *more* sets packed away with the Christmas decor! In fact, the photos I’m sharing today don’t include my VB tablecloths, napkins, table runners, purses/handbags, or clothing items… and the sets shown above aren’t ALL, since I’m using several sets in our barrister bookcases and throughout the living room and kitchen for spring accents:
I’m guessing my love of Vera Bradley table decor is linked to my love for quilts- each of these place mats are quilted with a coordinating fabric on the back. I’m always on the look-out for retired patterns and colors on Ebay, Petit Point, Black Walnut, and Maison Blue especially:
What’s not to love? They’re machine washable, patterned enough to hide a small stain here or there, and instantly dress up a table or other surface beautifully. With a toddler and busy family, EASE and FUNCTIONALITY are essentials in our home, but in case you were wondering, no, I simply cannot resist PRETTINESS.
No, no, I’m NOT a Vera Bradley salesperson or store representative- though I wish I were if it would get me a discount on the new line of RUGS available online! Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!
If you’d like something a bit more romantic, “foofy” even for table decor, try April Cornell, another favorite of mine!
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Easter/Spring Projects:
~Kelli at There’s No Place Like Home has made some beautiful egg-shaped pocket cards and walks you through, step by step…
~ Lisa at Celebrate Creativity in All its Forms shows us how to decorate a new vase, just in time for those spring bouquets, though I think I’ll use her techniques and advice on a few storage containers I’ve been saving up lately for my desk…
~ Terry at Bent Objects expresses some Easter humor with a chocolate bunny, some raisins and Raisinets, a nice change from the deluge of Peep dioramas that many others have produced this year…
~ Laura Rebecca’s Kitchen tells us how to make perfect hard boiled eggs (still on my to-do list for today!)
~ Angry Chicken shares a recipe for birds’ nests (edible!) that kindergarten teachers, their students and families are sure to enjoy!
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Recent Blog Discoveries:
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I forgot to mention that while I was playing with Scrabble tiles and tongue-twisters the other day, I also made a Scrabble rack to go with my Easter decor in the epergne:
Happy Spring!
Big A** Book of Crafts
Yes, that’s *really* the title of the book! While wandering through B&N last week, I found this thing staring at me from the Art/Craft section and of course, HAD to pick it up. I had a few additional errands to run so I did a quick flip-through of the pages, found the photos and patterns interesting, and decided to buy it.
Mark Montano is the author/craft compiler, while photos are by Auxy Espinoza. The projects are all about being affordable (in some cases, CHEAP) and creative, but after several popsicle stick projects and Mark referring to crocheted blankets as “knit,” (I know, I know, I’m being…(k)nitpicky), I had to put the book down and leave it alone for a few days.
After a second looksie, I’ve found several projects I’m hoping to make in the next few weeks: magnets, photo art, possibly a screen room divider, though that one might have to wait until we’ve moved. The “Urban Corsage” will probably end up being Dear Daughter’s new favorite gift to make and give:
…and I’m going to be on the look-out for the perfect fabric to make wall panel art with, since my husband’s military plaques and awards will be moving to his office once we relocate- Mark’s examples are gorgeous:
While there are some fabulous looking projects in this book, (it’s over 350 pages, by the way), there are a few train wrecks as well (the “Bronze Baby Sculpture” made out of a plastic baby doll, spray paint and glue for instance), so be warned.
Cynic that I can be, after Mark’s misidentification of crochet/knit projects, I’ve been wondering how many other goofs he’s made. I think I need to put the book down again for a bit.
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