Untie The Ribbons

Shake, Dump, and Throw

2012-01-19T09:02:00.001-05:00

I often take meals up to my step-father’s home to put in the freezer and of course I label them. Weeks later I’ll get a phone call asking for a recipe and because I’m a “shake, dump and throw (SDT)” sort of chef, I’m usually unable to tell him what he ate LOL

Last night I made an SDT chicken that was really delicious so I’m sharing the recipe here while I still remember it. Please note that the measures are approximate – I just usually SDT until it looks right.

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon dried basil
Small box white mushrooms
2 leeks
2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Heat extra virgin olive oil in oven-proof skillet. Add chicken thighs and salt and pepper them. Let them brown at least five minutes especially if you aren’t using a non-stick pan (otherwise they will stick). In the meantime, slice cleaned mushrooms and chop leeks (if you’ve never used leeks before, only use the bottom white/light green part – the dark green leaves make great compost but are tough as nails; cut them in half lengthwise and rinse between the layers really well – they may be full of sand – then slice across the halves into narrow slices). Turn the chicken thighs over and give them about three more minutes to brown on the other side. Remove from pan onto plate. Add mushrooms, leeks, and spices to the pan and sauté until the leeks are slightly translucent. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir in. Turn off the heat and put the chicken back into the pan on top of the veggies. Put into a 350 oven uncovered for about 25-30 minutes. Enjoy!

Old City Bar

2011-12-24T17:55:00.000-05:00

I’ve loved the Trans-Siberian Orchestra for years and have listened to their Christmas Eve and Other Stories CD every Christmas season for many years. For some reason today on my way home from visiting with my step-father in North Carolina, this song really touched me like it never had before – maybe I was paying closer attention to the words or maybe because it's Christmas Eve. Please enjoy this performance by Bart Shatto here . The words are below. He may be a little out there but his voice is wonderful!

In an old city bar
That is never too far
From the places that gather
The dreams that have been

In the safety of night
With its old neon light
It beckons to strangers
And they always come in

And the snow it was falling
The neon was calling
The music was low
And the night
Christmas Eve

And here was the danger
That even with strangers
Inside of this night
It’s easier to believe

Then the door opened wide
And a child came inside
That no one in the bar
Had seen there before

And he asked did we know
That outside in the snow
That someone was lost
Standing outside our door

Then the bartender gazed
Through the smoke and the haze
Through the window and ice
To a corner street light

Where standing alone
By a broken pay phone
Was a girl the child said
Could no longer get home

And the snow it was falling
The neon was calling
The bartender turned
And said, not that I care
But how would you know this?
The child said I’ve noticed
If one could be home
They’d be already there

Then the bartender came out from behind the bar
And in all of his life he was never that far
And he did something else that he thought no one saw
When he took all the cash from the register drawer

Then he followed the child to the girl across the street
And we watched from the bar as they started to speak
Then he called for a cab and he said J.F.K.
Put the girl in the cab and the cab drove away
And we saw in his hand
That the cash was all gone
From the light that she had
Wished upon

If you want to arrange it
This world you can change it
If we could somehow make this
Christmas thing last

By helping a neighbor
Or even a stranger
And to know who needs help
You need only just ask

Then he looked for the child
But the child wasn’t there
Just the wind and the snow
Waltzing dreams through the air

So he walked back inside
Somehow different I think
For the rest of the night
No one paid for a drink

And the cynics will say
That some neighborhood kid
Wandered in on some bums
In the world where they hid

But they weren’t there
So they couldn’t see
By an old neon star
On that night, Christmas Eve

When the snow it was falling
The neon was calling
And in case you should wonder
In case you should care

Why we’re on our own
Never went home
On that night of all nights
We were already there

Then all at once inside that night
He saw it all so clear
The answer that he sought so long
Had always been so near

It’s every gift that someone gives
Expecting nothing back
It’s every kindness that we do
Each simple little act

Coloring Outside the Lines

2011-11-20T20:23:00.000-05:00

I'm encouraging everyone to color outside the lines this holiday season. There are so many people in need, hurting financially or emotionally. Think about helping your favorite charity...or giving to a local family who needs groceries or clothing...or giving to your favorite person's favorite charity in their name. There are so many wonderful organizations out there. Rather than loading your grandkids up with toys they probably already have, contribute to a local humane society in their name and send them a card showing the dog or cat you supported...or go out to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary - they do amazing work and have wonderful stories you can share...go out to Heifer International and buy a bee hive or flock of chickens or any of the many options they have so that a family will be able to support themselves - and send them a card from HI telling how that gift is helping a child just like themselves...go out to Charity Water - 100% of your donation goes towards helping communities have access to clean water...go to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee - any child would love 'adopting' an elephant.

Do you have a friend who is hurting in some way? Do you know an elderly person who has no family nearby? Bake them something, take them a homemade meal, make them a beautiful card, welcome them to your home for a celebration...make them feel special and loved.

Just color outside the lines this year. I'll be coloring outside the lines on this blog for a few months. My computer is dying a slow death and I'm unable to download pictures right now so as much as I'd like to share pictures with you - it will have to wait until after the first of the year when I start looking for a new computer!

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a safe and peaceful holiday season.

Country Living Fair South 2011

2011-10-21T19:45:00.001-04:00

I braved the very chilly weather and went to the Country Living Fair at Stone Mountain, GA bright and early this morning. It was as fabulous as it was last year! Right across from the entrance was Earth Angels and there was eye candy galore. Such creative artists and art - enough to make your mouth water. Then on to the other 150 or so booths back along the trails under the trees...French Laundry Home, Mill Branch Bar Soap Company (with the most fragrant olive oil soaps and creams you can imagine - Ginger Lime was the one I bought), Au Gres Sheep Shoppe, Barn Trash, Serious Whimsey, Farmhouse 1807, Necessary Excess, Sassy Trash, Splinters and Rags, Three Birds Studio, With Heart and Hand, just to name a few. Oh and of course the food booths - the best of which was Annie's Baking - breads and goodies like you wouldn't believe. One booth - I can't remember the name - had wonderful crafting goodies. I found two clergy collars and they will be turned into crowns. If you live anywhere near Atlanta, there are still two days of the Fair left - do go - you'll love it. I'm already going to start putting my pennies away for next year!

Was It A Bird...Or Is It A.....Frog???

2011-09-25T18:40:00.000-04:00

Jack and I have multiple bird feeders in the front yard - in fact our front yard is mainly birdseed "grass" LOL. We love to watch them feed - even the squirrels keep us entertained. Yesterday we were standing out on the driveway and along the herb garden in front of the house is a small fence covered with Carolina Jessamine - so pretty in the spring with all of the tiny yellow flowers blooming. I saw something on top of one of the fence posts and thought - DARN THOSE BIRDS - if you know what I mean. LOL As I got closer I realized it was the most beautiful tiny frog - black and white. It looked like a primitive crackled frog and it was just sitting on that tiny little fencepost with it's front feet crossed like it was praying. Since I can always use an extra prayer or two I imagined it was deep in meditation. I'm not sure how exactly he hopped up there or when he left, but it was a special beautiful piece of nature that made my day.

Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Bean Soup

2011-09-19T19:46:00.000-04:00

Here is a quick and easy bean soup. This makes two good sized bowls so increase ingredients as needed. I served it tonight with cornbread and YUM! It was so good. I'm really glad soup weather is here again!

1 15 oz. can navy beans (I use Eden organic - they are the only brand I can find who has a BPA free can lining)
onion (as much as you like - I used 1/3 of a very large Vidalia)
2 medium carrots
1 stalk celery
2 garlic cloves
4 slices Canadian bacon (or ham if you'd rather)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chicken broth

Dice onion, carrots, celery, and Canadian bacon approximately the same size. Heat olive oil in medium saucepan. Add onion, carrots, garlic cloves (whole) and celery and saute until tender (about 10 or so minutes). Remove the garlic cloves. Add Canadian bacon, drained and rinsed navy beans, and chicken broth and stir well. Let simmer another 10 minutes or so. Enjoy!

And don't forget to put those onion skins, carrot peels, etc. in your compost pile - now is the time to start one for spring planting.

Flat Betty and the Halloween Ball

2011-09-08T13:49:00.000-04:00

You asked for it... you got it (and Georgina won her in the giveaway)...another installment of the Flat Betty Tales.

Now Tweed Town was having it’s annual Halloween Ball at the Jim Bob Yoder VFW Hall and Flat Betty was determined to be the belle of the ball. You see there was a prize for the best-dressed couple and she just knew she and Bubba could win. Flat Betty and her best friend Georgina had gone shopping and found the most perfect outfit with just a dab of glitter that wouldn’t be too shocking if Betty happened to run into Rev. Flugle from The Holiness Church of the Sacred Glade on the way to the ball.

Flat Betty was at work at the Ding Dong Dinner Diner the night before the ball and who waltzed in but Mary Lou, her old high school rival. “Oh Betty”, said Mary Lou. “I found the most bee-u-tiful costume for the ball. No one will ever recognize me and I’ll win the best dressed prize for sure honey!” Flat Betty just stood there with her mouth hanging open because she hadn’t realized that it was a costume ball. On her next break she tried to call Georgina.

Flat Betty and Bubba were double dating with Georgina and Honey Hunk (as Georgina liked to call her boyfriend, Elmer Clyde Diggins) and Georgina could surely come up with SOMETHING. Georgina’s mother, Verbena, answered and hysterically told Flat Betty that Georgina and Honey Hunk had eloped to Las Vegas the night before.

When Flat Betty went home that night she thought and thought until her hair positively frizzed. Then she went out to her mother Maude’s big vegetable garden and picked a beautiful pumpkin. Why I’ll just carve that sucker out and wear it – it IS a Halloween Ball after all. And surely no one will guess who I am.

What she hadn’t counted on was how yucky that punkin was even though she dried it off inside…and also that once on her head, she couldn’t get it off! And I do believe Flat Betty would have won the prize that night but her hair (which stuck out the top of the pumpkin despite everything she did to stuff it back inside) gave her away.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Thinkin’ too much can be bad for your hairdo

How I Spent My Summer Vacation - Day #1

2011-08-31T20:21:00.000-04:00

It’s day #1 of a long needed vacation from work and days two through eight will be spent at home but thankfully so. Now on to the exciting tale of my first day. Most of you know of the every other week treks I make to North Carolina to check on and do for my stepfather. It’s about a six hour round trip drive (not counting the times when he has doctors appointments which are at least 45 minutes away from his home). In any event, I left this morning at the crack o’ dawn so I could get to the other side of Atlanta before the rush hour really began. As I drove into the driveway and saw that the shade on the door was still down and the door locked, I began to worry a tad. He’s usually always up before 9am. Luckily the sliding glass door was partially open (there is a cat door in the sliding screen door for Miss Kitty who is a whole other story) so I was able to get in. I quietly tiptoed to his bedroom door watching the sheets to be sure he was still breathing (thank you God!)…he is 87 after all. While he slept I gathered up the bills, bank statement, and checkbook and had them almost done when he awoke. On to the pillbox and refills while he drank his coffee. Oh wait – I promised exciting didn’t I?

Frank’s little house is very compact – a tiny kitchen/dining/living room, two small bedrooms, and a bathroom. One of the bedrooms is used for storage – it used to be where my mother kept all of her yarns and threads – she was a weaver. In any event, while I was at the kitchen table I kept getting this faint whiff of something not too pleasant. When I went into the spare room there was a horrible over-whelming smell and I thought Miss Kitty had either deposited a gift or brought in a gift (which she does on an almost daily basis). Ole Frank said “Oh yes, I’ve been smelling that but didn’t see anything.”

OK, hold your breath (I certainly was by that time or at least breathing through my mouth) here comes the exciting part. On the wall shelves where extra canned goods, etc. were stored….well…..have you ever smelled or seen a bag of potatoes that was mostly juice? I thought I was going to pass out from the smell! Finally got that sucker into a big garbage bag – not very gracefully either…then had to scrub the wall and floor where they had dripped, clean off cans where they had run, WASH bottles of BOOST that had been dripped upon.

Oh no, we aren’t to the exciting part yet….really! These shelves are the rubber coated wire type and Frank had put a very thin piece of some type of wood over the top one – I guess so things wouldn’t fall through. Well I knew that lovely potato juice would have soaked it through and it needed to go. So off that shelf came everything (along with a bag of flour that, shall we say, was beginning to look like it was inside out. Not sure what was happening with that but it went in the garbage bag with the potatoes) and I lifted up that thin piece of wood – are you ready? Really ready? For the exciting part?

Can you say maggots? Ewwwwwwwwww ewwwwwwwww ewwwwwwwwwww! I’m telling you I nearly died, very vocally, as I ran through that tiny house to get that thing out of the house and onto the garbage pile. And then I had to clean the ones that were on the wire shelf off – ewwwwwwwwww ewwwwwwwww ewwwwwwwwwww. I don't DO maggots - I don't even want to LOOK AT maggots! Anything not in a can is banned from that room!

Now tell me – could I have had a more perfect vacation day? Bwahahahahahahahahaha!

Another Flat Betty Tale - Only This Time You Can Win Her!

2011-08-27T16:18:00.002-04:00

Lucky #4 - Georgina - has won Flat Betty. And I've emailed you Georgina. Congratulations!

Y'all remember the Flat Betty tales don't you?
Flat Betty & the Snowball
Flat Betty & Pressley
Flat Betty & the Fourth of July Parade
Flat Betty Plays Bingo

Welllllll - so many of you had asked for more tales that I'm working on another one. This one will be my giveaway #4 and the only hint I'm giving you is....Autumn. You'll receive Flat Betty as well as a teeny storybook with her story.

One comment per person please. I'll draw a winner on Saturday, September 3rd (yup, I know it isn't still August then but what can I say - I must have started a week late on the giveaways LOL). Good luck!

Giveaway #3 - Got the Blues?

2011-08-21T15:14:00.001-04:00

Gee I'm feeling kinda lonesome! I guess that six months of non-blogging during my big work project took it's toll LOL Well it was a 50/50 draw and Debby, you are the winner of the pillow. I'll be emailing you for your snail mail addy. Congratulations!

Oh dear, my camera or my printer download program - one of them, isn't working right. Instead of pictures I'm getting something else (DCPs?) and can't download a picture. So I'm using the one from when we had the "braiding around rug hooking" class here with Kris McDermett and I made the pillow. Not a great picture of the pillow (or me on the left LOL) but enough that you can at least see the pillow.

The pillow is hooked with hand-dyed wool in yellows, blues, and greens. And yes it is as bright as it looks LOL. Around the edge is a braid of hand-dyed wool in blues and greens. And then around the outside edge of the braid there are tied lengths of a wonderful Italian wool roving yarn in various shades of blue. This was the most wonderful yarn to use for many things and I bought many color combinations of it. Unfortunately it isn't made anymore so I hoard it to use for very special things.

What you won't see in the picture is that the very center of the pillow is loaded with all types and sizes and colors of beads. So that will have to be the surprise when the winner receives it LOL

Leave a comment (one per person please) and I'll draw for a winner on Saturday, August 27th. Good luck!

Giveaway #2 - Things That Feed Your Soul

2011-08-14T08:52:00.001-04:00

Sorry gang - I spent all day yesterday shopping with my granddaughter for goodies for her sorority house room - it was so much fun to be able to spend a day and a half with her! So I never once thought about drawing for the giveaway last night. But today that wonderful generator has, for the second week in a row, chosen #3 so I'll be emailing you today for your mailing address. Congratulations!

A little bit of this and a little bit of that - bits of things that feed my soul went into this altered art piece. For the background, a piece of wet-felted wool in a rusty red color. Then a little texture with linen thread stitch stripes. All manner of goodies then had to be sewn on - a vintage picture of women friends who look like they were having a really good time; a quilted cotton cloth tag (an extra I had from a class) topped with a wool flower and two very old hook-and-eyes; a piece of Dupioni silk outlined with wool roving and topped with a teeny wood bird and a very interesting metal thingamaboby - not a key but must have turned or opened something or other LOL; then a different color Dupioni silk that had been felted right into the wool, outlined with tiny rusty bells and topped with a cloth patch that says Oh Happy Day!, and a glass pendant. And of course some wood beads hanging from the bottom to give it more interest. All of this wired to a crape myrtle stick with copper wire. It's about 12" X 12".

Leave a message and on Saturday evening, August 20th, I'll choose a winner. Good luck!

August Giveaway #1 - Let's Get This Party Started

2011-08-07T16:49:00.001-04:00

Taaaaaaaaadaaaaaaaaaaaaa - the random number generator has come up with #3 Are you curious about me? so I'll be emailing you for your snail mail addy. Congratulations!

And hey, I haven't seen pictures of my followers for days - and now that I think about it haven't seen them on any blogs I've read either - is something going on with blogger that I don't know about???

Now that my work life six month project from you know where has slowed down, and my brain has VERY slowly returned so that I may actually have more than one brain cell left - I'm back to reading blogs and hopefully blogging myself. So let's get this party started with the first of four giveaways during August.

This is a little altered art goodie that says "I Can't Wait To See What Will Happen Next". Now I did have this little goodie hanging on the outside of my cubicle at work...but based on the last project have decided it's time to take it down and part with it. Why tempt fate, right? I still can't wait to see what will happen next - in my personal life and at home - but work is another matter LOLOLOL This is made from wood, paper, wire, buttons, and a little mushroom bird.

I will draw from the comments (one per person please) on Saturday evening, August 13th. Good luck!

Headlights? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Headlights!

2011-07-05T17:15:00.000-04:00

I think the picture says it all!

One night, Kitty Boy, (who had been in the garage during an earlier storm) decided to spend the night (unbeknownst to us). Kitty Boy is our feral who now thinks he owns us. And he decided a little midnight snack was in order. Hmmm, I don't know what that wood thing is on top but bet I can open that bag anyhow!

Enjoy!

The Gospel Train and No Apology

2011-05-17T21:08:00.001-04:00

I was going to apologize for being away for so long without blogging but then….I’ve been on a project at work since January and for the past few months have been working mostly 7 days a week many many hours a day…so no apology. Just the hope that things will slow down soon so I can get back to it and to reading all those wonderful blogs I’ve been missing.

Now for the Gospel Train Barbara Crafton is an Episcopalian minister and I’ve been reading her books for years. She has a website called The Geranium Farm and also a free subscription email called The Almost Daily eMo which I love. She is a wonderful writer and her eMos make you laugh, cry, and think. I just loved today’s eMo and had to share it with you. Enjoy!

Our World Our Art 2012

2011-04-12T17:13:00.000-04:00

Many of you have participated in or known about One World One Heart which took place for the past five years. Loads of wonderful creative artists participated and it was really fun getting to know new bloggers every year. This was the last year for that event that was hosted by Lisa Swifka.

But early next year, 2012, a brand new event will begin - Our World Our Art. Yes, it may seem early to be talking about a 2012 event, but..........this will give people who are amazingly artistic (and you know who you are SF!!!) time to begin a blog. Having an active blog is one of the requirements for being a part of Our World Our Art. Being willing to share yourself and your artistic passion with the world is another. This event will also allow people to link to your Etsy shop or other online shop if you sell your work.

Anyway, to get on the newsletter list (I just received the first one today and there will be a few more prior to the event), just go to Lisa's blog and look at the right hand column. There is a sign-up for the OWOA newsletter there. The newsletter will explain the event in much more detail so that you can be READY TO HAVE FUN in early 2012!

Here is hoping you have a wonderful week!

Peachy Keen

2011-03-28T14:59:00.000-04:00

Since I’m a Gawga peach (well not really but I’ve lived here for almost 42 years so that counts)…here is what my yard boy – better known as Jack – did a week ago. We went to our local nursery to get some dirt – and of course couldn’t resist a few plants too. He always goes for the big stuff so of course he was looking for another tree to plant in our already over-crowded front yard. But hey, he’s the yard boy so he’s in charge LOL We saw these pretty little dwarf Bonfire Patio Peach trees. Gorgeous bright pink flowers. So we add one to the mix and go to load up the truck. And being a truck, and since it’s my truck and I drive when we go anywhere in it, and since my legs are short and I have to pull the bench seat up so the passenger’s knees are at their chin…there was no chance Jack was going to hold that peach tree on his lap. So off comes his shirt and he buttons it around the peach tree – looks like some weird kind of scarecrow! But by gosh, most of the flowers are still on that tree when we arrive home. I just couldn’t pass up a before and after picture of this trip!

Now the tag on this peach says “Pinkish-white flowers in spring. Delicious white fleshed freestone fruit in late summer. Prized for its beautiful burgundy leaves and compact growth habit.” But when I went on the internet to look up a little more information – every single reference said “inedible hard fruit”. Anyone know the scoop on these trees? If you do, please share it with me. Have a peachy week!

This, That, and The Other Thing

2011-03-17T20:30:00.000-04:00

Just a little of this, that, and the other thing for today. First of all I had to show you these great little (actually over 2 inches in diameter) clay tags that I found from the Freckled Laundry They will make gift packages just that much more special!

Second, spring has sprung here in Georgia and we are supposed to have gorgeous weather all weekend - in the 70's. Too bad I'll be inside working on work stuff most of it. But I know I won't be able to resist getting outdoors a little anyway. These are my Carolina jessamine and pansies blooming in front of my front porch in my herb garden. My thyme stayed green all winter even with the out of character snowfall we had. And some of the other herbs are starting to poke through and grow. The Carolina jessamine is even more beautiful this week with nearly all the blooms open - the picture was from a week ago or so.

Oh, and the ornamental cabbage forest is growing ever taller and now blooming. Not as many pink thingys on the trunks but still very interesting. I think I'll let it keep going for awhile longer.

Now for a very funny story. My nearly 21 year old granddaughter and I were riding down to a nearby town to see family a few weeks ago. She turned to me and said, "Grammy, what is Grampy's middle name?" I said, "Russell", which set her to laughing her head off and then I joined in. All these years with his pet sitting business and I never realized that his name is Jack Russell! Haaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! Of course when we mentioned it to him he didn't think it was quite as funny as we did LOL

And last - I keep The Republic of Tea in business. They have flavored and non-flavored teas and there are so many good ones! I'm trying a new one tonight - Pineapple Ginger green tea. Oh my gosh, it tastes like you're eating pineapple - yum! Another favorite is Strawberry Chocolate rooibos - it's like drinking dessert. But it only comes out from January through March or so and then not until the next year. So I ordered in bulk this year LOLOLOL I never used to drink tea very much because of the caffeine, but now I have it for breakfast, lunch, and usually in the evenings. I never liked green tea either but now prefer it to black tea. Green is better for you anyway and the rooibus (red tea) is an herb so no caffeine. And nope, they aren't paying me to advertise LOL

2011-03-04T18:10:00.000-05:00

I found a new blog today Wind and Honey that has a wonderful post about creativity and giving back to others. Not only is Elizabeth a talented artist but she also has a great way with words.

I've always volunteered from the time I was in my early twenties until about five or so years ago...one project in particular totally burned me out and I decided to take a breather. Although I do support several organizations with monetary gifts when I can, the hands-on volunteering came to a halt. I was getting older and I didn't have as much energy and...well...that was my excuse anyhow. Anyone who volunteers knows in their heart that the pure act of helping someone brings you energy - energy to your spirit which then will energize your body.

Elizabeth got me thinking today. When I retire in about three years, I hope to get back to the hands on volunteerism. I have thought about it now and again. What will I do? Who will I volunteer with? How and who will I be able to help? But I never thought about helping in the best way possible. Taking the best things about myself and passing them on to others. Using my best capabilities to creatively help others. I think it's time to start a positive list - all the things that embody my spirit that I think might be worth teaching or using in some way to help others. Maybe by the time I retire I'll actually have a plan of action? Thanks Elizabeth!

A Splendiferous Forest of...Well Come and See

2011-02-20T09:47:00.000-05:00

We all know I’m not much of a gardener. No matter how much I try, my black thumb always seems to get in the way. I keep trying though most of the time I leave it to my garden boy, Jack. He loves the challenge of bringing dead plants back to life LOL Or leaving them to grow and grow and grow through bad weather, winter, and sweltering heat until they are so scraggly that I can no longer stand it and pull them up by their roots. Oh yes, I admit it, I’ve ripped those suckers right outta the ground and ~~thrown~~ hidden them wrapped in paper in the garbage. You see, if I put them into the pile of leaves and branches waiting to go to the dump, he might retrieve them for another go around.

So late in the fall we planted some already overly large ornamental cabbage in a large metal washtub next to our garage. They were green and purple and lovely, as long as you kept the bottom leaves trimmed. Then came the first frosts, the ice storm, some snow, and even though I would eyeball them when I’d pull in the driveway, I never yanked them out. A couple of months ago I noticed the stalks (yes they were getting ~~just a wee bit~~ horribly straggly) had tiny pink somethings on them. Our first warm day made those somethings burst out all over and now we have a wonderful forest of ornamental cabbage. Tiny little, dare I say, cabbage trees? It’s like a little fairy forest and makes me want to set up a tiny fairy house with a glistening glass pathway.

So just maybe I won’t be yanking this time – maybe I’ll just let them keep growing and see what happens in this splendiferous forest.

OWOH 2011 TA DAAAAHHHHHH Time!

2011-02-18T19:48:00.000-05:00

OK it's TA DAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH time! Here are the three winners of the One World One Heart 2011 giveaway prizes:

Diane from little purple room who won The Book of Grace

Wendy from BLISS ANGELS who won Queen of the World Crown

JoAnne from Vintage Dragonfly who won Soul

I will be emailing all of the winners shortly. Congratulations and I hope you'll come back and visit often!

Fishbone Studio

2011-02-12T18:46:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting to stop by this pottery studio every time I go past it - which is every month or two on my way back from North Carolina. Today I listened to my inner voice (which kept saying "you know you are missing out on something wonderful if you keep passing it by - go in, go innnnnnnnn"). So I parked the car, went through the cute little white gate down the steps to the cute little house, and opened the door to folkart splendor! The first thing I saw, besides all the wonderful pottery, was this huge dog taking a very nice nap in the sun on the couch. When Betty Wassmer came out to greet me, she told me they had gone to this farm without any intention of bringing a puppy home, and this beautiful Great Pyrenees was the result LOL Up off the couch to sniff me and then right back up there to finish her nap with one eye open on me LOL She was a real sweetie! Here is what a Great Pyrenees looks like but this one isn't quite as pretty as the one I met today.

But back to the pottery. It's a wonder I didn't drool all over the floor! It was wonderful - colorful, fanciful, full of flowers, and birds and other motifs. Some mosaics, some jugheads, flower pots, plates - I could have looked and shopped all day. I'll take one of everything please LOL I did do a little Christmas shopping (yep, gonna start early this year) and bought a cute little three story polka dot house that I can put a candle inside of for myself. Betty showed me some of the new jugheads and other things that she is working on. If you ever get to Blue Ridge, Georgia, you MUST go and see Fishbone Studio at 425 West First Street. It's the street that runs parallel to the main street in Blue Ridge, on the west side of the railroad tracks. You can see some of the wonderful pottery here Fishbone Studio Blue Ridge is a charming little town filled with great places to eat and wonderful antique shops too.

Lunch with two good friends and pottery to boot - what a delightful Saturday this has been!

One World One Heart 2011 Is Here!

2011-01-30T00:02:00.004-05:00

One World One Heart begins today and I’m participating. Just click on the OWOH 2011 button at the right to find out all about it! Year before last when I ran across it on the internet, I was amazed. Blog after blog where excitement and creativity was shining. I met some wonderful blogger friends and I can’t wait to get out there and see who is participating this year – read new blogs and meet new friends.

For me, creating is to my soul what food and water is to my body. I MUST think it, touch it, do it, and revel in the happiness it brings to me. I’ve always crafted one thing or another. I especially love wool, primitives, sparkle, and color – what a combination, eh? My creations and my house are eclectic. But I believe that if you put your heart into your creations – it will show!

Now for the really exciting part! Leave a comment on this blog post between now and February 17th 5:00PM EST. Later that evening I will be randomly drawing three of those comments and those three people will win one of three handmade creations. Only one comment per person will be counted. Please be sure when you leave your comment that there is a way I can get in touch with you.

My first giveaway is SOUL - a shadowbox. This was made using vintage book pages, a special rust paint solution, and beads, beads, beads. The bottle inside is also vintage and filled with soul – German glass glitter. Thanks to Julie Haymaker Thompson who came and taught a class at my home and showed us how to make wonderful shadowboxes and fantastic jewelry! She is one of the really special bloggers I met at last year’s OWOH and if you ever get a chance to take one of her classes, DO IT! She’s so much fun and so knowledgeable.

My second giveaway is THE BOOK OF GRACE. This is a completely hand sewn wool book containing altered art pages. Each page has a pocket with a special tag inside. On the front of the book is a wool sunflower with a beaded center. It may be displayed on an easel or you may open it and it stands on it’s own.

My third giveaway is QUEEN OF THE WORLD CROWN (NOTE: Doll is not included). This is made of a vintage clerical collar, vintage lace band and trim, pearl and cord trim, wire with mother-of-pearl flat beads hanging down, and a wool flower with a button center.

So good luck and I hope you’ll come back and visit often.

God's Garden Must Be Beautiful

2011-01-24T18:15:00.000-05:00

God Looked around the garden,

and found an empty space.

He looked down upon the earth,

and saw your tired face.

He put his arms around you,

and lifted you to rest.

God's garden must be beautiful

for he only takes the best.

He knew you were weary,

and knew you were in pain.

He knew that you might never,

be well on earth again.

He saw the roads were getting rough,

and the hills were hard to climb.

So he closed your weary eyelids,

and whispered peace be thine.

Author unknown.

About 36 years ago I met my best friend Kathy. I was a recent divorcee and had been moving into an apartment - 'friends' who promised to help didn't show up, my son had an ear infection, and I moved boxes all day in my old Ford Pinto. My last trip was my son's crib that I had taken apart and put into the back of the car. I cried all the way from the house to my apartment. As I was pulling into a parking space, Kathy was pulling in the one next to me, getting home from work. She came over when she saw I was crying and helped me carry that crib upstairs to the apartment. She helped me put it together and then stayed and we talked for hours. Meanwhile her husband, Bud, brought us frozen daiquiris and food. And Kathy and I have been best friends ever since.

Saturday afternoon, Bud passed away unexpectedly. They say friendship is a sheltering tree. I hope that I'll be able to be her sheltering tree in the months to come. Prayers for Kathy and her two grown sons would be appreciated.

The Giveaway Box

2011-01-13T21:16:00.000-05:00

FINALLY, Mya is going to get the wool box that she won in my last giveaway! I have to admit that I'd like to keep it for myself but it was made especially for her so away it will fly next week. Mya, if you see this, keep in mind that it's much prettier in real life - my digital camera leaves a little to be desired when it comes to taking pictures - OK, OK, it's probably me and not the camera LOL

Inside is beautifully spot dyed wool

Front panel has beaded rolled wool worms
Little bird is cotton with beaded paper wings and crown,
wire legs, and is holding a rolled wool worm;
top panel hangs over a little for easy opening

Back panel has couched wool roving
with beaded wool center

Side panel with beaded rayon ribbon leaves
and beaded wool pennies

Side panel with shirred wool worms

I hope you enjoy it Mya!

Flat Fluffy Flakes - Say That Five Times Fast!

2011-01-11T15:43:00.000-05:00

OK, so I'm a couple of days late LOL This was Sunday night as we watched the snow come down for hours. Saturday afternoon after I returned from NC, I went to WalMart to get a curtain panel for my step-father, completely forgetting that the "BIG STORM" was coming the next day. The place looked like a bomb had gone off and there were ten people in every line. No bread, milk, and a new one - bananas, to be found! Big mistake.

On Sunday early evening, Jack and I went out for dinner about 35 minutes south. We were one of only two cars in the parking lot because the "BIG STORM" was supposed to hit at 7pm. When we went in I told the gal - guess everyone is at home drinking their milk and eating their bread LOL It had started sleeting a little on our way back home. And the snowflakes above started in earnest an hour later. They were really beautiful to watch. Not so much fun for the little feral cat that we feed - sure hope he's been able to find a dry and warm spot to hole up at night!

We had about three inches here but north Atlanta had much more. And of course we had freezing rain on Monday which turned our streets into big sheets of ice. Needless to say, for Georgia that's like four feet of snow anywhere else and no one has gone anywhere for two days. So far today it's pretty much melted on our street, driveway, and sidewalk.

Big pot of chicken noodle soup for dinner tonight! Great soup weather!

Euella - A Once Upon A Time Story

2011-01-04T19:50:00.000-05:00

Now when Euella was born in Clarksville, Texas, her father insisted that she be named after the most famous man to ever come out of that town – Euell Gibbons - who wrote the classic book Stalking the Wild Asparagus. Actually her name was quite a misnomer as Euella Rose Darling turned out to be the ugliest child in the state. Why they had to tie a porkchop around her neck just to get the dog to play with her. And the dog wasn’t a looker either. But honey that didn’t stop Euella from wearing the brightest clothes or slatherin’ on the makeup. And believe it or not she ended up marrying a millionaire!

Eleven 2011 Intentions

2010-12-29T20:00:00.001-05:00

Good round number, right? LOL And these are in no particular order.
1. Take better care of my body – our new company gym is opening mid-January and I will HAVE NO MORE EXCUSES since I’m right there!
2. Create something new every week – that’s 52 new creations and some of them are bound to be giveaways
3. Shop at my local international farmer’s market at least twice a month – even though it’s a 45 minute drive – heck some people do that and more every day to work and back
4. Do not watch a single bad rerun or even boring new show on TV just to be mindlessly watching something – my honey is just going to have to play more Scrabble
5. Find eight fun things to do with my four older grandkids during the year so we can have a couple of outings a year with each of them individually – not an easy task with busy teenagers and one in her third year of college
6. Be mindful of every penny I spend – is it a want or a need?
7. Make all birthday, anniversary, and holiday cards during January and have them ready to send rather than paying $4.99 or more for a card that doesn’t really say what I want it to say
8. Make one raised bed planter a month and fill it with good dirt. They may not all be done in time for spring planting but in 2012 I’ll have enough to plant a REALLY good garden. Use the compost in my compost pile and start another one (now that I know that you don’t need a four foot tall structure when you only have maybe a foot and a half of compost a year LOL)
9. Appreciate that I have a loving honey to tell the same stories more than once or draw out a story until you want to squeeze it out of him without rolling my eyes or making a not-so-nice comment
10. Spend at least 10 minutes with each of our two black Lab mixes in my lap each day – yep they’re heavy but they both think they are lap dogs. And spend equal time petting my old girl who doesn’t think she’s a lap dog but loves to be petted
11. I’m usually always patient with people that I’m helping on the phone at my company. Try not to say ANYTHING not nice (whether muttering to myself or any colleagues around me) when I hang up – try to realize they are doing the best they can and be more patient

Happy 2011 everyone and may you be blessed with your own good intentions!

For All The Pink Lovers Out There...

2010-12-19T17:04:00.001-05:00

Finally after many months I've finished the hot pink wreath! Originally it was going to have wool braiding around the outside and inside edge and be in a book but when my stepfather became ill earlier in the year - there just wasn't time to get it done by the deadline. It languished out in my studio and finally I decided to finish it for a friend for Christmas. It's hooked in hot pink wool with flowers that are proddied from all sorts of wools and yarns and fibers. I also wired through the foundation into each flower and beaded the wire. The back is lined with the same hot pink wool and mounted on a wire wreath frame. I just happened to have some thin cotton cloth that made a perfect colored bow and that's also sewn on. Sure hope my friend likes her gift!

Here's a little tablescape for you - we had to move the diningroom table into the livingroom and add a long folding table at the end. Last night we had our family Christmas dinner and it was one of those really special occasions. It's unusual when we can get more than a few gathered here at once. My step-daughter and husband and our two grandchildren, our daughter and her husband, our granddaughter (who is a junior in college) and her boyfriend. We had a great time and good food - not your usual Christmas fare - homemade chicken pot pie, bean salad, green salad, cranberry sauce, black olives, deviled eggs, brownies, pumpkin pie, and Greek cookies. We sat talking about families and charities and natural gardening and world affairs for almost two hours afterwards. Just a fabulous night. At the last minute our son and one grandson weren't able to come but we'll be seeing them next weekend and will have our own little celebration then.

I hope you will all be making wonderful Christmas memories this week with those you love and cherish. And may you be blessed in the coming new year.

The Hallelujah Eggs

2010-12-18T10:07:00.000-05:00

We're having a family Christmas dinner for twelve today. Now everyone in the world may already have known this but I didn't so I went to ehow.com to find out the best way to peel an egg. I love deviled eggs but absolutely hate making them. Most of the time my eggs don't peel easily (or they come out looking like egg salad) and half of them aren't even usable. I know how to cook 'em, know to put 'em in cool water for awhile before peeling, even know you should 'crackle' them before trying to peel. But the secret I didn't know was that after you crackle them, if you roll them in your hands like you're rolling a meatball for a few seconds, it will loosen the membrane under the shell and it will peel easily. I JUST PEELED A DOZEN PERFECT EGGS!!!!!!!!! Hallelujah!!!!!!!! Let's eat!!!!!!!

One World One Heart 2011

2010-12-11T16:30:00.000-05:00

Oh my gosh I'm so excited and can't believe it's that time of year already! Thanks Georgina for reminding me about this. One World One Heart will take place between January 30th and February 17th 2011 and this will be the fifth and final year for it. Last year over 1,000 bloggers participated. It's almost impossible to visit that many blogs but Lisa keeps the list out there for a year so you can always go back and visit later.

It's so that bloggers can meet other bloggers (via their blogs) and it's so much fun and so inspiring. I met the most incredible people last year and hope to meet even more this year.

You can go here to read all about it.

Un Quartetto Di Alberi

2010-12-10T17:07:00.000-05:00

For some reason (could it be Christmas?) I've been on a create-a-tree spree! These are made with cardboard spools, yarn, and whatever whimsies I could find. Fast, cute, and perfect for giveaways or door prizes.

Enjoy!

Sparkly Christmas Tree Tutorial

2010-12-05T15:09:00.001-05:00

I made a little sparkly Christmas tree today - although it's hard to see the sparkles in the pictures. But medium cut German Glass glitter in clear was used and it really does sparkle in the light. All you need is:

A spool and a dowel

If your dowel doesn't fit tightly into your spool,

you can tape a tiny nail to the bottom side of the dowel

Be sure to use a nail with no head

Then glue the dowel into the spool and it will fit tightly

Cover the sides of your spool with glue

and sprinkle heavily with the German glass glitter

Then let dry before you begin putting the coffee filters over the dowel

A few unbleached coffee filters

I think I ended up using about five or six

and my tree is eight inches high including the spool

Cut through the coffee filter to the center and then cut the center out

(I put several coffee filters together before cutting)

Wad the centers up into a ball, straighten them out,

then cut scallops around the edges

(these don't have to be perfect)

Cut the fluted coffee filter edge into pieces big enough

to cut a circle out of

Depending upon the size of your spool,

the coffee filter bottoms (that you scalloped)

should be big enough for the bottom of the tree

cut smaller circles as you go,

putting eight to ten of each size circle on the dowel

(again this will depend upon how tall you make your dowel)

fold the circle in half and snip the center

(so it will fit over the dowel)

Cut two stars out of the coffee filter centers to fit the top of your tree

Cut a tiny square from a little piece of white cloth or cardstock

Put dabs of glue around the edges of your circles

and dip them into German glass glitter

Shake them off and put them on your dowel

with the sparkly side up

starting with the larger circles at the bottom

and smaller circles going up the tree to the top

Leave a little room at the top of your dowel for the star

Put glue all over one side of the star and dip in German glass glitter

Glue one square of cloth or cardstock in the middle of

the non-glitter side of your star

Place a dab of glue on the cloth/cardstock and glue to dowel

You'll have one star on each side of dowel

Then you can put a teeny dab of glue on each of the top three star points

and glue them together.

Add a ribbon to the spool if you wish

and even a sequin or 'jewel' to the middle of the star

And by the way, Diana at Splinters And Rags is where I've always bought my German glass glitter. She's great to work with and has loads of colors and types as well as mica and other items. Her store and email is here: http://splintersandrags.com/ and her Ebay store is here: http://stores.ebay.com/Splinters-and-Rags-Crafts

Christmas Gift Exchange

2010-12-05T14:30:00.001-05:00

Tuesday night our rug hooking group has our annual Christmas party where we eat, laugh, and draw for gifts. The gift has to be something to do with wool and hand-made. Somehow I always manage to come up with something that ISN'T simple LOL So this year I went with an appliqued wool box. Chipboard pieces covered with wool and hand-stitched around the edges. Then each is stitched to the other to make the box. The button strings weight the lid closed. And no, the tiny tree on top isn't hand-made but I need to figure out exactly how it was made because it's really cool. I think teeny tiny ribbon was wound around wire and then made into a tree. Or maybe the tree was made first and then they wrapped the ribbon. No matter, THAT'S something for next year LOL Oh and Santa baby, if you can find our chimney, I'd love a new camera for Christmas. The side that has the Santa baby verse really is a fireplace with two tiny stockings hanging down.

Enjoy!

And We Have A Giveaway Winner!

2010-12-05T06:47:00.001-05:00

The random generator gave me number 20 so...

Mya at elbows on my windowsill

won the wool box giveaway! Mya, if you'll email me with two of your favorite colors, I'll get started on your prize. Thanks everyone for your wonderful comments on my blog.

Santa Baby, Hurry Down The Chimney Tonight...

2010-12-01T19:52:00.000-05:00

Santa, I want a bone and a bag of dog treats and a dog bed and a blanket, oh and did I say a bone? And a daily ride in the car and a daily walk, oh and did I say a bone? Uh, Santa, maybe two bones? Whadda ya mean I'm heavy?

Aw come ON Shadow - it's my turn, my turn, my turn - I want bones too.

And Santa wants a bigger chair!

FA LA LA LA LA and all that stuff!

2010-11-29T18:02:00.000-05:00

Just a little tour of CHRISTMAS at my house.

Uh Mom, what's in the stockings? Bones, bones? maybe bones? Huh? Can I have it now? Drool drool pant pant. Bones??

Uh, you disturbed my nap to take a picture of this?

I even got all my homemade gifts ready for giving - yea!

Enjoy!!!

Giveaway - Yeaaaaaaaaaaa!

2010-11-28T11:05:00.001-05:00

I promised you a GIVEAWAY for my one year anniversary and over 100 followers, so here it is! Well sorta here it is. I don't have a picture because I want to personalize it for you in whatever color you like. The prize? A small wool box made from scratch, appliqued and beaded to within an inch of it's life!

To enter the giveaway just leave a COMMENT on this post any time BEFORE midnight Eastern on Friday, December 4th. I'll use the random generator to draw a winner on Saturday, December 5th. Oh and if you are a follower, please leave a SECOND COMMENT letting me know and you'll get an extra chance to win.

A Little Ho, Ho, Ho!

2010-11-21T10:59:00.000-05:00

And so the holiday season begins. I finally finished my beaded pewter Santas for a little ornament swap. I don't think these Santas tummies will jiggle like a bowl full of jello but it's the thought that counts LOL

And on a second note...I've finally passed 100 followers and am coming up on my one year blog anniversary. I'll be posting a giveaway later this week. Stay tuned.

Mr. Poley and the Boxes

2010-11-14T10:03:00.000-05:00

Finally I finished my creations from the Julie Haymaker workshop that we had here a few weeks ago. Yea!!!!!!!!!!!! The first is When You Come To The Edge. Because I always have to be 'out of the box', and because I called it Take The Leap, my gal is sitting on a little swing I made rather than in the shadowbox itself. The second is the box that we made in class when we learned how to 'rust'. The third is Roley Poley and I just love this necklace. Again, mine is a little out of the box and I used some found pieces that I had in some places on Mr. Poley - but I don't think he minds.

Enjoy! And do take a class with Julie if you ever get the chance. It's so much fun!

Humane vs. Human???

2010-11-10T07:55:00.000-05:00

On November 30th last year I started this blog with a story that you can find HERE. I’ve spoken with R. over this past year several times as he kept me up to date on what was going on with his family. To bring my readers up to date – he has found a few odd jobs over the last year but basically his family is in the same situation they were in at this time last year. Living in a very rural area with few or no jobs available, a bumpity old van that only works some of the time, and still without a well so having to haul water from the aunt’s house every day for the basic necessities. While the Washington, DC pundits may expound on the fact that the recession ended in late summer 2009, the thousands of people who are still struggling to exist just can’t see it – and neither can I.

Last week I got a call from R. asking if there was any way I could help again this year so that his kids would have some kind of Christmas. He told me that the week before he had been in the same spot with his Will Work For Food sign and a couple had pulled up to talk and pray with him. As they were standing there, a large pickup truck came by at a pretty high rate of speed and slowed down just long enough for someone to throw something out of the window at R. It was a full can of beer which came at him very quickly and hard; hit him square in one knee, sending him to the ground. The couple called 911 and he was taken to the local hospital where it was determined that a good bit of cartilage in that knee was torn. Of course the truck was going so fast that no one was able to get a license tag number. So now, in addition to the fact that any odd job he might find is probably going to involve manual labor, he won’t be able to stand or bend, etc. to do that job for awhile until the knee heals.

The first paragraph in my first blog entry went something like this: OK, I know what you’re thinking – oh just another panhandler – some of them are out there at the same spot every day. Give them any money and they’ll just buy booze with it. I have to admit that would normally be my first thought too.

Shame on me for having those kinds of thoughts. And shame on the supposed human-being who threw that can of beer out the window because I’m sure that was their thought too. What kind of legacy are we leaving for our children and grandchildren if we judge a person before we know their whole story? What has happened to being humane? Questions that as we begin this holiday season shouldn’t even have to be asked.

If you want to help R. provide Christmas for his three kids this year, please contact me.

And thank you dear readers for sticking by me during this first year of blogging. I'm almost to the one year point and almost to 100 followers - a giveaway is coming soon. Blessings to all of you.

Judy, Judy, Judy – Oh Wait, That’s Julie, Julie, Julie

2010-10-27T16:18:00.001-04:00

Oh my gosh! If you ever have a chance to take a class from Julie Haymaker Thompson – you HAVE to do it! Julie is the most fun, giving, funny, spirited person I’ve ever met. She is totally supportive in class and breaks each step down so that everyone can accomplish leaving class with a finished creation. Be sure to visit her online store here Julie's Shop . All of the supplies you need and kits to make her creations are available.

Julie and Jill

On Thursday evening I picked up Julie and sweet Jan who came from Kansas City, at the airport. On Friday morning we drove to Stone Mountain to the Country Living Festival. Earth Angels was the first tent we hit and they had some fantastic creations. I was so busy looking at all of the booths that I forgot (as usual) to take many pictures. We walked into a huge open field with food tents at one end, Earth Angels in the middle, and some product tents (like Monsanto) on the right. From there we wandered on paths through the woods where all of the other tents were set up. It was a wonderful sunny fall day – breezy yet warm – perfect festival weather! I could have shopped till I dropped but contained myself and found a wonderful little prim bird as well as a great tatted piece of lace in the Earth Angels tent.

On Saturday we learned how to make When You Come To The Edge . It was so much fun – I think everyone finished except me – when you’re hosting a class there are some things that have to be done other than class. But mine is mostly done except for putting it all together so when it’s finished, I’ll post a picture. And of course me, being an “out of the box rebel”, I had to do something just a little different LOL

On Sunday it was on to Roley Poley and I was able to finish mine and wore it to work yesterday. Each person’s necklace turned out a little different – Ashley put a wee tiny monocle on her creation and it was so cute! Once again, the classes were so much fun that I mostly forgot to take pictures, but here are a few for you to enjoy.

DRY EPOXY DRY!

HMMM ...WHAT TO PUT ON NEXT

NOW GIRLS, THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT TO DO

WHERE DID THAT BEAD GO???

OH, I THINK I NEED MORE CHOCOLATE!

Monday morning it was off to the airport – I really wish that Julie and Jan could have stayed all week! That would have been so much more fun than going back to work LOL

My friend, Beverly, who took both classes, brought her wonderful bracelets for show and sale. I was so lucky that she gifted me with one. They are beautiful and very comfortable to wear.

She doesn’t have an Etsy shop – yet. But if you are interested, just contact me through my email and I’ll be glad to have her contact you.

Happy, Happy, Happy Days!

2010-10-20T07:27:00.000-04:00

Sweet Mya from Elbows On My Window Sill gave me a Happy award and I'm supposed to list ten things I like. Like Mya said, it's hard to only list ten but here goes (and these are in no particular order):

Having that spark of creativity which feeds my soul

Beautiful music of almost any kind

Spring or Autumn days - breezy but warm

Cooking a really great meal and sharing it with friends

Laying down for a nap with one of my dogs snuggling up to me

Reading, reading, reading

"Shopping" in my house when re-doing a room - somehow that makes it seems

fresh and new even when it isn't

The smell of laundry that's been dried on a line outside

Reading blogs and finding a kindred spirit

Teaching someone something new and seeing the

"Oh I CAN do this" in their eyes

Thanks Mya - you made my day!

I'm getting my home and studio ready for two classes this weekend taught by the wonderful Julie Haymaker - only one more day and counting until she will arrive. We are going to the Country Living Festival at Stone Mountain, GA on Friday and I can't wait for that too - maybe we'll find some treasures we just can't resist. I'll be posting pictures of both events next week so stay tuned. Y'all have a wonderful week!

Let There Be Peace On Earth...Floor Cloth Tutorial

2010-10-14T20:46:00.001-04:00

A couple of years ago I took a floor cloth class at a community center. It was so much fun even though there was no way to finish my design all in one day. Patience is your best friend when you are making a floor cloth!

My angel design came from a free pattern in a rug hooking calendar although I did draw her freehand since she was relatively simple. The designs around the edges were done by using large circle, small circle, rectangle, and square cardboard templates.

There are many things that you may use for your floor cloth foundation. If you want to make it the old fashioned way you’ll use duck canvas and will have to shrink, prime, and hem it. You can buy pre-shrunk and even pre-primed pieces which saves you a lot of time. You can even use the back of a piece of linoleum. One place to buy your canvas (and they have several types) is Fredrix Floor Cloths
They also have a great tutorial on hemming right on their website. I’ve ordered from them and they have very nice quality canvas – I especially like the type that you don’t have to hem. If this is the first time you’ve made a floor cloth, you may want to try something smaller like a placemat.

In any event, if you are using canvas that has not been primed, you’ll want to prime both the back (one coat) and front (two coats) with acrylic gesso. Gesso is a primer that almost looks like white glue and seals the canvas so that paint won’t be absorbed into it. Make sure that you let the gesso dry for 24 hours – although gesso does dry quickly and you will probably be able to do all 3 coats in one day.

Now you’re ready to begin your design. When you are designing your floor cloth think from the bottom forward. First the background, then the design, then antiquing if that is part of your design. I’ll give you the steps I used for mine. All paints were acrylic and for any colors that overlapped, the bottom coat had to be dry.

1. Two coats of light tan with a bit of golden mustard color went over the whole rug
2. Taped off a 4 ½ inch border (my rug is 5 feet by 3 feet) with painter’s tape
3. Drew my angel design and words with a pencil
4. Two coats of reddish brown for the border
5. Face a rosy flesh, body green, and wings an off white
6. Crown a light yellow
7. Star cheeks and lips of rosy light pink and whites of eyes
8. Outline of crown, head, nose, eyes, lips with light brown
9. Then filled in the blue eyes and the reddish lip line and bead necklace
10. Now that the border was completely dry, I could lean on it to paint the words in black
11. Using my large circle, drew around the cardboard template all the way around the border. Each of the circles was painted with a color that was pleasing to me – just mixed them up as I liked
12. Using my square or rectangle, drew around the cardboard template on each painted circle. Again, using varied pleasing colors to fill in the squares/rectangles
13. Using the small circle, drew a ‘button’ in the center of my pennies and painted them various colors
14. Of course as Flat Betty says – “if it’s worth doing, it’s worth over-doing” so I had to add various colored ‘stitched lines’ to each of the pennies
15. Is she done YET? Not quite. Because I knew this would be used at my front door and because I have three large dogs who are frequently rushing the front door, and because I love the primitive style – I used an Apple Butter Brown antiquing acrylic gel, watered way down (because you can always make it stronger but once it’s on your rug, it’s there to stay) and dabbed it on with a sea sponge (or you can use a terrycloth washcloth) and rubbed it out
16. OK, now the design part of the rug is finished. On to the sealing. You must give it at least three (and five is even better) coats of a good non-yellowing (sometimes called marine) polyurethane. It is an opaque white color in the can but dries clear. Brush it on lightly in even strokes and make sure there are no bubbles. Be sure the day is not humid because it won’t dry well. Be sure to dry at least 24 hours between coats
17. If desired you may apply a final coat of paste wax using a soft cloth and buffing the surface after the wax dries

To maintain your floor cloth you will want to either dry or wet mop it when needed. And once a year add another coat of polyurethane after cleaning it thoroughly first. In spite of my dogs and wear and tear, mine is still looking really great. And I’ve been lazy and haven’t added any extra coats of polyurethane either.

PS A tip for doing eyes that I learned as a dollmaker. If you want to be sure they are even, draw the one on the right side (as you are facing it) if you are right-handed, then turn your picture upside down and draw the one on the left side.

EVOO - Oooooohhhhh My!

2010-10-07T19:22:00.000-04:00

Yesterday my daughter and I went to Whole Foods on the way home from my trip to Asheville and I let her talk me into buying a special bottle of olive oil. OH MY GOSH! It's the absolute best I've ever had and it comes in lots of flavors. If you don't have a Whole Foods nearby (and since this is made in Georgia and local for me - it may not be in all Whole Foods stores) - you can find it here at Sweetwater Growers . Here is what I made for dinner tonight.

2 tablespoons Roasted Garlic Basil EVOO from Sweetwater Growers
1 leek washed and cut in narrow strips
1 small box cherry tomatoes
2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach
Heat EVOO and add leeks and tomatoes. Saute for about 10 minutes until leeks begin to turn golden and tomatoes split a little. Add spinach and wilt. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cook some pasta - I used linguine. Drain and pour enough olive oil (I used about 2 tablespoons) to moisten pasta. Serve vegetable saute over pasta and top with your favorite cheese (I used shredded Fontina Val D'Aosta).

I try to use EVOO whenever I can - it's the only oil I have in my house. But I also like a buttery taste so usually end up using a tiny amount of butter in dishes like this. No need with THIS EVOO! It tasted buttery without a bit of butter in it! YUM!

And just a PS on my trip to Asheville and my step-father's surgery. He did remarkably well for an 86 year old. The surgery (aortic valve replacement and two bypasses) was about 3 1/2 hours and he was in ICU for less than 24 hours. They had just brought him to his room in the Progressive Care Unit yesterday as we came in to see him so we were able to visit for awhile longer than we would have if he'd still been in ICU. He was up in a chair and had already been 'walking the halls' that morning. I have to say that Mission Memorial Hospital has some of the nicest people working for them - everyone was so helpful.

A Few Prayers Please

2010-10-02T20:16:00.000-04:00

I'm off tomorrow morning to Asheville, NC with my daughter. Hubby will be 'batching' it for a few days although with three big black Labs it can't REALLY be considered 'batching' it LOL My 86 year old step-father, Frank, is having heart surgery on Tuesday so if you could say a few prayers for him it would be much appreciated. Traveling mercies for me would be appreciated as well.

Autumn Breezes

2010-09-29T16:24:00.000-04:00

FINALLY - Autumn is really here in Georgia - at least for this week LOL It seemed to go from the 90s to the high 70s overnight - cool breezes, a little rain, and lots of sunshine. The perfect kind of weather. So I cleaned out the gardens and out came the fall decor. Enjoy!

The Last of the Flat Betty Tales

2010-09-23T19:46:00.001-04:00

Now Flat Betty lived with her mother, Maude, and worked at the Ding Dong Dinner Diner. Her current heartthrob, Harley Hoyt Holcomb, had been about to ask her to marry him but then there was that incident at the Fourth of July parade. HH decided to sew some wild oats first and ran away to become a circus clown. Flat Betty was devastated, and rather than sit home with her mother, who kept nagging, “Ya HAVE to do SOMETHING about that hair!” she started playing bingo.

Now if Rev. Flugle from The Holiness Church of the Sacred Glade KNEW that Flat Betty was playing bingo every Friday night, why he would just have a FIT! But he didn’t know. So every Friday when she got off work, she dressed up, put on her purtiest bright red lipstick (for luck), fluffed up her hair as best she could, and set out to WIN, WIN, WIN! She had her special card with her lucky numbers on it. By the end of the night she lost every tip she had made that day. But our Betty didn’t give up. Her motto was: “I always say if it’s worth doing, it’s worth over doing!” So she did.

Now y’all, one Friday night Bubba (who had a big old crush on Flat Betty) talked her into giving him a teeny good luck kiss. And Betty bingoed FIVE times in a row! WELL, she started taking a little more notice of Bubba.  And now she and Bubba are an item in Tweed Town and play bingo most every Friday night.

MORAL OF THE STORY:  It takes more than lucky numbers to win at bingo and men named Bubba aren’t particular about hairstyles!

Flat Betty & The 4th of July Parade

2010-09-19T09:30:00.000-04:00

Now Flat Betty was at work at the Ding Dong Dinner Diner when Mary Lou came flouncing through the door. “Oh hi Betty”, she said, “are you skating in the Fourth of July parade? I just bought a brand new pair of skates.” A little background here – Flat Betty and Mary Lou were old high school rivals. Flat Betty HAD to have a better looking pair of skates than Mary Lou so she counted up her tips and called Bubba, at the Doodah Skate Company. “Bubba,” she said, “you HAVE to make me some new skates to go with my Fourth of July outfit!” Now Bubba had been trying for years to get Flat Betty to go out with him. So he figured if he did a REALLY great job on those skates, he might have a chance against Harley Hoyt Holcomb – Flat Betty’s current heartthrob. Little did Bubba know that HH was planning to ask Flat Betty to marry him after the Fourth of July parade. The day of the parade arrived and Flat Betty put on her best outfit and her new matching skates. She grabbed an American flag to carry and skated on down to the parade site. Now in Tweed Town it was customary for cows rather than horses to be ridden in the parade. And Flat Betty happened to be just behind Moonbeam, the purtiest cow in all of Tweed Town. Flat Betty was skating along – looking from side to side, every hair in place, well, sorta every hair in place – when all of a sudden she was flat on her behind, legs up in the air, right in the middle of a giant cow patty!
MORAL OF THE STORY: New skates aren’t much good if ya don’t pay attention when ya skate behind cows!

Flat Betty Tales - Installment Two

2010-09-17T10:03:00.000-04:00

Flat Betty & Pressley

One night when Flat Betty was working at the Ding Dong Dinner Diner, she heard this awful howling at the back door. When she went to see what it was, this dog stood there with his head up in the air, just a howling. Flat Betty could have sworn he was singing, “I ain’t nothin’ but a hungry hound dog, wailing all the time.” Well she felt so sorry for him that she let him into the kitchen and fed him some leftover hamburger (even though it was against county regulations and Judge Dither was sittin’ right out front eatin’ his dinner). Well, the next night there he was again, just singing away. So Flat Betty decided she’d best just adopt the dog and take him home before the Ding Dong Dinner Diner was fined. So she did. And since that dog seemed to sing so pretty, she named him Pressley, after Elvis of course. Now what she didn’t know at the time was that if you fed Pressley hamburger, it didn’t exactly agree with him and Lordy, ya had to wear a clothespin on your nose to be around him.

The next week she saw an ad in the Tweed Town Journal about a dog show – one where you could win money. So she decided that surely Pressley could win with his singin’ - especially if she dressed him up in a hat and sunglasses! The day before the show she told her mother, Maude, (who she lived with) to absolutely NOT feed Pressley any hamburger. But Maude was gettin’ just a tad bit senile and fed Pressley a big ole hamburger for his lunch that day. Flat Betty and Pressley were in line at the dog show and just as the judges got about up to them, Pressley howled his song and let a BIG ONE! Miz Primpkins, the head judge, fell over in a dead faint and Flat Betty quickly stuck a clothespin on her nose (ya see she carried it everywhere with her, just in case). Needless to say, Pressley didn’t win the big money THAT day.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Watch out for howlin’ dogs and always carry a clothespin!

A Quartet of Flat Betties (or is it Bettys?)

2010-09-15T20:08:00.001-04:00

Long long ago in a far off land - oh wait this isn't exactly a fairy tale. OK, several years ago I was in my studio creating a new primitive doll. Had her legs sewn and stuffed, her arms sewn and stuffed, and her body sewn - her body was actually her dress. Her head was done except for the hair. So I sewed that little beauty together, realized I had not stuffed the body, and Flat Betty was born. She hung on the wall and of course had to have a story to go with her as most of my dolls did, in a wee little book that she held. I was so taken with Flat Betty that I just had to keep the tale going.

Now I'm going to blog the Flat Betty tales during the next week. So if you like this one, be sure to check back in a few days for the NEXT installment!

FLAT BETTY and THE SNOWBALL

Now Flat Betty was on her way to work at the Ding Dong Dinner Diner and she was in a VERY bad mood. Her dog had chewed up her best feather pillow. Her cat had gagged up not one but two hairballs right in the middle of her bed. Her shoelace broke and she had to use twine to tie it with. Her best lipstick was down to a nub. And worst of all, the wind was so strong that it blew her new hairdo right up in the air (of course there was ALWAYS a reason for Flat Betty’s hairdo). So she decided that SOMEONE was going to pay! Scooped up a huge snowball with the intention of throwing it at the first person she saw. But - Harley Hoyt Holcomb – the purtiest man she ever knew came walking down the street and she knew if she was EVER to get another kiss from HH, she just couldn’t throw that snowball at him. So she didn’t. Next came Rev. Flugle from The Holiness Church of Sacred Glade. And she of course couldn’t throw a snowball at a man of God. So she didn’t. Now ‘yall know how if you put your tongue on a cold lamp post it will stick? Well, by this time Flat Betty’s hands were plumb stuck to that snowball! How in the world was she supposed to take orders at the Ding Dong Dinner Diner with a giant snowball in her hands? MORAL OF THE STORY: A snowball in the hand isn’t worth much except maybe a good excuse for a bad hairdo!

Momma Don't Let Your Caterpillars Grow Up To Be Cowboys!

2010-09-09T20:03:00.001-04:00

Lookee what we found in our herb garden this afternoon. Good thing I didn't want any Italian flat-leafed parsley to cook with tonight (or in the near future). These beauties were all asleep digesting all that parsley and if you look closely at the base of the plant you can see little pieces of the stems that fell to the ground while they were dining. Do click on the picture to enlarge it because these are gorgeous!

Did you know that these guys always choose parsley, fennel, Queen Anne's Lace or anything related to that family of plants to roost on and eat? They fill themselves to the brim, sleep awhile, wake up and politely shall we say get rid of everything in their digestive tract? My poor parsley plant LOLOLOL Oh well, maybe a little fall fertilizer? Then they crawl off to find a nice stick or tree branch, molt and clean that up by eating it - OH YUCK! Then spin silk threads around themselves and pupate for 9-11 days before they turn into

Black Swallowtail Butterflies. Isn't that the coolest? And we were honored to provide them the first part of their journey. I sure hope they pick somewhere in our yard to pupate so we can hopefully see them fly for the first time. And I know you may not believe this but see those little things hanging down at the bottom of the butterfly - yep, cowboy boots! Really!

TA-DAAAAAAH!!!

2010-09-08T22:10:00.002-04:00

I'm coming up on one year of blogging in a couple of months so I decided it was time for a re-design. Now I could have probably figured it all out myself - eventually. But since I'm on the computer at work for 8 hours a day and then probably for several hours at night - I let someone who is already in the know about all this blog 'stuff' handle it. Kim at seventhirtythree did a fantastic job of taking all of my wishes (and there were many) and putting together a new banner, header buttons, and the whole works. I thank her for her patience and great design work. If you need even just a button, she's your gal and is very easy to work with. Thanks again Kim!

Attitude is Altitude

2010-09-01T19:26:00.000-04:00

No words needed - just watch this. We are so blessed!

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

With Ears of Velvet

2010-08-24T19:44:00.000-04:00

Since I introduced you to Buddy back in December of last year, who is one of our three quirky wonderful dogs, I feel it's only fair to introduce you to Shadow With The Ears Of Velvet. In November of 2004 we met for the first time with one of our pet sitting clients, a sweet elderly lady with a tiny Chihuahua and a very large black dog, mostly Lab, who was probably about a year and a half old. We had a storm that fall which was the aftermath of a hurricane and it poured and poured buckets of rain. This lady had a fence all around her very large yard and the fence went nearly out to the street at the end of her driveway. She told us that she saw this large black dog sitting at the fence, peering in, in the midst of all that rain early one morning. Now her neighbor didn’t have a fence and had a wide front porch where Shadow could have taken shelter. But he stayed at the fence all day in the rain just gazing into her yard. Eventually she couldn’t help herself and went to let him into the yard and the shelter of her garage. He had no collar or tags so she figured someone had dropped him off on the side of the road.

Since the nights were getting chilly she found him an old blanket and made a nice bed in the garage. In one night he completely chewed up the blanket. She’d replace it with another and he’d chew it. I’m not sure how many blankets he went through (as well as other things of interest he found on the shelves in her garage) but she felt sorry for him and just kept getting new blankets LOL. In fact the day I met with her, I noticed him running in the yard past the window with an old telephone in his mouth – one thing she had forgotten to move to a higher shelf.

Well, long story short, we fell in love with Shadow and told her that if he was ever too much for her to handle, that we would be glad to take him into our home. Remember she was elderly and ~~Shadow~~ lover boy liked to jump up and put his paws on your shoulders so he could lick your face. When he did that, he was taller than she was!

A couple of days after Christmas that year, she called and asked if we would like to have Shadow – he was just a little too energetic for her. So of course we went right over and picked him up and he’s been our baby ever since. He has the sweetest eyes and the softest velvety ears and all along has thought that he was a lap dog. He even gets into the recliner with Jack – talk about crowded! Shadow is a real cuddler too – loves to sleep right up against you in the bed. Which is great in the winter but not so wonderful in the summer LOL And...well OK - the boy loves pillows.

He also loves socks and will find one anywhere you happen to hide it! And runs off with his food bowl right after he finishes eating – takes it up onto the couch and will lick it to death until he falls asleep (no that wasn't his food bowl in the top picture LOL). And as you can see by this picture – loves his creature comforts! And Buddy loves him too.

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Passing On Temptation

2010-08-18T12:24:00.000-04:00

Friday is my son's 38th birthday and I just finished handing him a whole uncut-with-not-even-a-crumb-missing rum cake. Last night when it was baking in my oven my whole being was saying "Ohhhhh that smells good, ohhhhh that smells SO good, ohhhhh how am I not going to eat it tonight?" Luckily when you're hooking a rug you can't use your hands to eat at the same time - although come to think of it, I could have had Jack feed me LOLOLOL At any rate that sucker (the cake, not Jack) was well wrapped by bedtime. Now in the bottom of the bundt pan there were a few tiny little pieces of pecan that didn't come out onto the cake when I turned it out. I very ~~gently and~~ ~~daintily~~ scraping furiously with a spoon ate those morsels - but no crumbs, just pecans. And now it's out of my sight and smell and temptation. Happy Birthday Steven!

And here's the recipe so that you too can be tempted!

Rum Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
1 regular sized box instant vanilla pudding
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup rum
1/2 cup olive oil
4 eggs
1 cup pecan pieces
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a bundt pan. Put pecan pieces in bottom of pan. Mix all other ingredients except for eggs until well mixed. Add eggs beating in one at a time. Batter should be smooth and shiny. Pour into bundt pan. Bake one hour and ten minutes and leave in pan.
Glaze
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/4 cup rum
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
Melt butter in pan with water and sugar. Let boil for one minute, remove from heat, and stir in rum.
Pour over cake very carefully making sure the glaze goes down the sides and middle of the pan. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from pan.

Untie a ribbon in your life - you might find an adventure!

The Bear Came Over the Mountain...

2010-08-15T17:34:00.000-04:00

The bear came over the mountain, the bear came over the mountain, the bear came over the mountain, and climbed up on the porch... My friend Carole, who I went to high school with, lives on top of a mountain in north Georgia. The view out the french doors and bank of windows across the back of her house is fabulous - woods that go straight down and gorgeous mountains. Shortly after she and her husband moved into the house, they looked out the window and there was a bear sitting on the porch railing, eating out of the bird feeder. They had the presence of mind to grab the camera and take a shot or two. I would have been ~~strolling~~ high-tailing it up the stairs to the top floor and praying that bear didn't figure out how to open the back door! In any event I was just enchanted by the picture and of course that became my next challenge to myself for a hooked rug - try to hook a bear. After many months I finally finished that rug a couple of weeks ago and took it up to Carole as a surprise last weekend when we met for lunch. Enjoy!

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Book, livre, Buch, libro, bok, Kniha, Kitap, Boek

2010-08-11T18:51:00.002-04:00

In whatever language you say the word; books have been the light of my life since I was a child. I grew up in a small town with a small library, with which I was intimately familiar. By the time I was 12 I had read every book in the children’s section. The librarians would let me check out ‘adult’ books but would look through them very thoroughly before they would let me have them LOL During summer vacation from school I would sometimes read 3 or 4 books a day, sitting on the couch totally lost from the real world. I would BE in that book. My mom could stand right in front of me talking to me and I wouldn’t hear a word. There was a sea grape tree right outside my bedroom window that had a perfectly curved limb where I could sit and read while shaded from the Florida sun.

I find that today, I have to somewhat limit myself because if I don’t, I’ll sit and read and do nothing else. No creating, no laundry, no cleaning up dust bunnies. There have been times when Jack would call and ask if I wanted him to bring dinner home and I’ve jumped on that because I just HAD to finish a book. Much better than cooking sometimes LOL

I love all sorts of books but have five or so favorites that I won’t even lend out. One of those is Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, first published in 2006. Now I know you’ve probably seen ads on TV about the upcoming movie starring Julia Roberts and I can’t WAIT to see it. But the book was so good that I’ve read it twice and am on my third reading. The basic story is that she travels to three different countries for three different reasons for a year. First Italy (eat), then India (pray), and then Indonesia (love) seeking to heal herself both physically and spiritually and find balance in her life.

In India you may see a lot of people wearing beads around their neck – japa malas – that are strung with 108 beads. They use the beads to stay focused during meditation and these have been used there for centuries. One bead is touched for each repetition of mantra. Every japa mala has a special, extra bead, the 109th bead that dangles outside the perfect circle of 108 like a pendant. When your fingers reach this marker during prayer, it is time to pause in meditation and thank your teachers. When medieval Crusaders drove East for the holy wars and witnessed worshippers praying with these japa malas, they admired the technique and brought the idea home to Europe as rosary.

Elizabeth structured her book into 108 sections – 36 sections in each country, which makes the book very easy to read. It’s the kind of book that you want to digest slowly. Each section only a few pages long to read and think about before moving on to the next section. Every time I’ve read it I’ve found something different to think about – light bulb moments.

What this book ISN’T: preachy, boring, whiney, melancholy

What this book IS: charming, witty, sad, happy, joyful, and enlightening

Do read it when you get a chance and let me know what YOU think about it.

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Help thy sister's boat across...

2010-08-01T19:42:00.001-04:00

I saw this Tibetan quote the other day

“Help thy sister’s boat across and

lo thine own has reached the shore.”

It made me think of all the help I’ve received from my crafting sisters over the past years. Whenever I needed to know how to do something new, there has always been a friend to either guide me with her knowledge or we would muddle through it together. Those muddling times were some of the best and funniest! Even if I'm not in need of instruction, just seeing all of the beautiful creations made by my blog sisters is such an inspiration - it spurs me on to create my own dreams. And each time I pass that help along to someone else, my boat does indeed reach the shore.

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

How Long Does It Take? Giveaway

2010-07-28T18:00:00.005-04:00

So this afternoon when I got home from work I decided to wash the bathroom rugs, especially since the three dogs had a beauty day in the main bathtub yesterday. Now putting freshly washed rugs back in bathrooms that have dog hair around the edges of the walls - well I might as well not have washed them - know what I mean? So into the bathroom I squeeze myself and my mighty Dyson turbo vacuum (it's a tiny little bathroom). I'm just vacuuming away with the long extension hose - might as well get those cobwebs too - when all of a sudden I got too close to this

and it sucked the rest of the roll right up - about a third of a roll - as I stood there amazed and horrified while I watched and thought to myself, "TURN IT OFF, TURN IT OFF! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" So...the question is - How long does it take for a Dyson turbo vacuum to suck up a third of a roll of toilet paper? Whoever guesses the correct amount of seconds (or is nearest to the correct amount of seconds) in a comment will be in a drawing to win a handmade decorated wool toilet paper roll cover in the color of your choice! Giveaway winner will be announced Saturday, July 31st at 6:00PM EST so be sure to get your guess in before then.

And yes, the vacuum was fine but I did have to use some creative manipulation to empty the canister LOL - no sir that toilet paper wasn't just shaking out of the canister like the usual dirt and dog hair does LOL

YEAAAAAAAA!!! We have a winner. The answer was 3 seconds (which is longer than you might think - just try counting it out - one one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand). And the Random Generator chose Bea. So Bea, I'll be emailing you to see what color wool toilet paper roll cover you'd like. Congratulations!!! Just what you've always wanted I'm sure!!! LOL

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Sleigh Bells Ring???

2010-07-26T17:55:00.003-04:00

Sleigh bells ring, are you listenin’
In the lane, Jill is glistenin’
A frightening sight, I’m not happy tonight
Walking in a Summer Wonderland

Gone away are the tomato plants
In their place is a bunch of ants
They’re singing our song, as we go along
Walking in a Summer Wonderland

In the red clay we can build a mudpie
Then pretend that it is Parson Frye
He’ll say “Are you planting?”, We’ll say “No man,”
As he sees that we are just about to cry

Later on, we’ll perspire
As the air conditioner, we admire
To face unafraid, the plans that we made
Walking in a Summer Wonderland

In the red clay we can build a mudpie
And pretend that it’s a stalk of corn
We’ll have lots of fun with Mr. Mudpie
Until the neighbors look on him with scorn

When it’s hot, ain’t it thrillin’
Though you know, we’re just chillin’
We’ll frolic and play, the Eskimo way
Walking in a Summer Wonderland

PS A real Southern woman doesn’t sweat, nor does she perspire, instead she glistens! And I'm glistening honey, I'm glistening!

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

A Lemon Verbena Morning

2010-07-18T10:35:00.000-04:00

Lemon Verbena was brought to Europe by Spanish explorers in the 17th century from Argentina and Chile. There it was grown for its fabulous lemony oil that was used in perfume and beverages until cheaper Lemon Grass oil replaced it. Aloysia triphylla is named after Maria Louisa the princess of Parma and wife of King Carlos IV King of Spain and it has whorls of three (tri) leaves (phylla).

It is commonly used by Europeans to flavor fruit-based drinks, fruit salad dressings, fish soups, marinades, puddings, jams, and desserts. It does not tend to lose its flavor during cooking. It pairs well with fruits, vanilla, and seafood dishes. You can use lemon verbena in place of lemon zest in recipes. Virtually any fruit salad can be enhanced with its finely chopped leaves.

Lemon verbena makes one of the best beverage teas, especially when blended with mint. It can also be used to brighten the taste of fish, poultry, veggie marinades, stuffing, salad dressing, jellies, and vinegar. Finely crumbled dried leaves can be added to the batters of carrot, banana, or zucchini bread. Try adding some to cooked rice just before serving.

My lemon verbena is the one thing I can count on to grow wonderfully in my garden no matter what the Georgia weather is like during the summer. Last year I dried it and put it in small containers to give as Christmas gifts. This year I’m doing the same – I already have a gallon baggie full.

Not only that, but this morning I cracked open the bottle of vodka that Jack bought for me yesterday (NO, NOT FOR BREAKFAST) and started a wonderful lemon liquor. You take half a cup of leaves (about two large and maybe one small stem’s worth), chop them, and add four cups of vodka. I have two batches going now. They brew for 2 weeks (you shake them occasionally) and you then add 2 cups of sugar, shake and dissolve and let sit at least another two weeks. Then you strain and have a tasty (and quite potent) lemon liquor. I’m going to order some cute one-cup bottles and I’ll have eight Christmas gifts. Well make that seven – I have to keep one for us. And by the way, a 1.75L bottle (Smirnoff grab handle size) yields right at 8 cups of vodka.

And…you can bury six leaves in a cup of sugar and have a wonderful lemon sugar in a couple of weeks to put in your tea or use in baking – bet it would be great sprinkled on top of sugar cookies! I have a four-cup container going, and again – the lemon sugar put into small containers (like a salt shaker maybe?) would make great Christmas gifts. Can’t get much easier than that.

The biggest bonus is that when you’re chopping or using lemon verbena leaves, your whole kitchen smells really good! Oh and try a few branches in a flower arrangement on your dining table when you have company. Not only are they beautiful but also have a fresh lemon aroma.

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

My Darling Wife - A Letter from 1912

2010-07-12T16:46:00.001-04:00

When you find these wonderful pieces of antiquity, don't you wish you had pictures and knew the whole story? Reading a letter is like reading a snippet of a novel - just enough to get you interested with no way of knowing how the story turns out. I found this letter in a box of ephemera at the flea market many years ago. Here it is verbatim (commas and run on sentences galore). Enjoy!

Feb'y 9, 1912

My darling wife:

Your dear letter received this morning at 7:30 a.m. & I was pleased to hear from you so soon. As I am alone tonight will spend my time writing letters. Barry has gone up on N. 14th St. to see some one - don't know who - but rather think it is a woman.

Dear Lillian, Barry & I went to the new Multinomah hotel last night to see the place, & it is certainly a swell place. Wish I could have paraded in with you on my arm - just as I see the swells do last night. The women nearly all had real low necked dresses - showing their busts - while the men were all dressed in black dress suits, with white vests. The dinner cost $2.50 per plate - so Barry & I did not stay for it. There were flowers galore, & music in 2 or 3 different places in the lobby. Tis the swellest hotel I was ever in - or ever saw in my life. Honey, it made me feel blue to see other men there with their wives & sweet-hearts - when mine was so far away - so I & Barry left there at 7:30 P.M.

You sweet little woman. I would give a month's salary now - if you were here, so I could hug & kiss you as of yore. Hope sister will come out with you & then we will have a good time. Bring the Graphaphone, etc. with you - I love to hear them play.

Well, darling, you remember about my scrap with Mrs. Brown - well Lou Smith gave her the bounce last night - he told me her work was something awful - so you see I am vindicated at last. He realizes now that I was in the right. I am getting along nicely with the boys & keep the work all cleaned up. My little stenographer, Miss Leahy, has been sick for about a week - but she was at work again today, although she should have been at home. She is the only one for me. Mr. Lou Smith hired another dried up old maid - who has been with the Title & Trust people for about 20 years, & told me if I had any typewriting to do - to have her do it. I hate the sight of the old b--- - so told him I had no work for her to do - then sat down at the machine & did it myself. I won't work with her if I can get out of it. She is a lemon & they will find it out.

I received a letter from Walter & folks today. Walter will probably locate in Minnesota as one of the large Minneapolis jewelery houses has promised to set him up in a live town & furnish him with a complete stock - even though he now owes them a bill. They seem to have great confidence in him. I don't want to leave here as I have a position which will develop a much larger salary in the next year, & I like to be my own boss & I am practically that now. Mother is failing fast so father writes, & could not write. He is terribly discouraged - has been out of work over 6 weeks now & says they will be in debt by the time spring opens up. I must try & pay them what I owe to them just as soon as possible - but cannot do so until I am through with my case & have sent money for your return.

Darling, may be you can get your father to give you a hand-out - if you tell him you want to go west where you will have a chance to do something for yourself, try it & see how he comes across. I can then pay part of what I owe my folks, a little sooner & help them out that way.

My "Lilly" I bought another bottle of Palmer's Toilet water tonight - the chamber maid swiped what I had - but left the bottle. Will take a fall out of her if I catch her in my room - gee won't she squeal. Boy, darling, that picture which was in your letter is a good one, will keep it near my heart. As for the card enclosed "Hustling for business" - will say that it truly represents one of the male genii in pursuit of something which every male loves. I had some fun with that card - showing it to the boys at the Court house. Lou Smith said he never once thought that I was inclined that way - so I told him to try me with some pretty, plump maiden, & see if she would not develop a watermelon. Dear Sister thinks - no doubt - that I am a bad pill & that is the reason you are so thin - but you know best. My Queen, 'twill be 4 weeks tomorrow night that you left me - when I kissed you last - when I stood at the depot smiling at you as you sat in the car, but with my heart drowned in tears. I will never forget that night - & may we never be compelled to go through such a strain again. Many sad, lonesome nights have I spent since the 13th of January & will have to spend quite a few more, dear heart, unless you can get your father to help you - as I can not send you enough to return until some time in March - at the earliest. Oh, dear, why can't you fly? Could have you with me then in a day or two. Get those papers & then see if you can make a touch for $100 - or if he would only give you $50 - you could come at once. I would be glad if he would even give you the $20 - he soaked my father for releasing my trunk. Make the most of the case & if he seems to act right, you can tell him a story to suite yourself about our relations - but don't tell him where I am - lead him to believe I am in Minneapolis & have not been away from there since last year when I went up there - to the best of your knowledge. Carrie will help you, I know, because she wants us to be together & be happy. Dear sweetness, enclosed find a few Valentine postals which express my feelings very well.

I hope that you are all well & will try & be happy until we are together again - indulging in "bare hugs" & the like. Sister had better take a few lessons in wrestling before she comes out here - so she can hold me (down?) up. Yes, honey, I am sure able to walk straight - never felt better physically in all my life - so beware & prepare for the battle. Will expect to see a rosy - plump - brown haired lassie step off the train some Sunday - because I want you to be sure & start from there so that you will arrive here about noon, and I can then meet you & take you to a hotel - or some rooms which I may have rented. You can easily find out just when to start so you will arrive here on Sunday at about noon - I will be Johnny on the spot - dear Lillian.

Barry has come back & was in my room for 1 1/2 hours, & I will now finish my letter. Will write you again Sunday, darling, & hope you will write every other day - it cheers me up wonderfully when I receive your loving letters. Hope you will have lots of nice things for our home, dear heart - but don't work too hard - for if you do you won't get plump. Give my love to Carrie & Boo. Will write sister again when she writes me.

Will say "Good night" now darling Lillian, take good care of your dear self, and until we meet again, I am, with love & kisses,

Your own Hubby

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Queen Anne's Lace - Miles & Miles & Miles.....and Wool

2010-07-03T22:04:00.002-04:00

This morning as I began to drive from Atlanta up to Murphy in North Carolina, I can’t say I was exactly looking forward to the nearly three-hour drive. Although it’s beautiful going up I575 and Hwy 5 through north Georgia into the mountains, it can also be mind-numbingly boring if you’re by yourself. Much to my surprise the roadsides and often the median from Atlanta all the way up to just past Blue Ridge where I turn off, were filled to the brim with one of my most favorite flowers – Queen Anne’s Lace. Imagine mile after mile of ethereal white flowers – sometimes looking like snow there were so many of them – sometimes with a wide patch of Black-Eyed Susans intermingled with them. It was simply breath taking! And me without a pair of scissors! Although it may be against the law to cut wildflowers in Georgia - I'll have to look that one up!

Although many refer to Queen Anne's Lace as a noxious weed, I absolutely prefer to call it a wildflower. It is indigenous to Europe but traveled to the United States in the colonial era and has taken a foothold in nearly all the states.
Botanical Name: Daucus carota.
Common Name: Wild carrot. Its subspecies sativa is the common edible carrot.
Physical Characteristics: Daucus carota is a biennial plant with small white flowers that form an umbrella-like head with a hairy stem and leaves that resemble ferns.
Plant Properties: Various parts are used as a diuretic and laxative and for menstrual problems, indigestion, gout, and edema.
Cultivation and Harvest: Daucus thrives in well-drained, alkaline soil in sun or slight shade. The entire plant is harvested in the summer. If using the roots for food, they should be picked when young in the spring. Seeds are gathered in the fall.

There are several legends associated with it. One is that Queen Anne of England pricked her finger while making lace and stained it with blood. This refers to the slight reddish purple hue in the middle of each small floret contained within the flower head. The flower tops retain their lacy appearance when pressed and can be used on greeting cards, scrapbooking and other paper crafts. They make a beautiful addition to a wildflower wedding bouquet but look just as lovely by themselves in a vase. Queen Anne's Lace has many edible parts. The flower tops can be added to salads, made into a jelly or dipped in batter and fried as fritters. The root and seeds can be dried and used as a tea. The roots have a carrot taste and can be used in salads or cooked like a green or vegetable.

Extreme care must be taken in identification, as the plant leaves resemble hemlock. Pregnant women should not eat the roots or seeds of Daucus carota as they can cause uterine contractions. The leaves may also cause skin irritation.

Now, on to the wool. Queen Anne’s Lace may be used to dye wool and gives a beautiful soft yellow/green color to natural wool that has been mordanted. A mordant is a substance used in natural dyeing to fix the coloring matter. For acid dyeing, white vinegar is used to fix the color. In natural dyeing it isn’t necessary as you mordant the wool first.

Aluminum – or alum (potassium aluminum sulfate) is a white powder that is used in deodorants and foot powders and as a soil acidifier for hydrangeas and broad-leaved evergreens. You may order this from a number of places or buy it at your local nursery. The form of alum found in the grocery store and commonly used for pickling is not as strong and although you may use it, it won’t produce the same brightness of color. Alum is used in combination with cream of tartar (potassium acid tartrate). Using too much alum on wool will leave it feeling sticky permanently – so you must only use as much as is indicated by your weight of fiber. For one pound of wool use 4 tablespoons alum plus 4 teaspoons cream of tartar. For four ounces of wool use 1 tablespoon alum plus 1 teaspoon cream of tartar.

Fill a pot with at least 4 gallons of water per pound of wool. Soak the wool first as you would for acid dyeing. Dissolve the mordant in a jar of hot water, stirring until all the crystals disappear, then add it to the big pot of water and stir some more. Add the wet wool and slowly heat the water to a simmer. Simmer for one hour. Let the wool cool to at least lukewarm. Remove the wool, wash and rinse it well. You may dye immediately or dry to dye at a future date. You may pour cooled solutions of aluminum around hollies, mountain laurels, hydrangeas, blueberries, and other plants that prefer acid soil.

You’ll need about half a grocery paper bag full of Queen Anne’s Lace flower heads per half pound of wool. Process them in a food processor or chop finely by hand (remember they are edible and non-toxic so for this part you may use your kitchen utensils). Immerse them in enough water to cover completely and slowly bring to a simmer. Simmer (do not boil) for 30-60 minutes. Let cool and then strain through a cotton or linen cloth. This extract may be made 2-3 days in advance.

Now fill an enameled or stainless steel pot with enough water so it will cover your wool generously and pour the Queen Anne’s Lace dye liquor into it. Stir and bring to a simmer. Then add your wool and simmer for 60 minutes. Turn the heat off and allow the dye pot and contents to cool overnight. Yes, I know it’s very tempting (and I’ve done it more than once) to pull that wool out and dry it immediately so you can see the beautiful results. However, if you leave it overnight, this gives any pigment that is still floating in the dye bath one last chance to attach to the wool. It is perfectly OK to pour the dye bath remains down your sink – again this particular plant is non-toxic.

Once you’ve removed your wool from the pot you must gently wash it with a mild soap, rinse it, dry it and you should have a beautiful piece of wool!

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

And We Have A Winner!

2010-07-01T18:48:00.000-04:00

I used the Random Generator this evening to pick a winner for my giveaway during the studio tour and it was lucky number 21!
True Random Number Generator Min: 1 Max: 33 Result: 21
Carol at The Polka Dot Closet posted the 21st comment on June 21st - there are no coincidences right? Wow!
Carol, I've emailed you from your website so send me your snail mail addy and I'll get it right in the mail to you.

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Sister in the Bloggerette Society (aka It Was A REAL Rush)!

2010-06-24T21:39:00.000-04:00

Well I was never in a sorority before and since I'm ~~mmph60something~~ older than dirt, never thought I would be. But Karen at Some Days Are Diamonds (see the Sister button on the sidebar) has started one just for us bloggerettes. Since I just found out about it today, rush week was literally rush 2 hours for me LOL Our rush instructions were to use a very cool vintage picture and make something - anything - using it. Once I saw the picture my mind went into overdrive as usual and here is the Sister Possibilities Box story.

There were five gals - Ruthie, Belle, Linda Sue, Elizabeth, and Winifred - who decided to start a sorority called the Fine Penmanship Society. The sisters (and three were really sisters - look at the three in the middle of the picture - don't they favor each other?) were a very colorful bunch. Ruthie was the wild one of the bunch and Winnie (Winifred) was a little loopy. The sisters, Belle, Linda Sue, and Elizabeth were very thoughtful and tried to keep everyone in line. It was decided each should have a special "possibilities" box in which to store their favorite papers, pens, and inks. I believe they were the first official scrapbookers and altered artists. I was lucky enough to find one of the boxes and oh my, what treasures were inside! I do believe I must have found Ruthie's box because there were calling cards - most containing names - shall we say of the 'male species'. Oh and some VERY racy love letters. Perhaps I'll share some of the treasures here on the blog one day.

Now keep in mind when you look at this picture that I had just come home from a long day at work, it was about 90 degrees in my studio, AND I don't like to have my picture taken. But rush rules are rush rules so here you go.

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

It's A Studio Party!!!

2010-06-18T17:33:00.003-04:00

Oh yeah – it’s party time – the Where Bloggers Create II Party - and I can’t wait to click on those hundreds of wonderful, creative spaces other bloggers are showing. So let’s get the party started!!!

I’ve created most of my adult life in one way or another. Name just about any craft and I tried it…although there are still some I’d like to try at some point. I guess I’d better start that Art Bucket List LOL Lots of things have come out of my studio (and my head) and when you ask where I get my ideas it’s really hard to answer. A word, a color, a prayer, a saying, even a billboard or two have given me inspiration. I rarely plan too far ahead – my creations tell me what they want me to do as I go along. And when I was creating folk art dolls – they told me their stories and the ones they told very late at night seemed to be the best for some strange reason. So…you might find this little hanging with lots of different layers and fibers and beads and even a picture of some gals who look like THEY are having a party!

Or maybe this very colorful hooked wool turtle with crazy legs and a real turtle shell underneath. I do believe he thinks he the king of our house!

If it’s a holiday you may find this Santa ready to ho ho ho…wait a minute – his belly had better not shake too much! I believe he ho hoed a little too much and knocked over the tiny soldier – oh no!

Or perhaps a dolly who looks very old and is wearing one of my mother’s baby socks. And oh yes, that IS my mother as a young girl in the picture next to the dolly. The bear is a beautifully made piece by a friend that I treasure (both the bear and her)!

So, please step down into the studio and turn to your right. I’ll take you on the panoramic tour (keep in mind that this was right after I repainted when everything was neat and clean – studios don’t seem to stay that way long – or at least mine doesn’t LOL).

I love using really different pieces to house all of my creative ‘stuff’. This old wringer washer held polyfill for years – looked just like it was full of suds. Now it’s still full of polyfill but also where my wool roving lives. I found a round table top that just fits it.

Here is an herb dryer which has never held an herb in its life. But it sure is handy for hanging beads, necklaces, and anything else that will fit over its handles!

My beautiful sewing table (yes I know you don’t see a sewing machine – it’s in the closet until I need it) was made by a friend’s husband to hold my wool. I’ve used it for many things over the years – every time I have a class it holds water and glasses and name tags and of course a bowl of chocolate candy!

Now don’t drool too much – this is a very old pie safe with the original pieces of tin and was given to me by a hooker friend – how lucky am I??? Here is where a good bit of creative ‘stuff’ lives – a shelf for altered art supplies, one for beads, one for everything else LOL. I LOVE the deep shelves in this beautiful piece. It’s top is the perfect height on which to put a CD player – gotta have that music going when I create! And oh yes, the red box on top is my button box and is about three quarters full.

This piece had an interesting transformation and I wish I knew it’s full history. One day at the flea market I saw this very long skinny wood box laying on the floor. At first I thought it was some kind of trunk but it sure wasn’t very tall for a trunk. I opened it and there were some small shelves and fourteen million hooks, nails, and screws on the bottom. An idea zinged into my head and I just had to have that box. It took three or four good washings with soap and water as well as sanding to get all the gunk off the outside. It then took three or four good hours to remove all those hooks, nails, and screws. I filled the holes, washed and sanded the inside and then painted only the inside. The outside was lovingly waxed to within a inch of its life. New black hardware was put on. Next came padding and cloth trimmed with ribbon on the inside of the door. By now it was no longer a box but a standing cabinet! Perfect for storing paints, dyes, and all sorts of hooking goodies.

Well I hope y’all have enjoyed this trip through one of the rooms I love most in my house. Now go on out to Karen's blog and take those trips through other bloggers' creative spaces!

Wait, I almost forgot…because this is a party…and you should ALWAYS have a door prize at any gathering – leave me a comment and make sure you have an email or some way for me to contact you if you’d like to win this little giveaway. I’ll even include the easel. And who knows what other goodies could be in the box with them???

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

It's Almost Party Time!!!

2010-06-10T20:18:00.001-04:00

Oh my, I can’t forget – what time is it??? When??? Are we gonna wear party hats??? Oh my goodness it’s the 2nd Annual Where Bloggers Create party and it’s only a week away!!! Can’t wait – can’t wait!!!

I’ve got to find my best party hat and be on time. All those creative bloggers and all those creative spaces – wheeeeeeeeee! There will be dreams and art and creative heart. We’re gonna see studios and color and more. Think of the possibilities. We’ll see what we drool over – where we find our bliss. Maybe wool? Maybe a workshop or two?

I can’t wait to celebrate! I have my studio pics all ready to go. And I might just have a little something to give away. Don’t forget the date – Saturday, June 19th. I'll show you where I feed my soul. And I'll have the link to all of the other wonderful bloggers' creative spaces. Can’t wait – can’t wait!

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Crows

2010-06-07T22:16:00.002-04:00

The crow is a staple in primitive folk art. Whether carved from wood, made of cloth, appliquéd on a quilt or pennyrug, the crow is a common theme used by primitive artists.

In mythology a romantic soul couldn't hope for anything better than seeing a crow, because it means the heart's wishes will be fulfilled. The only tricky part is that the bird has to be flying from the southwest at sunset. On the other hand, while such birds as swallows and storks are welcomed as signs of spring or childbirth, a gathering of crows is sometimes called a "murder," stemming from yet another myth that says crows will sit in judgment of their own and then kill them. Crow Mythology

Crows are generally portrayed in art as solid black. Yet in color, the Common (American) Crow is very distinctive. They can be lightly flecked with violet blue on a background of black and even have metallic violet feathers. In some lights, there is a gloss of reddish violet or even a greenish cast to their feathers. It really makes me want to get in the studio and make a crow – a beautiful crow with hints of metallic violets and greens that would shimmer and glow in the sunlight.

Here are a couple of other really interesting sites about crows. Crow Busters and Crows

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Memorial Day, Green Paint, and Roto-Rooter

2010-05-31T10:23:00.001-04:00

Happy Memorial Day everyone. May all those who served our country be blessed. And may all those who died for our country be remembered and honored.

Green - Green Tea Latte to be exact - is now the color of my studio. I've been going to move everything out and repaint for ages and finally decided this was the weekend. Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, and freshness. Green has great healing power. It is the most restful color for the human eye; it can improve vision. Green suggests stability and endurance.

And finally three cheers for Roto-Rooter. When I began doing laundry yesterday, I heard these really strange gurgling sounds in the Queen's throne and bathing chamber LOL. Oh no - we have backup! And, as I discovered to my horror after downing a whole soda - no thrones for several hours. MickeyD - thanks for the bathroom and sorry I didn't make a purchase. And yea to the Roto-Rooter man who managed to jet out our pipes - evidently roots were beginning to make their way in.

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

A New (To Me) Treasure Trove

2010-05-24T20:20:00.000-04:00

Saturday a friend and I went to Antiques In Old Town in Lilburn, GA and oh my gosh, what treasures there were! Including the owner, Rowann, who was such a charming lady.

I'm telling you, I could have spent way more time (if I hadn't been hungry for lunch) and lots more money (if I'd had it) - this place is a true treasure trove of wonderfulness! Rooms and rooms and rooms of antiques, treasures, finely crafted wares, treasures, and oh yes, did I mention treasures? I was lucky enough to find this beautiful lace - I was down to my last little snippets and this will replenish my lace cache nicely.

And this fine old collar. Recently I saw a great idea for re-purposing these collars so stay tuned to see what I do with this one!

Rowann and her husband, Hugh, are restoring the top floor of the building as a home and we were gifted with a tour. Oh my, Rowann just HAS the decorating touch! There was a cute little guest 'room' at the end of the hall with such an inviting looking and snug bed that you just wanted to crawl right in. And the kitchen and pantry were to die for! I'm hoping we get another tour when they are finished because it's going to be a fabulous home!

Then we went to lunch at this great Mexican restaurant, Taqueria Los Hermanos at Killian Hill Crossing Plaza in Lilburn, GA. Now I like Mexican but don't like spicy - so usually there isn't much I can order and I never touch the salsa and chips. Well let me tell you - I could actually eat and enjoy their salsa. And the food was so different from your 'normal run of the mill' Mexican restaurant. Really delicious!

Thank you so much Gloria Primbody for the day out. I really needed it - it restored and refreshed me so much. You are a true friend!

Ladders

2010-05-23T14:24:00.001-04:00

Funky Junk Interiors is a really creative website I just found and her Friday blog was all about using ladders in decorating. Her whole blog is full of fun decorating that she and other bloggers share. If you like repurposing - you MUST go and see! Here's one of many ladders that I've decorated with over the years - this one is in the master bedroom and holds a few Santas from my husband's collection.

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Nests

2010-05-16T16:11:00.000-04:00

A nest is a place of refuge to hold an animal’s eggs and/or provide a place to live or raise offspring. They are usually made of some organic materials such as twigs, grass, and leaves.

How appropriate that my beautiful bird’s nest from Vicki of 2 Bags Full came this week. A week in which I’ve done a lot of thinking about nests – human nests – and what makes us long for our nest when we can’t be in it. Is it because we feel so comfortable there? In familiar surroundings with all of the things we love nearby? Do we feel safe there? It should be our place where nothing bad happens – we are protected from the world outside the door. When we near the end of our lives, do we just wish to die in a familiar place where we are comfortable? Preferably with a loved one holding our hand as we pass from one world to the other?

As my step-father lies in a hospital bed several hours away from his ‘nest’ and talks about wanting to go home – “Maybe they will let me out of here tomorrow – I’m going to talk them into it.” he says hopefully – and I have to tell him no, you won’t be going yet – maybe next week – not telling him the whole truth yet – that he will not be going home but into a rehabilitation center for awhile first. Not telling him yet that he will need another operation in order to stay alive even for a few more years. Knowing that he will put up a fight and insist on going home even though he will not be able to take care of himself – and there is no one who can stay there with him. Dreading that I will have to be firm with him – stripping him of just that much more of his dignity and independence. My mind is crying out, “It isn’t fair, not to me and certainly not to him!” But I guess as they say – life isn’t fair, it’s just there to be got through. And we must somehow find spots of joy in each day in order to survive it all.

One of my spots of joy this week was the wonderfully creative bird’s nest with two tiny blue eggs inside made by Vicki. Every type and color of fiber under the rainbow is in this nest. One day it will have a more graceful branch to live on but for now, this one will have to do. You may see much better pictures of Vicki's knitted nests on her blog . I hope it brings you a spot of joy!

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Magaly Ohika of the Itsy Bitsy Spill

2010-05-08T18:55:00.001-04:00

Last month I discovered a new blog and just have to share it with you. Magaly Ohika of the Itsy Bitsy Spill is a painter and and mixed media collage artist who has a very unique style. If I saw any of her paintings, I'd know exactly that it was created by Magaly. I fell in love with her whimsical style and decided that it was time to begin filling that wall over my living room sofa. The colors are so bright and cheerful (they are a little brighter than my camera shows in the closeup) - and this one is called Wonderland.

Do go out to Magaly's Etsy shop and take a look - there is wonderful creativity in her work! She is also featured in the May 2010 Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine.

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Dressed For Spring In More Ways Than One

2010-04-26T18:25:00.001-04:00

Down here in the South the trees are green, the grass is growing by leaps and bounds, veggies and flowers are in the ground, and we’re dressed for spring in more ways than one. You’d be surprised at how much you can fit on a narrow porch. Of course this means when you slide between the chairs and rail, you have to suck it in honey – but it can be done! Jack put together a rustic potting table I designed and now I finally have a real place at the right height to pot my plants.

Dressing for spring also took place in the wonderful rug hooking class taught by Mary Anne Wise in my home last Friday. Mary Anne is from Wisconsin and has been working in various ways with the Mayan women in Guatemala for several years. During her latest trip, she taught them rug design and hooking and at our semi-annual hook-in on Saturday we were able to see lots of pictures. They hook with whatever cloth is available so that’s what we did in Friday’s class. Using nothing but a very large pile of thrift store clothing of every texture, color, and type, we hand-cut our strips and began ‘dressing’ our designs. It was a challenge to choose colors and fabrics that we may have never hooked with before. And there was some…ahem…shall we say ‘~~hoarding~~ hiding of the cloth’? You know who you are! LOL A wonderful time was had by all and I can say that my rug is almost finished and yesterday I made a trip back to the thrift store to get just the right colors for a second rug I have in mind. Who knows? It may just be a giveaway on this blog. Stay tuned.

Tonia, Jan, Kathie, Diane, Me

Georgia and Tonia

Kathie, Diane, and Mary Anne

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Drive-Ins, Diners, and Dives aka The Anniversary Picnic

2010-04-09T20:46:00.000-04:00

Rosa’s Home Cooking – a tiny little place in Fayetteville, Georgia. Always had cars outside – we had noticed it often and wondered if they had good food – decided to try it tonight to celebrate our 26th wedding anniversary a few days in advance. Kind of an adventure in eating so to speak.

The first clue should have been when we saw the Christmas poinsettias still on the curtains. The second clue should have been when we walked through the door to the serving counter and saw cheap plastic ‘silverware’ and the kid behind the counter holding a styrofoam plate. Hmmmmmm, our main course choices were greasy meatloaf, greasy fried chicken, greasy barbecued chicken (and I use the term barbecued loosely), greasy chopped steak hiding under onions; greasy ~~roadkill~~ beef stew.

I opted for a veggie plate. OK now this was better. Overcooked cabbage, green beans with chopped potatoes, overcooked lima beans, some orange mashed stuff that could have been sweet potatoes or carrots, macaroni and cheese, undercooked collards… Ummmmm – I’ll have the macaroni and cheese, cabbage, and green beans. And a bottled water please.

The only thing that was even close to edible was the cabbage and I use the term edible VERY loosely. The green beans were obviously out of a can. The macaroni obviously had canned cheese sauce over it. Can you say NASTY???

I sat there drinking my bottled water (that said on the back “may be out of a private or public water source” – WHAT???) and watched as Jack sawed through his chopped steak and styrofoam plate with his little white plastic knife. Even Jack, who isn’t a picky eater and usually cleans his plate, had a good bit of the collards, half the steak, all of the onions and the optional corn muffin left when he was finished eating.

There was a complaint/comment box on the wall next to the door. All I could have thought to comment was “LEARN TO COOK!”. There were people coming in as we left and I wanted to say “NO, NO, DON’T DO IT!”

We stopped by Chick-Fil-A for a peach milkshake on the way home – both as a filler and to get the taste of Rosa’s out of our mouths. Happy Anniversary to us! LOLOLOL

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Inspiration For The Week

2010-03-28T13:46:00.001-04:00

I spent an hour or so today reading some of my favorite blogs and this one by This Is Reverb gave me my inspiration for the week. If these children can be joyful and smiling in spite of their conditions, then certainly I can. Enjoy and be joyful!

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Spring Ahead

2010-03-24T08:03:00.001-04:00

According to dictionary.com , spring – at least the kind that is in the air right now – is defined as a noun and is the 37th, 38th, and 39th definition of the word:

37. the season between winter and summer: in the Northern Hemisphere from the vernal equinox to the summer solstice; in the Southern Hemisphere from the autumnal equinox to the winter solstice.
38. (in temperate zones) the season of the year following winter and characterized by the budding of trees, growth of plants, the onset of warmer weather, etc.
39. the first stage and freshest period

While I understand that technical definition of our weather and time of year, I think most of the definitions are appropriate for what we think of as the freshest period of the year. Even definition #1:

1. to rise, leap, move, or act suddenly and swiftly, as by a sudden dart or thrust forward or outward, or being suddenly released from a coiled or constrained position

Think about the beautiful daffodils whose bulbs have been wintering underground – sometimes even through the lingering snow, they thrust outward and we are charmed by their yellow softness. Or the Bradford Pear trees whose beauty has been hidden for months and now, it seems overnight, have thousands of blossoms that make them look like a giant snowballs.

As much as I love Georgia – and I’ve lived here long enough that I consider it my ‘home’ state – I have to say that it is ugly in the winter. All stark browns and red clay, usually muddy, nature looking dried up and shriveled. But when that first spring day hits, you can smell it in the air and the next thing you know there is new life all over giving us hope. Hope that in our lives we can also spring forth – and that is a good thing.

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Braids Aren't Just For Hair!

2010-03-15T20:12:00.004-04:00

What a fun three days we had learning to braid and being our usual sassy Southern selves. Kris McDermet was here from Vermont and taught us how to braid around a rug hooked piece. Oh no ladies - it isn't like braiding hair - we had no idea what we were in for! But Kris made it clear and easy and by the second day we were straight braiding like crazy. But then.....and speaking of butts - yes, that was the next thing we learned. How to identify our butt, trim our butt, and sew our butts together. And here we thought it was only rug hooking that had terms that people would give a second glance to when they heard them! Then there were picot and corners and that wonderful little circle with the star in the middle.

Kris brought some of her beautiful hooked and braided rugs to show us and in return we taught her Southern speak. By the time she left, she could y'all with the best of them! Kris - thanks so much for teaching us to braid and being patient with us. And to my hooking buddies who took the class - thanks for being your usual fun selves - I so enjoyed the whole weekend. Diane - remember, M&Ms and rum cake take braiding stress away and I can send you the leftovers any time.

Here are some pictures of the beautiful work done by Kris and her students.

Caroline Diane Hollie

Jan Kathie Laura

Sara Mac Jill and Kris Kris - Heart Rug

Braidaids in the palm, Y'all give me an M&M!

feet on the stand,

relax those knees

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Willard - Dialogue in the Dark

2010-03-06T21:36:00.000-05:00

Today my friend Nancy and I went to experience Dialogue in the Dark at Atlantic Station in Atlanta, GA. It was simply an amazing experience. Dialogue in the Dark has been presented in over 30 countries since it’s opening in 1988. In the exhibition, blind individuals lead guests through a completely dark environment through a series of ordinary situations that are suddenly experienced extraordinarily, without eyesite. Role reversal takes place as sighted people lose familiar routines while blind people facilitate mobility and confidence. Scents, sounds, temperatures, and textures help construct a sequence of places.

We left our eyeglasses and purses in a locker, chose a long cane, and went into a room where we (four of us) sat on lighted boxes and waited for the journey to begin. As the lights were dimmed and eventually went out altogether, Willard, our blind guide, introduced himself and began giving us instructions. We walked toward his voice as he led us into our first room – a park with plants, a tree, crickets, birds singing, and both grass and bark chips underfoot in various places. Our journey took us through doors, up a step, across a gangplank and dock onto a boat, into a grocery where we felt vegetables in bins, dairy products in a cooler, and the cash register. We went down steps, across bridges, along storefronts with glass doors and brick walls, across a busy street. All the way Willard was talking and guiding us so that we could experience in a new way, all of the things we had already experienced as sighted people.

At the end of the journey we went into the Dark Café to have a soda, water, or juice and sit around a table so that Willard could tell his personal story and we could ask questions. Willard had worked for both the railroad and MARTA (our Atlanta metro rail system) for years. He became diabetic, suffered a detached retina, and eventually became totally blind at the age of 54. He told us of not handling it very well at first but then Judge Judy and Judge Joe Brown eventually convinced him he should get out of the house and attend the Center for the Visually Impaired in Atlanta because there was only so much of that kind of TV that he could listen to. I asked him if he was able to learn Braille so that he could read and unfortunately because of the diabetes, his fingertips were impaired so that he could not feel the dots. But he told us that he can use his computer and it speaks the printed words to him so there is always a way to get information.

This experience was much more emotional for me than I expected. There were times I just wanted to stand there and have someone come and get me. My thoughts were “how do people DO this? It’s a terrifying thought that you could lose your sight.” I would lose the ability to read my precious books and how would I create? I could still hook a rug but who knows what it would look like – I wouldn’t! I felt tears well up for poor Willard several times during the journey. As we learned though – Willard is anything but ‘poor Willard’! As he told us, he had two choices when he went blind. He could sit there and never go out of his house again or he could make the best of it and learn how to do things in new ways. He chose the better way.

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Scrumptious Sunday

2010-02-28T19:49:00.000-05:00

Such a wonderful day this has been! Dinner is in the oven and the day has been pain free from the migraines I had all last week.

Nine days and counting until my friend Kim from Cabin Creek Farm arrives from Virginia – I haven’t seen her for a good number of years and am so excited that she’s coming to the three day class hosted by me and taught by Kris McDermet weekend after next. The handmade nametags and bag tags have been made for all the students today.

The braiding stands are all put together and standing at attention like a row of flamingoes in my studio.

I even had time today to work on my girly wreath that is half, well a quarter done and a friend has already claimed because it’s pink.

Tonight I’m going to leaf through my Wool Crazy book again that I bought from Brenda at Pumpkin Patch Primitive Quilt Shoppe and figure out what my theme will be – I think I know but will post more when I’m sure. She has started a blog for everyone who is making the wool crazy quilt blocks and I can’t wait to get started (in my spare time LOL). Could it be a more scrumptious way to start the week? Thank you God!

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Lucky Thirteen

2010-02-22T12:52:00.000-05:00

Some of you wanted to know why I like the number thirteen (seen at the bottom of this post ). Well, long, long ago in a far off land....oh wait - that's a fairy tale.....

Back in 1983 before there was internet dating (~~back when you had to walk barefoot in the snow ten miles one way to school~~), one of the TV stations here did a segment on a magazine called the Atlanta Singles Magazine. I immediately thought "what kind of weirdos advertise in a magazine"? But then of course my curiosity got the better of me and I had to go and buy one (a magazine, not a weirdo) to see. All of the ads on the left side pages were from men and all of the ads on the right sides pages were from women. I would say 98% of the men wanted a perfect ten (anyone remember that old movie?) who loved to party and that just wasn't me. I had been a single mom for ten years and just wasn't the party-girl type.

So I had been reading some of the ads to my girlfriend and came across one that actually sounded like a normal person to me LOL She dared me to write to him and the rest is history. The way it worked was you wrote a letter, sealed it in an envelope, wrote a code number on the front, and put the envelope and one dollar into another envelope addressed to the magazine. The magazine would forward the letters to the proper person and then it was up to them to contact you or not. I had put my phone number in the letter (again, this was back in the olde days before email). Not long after, my phone rang and someone named Jack (what kind of irony is that considering I'm Jill?) introduced himself. We talked for hours in the evenings for a week or so and then made arrangements to meet. After that first meeting we had a date and I can tell you I was still a little nervous even after all that talking - in the back of my mind was "what if he's really an axe murderer". My hand was on that car door handle the whole way on that first date just in case I had to open the door and throw myself out LOL

Oh yes, back to lucky thirteen - we first met on a Friday the 13th. We also married on a Friday the 13th. And until the recession hit so hard, that wonderful ~~axe murderer~~ Jack brought me flowers on the 13th of every month for over 25 years. So here's to what was and here's to what is and here's to lucky thirteen!

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

2010-02-15T21:05:00.001-05:00

One World One Heart ended tonight - at least the giveaway did. I know I'll be visiting blogs for many months to come! I have already visited so many wonderful blogs and artists that my mind is in a whirl. What creativity and how lucky we are that Lisa put this together so we might meet each other. I thank each and every one of you for the lovely comments you made and hope you'll come back and visit often. And ta da.....here are the winners picked by the random generator and y'all should each have an email from me.

Betty from Homespun Alley won the primitive wall hanging

Anji Gallanos from Anji Gallanos won the hooked sampler

Shelly from Bungalow Bling won the hooked/beaded brooch

Beth from Three Trees Art won the appliqued pillow

Carapace from Cara Geeks won the felted wool neck purse

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Polly Darton, The Queen Mother

2010-02-14T10:20:00.000-05:00

Polly is the Queen Mother of the Fried Red Tomatoes chapter of the Red Hat Society. Today is the regional meeting of all the chapters in the Atlanta area and Polly is in a BAD mood! You see, Polly had never taken middle age lightly. She thought she had done everything she could to heighten her appearance – the boob-lift worked fine and she really HAD been trying to cut out the chocolate.

She had visited her favorite salon just a few days ago to get a new color job before the big meeting. But Mary Lou Bobbitt – her hairdresser for years – eloped the day before her appointment and was on her honeymoon in the Poconos – wherever the heck THAT was. So Thelma – the new girl – had to sub and just LOOK what she did to Polly’s hair. Polly should have never let Thelma talk her into that red streak! Thelma went on and on about how it would make her look so young and now she looked like a HOOKER!

And of all things, her BMW broke down just this morning so she had no way to get to the meeting except by hitching a ride on Pigtail, her Leicester Longwool that she imported from Great Britain five years ago. It’s a good thing Polly had sheared Pigtail last week or she would have ruined her best purple dress riding clear downtown to Atlanta. Speaking of which – where the heck was she going to park Pigtail when she got there? They were meeting first at the Margaret Mitchell House & Museum to take a tour and then lunching at the Ritz-Carlton. Don’t you just bet Polly made a BIG impression on all those women when she rode up on Pigtail?

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Lost Generation? I Don't Think So!

2010-02-10T09:39:00.000-05:00

I ran across this a couple of weeks ago and when I listened to the first half, thought - gosh, this young person is so cynical - what a hard life she must have lived so far. But after I listened to the second half I realized how clever a video this is. She entered it in the AARP U@50 contest and placed second. Very interesting and worth listening to!

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Memories and Regrets

2010-01-31T09:19:00.002-05:00

Bottom row – Uncle Nelson, Uncle Ernie (married to Aunt Marg), and Uncle Paul

Middle row – Mom (Jessie Armstrong – my great-grandmother), Herman (my maternal grandfather) with my mom, Polly, sitting on his lap, and Uncle Bob

Top row – Aunt Marg, and Ruth, my grandmother
My mom was about two or three so this picture was taken in about 1930.

My maternal family was a potpourri of personalities and they weren’t always close. I didn’t grow up near either my paternal or maternal aunts, uncles, and cousins. The one story that I remember my grandmother told me from when she was a child was that she convinced one of her brothers that he could jump off the barn roof with an open umbrella and float down…which he tried and promptly broke his leg. I do believe she got into a little trouble for that one LOL Uncle Nel was my favorite uncle. Although we didn’t see him much, when we did, he was always very jolly and I thought he sounded just like Disney’s Jiminy Cricket when he talked.

Everyone called my great-grandmother “Mom”. I don’t think I even knew her given name until I was grown. She lived to be 95 and was a real fun person to be around – although she didn’t put up with any nonsense. I can remember her chasing my younger brother around the house when she was 87 trying to spank him for something he did. The few times we did go and visit her, all the best china would be on the diningroom table and we’d always have waffles – homemade in her old circular waffle maker. I still have a chair of hers that she got when she was first married. They were called ladies chairs and sat by the bed in the bedroom – where they could sit and put their stockings on, etc. That chair has to be over a hundred years old and is one of my most cherished possessions.

Herman, my maternal grandfather died when I was ten. During our growing up years, my brother and I were lucky enough to be able to spend a week most summers with them. After my grandfather's death, my grandmother Ruth, lived near the beach in a tiny duplex and loved the water so of course we spent a lot of time on the beach. She would fix our favorite lunch – homemade icy cold applesauce with cinnamon, and hot dog buns fried in butter then slathered with applebutter. Sometimes the tiny local grocery on the corner would have watermelon ice cream and we’d have that. I’m sure we ate other things – she was a marvelous cook – but those are the things that I remember the most. At night we’d walk on the beach with flashlights to look for sea turtles laying their eggs.

Precious memories but regrettably few of them. For you younger people out there, don’t let the time go by and think “I’ll do it tomorrow, I’ll ask my grandmother what it was like when she was a child, I’ll ask my mother how she felt on her wedding day, I’ll ask my grandfather how he felt on his first day at work.” Tomorrows go by very quickly, one person passes, another passes, and finally there isn’t anyone to ask. People generally love to talk about their lives. When my mom was dying and I was spending as many weekends with her as I could, I found out some family things that I never knew about and would never have guessed. In that short time though, there just wasn’t enough energy for her or time to start from the beginning.

One of my goals this year is to gather up all the little pieces of journal entries and history that I do know about my family and write it in a “Family Journal”. Your greatest gift to yourself and your family would be to get a journal and begin writing down all of those things you remember about your kin and yourself. At some point it will be a very precious keepsake for someone.

PS If you have a favorite old picture that you would like displayed in a very unique way, contact
Sharyn at her Etsy shop. She took my scanned picture and made this most exquisite soldered luminary. And if you’re wondering why the number 13 on the house? That’s a story for another time.

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

One World One Heart

2010-01-25T05:00:00.003-05:00

One World One Heart begins today. Just click on the OWOH Magic Carpet button at the left to find out all about it! Last year when I ran across it on the internet, I was amazed at the number of creative and like-minded people that I read about. Blog after blog where excitement and bright spirits were shining. I can’t wait to get out there and see who is participating this year – read new blogs and possibly meet new friends.

For me, creating is to my soul what food and water is to my body. I MUST think it, touch it, do it, and revel in the happiness it brings to me. When I’m unable to create – the world seems a little dimmer. And my spirit certainly is. As a friend says to me sometimes – “your eyes just sparkle when you talk about your work.” You may see some of my creations if you click on Dolls and Woolies to the left of this post. Just a tiny bit of MY magic carpet ride through the world of creativity.

Now for the really exciting part! Leave a comment on this blog post between now and February 15th 5:00PM EST. Later that evening I will be randomly drawing five of those comments and those five people will win one of the five creations shown below. Only one comment per person will be counted. Please be sure when you leave your comment that there is a way I can get in touch with you. If you aren’t linked as a fellow blogger, please leave me your email address.

All items are handmade. There is a primitive winter quilted wall-hanging (24” X 21”); a felted wool neck purse (great for carrying your sunglasses or cell phone and credit cards while shopping – (7” X 5”); an appliquéd wool and silk pillow (14” X 14”); a hooked and beaded flower pin (approx. 4” X 3”); and a hooked flower sampler mat (12” X 7”) – ready to hang.

Good luck and let the magic carpet ride begin!

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Grammy Time Again And I Don't Mean Singing!

2010-01-22T18:23:00.002-05:00

Precious one, so small, so sweet

Dancing in on angel feet

Straight from Heaven’s brightest star

What a miracle you are!

Yea! I’m a grammy again.

Kalleigh Shannon was born this afternoon at 2:15pm to my stepdaughter in Phoenix, AZ weighing in at 6 pounds 12 ounces. Everyone is doing well and I’m sure we’ll get pictures soon.

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Lady Mavis of Tibshelf

2010-01-14T17:52:00.000-05:00

Lady Mavis comes from a long line of fine chocolate Labs from the county of Nottingham, in the United Kingdom. She was married for a brief time to Sir Jacques de la Fontaine, a scoundrel of a Lab from France. Unfortunately for Lady Mavis, when the ten pups came along, Sir Jacques ran off with a French poodle named Tootsie la Couer.

For a time Lady Mavis was in a panic – how was she to raise all of those puppies on her own? She soon discovered that she had a talent for making delicious hand-molded truffles using the finest chocolate. Though she could not eat her own creations, (she somewhat wickedly used cats and squirrels and an occasional bird or two for taste testers), the chocolates became a hit in the local markets. Lady Mavis was set for life.

Her pups eventually all made their own way in the world. Two still work with her, creating chocolates, one became a famous gourmet dog food chef, three became plumbers – they love water, another is a carpenter who helps beavers build their dams – he is really into chewing wood, one is a sculptor and one a potter, and unfortunately one is just like his father – he loves them and leaves them.

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Eat Your Greens

2010-01-06T20:02:00.001-05:00

Here is a new dish I created tonight which turned out really great! It's enough for four people if you only have a spoonful, but honey and I ate every bite of it by ourselves! LOL

1 bunch Lacinato kale
3 baby bok choys
1 medium onion
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste

Rough chop onion, bok choys, and Lacinato kale (also called dinosaur kale). Just chop kale and baby bok choy down to the bottom of the leaves. Heat olive oil in pan, add vegetables and stir-fry until crisp tender. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and maple syrup and stir in. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook about 5 more minutes.

Here is a picture of Lacinato kale - I think it stir-fries better than the other types and isn't bitter at all.

Enjoy!

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

Tonia Mitchell Gallery & Bead Salon

2010-01-03T12:44:00.000-05:00

A friend and fellow artist, Tonia Mitchell, called me today with exciting news. Tonia is a very talented fiber artist and doll-maker. A few years ago she had a wonderful display of her dolls at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on the international concourse for over a year. HGTV also sponsored a segment on her doll making.

Tonia has just opened a shop – Tonia Mitchell Gallery & Bead Salon in the new Olde Towne Morrow entertainment district in Morrow, Georgia. This area is brand new but has moved six old homes throughout Georgia to the district and they are being re-established as restaurants, ice cream parlors, galleries, shops, etc. They will eventually have a replica of Gone with the Wind’s Tara Plantation, which will house a bed-and-breakfast inn.

Tonia's shop is in the Napier House, which was built in 1842 for Leroy Napier and was designed by Elias Carter. The 4,000 square foot house, which was Napier’s country home, was originally on 125 acres before it was moved in 1924 to Macon, Georgia. The house originally had twenty-six rooms before it was altered in order to house four apartments. The house was restored in 1948 by Buford Birdsey and in 1970 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Buford Birdsey – don’t you just love that name and you KNOW it has to be Southern!

Olde Towne Morrow is just off I75 South at the Southlake exit. Once you exit you'll turn right and turn into the Southlake Mall entrance. Partway down towards the mall is a bridge to the right which houses Olde Towne. The gallery address is 1053 Southlake Circle, Bldg. 14, Suite 2, and has a sign saying Napier House out front. Tonia’s shop number is 678-876-7238 and she’s open from 11:00am until 5:00pm Tuesday through Saturday.

Tonia will have her own and other artists’ art for sale as well as a large selection of beads. And since Tonia is the bead queen – I can only imagine how many she has! She will also be sponsoring various art classes as the shop gets going.

I can’t wait to go and see it later this week. She has certainly untied one of those ribbons in her life. Way to go Tonia!

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!

A Day Late and a Dollar Short (well maybe several days late)

2009-12-28T16:45:00.009-05:00

I didn't find this until today but just have to share it.

Thank you to Jill at Bailiwick Designs http://www.bailiwickdesigns.typepad.com/bailiwickstudio/ for sharing it on her blog! I can't think of a more beautiful way to end one year and start another. Jill has some gorgeous creations on her website too. Enjoy them both!

Untie a ribbon in your life – you might find an adventure!