Our 17th Year Wedding Anniversary

Yep, we have been married for 17 years as of February 28th, 2008! We dated for 5 years before that. Seems like a long time in comparison to many these days. We are friends. We are lovers. We are there for one another. What a blessing. I am thankful for what we have.

May all of you be as blessed!

Nesting

Nesting... I am talking about nesting your home. This is that time of year when it is still cold outside and we tend to settle into our favorite chair or section of the sofa with a good book or the remote, snuggled under a soft warm throw. I know it is one of my favorite things to do late in the evening when I need to wind down and can finally relax before bed.

I also like to put in the brightest bulbs each lamp can handle , the energy efficient ones that are pricey, but well worth it. Light is so uplifting this time of year. Sunshine is so wonderful any time of year but especially in the winter. Snow is still falling so even when the moon has risen and the sun has set the moon shines dow on the snow and it is as light as dusk outside.

Pretty soon we will be able to throw open the windows and bring in the fresh air. We will have little flowers poking their heads up and reaching for the sky. The birds will be back and building their nests and then we will hear the chirps of the little ones singing for their food. Can you tell I am ready for Springtime? What do you look forward to the most?

How-to make a planter out of a chair

Well, this was a fun and rather easy project to do last spring. It lasted through fall, I just changed out the flowers from Spring to Summer and then in the fall.

Supplies you will need:

Chair

Drill

Jigsaw

Staple gun

Pencil/marker

Screen

1. Find old chair (mine was from the road side)

2. Use a round object (I used a plate) to mark out where the hole should go for the plants.

3. Use a drill to start the hole in the center of the marked out circle and then onto a jigsaw to cut out the rest of the circle.

4. Next place screening (can be metal or not, doesn't matter) over the hole and allow for it to droop down inside the hole low enough for a good amount of soil and moss to fit in (makes for better water retention) and staple it all the way around on top of the chair seat.

5. Cut off excess screening , leaving about 1/2" overlapping the chair seat (this will be covered by the moss and plantings.

6. Fill with moss and then soil and lastly whatever plants/flowers you want.

I planted pansies and ivy in it in the spring and then when summer came along, I left the ivy and took out the pansies, added in Petunias and Sweet William. It was lovely. This picture is when I first added the petunias, before the whole thing went crazy with blooms and some of the ivy was wrapped up around the back of the seat, while the rest reached for the ground.

3 Lovely Ladies

These lovely ladies were some of my first pendants made after taking a stained glass class. I really wanted to learn how to cut glass and solder, so I took the class to learn.

Now I create little collages under glass. Each pendant has 2 sides to it for versatility. They are fun to make but a little more time consuming than you might imagine as each is a one of a kind.

Sunny Sunday

Oh it is beautiful outside! My daughter went for a long bike ride while I shoveled snow and cleaned the house a bit.

Anyway, today it may only be 30'F but it is sunny as all get out. I drove my daughter to her friends house in the country and looked at the trees so sparse against the blue sky, but the skeletons of the trees are quite an intriguing image. Of course I was driving and could not stop to take a pic as I was on a windy road, but I can keep it in my memory.

Spring is nearly here. I cannot wait. The greenery is always a welcomed change. I miss the birdies flying onto our porch and perching on the iron light fixture we have over the table. It has two ornamental birds and leaves that must seem inviting to our feathered friends, as this is one of their favorite landing places. Last year we got to witness 3 different families come to be. So sweet. We are planning on adding shrubs to the right side of the house this summer. The hydrangea vines are staying so small after 2 full growing seasons, so we will be replacing them and taking down the trellises and trying something new. I love evergreens, but also love things like burning bush for their color. Hmm...any ideas?

Well, I need to get back to work. Have a lovely Sunday!

Dreaming of Summers Past and Future

Well, while I was on the computer changing my blog colors and such I got sidetracked, as usual, in my Kodak albums while looking for a picture to add to this post, well I'll have you know that was about 45 minutes ago. I got hooked on our New England summer photos from several years back. That was one fun summer vacation.

We decided to get in the car, drive along the coast all the way from PA to Maine and just stop along the way whenever we felt like it. So we went to Barnes and Noble ( like putting 2 kids in a candy store) to get a nice map and to get a book on traveling through New England. Of course I had to also get a few of my favorite magazines. What's a girl to do without the latest gossip of People or art from Somerset and visually shopping in Vogue! See, sidetracked again. hehe

We were blessed with so many wonderful sights and fun along the way. In Connecticut, we stayed in these lovely little cottages for 2 nights at $50./night. Can you believe that? They were so adorable and like being at home, but more fun. I think the tiny bathroom sink was like 12"x12", no lie. We went deep sea fishing and our daughter caught more and larger fish than her dad, while I was green and it wasn't with envy. So much for Dramamine.

We visited Essex, Boothbay, Marthas Vineyard, Boston, Newport, and so on. We road the ferry over to Martha's Vineyard docked by the beach and rode bikes across the island. We had lunch and just enjoyed the scenery while biking. It was all great until we nearly missed the ferry going back as we had somehow taken a wrong turn. Frantic we pedaled our hearts out when some lovely taxi man driving a van stopped and hooked our bikes on and drove us to the bike rental shop and then we made a mad dash to the ferry. Shwew...we just made it.

We also visited Newport, Rhode Island. It was such a wonderful night. It was warm and breezy, so we went to a nice restaurant on the water for dinner. All the while enjoying a live band on the balcony along with our meals and good conversation.

In Maine we went shell seeking on the beach and then on a sailboat that ended up having to use his motor because the wind had died down, but we got an education on the crabbing industry and the different colored markers for the traps. The rocky shoreline was gorgeous, not to mention the captain. hehe

In Connecticut we stopped in a little town called Essex. OMG, it is the most adorable little colonial village with white picket fences standing in front of freshly painted homes and the gardens are to die for! Pristine was the word that came to mind. A picture perfect little place for say a chick flick.

I am thankful

I am thankful that the sun is shining today, for hearing the birds chirping and that one of my coworkers brought me in a big bunch of Forsythia branches from his tree trimmings. He is so kind to do this every year. I put them in a vase and then placed them in the front window for all to enjoy. They are so bright and a welcomed sight amongst all the grey that winter surrounds us with.

I am thankful that the stomach bug has left and that the family is on their way to wellness. Can't wait to throw open the windows and air out the place when it is warm enough. Spring cleaning is right around the corner. It always feels so good to do that. Or should I say after it is all done, it is nice to enjoy. Yeah, that's more like it.

Have a lovely Tuesday.

Reflections Journal

This is my latest journal sold to a lady whom will be giving it as a gift for a friends birthday. She loves nature and wanted calming colors such as blue, green and purples. She also wanted it to be a place just for writing, so I kept the pages rather simple in color and design to allow fr that. There are mini envelopes and one of the layered flowers, both of which I sell in my etsy shop. This was a wonderful project and I believe it will be well received. So happy birthday dear friend. Enjoy!

TGIF

Yay, it's Friday! My second favorite day of the week. Well today I am buying some MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) to make some more mixed media pieces. Hopefully I can create one or two this weekend. It is so much fun! Just let your imagination run wild while listening to your favorite music. Layer upon layer, telling a story. Conveying a message through imagery. It's very therapeutic. I am setting a goal for myself to submit at least one piece of art to Somerset magazine during the spring. They are like a decadent dessert. I love to make a cup of tea or coffee and sit in the corner of the couch with a throw and read every page and take in all of the beauty. It is a feast for the eyes and it spurs on creativity. I am always sad to finish one but I keep them all and refer back to them from time to time for inspiration. Well, back to work I go. Only dropped in to say ,"Hi" on my lunch hour. Hopefully I will have some new art to add to my shop and share here by Sunday.

Happy Valentines Day!

Well, imagine my surprise when I came home to a dozen red roses at lunchtime. Yep, my husband was so sweet and had them waiting on the table along with a lovely card. It made my day. I took this picture of them to share with you.

Well, I have been working on several custom journals and that has taken up all of my free time, so I have yet to create anymore mixed media pieces and I am itching to make some more for my etsy shop.

So, maybe in a few days I can dedicate some time in my studio. It is a small little space of my own in my home that is packed full of all sorts of supplies and tools to create with. It is a little haven. I think everyone needs a special place to call their own, even if it is just a corner of a room with a cozy chair to read, write, knit or whatever relaxes you.

Well, I must return to a journal, so I can mail it out tomorrow.

Ran out of gas...

Well, hello again. What a day. I ran out of gas on my way home for lunch. I know, I know...We had blizzard conditions when the light came on last night and it was below 0'F so I decided to wait and look where it got me. So I walked to the gas station, (mind you it was 20'F, with 8 " of snow on the ground and it was still snowing and the sidewalk was a sheet of ice). Well they do not lend out gas cans any longer because people do not bring them back, soooo I had to buy a 1 gallon plastic can for $9.99 and then fill it with the gallon of gas it would hold. So then I walk back to the car and much to my dismay the funnel that comes out of the can will not allow for the gas to come out so it is pouring out around the rim of the funnel. Well, my hands were freezing and wet from all of the gasoline, so I just hurried up and finished putting in what I could and then wiped the side of the car off with the snow and the paper towels the lady at the station so graciously gave me and loaded the can into the car and drove straight to the station to fill er' up. $46.77 it took. Yikes!

So I drive home and guess what, the darn snowplow made a mound in front of my driveway so that now I have to jump this darn thing but I guess my car didn't have it in her so I got stuck. Yep, I was wreaking of gas, cold, wet and hungry and now my car was stuck. So that is how part of my day went. How about you? :-) The rest of the day was fine, so I am thankful for that.

Inspirations...

Hello and welcome to my little space on the web. I am so glad you are here. I hope to share inspirations such as favorite artists, art how-to's, recipes, tips for decorating on a budget, pretty things, etc, etc.

I have been reading a lot of blogs lately and decided that I "needed" one. lol I am fascinated by the creativity of artists of all sorts. Whether it be in culinary arts, mixed-media, photography, stained glass, hair stylists, etc. Art comes in so many forms.

Life is full of beauty. I hope to share some of those beautiful things with you, so please grab a comfy seat and a cup or glass of your favorite beverage and stay awhile.