Thank you..

Bev, Lisa and Anke passed along this very lovely Marie Antoinette award to me and I thank them dearly!

Instead of passing the award along, I am going to highlight some of most favorite friends, artists, photographers that I have had the honor to get to know through blogging. Please visit them, you won't be disappointed!


1. The Collage Diva herself, Kathryn, her art is full of color, form and passion. Someday soon I hope for her and I to meet, chat and share.


2. Randel Plowman if you haven't had the chance stop by to see his work, please do, it is nothing but collage and FABULOUS!


3. Amanda Churchill -a magnificent pro photographer and momma all bundled into one gorgeous package! I have watched her develope and grow her dreams! She is an inspiration for any woman wondering if they can do it all.



4. Anke Martin - another woman who does it all! Pregnant with her third child, she just opened her art studio for instruction. A marvelous photographer and mixed media artist from across the ocean. Hugs Anke!



5. RhondaMum - Honest, true and lovely, I have watched Rhonda start her blog, open her shop and blossom as an artist!

and a few giants in the land of blog that are so huge most have found them but if you have not, their blogs are worth the visual journey...

Sandra Everston, Vanessa Valencia, and Amanda Soule.

The list goes on and if I highlighted everyone I'd be here for days! :) Every blog on my sidebar is worth visiting. The blogs I follow in my profile... there are so many! and so many more that I just can't add to the list, it's not that they aren't fantastic, I just get dizzy thinking about it! If I had hours and hours to spend just browsing my time could be swept into Bloglandia forever.. as it is, I spend too much time here.

Thank you for the award Ladies!

xoxo~

Abbie

Althea - digital collage

A new digital collage I created. If you would like to play with the elements I used, click the 'clipart' link below and follow your nose. The bloom print I snagged from Dawn at The Feathered Nest.

Don't Count Your Eggs..

Well, we made it. The children were amazing in the car, but my little one wouldn't let me put her down the entire time we were gone. So, needless to say, it was not a 'vacation' by the essence of the word, but it was a good time and the kids enjoyed seeing their grandpa.

Before I left with the kids, as a family we walked our field and cleaned out the bird boxes. So many treasures and also pain. We found a wasps nest, an unhatched sparrows egg. A dead sparrow. New, probably arrived alittle too early this spring and froze. In the blue bird's box we found two tiny pale blue eggs, one intact unhatched, and the other broken, but not a successful fertilization. Now I know where the phrase 'Don't count your chickens before they hatch.' comes from.

Yesterday morning, before the house was up, I received a phone call that one of my classmates from high school had passed away suddenly. The phone rang for quite awhile and there was a lot of hashing through old memories and many ghosts came flying from the closets. My mother came over and I went to a funeral for a 33 year old woman. Probably the saddest funeral I have been too, as it didn't make much sense and there was no relief in sight for the family. I left quickly, not wanted to go back to that place of adolescence. It was not an overly happy time in my life and I'm trying very hard to make the shift of mind to the 'now' and to the 'tomorrow'.

I have lost some very good friends and have found others. I have also lost some not so good friends and found people to replace those as well. When I left the funeral, it was OK. It is hard to explain, but I was OK. I am happy with my life and where it is at. I am at peace with my family, those close to me and there are no regrets. I saw a lot of regrets yesterday. That was probably the hardest part for most, they weren't as sad about the passing of a friend, but were angry at themselves for all the 'should have's' and 'if only's'. To this point in my life, I can honestly say that the decisions I have made have been the right ones and I am at peace. Do you have any regrets? Any unspoken words of love, pain or angst? Any unreturned phone calls? Speak them now, for you never know which eggs aren't going to hatch in the morning..

So, this post isn't about my vacation, although my few days away helped my hubby and I see each other through new eyes. It was about death and a rebirth. The rebirth of my confidence. My understanding and comprehension that, in the words of Martha, my life is a 'good thing'.

Growth and RAK gifts..

Our seeds are sprouting! In front you can see the start of mammoth sunflowers and behind, the red wispy sprouts are radishes.. We also planted pilgrim tomatoes and pumpkins. None of those seeds have germinated, perhaps they are too old. Isn't the red of the radish stems fantastic? Speaking of fantastic, I received the most fabulous gift in the mail on Tuesday!!

The above creamer was a gift from Mary at the Little Red House. You have no idea how excited I was.. I was tearing at the tape that held the box closed in the van.. my son kept asking questions (One, because mom was VERY excited about something and, two, he was very curious about this 'stranger' who sending gifts) It made my day, week, month!! I finally go the box open (note to self.. keep scissors in the glove box) to discover that the package was wrapped with more tape and bubble wrap! Aaahh! The anticipation nearly killed me! I wanted to take some pics, honest. To show you the process one takes when opening gifts from internet friends. Nope, couldn't do it! I ripped into that sucker like I was child in a candy store! It is lovely! A beautiful pitcher with.. cherries!! Just perfect for my kitchen! Thank you, Mary! It was a thoughtful and wonderful surprise that just took my breathe away..

So, I was RAK attacked.. (hit with a random act of kindness). I think it is time to pass along the love!

hhmm.. yet again..

I have no idea where this post is going, I just know I need to blog. does anyone feel that way? I really dislike the idea of people stopping by to check out the newest post, only to find the same old one they have seen for days on end. some posts on my favorite blogs I read over and over, just to spend time there. To me blog posts are like chapters in a book, you keep wanting to turn the page to find out what happens next. It brings a huge smile to my face every time I visit a blog and there is a new post waiting, just for me!

First, I must put out a shout to my dear friend Mary at Little Red House, because I was flipping through the pages of the new Romantic Homes mag and I stumbled across her couch!! I knew I recognized it! I felt like I knew a celebrity! I wanted to call her up and say "Mary! I just saw your couch in Romantic Homes!! How exciting!! It looks so fabulous!" But, alas as she is a blogger friend, I do not know her number.. but Mary, last night laying in bed with my hubby, watching Desperate House Wives over the pages of a romantic magazine, I was thinking of you, my friend, with the famous lovely couch! :)

Lastly, the fern images are for you from my image file! Take them and make the world a 'greener' place!

Ah... I also just joined a swap that looks like so much fun!! Go check out Rhonda's Les Emotions de la France Book Swap!!

A tremendous thank you!!

I would like to thank everyone who commented and emailed me in regards to my 'seeking balance post.' It made me feel so much better. Truly, every single one of you helped me. These are a few that stuck out to me and I have been rereading all of them over and over..

"I am wife, mother, artist, intellectual, friend... Even if they are not all apparent, they are all still within us. We just need to find the time and space to let them step forward..." -Mary

"You will find that only pleasing others will get old eventually and you will lose yourself doing so." -Caron

"Cabin fever sets in as I spin my wheels waiting for Spring to burst upon the scene, and soul-searching takes over.." -Paula

"Don't look back, what's done is behind you and can't be changed. Don't look ahead too far and linger in the "waiting" thoughts." -Dena

"Have you ever heard an older woman look back and lament over all the time spent with her children? I know I haven't....but I have heard many wishing they had spent more time with their families and are now filled with regret and wistfulness at the years and time lost." -Paula

The wonderful words and thoughts go on and on! Please read the comments, they are appropriate for anyone and carry much love and wisdom. Thank you for bringing me back to center.

My blogger friends rock! ;)

The above image of chickadees is a 1895 Denton print for you to use as you desire! Just click and save it!

I picked a WINNER!!

I finally had a moment today to pick my Spring Giveaway Winner!!

(Actually my two year old picked the winner from the bunny!)

#55!

Angie(quillysilly) said...
I found my way here via Esprit`D*Art and must say
that you have a lovely blog! I'd love to enter your very generous giveaway
and congrat's on making it to 300! WOW~! Angie

I just want to thank everyone who entered! It was an overwhelming response and very exciting! I am hoping to have a monthly giveaway starting in April. On the last day of each month, I'll pick a random winner from everyone who has left comment on any post from the entire month. I have just been so blessed with the friendships and goodness of everyone, I would love to give something back. Just as with this giveaway, they will be custom gifts, specially put together for that person!

Happy Spring! Pass along the Love!

Hand Felting, Knitting.. Oh the TALENT!

I received a package the other day from my dear friend Amber. For my birthday she made me some of the most gorgeous hand knit and felted bowls I have ever seen!! I didn't know people could do this! (At least not anyone I knew..) she is such a talented knitter! She has made some lovely treasures for the whole family, but these are by far my favorite! ♥ Thank you Am!

I have been trying to convince Am to post some of her lovely creations for sale on Etsy but so far she hasn't bitten.. If you would like to acquire some similar items then check out Papaver Vert's Etsy shop.. they also have some lovely hand felted bowls.. I didn't snag one of their pics as I didn't have time to ask for permission. But trust me, it's worth a peek!!

Also, from my dear friend Anke (it was her birthday the other day!.. Happy Birthday!) a wonderful box stuffed full of Kinder Eggs, chocolates, tea and art papers!! Wooohhooo!! As some of you know, I grew up in Germany and miss it dearly.. one thing I missed most were Kinder Eggs! Milk chocolate outside, white chocolate inside, and in the middle.. a toy!! How cool is that? It's like Cracker Jacks for chocolate lovers! As you can see from the pic above.. someone else loved the chocolate as much as I did! I couldn't keep T's hand out of the chocolate long enough to get a picture without her in it.. Like momma like daughter!

Thank you for the fabulous response to the Spring Giveaway! I am starting to really like this "custom gift' idea a lot and think I will do it every month on my blog. But instead of having to leave a comment on a specific post, you can leave a comment on any post during the month to be entered.. what do you think??

Apologies...

I'm sorry for not visiting you as often as I should. Time is so tight right now and although I visit and read so many blogs, I have little time to comment. Baby A is pluggin' through the Flu like a trooper! As of yet, no one else has gotten it. Lysol, you are my hero! Here are some pretty pics to brighten your day and mine. The flowers were a gift to my MIL from her daughter and the other is a package of goodies that is almost on it's way to my dear friend, Anke.

Over two years ago...

I was brousing my old posts.. I am nearing the big 300, so I decided to peak backwards in time and see where I started. Abbie's Place was begun in January of '06 as a space for me to record my ideas for new art pieces. A way to funnel them out of my head and lay them down in words. Work through them and hopefully make sense of the images spinning around me. Ideas would pop up at the most inconvient of times; driving down the road, walking the isles of the grocery store or at two in the morning. My blog has definitely taken many twists and turns over the past few years, but I think it has evolved into a nice place for me (and hopefully you). It is my place. It encompasses alot more now, I guess, because I am more of a person than I used to be. I invite you to stay with me awhile more, visit, chat, comment, and critique. (sometimes I need a good slap in the face!) My writing needs work, I know, but I write the way I speak. More in conversation with you, instead of writing 'at' you.

The image above is an ATC I did in Jan of 2006. I'm not sure who has it now, but I know it was traded along time ago. Thank you Blogger for preserving for me, the image is long gone from my PC too.. but blogger still had it.

Some fabulous colors to cheer me up!

My mother and I took a trip to Michaels last weekend and I picked up some lovelies for my studio. The walls haven't been painted yet, my DH said I could call the painters (close friends) to come do it for me. :) Now I just need to make the call! I have been admiring apothecary jars in the latest issues of everything.. Somerset, Country Living, you name it, they are everywhere! The shapes are so much fun so I picked this one up. Thinking I'd put buttons or ribbons in it, I changed my mind and created a tiny world of combined seasons. My blue bird (not 'bluebird', but a bird that is blue..) sits atop a nest of vintage German Christmas tinsel. she is perched on three eggs that you can't see. (my three kids..) A lady bug peeks out, along with some summer daisies. Fall apples are behind her, and the winter we are suffering through is her view.


Below are some more colors, a wonderful egg carton being recycled to hold tiny bits and pieces, German scraps, and some of my many pens are at the ready if I ever decide to actually sit down and do something with all my 'stuff'. I find myself up there sometimes at night, just standing and staring. The ideas don't come and it is so frustating to have the desire to create but the actual process fails me right now. I know it is because things are crazy in the other parts of my life. In time, the time will come.

Here it is!! The fabulous handbag Rosie made for me!! I just adore it! She also made the cute little pin with wonderful, bright yarn and a vintage button! isn't it just too cute? I put the pin on the handle of the purse so I can be sure to take it along with me too! ♥ thank you! thank you! Be sure to check out her Etsy Shop where you can get her darling creations for yourself!

She also included a GORGEOUS vintage, red and white handtowel. Absolutely perfect timing, as I am slowly changing my kitchen over to red and white. I love vintage cherries, so I am hoping to go in that direction, the bright cherry red. Just like my handbag! Once I get some pics of my new kitch decor, I'll show you the towel!

Hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend, we are getting snowed on.

Smoothered in white loneliness..

We have been snowed on. Snow everywhere and no wind. It clings to every surface it can find and has been smothering us for days. No wind. No sun. Nothing has come to disturb the snow. I took a drive the other day and just felt lonely. Not a bad lonely, just alone. I sometimes wish that the blogger friends (you) were around the corner or down the street. Someone with a like mind and similar interests to pass the time with. This is the next best thing, my PC. I love everyone who visits and comments, and I try to wind my way back to your 'home' through profile pages and comments. My work room is coming together, but except for those of you who visit me here, no one who sees it really enjoys it the way I know you would. You would fawn over my jars, bins and cubbies, the collections I have been so hard to work on. We could share laughter, ideas and inspirations. Then I could go and visit yours, and we could do the same. But this is the next best thing.. I will have pics for you soon.. in the mean time, here are some of the surrounding landscapes.. a very monochrome vista just filled to tippy top with whites, greys and more whites.
Can you tell I am in desperate need of Spring?



I have received a lovely bit of brightness and fun from Rosie and will be posting about the absolutely fabulous handbag she made for me shortly.. I need it to brighten up so I can photograph it nicely to show you all. Thank you Dear Rosie!

Frosting! and Pea Soup???

I love Frosting!

First I have to put a 'shout out' to my friend Amanda who has a wonderful Etsy shop, yet to be discovered and truly appreciated! Lovelies abound, and also, she just gave birth to the cutest little girl you've ever seen! Her birthday is in two days so I thought I 'd pass along the good word and send you in her direction, please stop by her shop, Frosting, and take a peek around. As a stay at home mother, myself, I know how hard it is to start a business and keep the momentum going. Also, her blog is wonderful place to stop, peek and visit.

♥ Happy Birthday Amanda!

Abbie's Split Pea Soup with a pat of butter..

OK, now for the pea soup.. I spent yesterday in the kitchen with my camera.. Uhh? I never thought I'd be taking pics of my food, especially pea soup (have you ever tried to make pea soup look good?) but I did (tried anyway!) and it was fun! I love pea soup! It warms my soul, fills me up, and just plain makes me feel good. I used a leftover ham bone (a 'must have' for really good soup..) and didn't follow this recipe very well.. I always start my cooking off using a recipe as a guide, but them stear away adding dashed of this and bits if this until it's just right.

3 C water

1 bag of dried split peas (washed and de-stoned)

1 14 oz can of chicken broth

1 ham bone with leftover meat

1/4 tsp marjoram

dash pepper

1 bay leaf

2 carrots

2 stalks celery

1 small onion

In large pot, combine water, hambone, chicken stock, peas, marjoram, pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer, covered, for an hour. Remove ham bone and bay leaf. Add chopped carrots, onions, and celery. (add more water if too thick) Simmer, covered for 30-40 minutes unitl veggies are tender. Cut off leftover meat off bone and add to the pot. Leave on your stovetop until it is mushy and.. green! Serve with nice, crusty bread and butter. Butter in the soup and butter on the bread!

You'd think I was Paula Dean!

Enjoy!

Swappin' Love Goodies..

I was peeking at some of my favorite blogs and I saw that Melissa had made an offer to do a Valentine's Day Swap with others.. I was too late to get in, so I thought I'd ask you, some of my blogger friends, if you are interested in a Valentine's Day Swap.. My birthday is also 20th, (as I mentioned in my last post) and it is always so much fun to get treasures in the mail. :) I can swap NH goodies (Maple candy appeal to anyone?), crafty supplies, pretty sparklies or it could be a surprise gift-ette. Whatever you would like. I could only do a few, perhaps two or three? OR.. if more people are interested then I might be able to figure out a 2 for 2 swap, (send in two bundles of love, get two bundles of love..) Just leave me a comment, or if you would like, you can email me at damseldesigns@hotmail.com.

Some ideas.. a handmade craft item from your local area.. (we have wonderful locals who make handmade soaps, chocolates (always a perfect choice!), etc..

Crafty art bits that you no longer use and would like to 'swap' them for someone else's goodies.. (such as paper, ephemera, trims, etc..)

Perhaps a 'Tea Party' idea.. maybe a small teacup from a secondhand store filled with tea, natural sugar, and/or a small hand towel..

Most of these ideas can be kept to a few dollars with a little creativity and you'd be getting a similiar 'gift' back from yours truely!

I'll work out the details if anyone is interested.. :) I do have lots goodies looking for wonderful homes, so please let me know!

I hope everyone is enjoying their January.. how are resolutions coming along? For me, I am trying to stretch every evening once the children are in bed to help me sleep better and release some of the tension of the day. I was able to get all of my business and craft supplies up to the bedroom on the third floor yesterday. It took atleast 25 trips of 'down a set of stairs from the garage' and 'up two flights' to the third floor.. but I did it! My legs are on fire today, but I guess I hit two birds with one stone. Moved everything and I got some great exercise at the same time. It also tuckered up my two year old, because she climbed those flights of stairs almost as many times as I did.

The sun is shining and if you have been watching the news, the NH Primary is today, so I am off to vote and take Baby A to the doctors for her 6 month checkup. Z is going to be NINE tomorrow!! My Baby Boy is NINE years old!! Good grief.. where in the !@!@*! did the last nine years go?

Thank you, Snow Globes and the Winners Are....

Hi everyone! I hope all is well out there in the great wide world. First, I want to thank everyone who left such wonderful, supportive comments on my last few posts. I have very few friends that I see regularly, and was nice to have your support and prayers. It feels like I have some special, fabulous friends out there and you are all fantastic! Thank you!!

Our world feels like a snow globe right now. As if someone had picked up our tiny universe, shook it violently and put it back on the shelf to settle. Occasionally, we get picked up again, shaken, and now we are waiting for things to reach some sort of routine. My mother-in-law is staying with us for the time being. There is no other place we would rather her be, and the children absolute adore having her at the table and to talk to. She and her husband were married 52 years. Her world not only has been shaken, but completed blown apart. My husband's parents are/were his best friends, and although he his doing well, the loss of his father is the most painful blow he has ever experienced. Also, to top off the list, my husband's close friend, lost his father on Saturday. There will not be a service for my father-in-law until the spring, but we couldn't avoid a funeral, as we will be attending the one for his friend's dad tomorrow. Fate arrives in three's. I hadn't mentioned it before, but two weeks ago, I attended a funeral for a close friend of my mother's family.

God willing, the rest of the season will be calm and quiet. I have been struggling with all the changes to our home and routine. The dining room/playroom is now a bedroom and my craft/business closet is now a jumbled heap in the room above our garage. It is hard to welcome another in our home and not upset the delicate balancing act we are all doing. Family has been visiting every evening and the house has been a buzz with laughter, tears, and ciaos for close to a week now. The children are getting by the best of any of us, I think, as they don't understand the recent events very well. I have dreamed of a three generation home for years. It seems to be best for the children and helps keep the family close and safe. Now that it is here, the changes are fast and furious, but I think, after things have calmed we will all be OK.

Now, enough whining.. I let my husband and mother-in-law pick the winning numbers randomly and they picked #'s two and seven. So.. Mary will be receiving the icicles and Rhondamum will be getting the craft basket... thank you for all the comments and if I had to guess, my shop will closed for sometime. I do hope to post about my crafty adventures and have more giveaways. It makes me so happy to be able to send off pretty packages to others.. perhaps it's time to join some of the great swaps out there in bloggerville. I hope everyone is appreciating and loving their family, enjoy! (Mary and Rhonda, I just need your snail mail addresses emailed to me..)

♥ Abbie

Gifts, Giveways and Icicles!

Button icicles. Now you know what I was referring to! :) Long dangly 'icicles' made from vintage buttons, balanced with a bead at the bottom and a bow at the top. Perfect for the tree, but also so much fun to dangle around the house. Because some of the buttons are antique shell and glass, the icicles make a lovely twinkling sound when moved. I think they would be wonderful in front of an open window, blowing in the breeze. We can't do that up here in New England right now, but Ellie in Florida could! The icicle on the left uses approx. 20 white buttons that vary in size. Just dee-lish for a shabby chic decor or for a bit of whimsy. I

will be giving away two icicles to one of my lovely blogger friends. Just leave a comment.. but keep reading.. there's more! If you would like to make some for yourself, or as gifts they are super simple and a fun!

Once you secure a bead on string, (I used vintage pink embroidery floss.. but fishing line would work great too!) then you just sew on the buttons, using two holes. As they slide down the string, alternate the direction the buttons face and slide them together. They stack right up. Using a graduated size, gives an icicle look to them, but you could create garland by using random sizes or colors. They would be pretty swagged on a chandelier or hanging from a door knob. You can change the colors of the ribbon or buttons to match you home or the holidays. For buttons you can check out Kathy's Etsy shop, Button Constructions.

For those of you who would rather some crafty goodness to play with yourself I am also giving away a vintage style paper tissue basket filled with delights! Buttons, pink rick rack, Robbin's egg blue vintage seam binding ribbon, a antique skeleton key, paper flowers, etc..

Just leave a comment on this post and I'll enter you for the drawing. Let me know which item you would prefer, I will giving away a pair of icicles and the tissue basket of goodies, wrapped to perfection and given with love! I will draw numbers on Friday! Good luck!

♥ Abbie

*Below is a pic out my kitchen window. We got almost a foot of snow yesterday! This was taken about midday.. why am I making icicles for inside?? You'd think we have enough outside! I hope everyone is warm and I'd love to see WARM and COLORFUL pics on everyone's blogs!! It's cold and white here!

Christmas Critters and a frog?

We have more visitors now that the snow is falling and the air is getting colder. The view from the living room couch is of our bird feeder which now is a flutter with chickadees and others grabbing seeds and filling larders. I feel that way when I go to the grocery store. Dash in, grab what I need and flitter back to my warm home. The pup is Bonnie (of Bonnie and Clyde), she loves to perch and watch all the comings and goings at the bird feeder. You can practically see her twitching in the photo. :)

This big guy stopped by last spring to nibble the buds off of the small whips in our backyard. Oh the dogs went nuts when they saw him! I don't think he was too intimidated by two 11 pound dogs yipping at him through the window, though.

And this cute tiny guy was stuck to our glass door last spring. Good gracious, the peepers make so much noise in the springtime! Not a winter friend, but too cute not include! Just think of him as the Christmas Peeper!

♥ Abbie

Gettin' my Holiday Mojo flowin'...

Ok.. the mojo thing for two reasons.. one, my husband loves the Austin Powers movies, second because Rosie, over at Rosies Whimsy has given me several fabulous gifts in the past few days! First I was one of the very lucky winners of her blog giveaway and she sent two of her FABULOUS Coat Hanger Cozies to me. Oh! They are just marvelous and the pics don't do them justice, so professionally made and just the perfect addition to my country, eclectic home! Thank you Rosie!! AND, that's not it!! She also passed along a Friendly Site Award to me! Yeay! So much love has really helped get my Christmas MoJo back! I have closed my Etsy shop early for the time being and I am going to focus on my family, decorating, my blog and making presents.

My son spent the night at a friend's house and I think that I might have done too much decorating without him. He likes to help, and I overdid it a bit. But that is an excuse to buy more decorations, right? I also have a tiny tree for him to decorate for his bedroom complete with lights and tiny ornaments. He adores the holidays and finds much peace and safety in family gatherings. The larger the better as far as he's concerned.

My art has definitely taken a backseat for the past few months. OK, since my daughter was born. It's hard to find the 'focus' and 'play' time that I need to create something. I usually like to work in silence, and you can not find any of that here right now. I haven't really been able to sew either. the machine is a magnet for tiny hands and I don't want to stitch my daughter to the machine. My mother got her fingers sewn to it one time and it wasn't pretty. that is why my shop has been so important to me. I don't make much, OK, nothing. but that's not why I do it. I have my Etsy shop to connect with other people outside of my little world, and I just love to wrap up 'presents' and send them along.
The nice notes and friendly people on the other end the net,

have just been fabulous. As well as all my friends in bloggerville. I feel like I have gotten to know so many of you so well. I enjoy every comment and every message so much. I get very little time away from my children and my home and you are my daily retreat from my reality. So, thank you to all who visit.

One of next posts is going to be a give away of some goodies from my shop and my heart so stop back by so you don't miss it!

Thank you!!

♥ Abbie

Oh!! I am passing along the Friendly Site Award to my dear friend Anke at the Artist in Me.. Her art and photos are just fabulous and she is the just about the nicest person I have yet to meet! ;) Please stop by her blog and say Hi!

going loon-y.. hmmm...

Feeling a little loon-y with the upcoming holidays? I did manage to get my fridge cleaned yesterday and picked up most of the goodies I need for Thanksgiving dinner. I am expecting 15.
This lovely large Loon is an antique decoy from New York State. I just thought he was marvelous! Not quite life size, (Loons are large birds) he sits on my mantle next to a Loon print.

The weekend was quiet, but nice. T and I went to a birthday party on Saturday. It was a most delightful party, although it took her almost an hour before the shyness went away and she dared to climb down from my arms. We brought presents, and received the most delightful treats in return. (completely unecessary, but much loved!) Amber is so clever with knitting needles! Knitters are amazing to me. How, through weaving and boobling a string on two sticks you can create such beautful creations, I will never know. So, my respects to all of those out there who can knit, you AMAZE me! Am knitted up a bright pink sweater vest for T. Also she made a super soft chenelle washcloth for baby A and had some delightful vintage repro fabric bundles for me. Hugs Am! Thank you!!

Happy Monster Band..

...and forever monster friends we'll stay.. will you be my monster friends?

It just makes me smile and I think this is the best music to come from Disney in a long time..