The Splendid Book for Girls

I received the most splendid package in the mail recently.

A package from one of the sweetest artists, bloggers, people I know;

Monica Sabolla Gruppo of The White Bench.

I was so surprised when I opened the box and found this...

a journal cover she had created.

 

 

She used an old book as the base...

The Splendid Book for Girls.

At first I was reluctant to punch holes into the spine for binding,

but I finally did, as the only thing that felt right was to keep the book whole.

 

 

It truly could not be anymore perfect;

the heart {she was supposed to just be sending me some heart shaped rocks, which are amazing in their own right!},the postcard from Scotland she chose to collage onto it, the colors used, the butterflies and the words.

Oh the words.  The message the chose for me... well...

 

 

But the most wonderful and amazing thing about it is, Monica went out of her way for no reason at all other than the kindness and love in her heart to create this piece of art for me.

Life is such a beautiful place to be.

 

 

 

 

Wrapping Things Up

I wish I could say I have everything ready and wrapped up for Christmas, but alas, I don't.
And I'm trying to make myself not stress about it all.
Mind you, that's a whole lot easier said than done.

I do have most of the presents wrapped.
And I made this part of the "getting ready" fairly easy on myself.
Simple brown paper packages wrapped up with yarn and pompoms.
The name tags are even simpler-
shipping tags with a stamped initial.

Now if I can just finish up those last minute handmade gifts...

Are you ready?

The Friendship Ball

A ball is a circle.
No beginning, no end.
It keeps us together
Like our circle of friends.
The treasure inside
For just you to see,
Is the treasure of friendship
You've granted to me.


Thank you, my dear friend!

*********
Please let me know if anyone wants to play in Friday's Flowers, so I can add your link.

Friendship

A good friend is a connection to life-

a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world.
~Lois Wyse

Thank you Joanna!

Wednesday

It was a beautiful Spring day, Wednesday was.
And unfortunately my muse had decided she wanted to be a gypsy and had taken off about a week prior. So when Wednesday rolled in, she was still off somewhere gallivanting around... more than likely in a meadow dotted with wildflowers and a bubbling brook near by.

Luckily for me, however, I had plans for a couple of the most wonderful friends to come over for lunch that day.
And eventhough I was struggling, and I mean really struggling, to function properly without my gypsy muse, the day turned out beautifully.
There was gift giving...

and soothing stitching...

and some pretty darn good food (if I say so myself).

That gypsy muse of mine must have sensed she was missing out, because later that evening she came tiptoeing up to me, head hanging down, with a whispered apology on her lips.
I told her it was all okay, but to remember next time, that I love meadows dotted with wildflowers too.

Have a beautiful weekend!

Receiving

In the last few weeks, my postman has delivered a bit of happiness to me.

I won these pretties in Tracy's (Tied Up Memories) giveaway. Lovely, aren't they?

Remember my Valentine tag for Natalea's swap? Well, I received my tag book! Take a look...

Natalea, Grace, Kana, Beth, Vivian, Marian Ballog, Robin, Jane Palmer, Kimberly, Jeanne

Rachel, Kathy, Wendy, Diana, Tammy, Connie, Geralyn, Wanda, Linda and mine.
Fabulousness all on one ring!

And then that sweetheart of a girl, Natalea, sent me this...

She made an extra one of the ornies she had created for another swap and sent it to me, just because I loved it so much. That girl has a heart as big as Texas!

Hope you have a beautiful Wednesday.

Pretty Wrappings

Remember the book I found shopping, in the last post? The one that was a gift? Well, it's been given to the birthday girl... the one we like to call "Evangeline". Quite the fitting gift, huh? But I digress...

This post isn't about the book, but about the wrapping of the book.

When I picked up this year's issue of Somerset Holiday & Celebrations, one of the first articles to catch my eye was Heather Bullard's "Vintage-Inspired Gift Bags". Now, if you know of Heather Bullard, then you know that everything she touches becomes something beautiful. You will also know that she writes some of the best articles on packaging gifts. This one is no exception and I thought the book was the perfect gift to try this gift bag packaging out on.

The image I chose was one that was shared by this nice lady, awhile back. I resized it and added "happy birthday" to it in photoshop and then printed it out on a bit of pillowcase fabric. I made my bag out of muslin (which I keep a healthy stock of, because I use it for everything) and snipped slits around the top for a seambinding tie, to close it up with.

It turned out lovely and was well received. I will definitely be using this type of packaging again!

A Random Act of Kindness

A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from a complete stranger. Turns out, not all strangers mean danger, as McGruff the Crime Dog taught me when I was little.

So, I received this email from Darlene who, unbeknownst to me, has been reading my blog for the last 2 months. Her email said that she had been given an old Victorian scrapbook by a family friend, and would I like to have it.

Can you say "SHOCK"!

Can you say "YES"!

Can you say "Squealing and Jumping Up and Down like a little kid on Christmas morning"!

So, she sent it to me and I sent her a journal of her choice in return.

The book is simply wonderful! It has calling cards and some fabulous coffee cards in it, as well as, school awards and such. I have been sitting and looking through it over and over again. It makes me wonder if someone will be as excited to find my art journals and my own scrapbooks, a hundred years from now, and be as thrilled to sit down with a cup of tea and linger over each page, as I have done with this scrapbook.

Even though I've said it half a dozen times already, Thank You so much, Darlene!!!

A Little of This and A Little of That

I have to start this post with these little sweets.

Do you remember the "Pay it Forward" I posted awhile back? Well, Tina was one of the first three to leave a comment and look at what that sweet lady sent to me, just as a thank you! (On that note, I haven't forgotten your little somethings, Tina, Julie and Becky... they are in the works.)
Back to Tina... if you haven't seen her creations before, go look. She sells here, here, here and here and if you live in Denmark, you can see her in person, because she is always doing shows. Everything she makes is little, including those adorable tiny bears... those are some of the most darling bears I have ever laid eyes on. I kid you not! Again, thank you so much Tina!

Several of you asked about the Dutch Babies. Now, if you are sitting at our table and you happen to ask "what's in a Dutch Baby?", you end up getting a very satirical, Jonathan Swift-like answer, that could possibly last the entire duration of the meal. But lucky for you, we aren't at the table and I'll give you the real answer. Dutch Babies are also known as German Pancakes. They are mostly all egg and are not sweet like our pancakes, until you do them up. When they come out of the oven, you slather them with butter, dump (no sprinkling here, please) powdered sugar all over them and then squeeze fresh lemons on top of all of that. They are extremely unhealthy, which of course makes them taste all that much better. Here is the recipe I used. I used the larger recipe and made two of them. They were all, but maybe about one fourth of the second one, devoured by a Farmboy, a granny, a bottomless-pit 12 year old pirate and a 16 year old boy (no description needed here) and little ol' me. The tip my mom gave me, was the more eggs the better the pancake and what it says in this recipe about using the bread flour is very true... they will puff up even more than if you use all-purpose flour. If you have a 10 inch iron skillet, give them a try... believe me, it will be worth it.

Diane is having a giveaway over on her blog.
(photo taken from Diane's blog)
A darling tea cup nest. She has been making these great flowers out of sheet music, which you will find in the nest. You have until Sunday to post a comment here.

Silver Bella!!!!

Are you signed up? I am and I got all of the classes I wanted...
Pam's "Lineage of Love"
Teresa's "Victorious Medals"
both of Rebecca's classes "Cigar Box Assemblage" and "Hodge Podge Journal"
and Kaari's "Vintage Charm Bracelet"
Sooooo excited!!!

I'm sure I have more to share, but I need to get moving. I have a Marie Antoinette canvas calling my name.
Have a beautiful Thursday!

I've Been Nesting

A little bit of decorating for spring, planting flowers in containers for the back deck and even some organizing, but really, that seems to be an ongoing thing for me. And a little day dreaming about eating alfresco. The wind has been just down right ridiculous here. I mean really, March is over so come on Mother Nature, time to call it quits.

I've also done a little junquing. Here are two of my most recent and favorite finds.

This is an antique trunk tray. The paper on it is original and unfortunately a bit fragile in a few spots. I have decided on a place to put it, but keep changing my mind on what to store in it. Here's a close up.


I also found this little beauty for next to nothing. But, then again, it's no wonder it was next to nothing. It's in terrible condition. Which is probably one of the reasons I love it so.

It's a Victorian photo album. I adore the image on the front. Isn't it so sweet? There are, of course, no pictures in it, but it does still have the photo frames, which are in decent condition. The spine of the book is almost completely gone, so I'm trying to decide if I should go ahead and remove the cover for display and use the pages for art work and chunk the back or just leave it as is. What do you think?

I received the prettiest card from my good friend Cheryl the other day. I just have to show it off.


I just love it. Thank you Cheryl!

Okay, now for a different topic. Blogging without obligation. I've seen this on several blogs and never really thought a whole lot about it. However, I've now come to the conclusion, that I think this is for me. I've really been feeling kind of stressed out over the whole blogging thing. And I really don't want to. I like having this little place to write down my thoughts and what I've been up to and really just whatever catches my fancy. The best part of it is the amazing people I've met through blogging. And I absolutely love the fact that you all are kind enough to even care what I have to say in the first place and then leave me the most lovely comments on top of it all. I really don't want to lose any of that. But at the same time I want blogging to be a peaceful activity for me and I don't want to feel stressed out if I can't get a post in at least every other day. So with that said, I've decided to join some of those other bloggers and blog without obligation. So, if you stop by and I'm not around, please know that I will be back and more than likely with a long winded post, like this one. ;) Again, I want you all to know how much I truly appreciate each and everyone of you!!!

Whew! Do I feel like a load has been lifted now!

I hope you all have a most beautiful Tuesday!

Mail from Abroad

I got home the other night and sitting in my mailbox was a complete surprise. Elly had sent me a most wonderful little package of goodies!

A card full of lovely trims! I cannot tell you how much I love all of the pretty eyelet laces. That top right one... little bluebirds!


The sweetest little white embroidered hankie and some darling Dutch flashcards.


This is great! It's the scrapbook magazine she's published in. I've already thumbed through it half a dozen times. And now I'm considering pulling out the pocket translator we have, so I can read it... it's all in Dutch. ;)
I think Elly's work is amazing. She is so talented and so inspiring. I haven't scrapbooked a regular ol' 12x12 layout in over a year. This made me pull some stuff out yesterday and get back to it. It was fun and refreshing.


And how cute are these scrap bits? Look at those darling paper dolls!

Elly, I know I've already told you, but thank you so much! It was truly, such a sweet surprise.

Cleaning, Sorting and Organizing

With the New Year always comes a major overhaul at my house. Closets are sorted through, cabinets are cleaned out, files are organized, etc. I'm sure this is the case for a lot of people. And really, in my mind, it's the best time to do it. That Spring Cleaning thing doesn't work for me. Spring is my favorite season, so as soon as I spy good ol' Spring, I dash out the door and try not to come back inside until the Summer heat begins to wilt me.

I've started with the biggest mess. No, not the 16 year old's room. Although I admit, that is exactly what it looks like... a teenager's room. Nope, I mean my space. Seriously, it's a disaster. Well it was. It's in much better shape now... not done, but definitely better!


The Christmas decorations are in the process of coming down. I know I said I would keep them up a little longer than normal, but it was time.


And along with Winter Cleaning, we have crud that isn't fixed as easily. Yep, the Farmboy is sick. Bless his heart. I asked him if he wanted some chicken noodle soup today and he said yes, but not that stuff in a can. He wanted me to make some homemade soup. Which I would have done for him in a blink of an eye, but he didn't want to wait for it to cook. So I fed him sushi instead. *Shrug* Yeah, I don't know either, but it made him happy.

After spending the day cleaning, sorting and organizing, relaxing by a warm fire is the best. I've been entertaining myself during this time with these.


Oh, I totally have to share this. Remember how I called my old Christmas tree a Charlie Brown tree? Guess what my parents sent us for Christmas? Yep, that's right. A real Charlie Brown tree. As silly as it is, I LOVE it!!! But, that's probably why I love it so much... silly and I go hand in hand.


Hope you're having a beautiful Monday!

A Little of This and a Bit of That

A few things that have been keeping me busy...

I taught a card class for my Crafter's Business group. We had our holiday get together and part of our merry making was creating cards. I taught one and one of our organizers taught another one. Loads of fun!

Pretty kits ready to go.


And this was the final product. The great image is a French postcard download that I got from Ranjini of Scrapologie. She's posting a vintage Christmas image a day, this month, as a sweet holiday treat. She also has a selection for sale in her Boutique.

I've been slowly decorating. I got E to pull everything out of the attic last Thursday (I won't go up there... it wiggs me out and makes me wish, for a moment, that we lived up North where basements exist). But once everything was down and my house looked like a storage room (a very messy one I might add) I felt overwhelmed and left it like that for a couple of days. Yesterday I started opening boxes and placing things here and there. However, seems I'm not even going to use half of the stuff in all of those boxes.

My Farmboy was bitten by the Christmas bug a couple of weeks ago and agreed that it was time for a color scheme change. And quite frankly, I really like looking at my everyday stuff and didn't want to put it away, so the majority of it is going to stay out and I'm just accessorizing around it. Oh, and when the bug bit the Farmboy, he started picking out pretty brown and champagne balls which was totally crazy, because I had been trying to think of a way to convince him that that was what we needed, but hadn't mentioned it to him yet! Then last night, I went to Target, which I had not been to since before they put out their Christmas stuff and low and behold, those seem to be one of the popular colors this season... and I didn't even know. The planets are aligned evidently.

Teresa is in the middle of her Comfort and Joy ezine. The first project was a crown.

Here is mine. So far this is the only one I've done. I'm really hoping to do some more of the projects before the end of the week.

I finally tried my hand at bleaching bottle brush trees from the craft store.

For some reason I was shocked at how easy it was. I really love them this creamy yellow bleached out color. I got busy when I was doing the bigger ones and forgot about them. Note to self... forgotten trees sitting in bleach become brittle and have a tendency to look like drowned rats once finally remembered and dried. I would really like to find some really large trees to do this with. Like 10 -12 inches high. Anyone know where I can get some? There are a couple of vintage ones just this color at my local antique store, but I can't justify the price they want for them.

Let's see, what else. Oh, I've been making Christmas presents.

These are totally inspired by the article in the latest Somerset Life. And they really weren't as difficult as I expected them to be. That's always a good thing.

And lastly, I had E put up the Christmas tree last night. Would someone PLEASE convince my Farmboy that it really is time for a new tree!

He loves this tree so much because it's a symbol of, well several things actually, because he purchased it after his divorce. But I really think it's time. I "lived" with it like this last year. Yes, I know... you're as shocked as me. He did manage to get some of those dark areas to light up last year, but not all of them. It really is a sad little Charlie Brown tree with some of it's lights not working and branches drooping pathetically. I just don't know that I can pull off another Peanut's gang transformation again this year. He's coming home tomorrow night from being out of town for over a week now and I'm crossing my fingers that he will finally agree to a new one. So do you think I should leave it as is for him to see or maybe hang a few balls on it first. Let me know what ya think.

I'm off to finish decorating and do more creating. Have a beautiful day!

Bluebirds and Friendship

Bluebirds and Friendship are the two things that I am most grateful for this weekend.

If you know me, you know of my obsession with Bluebirds. I own several glass Bluebird figurines... two of which are very special to me because of whom they came from.

We unfortunately don't have Bluebirds here in my neck of the woods (or I should say city), but if I drive a few hours east and into the actual woods, I can see them. I worry that someday I may give my Farmboy a heart attack from my impulsive squeal of "follow that bird" as we are driving through East Texas. I get so delightfully excited when I spot one!

Anyway, for me Bluebirds represent "happiness". And that is exactly what I felt, after the initial surprise, when I opened an unexpected package from my sweet friend Whitney.


Whitney made this lovely lariat Bluebird necklace and said that as soon as it was finished, she knew that it had to be sent to me. Thank you Whitney!!! I absolutely LOVE it!


I am truly amazed by the generosity and kindness I continually find here in blogland... which leads me into the subject of friendship.

Whitney and I met through Artsy Mama's "Vintage Party Swap". This was a first time swap for the both of us and seriously, I couldn't have been given a better swap partner! It's going on a year since that first swap and Whitney and I have continued to stay in touch through our blogs and email and our friendship has grown.

2008 really seems to be the "friendship" year for me. Much like mine and Whitney's friendship, I have had other cyber friendships blossom into something sweet and lovely.

I've met so many nice ladies and made so many new friends though different parts cyber space... Blogland, Etsy, LolliShops, Silver Bella, TwilightMoms and Meetup.com. Some I have had the pleasure of meeting in person thanks to Silver Bella and others I am just lucky to live close enough to, so we are able to get together on a fairly regular basis.

So these are two things that bring me happiness and that I am extremely grateful for this Thanksgiving week... Bluebirds and Friendship.

I've decided to go out of town with my Farmboy this coming week, so I probably won't be around here. I hope you all have a very beautiful, safe and happy Thanksgiving!

A Sweet Gift and Some Other Pretties

First the gift.
I got mail the other day and what a lovely surprise it was!

Diane sent me this sweet "thank you" package. Diane is a busy lady! Along with a lot of other different crafts, she makes these pretty pins with bits of textiles and trims and embroiders on them... they are really pretty. She also designs fabric for Clothworks, as well as, paints. Look at these watercolors! Aren't they gorgeous? Thank you so much Diane! :)

And now for the "other pretties".
Remember those little bottles my BIL gave me? Well before I left, I started playing with a couple of them.


I hit the mother load in vintage image rub ons at a garage sale last month. You should have seen my MIL and I digging through all of these boxes and spazing like a couple of kids in a candy shop. At one point I thought it was going to be a wrestling match, thank goodness she decided to share. She's one tough, old bird... I think she probably could have taken me without any problem.

I also have to show you these, because I simply love them. Remember when I bought that gorgeous old clock face? Remember how ridiculously happy it made me? (It still does.) Well, I found another old item that makes me just as ridiculously happy as the clock face.

Look at that Lemon Extract bottle!!!! I know, how can a dirty, old bottle make someone SO giddy with excitement? I don't know, but it does! As for the book, well, every time I went into this one shop I would pick it up and then eventually put it back. After doing that for months, I finally brought it home with me. I love the image on the cover and thought that some of the pages were missing so planned on using the cover in a piece of art or maybe doing an altered book with it. There aren't any pages missing on closer inspection, so I'm going to read it first... then use it.

The last little pretty.

I've been so into polka dots recently and I decided I needed a red and white polka dotted apron. I found this at Honey Bend Vintage and loved it, so I snatched it right up. It's not red and white, but that doesn't matter. It has that cute little ribbon flower and the bottom edge is scalloped... love that! So it hasn't made me cook more than usual, but I sure look darn cute in it while I am cooking. :)

Oh! Be sure to stop by and visit Jenn's new etsy shoppe, The Peony Princess. I already have!

That's it for today. Have a beautiful one!