"F*R*A*G*I*L*E* ~ must be Italian"! The movie "A Christmas Story" is a
Christmas classic. My favorite line is when the little brother can not move
his arms while in his snow suit. Remember getting ready for the fun in the
snow, all of you northern snow birds? ALL worth it.



One of the most favorite parts of this movie involves an award that the father
is given. {*as seen above*} I have THE best link to getting or giving the very
best quality leg-lamp of all!!! Right here in Illinois, the most courteous and
professional company, Ships everywhere AND family owned. Their site is
FABULOUS! They even have a Leg Lamp cookie cutter!! Have a wonderful
time at their site!
Ho* Ho* Ho!!!

Hugs,
Mary

Time is whirling by! Thanksgiving was so lovely... a late evening dinner. We actually went shopping for gifts on Saturday! A first for us. When the kids were little we usually had all of the shopping done by Thanksgiving. It is easy to do when they are little ones. We also never go shopping on THE weekend. This year it was my husbands idea to go out... I can not say where to!!!
Do you have last minute cleaning, decorating, baking... fun busy things on your list? I have just heard the fastest violinist in the world, David Garrett. This guy combines classical with rock and it turns out lovely, energetic... a happy background for a fun and busy time of year. So if you need a little break from all of the wonderful Christmas music, listen ~~~~



I know this is a still shot video but I was going for the composition... to inspire us to get our list of "to do's" done.... it is short so get going!!!

With Kindness,
Mary

It's easy to set the Thanksgiving table... Rachel Aswell shows us how with a video via Target. Don't forget to also raid your own cupboards for forgotten treasures to welcome guests to a table that is truly your own.



Hugs,
Mary

A Saturday post! wow... am I finally getting back in the swing of posting!? I hope so! It will be short... for now. I just finished up a few Deer Diorama's for the shop and just one petite wreath ornament. I am hoping to get my jewelery tools back from you know who and make some really grand necklaces for gift giving! Very excited about that!!!!





I hope that your Saturday i s going well ~ fabulous... filled with good health and loved ones there or on the phone :).... must call my sister Jayne!!! and Kelly, and Amy and Nancy and my big brother Matt! :)

Hugs,
Mary

Studio Time

Since I have some moment to breathe I am going to play in my studio... I may add a few ornaments and a cottage to the shop.
The above photo is one of my new wreaths while it was "in the making" in my studio spot. I love these shining gems for our homes this Holiday Season! If you put them over a mirror you get two times the merriment!

Hugs,
Mary

Roads traveled. I took the road home through downtown Naperville yesterday, after an appointment. As I was approaching one of the High Schools I noticed a sea of Red White And Blue. A beautiful sight of hundreds of Old Glory waving in the afternoon sun.



"First known as Armistice Day in recognition of the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I, the holiday was first proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919. In 1938 Congress declared each November 11th a legal holiday and in 1954 replaced "Armistice" with Veterans."

From those first Patriots who helped to form this great country of ours to those who are serving today. And to those who gave their life last week at Fort Hood.
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.... Thank you.

The Shop Is Open!

It has been a long fall. A bit of Christmas has made it's way to YOU at My Shop!
I have some Deer Diorama's I still have to photograph... hopefully tonight. I think the photos are a bit grainy, I am not used to the sophisticated equipment of my Son's camera... I did the editing. But believe me, I love these items at the shop!



Oh Thank You So For Your Patience!
xo,
Mary

Hi!
I was able to snag my Son, Doug, for a quick photo shoot this morning! It is sooo nice to have my very own personal photographer! So I am working on loading my Christmas items to the shop today! I did forget to photograph three items... sigh. Oh well. I will have my camera back soon I hope.

I will update my blog today as soon as I am done listing at my shop :)

Hugs,
Mary

Christmas will be rolled out... at least some delicious pieces made to add to your Holiday Home... even into winter. I can not wait to show you but I must... no camera. I hope that I get it back tomorrow... and add the pieces to my shop by Wednesday. That is my goal. Meanwhile, I hope that you will enjoy this~



Soft pillows of loveliness resting on a bed of chocolate cookie. I finally have made this cookie...

It all began for me when I was asked, as a High School Sophomore, to babysit for the Pastor's family that lived across the street from our home. It seems that their usual babysitter had found a beau. I was the lucky person who had a chance to try out for and win this newly opened position ~ Caring for their two lovely children, Mathew ~3 yrs. and Sarah~1 1/2. This family quickly became my favorite babysitting job. It was also here that I was invited into their cookie jar, if I was desiring a treat. Mrs. H. had THE best cookies and I am not sure if this cookie jar only held this type of cookie but it was the only one I ever ate! My Mom taught us to have ONE cookie. Well! Let me tell you when it came to these cookies I would have THREE!!!! Boy did I feel guilty, but they were sooo good that I would eat three! As the years went on I gave my little charges over to my younger sister Jayne. She too LOVED these cookies and she too felt guilty for eating more than our usual one!
I have sent her a copy of this recipe in hopes that we can re~create this cookie layer of goodness. Oh! You see we both felt soo bad for eating more than one that we never asked for the recipe and years, and years later when my sister reconnected with Mrs. H. she no longer knew the recipe!!! OH MY!!!

Now LOOK!~



The complete deliciousness. They are topped with a homemade icing.

I must say that these cookies are truly decadent. I sent off a copy of the recipe to my Jayne. I am planning on making some changes.. after I consult with Jayne. I believe I have a better frosting that hardens nicely AND I may toy with the layering process. Well, I used to be an Excellent baker of cookies and pies... BEFORE I married. After marriage, my hubby wanted to eat them all up! I guess he did not have the one cookie or two if a special occasion rule! :)

SURPRISE COOKIES ala Martha Stewart~ Makes about 2 dozen

• * 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• * 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• * 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• * 1/2 teaspoon salt
• * 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• * 1 cup sugar
• * 1 large egg
• * 1/2 cup milk
• * 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• * 12 large marshmallows, cut in half horizontally
• * Chocolate Frosting for Surprise Cookies

Directions

• 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
• 2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.
• 3. Using a tablespoon or 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies begin to spread and become firm, 10 to 12 minutes.
• 4. Remove baking sheets from oven, and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Return to oven, and continue baking until marshmallows begins to melt, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
• 5. Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered.

FROSTING Makes 1 cup

• * 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• * 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• * 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• * 1/4 cup milk
• * 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions 1. Place confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in butter and cocoa powder. Add milk and vanilla, and whisk until well combined.

Bon appetite! Hugs, Mary

Home

I am joining in a lovely Monday Celebration of our homes, our cottages
hosted by ~ The House In The Roses. "Show off your cottage Mondays"



Home for me has been a very important word and place for me. As I have
raised my family I have tried to create a place that is rejuvenating, safe...
a place where the batteries can be re-charged form busy, fun, exciting and
challenging days. Even during renovation and up-keep projects that my
husband and I do often together.



Where even with a busy family there is always someone to say goodbye
and hello to you :)





A place for me to find some quiet time for reading.



A home that is filled with all of our love in so many
different ways.

I wish you a very wonderful, loving Monday.

Hugs,
Mary

Ho Ho Ho~ there is a lot of soft, sparkling Christmas making going on in my studio!
I have some New things and some wonderful special Heirloom items being made.Thank You for being patient!

Do you hear jingle bells in the distance???

Hugs,
Mary

Look what I found when I opened my blog this morning!
A Beautiful New BANNER!!! Hmm, I wonder what pretty angel did this for me? :)

Oh Merci Caitlin!!!
I LOVE IT! It is just what I would wish for... lovely colors also!
This is especially nice because Caitlin is very busy with her shop!

That is not the only especially nice thing that Caitlin did for and with me lately!

On Friday, early evening, she phoned that she was on her way home and
we could go out on an errand to get a certain book *(more on this at a later date).
When I opened the car door ~ hmmm, the scents from her car were lovely.
I thought that she and her friend Taylor had gotten coffees earlier and the
aroma lingered. But no! There were two cocoas in the cup holders, one for
each of us!!! Now how thoughtful is that !!!

We ended up at the local Antique Shop where we each found just the right
amount of treasures.
Here is one of mine~ another little Angel ~



Hugs,
Mary

A bit of a peek at Christmas. A bit of changing up and adding to...
in my petite work space. ~
Christmas 2009 :)

HO*HO*HO

Hugs,
Mary

Oh Merci ~ NICE

I have returned... bearing gifts! Well, gifts for me! From Nice!
As many of you know that follow Merci-Notes, I have been helping Caitlin, {Nice} get ready for this years Renegade Craft Fair. She always thanks me. Last year she surprised me with a box of these~



My very first business cards. Caitlin designed them herself! Love them.
This year she gave me the OH SO CUTE vintage coin purse to carry the cards in!



As you can see in the above photos she also gave me a soft white leather journal,
which I shall use for drawings, and a beautiful towel that looks like it could be one of Kath Kidston's very own!!! I hope one day to have something that she designed.
The roses are from the dear sweet hubby who brought them to me this past Saturday, our anniversary, with a mini breakfast and a nice cup of cocoa, minus the whip, from Starbucks.
AND he had it set up on the patio!!! I love our patio and we have not been using it much this summer and he new this~ so this was also especially nice!

Back to Caitlin, she always gives me surprises gifts, like extremely cute tank tops or tops... She just gets them and gives them to me!!! However I still can be mad at her right now... You probably can figure out why! Guess, and I will let you know who is first to be correct.
not happy, sad.
*i think she owes me a complete redesign of my blog for this one!

Hugs, please give me one also!
Mary

"I Remeber"

With Love and Kindness,
Mary

Pretty Stacks

Having both a son and daughter that are talented and creative minded makes for a busy household. Right now, for example, Caitlin is getting ready for The Renegade Craft Fair and I get to help her. Mind you it is the less exciting work but non the less it is enjoyable to be of help as she gets on her way. What is my job of the moment? I am the Chief CEO of stitching down trims ends. Soon to be promoted to CFO of sanding and then I am hopeful of becoming a letter cutter! :) Unfortunately no travel abroad is needed for these positions, but if the opportunity comes, I would grab it in a stitcher's minute! :)



I must say, thank you all for stopping by, those that leave such sweet words and those that come and pop in for a visit. :)

Hugs,
Mary

A whirlwind of events and emotions.
A wonderful visit from Kathy and Pete (K.C.'s sister) a few weeks ago. We all met up with our son, Doug and his girlfriend, Monica for dinner. I am not into bars or their food but this was a new Irish pub and the COMPANY was my highlight. :) We all had a great time and everyone did enjoy their dinner. Oh, Kathy and Pete are both of Irish heritage and have gone to Ireland for a wonderful trip!
Before dinner we met up in Geneva, a wonderful town also along the Fox River. We popped in and out of shops dodging the rain settling into our favorite antique shop WHERE Kathy bought me THIS~



Am I lucky!? :) Yes :) They were able to spend the night with us before heading back home.

We all found ourselves on the other spectrum of emotions the past weekend. My husbands Father's wife's son, lost his wife. A beautiful memorial mass at his parish in Michigan. The priest was amazing and best of all he and Mike have a good friendship for some time now. It is nice to have such a person when you are faced with such ... loss of love.

Now back at home, I will be doing my best to visit all of you and post while I help Caitlin to get ready for the Renegade Craft Fair... almost here!


Hugs,
Mary
P.S. Is my post coming out correctly for all of you??? I see empty white boxes and... the wrong placing... of course it is correct in my "preview" box. Please let me know if all is ok or wacky with this post format.
Thank YOU

Dreaming of...

Ah! How can one dream of Christmas when this is just the second heat wave {a tiny one at that} which was really only considered a "turn on the air" time because of the HIGH humidity. We really have been blessed here with a very comfortable summer. My only disappointment is that it went way too fast with not one trip to the beach. For us to get to a good beach is only 3 hours away, in Michigan~ my shoreline of choice! If you have never been to the shoreline of Michigan on it's west coastline... please plan on one! Petoskey, Harbor Springs... Mackinac Island... all the way south to the Indiana boarder.

The Michigan shoreline holds a delicious secret! It has nestled into its rolling hills a fruit belt that is highly respected. Think strawberries, raspberries, cherries, BLUEBERRIES and apples to name some. South Haven even has a Blueberry Festival with Travers City hosting the Cherry Festival. Each of these festivals have their schedule up for next summer's fun. But wait, summer is not over yet, so get to the beach everyone and you can still enjoy the fruit all fall (oh the fall color in Michigan is beautiful!) stop by American Spoon Shops or get one of their catalogs (catalogs are my favorite, they use artists for the art work) or shop on line.
Lake Michigan is definitely a place where I draw inspiration and energy. The waves nicely meeting the shoreline with the perfect "crash" sound, the dunes, the sand the seagulls and the joyful sound of families making memories!



This photo subject is one of my inspirations I have around my home... Christmas is never far from my dreams... stay tuned :)

Cheers to you all for a wonderful start to the school year and to wonderful celebrations to finish off the summer.

Hugs,
Mary

Amour

A little happenstance. It seems that time for "fluffing" my home...
well, seems to be nil. So here is a table that was next to my bed,
still with the bedside items on it.

* Rosary from my Mom :)

* Painted rock form Caitlin {melt}

* Silver token with "#ONE MOM" stamped into it from Doug. {melt some more}

* Heart that I made many, many years ago~ One for each of us, 4 all together, this one out of damask scraps, tattered a bit through love. Love is like that.

* Coco Chanel perfume ~ my Mom wore Chanel #5 while I grew up and she would let me use some once in awhile :)

* Tag from a special sweater Caitlin gave me from Anthropologie.

* Clock that reminds me of my first digital clock from my Grandma, as I went off to college.

* Lamp that Caitlin and I found.

Oh, the table itself was a find with my husband at a Flea Market... some time ago. You can see it on Caitlin's blog and her etsy shop as a prop.... yep, that is what happens to my house. All of our tastes mingle but we all have exciting little differences that makes all a delight of life.

Do You have special little happenstances in your home?

Hugs,
Mary

Wintery Nights At The Snowy Little Cottage...

YOU are the reason I have The Blog Celebration Week. All of the joy,
fun, prayers, sharing, support... What wonderful Blog friends you are!
Thank You for visiting with me, not just this week but throughout the
year. And For Our NEW friends! Welcome, I think that you will find
many friends through my links :)

I am excited about the holidays approaching as summer winds down.
I will be setting up For Christmas and my Winter Wonderland in
my etsy shop soon :), as well as helping my daughter get ready for
The Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago.
Oh, I will be continuing with posts~ sharing and visiting. :)



And where will this sweet little cottage be This winter???



Who Is the "My" in My Snowy Little Cottage"???
ok, ok, I will tell you :)
Shanae at Speckled Wren!!!
Yippee, Yaaaaya Shoot off the fireworks! * ** **OOO**
{pretend those are fireworks :) }

Thank YOU ALL so MUCH for joining me in a
wonderful week of blogging!!! :)

Hugs,
Mary

Entry Time Has Closed...

Hello! Thank You all for joining in The Blog Celebration Week!
The Entrance Time has closed. I will be returning soon with
The winner!

A Surprise Visit

Spring and Summer I love. You can catch me going barefoot all of the time.
A few years back when the new little kitten heels came out with their "flip flop"
styles out of leathers etc. I was all over that! Soo happy. The shoes in my
closet are mostly for summer. This is a new pair of old fashioned flip flops
from Old Navy... kind of too white. But my very fluffy white and aqua eyelet skirt
looks good with it for ~ for FUN :)

In honor of Summer and the Heat wave that we are about to get here in
Chicago {we have had ONLY one other heat wave all summer, it lasted just
7 days} I am making or rather "re-making" or doing a small twist on a recipe
from Ellie Krieger of the Food Network. She used tuna in a pouch and I
substituted left over grilled chicken. BUT I so want to try this with left over
GRILLED Salmon.



Looks delicious and IS VERY delicious! Even my husband liked it and he
is specific on his sandwiches.

Mediterranean Tuna Wrap
{or grilled chicken or grilled salmon or...}
{Oh, geez, I also used a whole grain bread instead of the wrap}

• 2 (6-ounce) cans chick light tuna in water, drained well*
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped calamata olives
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups pre-washed mixed greens(about 3 ounces each**
• 4 whole-grain wrap breads (about 2 ounces each)***
• 2 large tomatoes, sliced

*Substitute grilled chicken, grilled salmon... , 1 - 1 1/2 cups cubed or flaked
**I used spinach
***I used whole grain wheat bread

Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Pour about 2/3 the dressing over the tuna mixture and toss to combine.
In a separate bowl , our the rest of the dressing over the greens and toss to combine.

Place some tuna salad onto each piece of wrap bread. Top with greens and tomato slices.
Roll wrap and serve.

I like this recipe for it forgoes the usual mayo or whipped condiment for a fresh and refreshing flavor on a H*O*T evening.
Here is my mix with the grilled chicken.



I did not have any olives and in my rush to get dinner on the table for the
restless native, I forgot the luscious tomato from my garden!

Oh MY!
I never let you know when the winner will be announced for the give away!!!
*see here for entering It will be this coming Monday, August 10.2009




Bon Appetit!
OH! If anyone sees the new movie Julie and Julia let me know how it was!

Hugs,
Mary

A Petit Project

The week is going by fast! I so appreciate my blogging friends.
After all, visiting, sharing and supporting one another are just
a few of the reasons why we have our lovely blogs.
You are the reason why I love The Blog Celebration Weeks especially.
I love thinking up and plotting out the projects that we will do
each year... well, this is only the second year but I look forward
to many more years.

I know that many of you are young mothers and this project is for
your children... although Karla's, Chelsea is a wee bit young for this
one. This project is really devised as a jumping off point for YOU. :)
I know that you all can take my idea to the next level and beyond!
Just remember that your children should be Very involved in all
aspects of this. Considerer it your training for the approaching
school year where parents need to let their child do their own
diorama's and science projects.

I think I was influenced some what by Posie Gets Cozy and Posy.
Early projects of garland at Alicia's For the Holidays and Jane's
twinkling lights still shining on her banister and plate rack. I love it!!!

This is also a recycling project if you wish.
Ok already. I will finally let you in on it! I am calling this ~

"My Joyful Garland"

This is a garland to inspire {a.k.a. get our kids to do____{fill in the blank}.

1) Supply your little and not so little ones with your scraps of pretty papers,
newsprint, magazine pages ... what ever is appealing to them in terms of
color or image.





2) With your help, share your punches and get out their own scissors.



3) Punch out shapes and cut out strips.. what ever shapes your children like.
Place a hole punch in one end of the tag { to run the yarn through later}
Of course you can do this for the little ones who want to participate in the
following steps :)
Perhaps they will want to decorate the tags.

4) Give each child their own pretty bowl or cool container OR place the
"tags" all together.

5) You decide or decide together WHAT the THEME of each Joyful Garland
will be.

Will it celebrate:

• each chapter that you read?
• bed you make
• chore that you do
• smile that you give
• kind act that you do
• each time that you walk/play with your sweet pup or cat
• ...what ever inspires your child

This is to be a happy project that can be hung from a door way (especially)
or anywhere that it is going to be highly visible and not forgotten about and
where others can celebrate and congratulate one another on their success.

So gather your pretty markers, glitter... and some nice thick yarn scraps
and hole punch (optional).




6) Cut lengths of yarn that work in your home for hanging and go ahead and
hang them NOW.
{i put some blue tape on the end of mine... you could use clear tape to help
thread the tags}

7) As each accomplishment happens, you or your child can write on the back
of the tag what was done...etc.
Then Your child, children, string it "UP" the length of your yarn {length is your
choice} so it is at the top of the yarn. This way it is easy to keep hanging the
tags as they go along, joyfully through their tasks.




This project is simple. I hope that it does bring JOY to your child as summers
rays of sunshine
spill over your happy home.

hmm, maybe I should make a Joyful Garland for Myself???

Hers


His


Please hop over to sign up for the special give away.



Hugs,
Mary

The Colors Of Summer

Remember to sign up for my special blog give away. Just click
sign up and read the directions at the end of the post :)
* I am excited to award this gift!!!

Today Is the Colors of Summer project! I have been saving my old
t-shirts and wearing some others for gardening. I just could not part
with them. Their colors were still fresh and cheerful and in good
shape... but not really for wearing out. While cleaning out my closet
this spring I found the saved stash of shirts. Having just put away
some winter throws from our living room the idea of a "summer throw"
for my family seemed perfect! Perfectly easy I imagined and I do believe
it came out that way also!

This throw is like a quilt but their are no "insides" to the quilt. Just the
top and it's textured back :) Perfect! You could finish this in 2-3 days
worth of free time!
*** Just think of the cute t-shirts that our children have or teenagers!
Oh the posibilities!
*** Think about the dimensions of the throw you would like to end up with
OR just cut out all of the t-shirts and "wing-it".
*"wing-it" is not a dance that chickens do :) It is a dance that
we/some of us do sometimes or even all of the time! makes life exciting!

Let's get started~

Supplies:
*old t-shirts {with or without decoration/designs}
*thread
*scissors
*square of cardboard {size of the squares you would like your quilt to have and
PERFECTLY SQUARE}
*iron {makes cutting easier}

1) Select your t-shirts, or the fav's of the one you are making this for...
oh! with their permission! heehhe


2) Iron t-shirts. You can do this all at once or one at a time.
*this makes cutting out precise squares much more enjoyable!!!

3) Use your cardboard square template, place it on one of your t-shirts and start
tracing around the template with a soft pencil washable pen.. I used pencil
with an ultra light hand so as to barely see it.
*Place the template strategically so you use the t-shirt fabric with little waste.



4) Keep the squares in nice neat piles so there is no chance of stretching or wrinkling.
*it HELPS to keep the WEAVE {just go by those little lines that all t-shirt
fabrics have} of the fabric in the same direction in the piles.
a techy type of thing but it will keep everything going SQUARE when you start
to sew :)



5) All t-shirts are cut and in there color pile. Let's lay out the squares for ONE row.
Just arrange in a color pattern that pleases YOU:)
*i went horizontal here...rather the width of the fabric.



6) Pin your first row of squares together and use as many pins as you need to get
nice neat squares. Neatness does pay off in this project.



7) First row done.
Layout the next row above the first row until you get a pleasing arrangement.
PIN & SEW the second row.
*YOU NOW HAVE TWO SEPARATE HORIZONTAL ROWS.



8) Continue in this manner until you have the desired number of rows built up.





9) NOW you can start to attach the rows VERTICALLY TOGETHER.
*Match up the seams.
*I matched up and sewed a row at a time and did it in two halves so that
I only had to work with the bulk of the fabric once, when I sewed the final
middle seam. :)



10) You can stop here or continue on with a binding around the perimeter of the
t-shirt throw.
Why did I not move this Gazing ball out of my way!!!???



For the border/binding around the edges, I used some left over favorite fabric that I used here originally :)



This fabric was a perfect match-up for me!
I just cut four strips of about 2 1/4" wide. Two for length and two for width of the finished t-shirt throw.
***OH, cut them each about 3" longer than the sides of the throw.
Pin strips on opposing ends, sew. Sew with a 1/4" or smaller seam.
Then same for remaining 2 sides.
Press under the outer edge of the strips by 1/4".
Fold binding over to cover the seam and press.
pin and hand sew Or machine sew binding around the T-shirt Throw.

You ARE DONE :)
Whew! This project is much easier than my lengthy directions seem to
imply. I tend to like to give a lot of pointers... just ask my daughter and son!
Remember, this is just a bunch of T-shirts :)





I hope that you make this T-Shirt Throw. Now that I have the final photos finally taken I am going to start using it... Just in time for our heat wave this weekend LOL!
I am going to figure out how to start a flickr group for your Celebration Projects :) {just look at my empty side bar... sewing etc. I know, computers~ not so much.
Thank You for playing :)
See you tomorrow :)

Hugs, Mary

Before Your Eyes & My Special Giveaway

Today we have found treasure. Treasure right in our
very own homes just waiting for us to find it.
"What is this!?" You ask?
Yes, you have unfound treasure, only requirement is
to open your fridge or cupboards.

Enjoy the beauty and talent of packaging designers.



A beautiful bottle and a gift from nature.



Hot cocoa containers can live on through the summer
and back into the fall!



Can you imagine a gorgeous Fall bouquet in this cocoa
tin! I just slipped a drinking glass through the opening
that was a tiny bit taller than the tin... so we can re-
treave the glass later.





And the simplicity of a small jar with a beautifully
scribed label in tact.





Let us not forget my "Shabby" bottles!!!



As sweet and innocent as lovely sweet peas.



I went to my own cupboard and fidge and found more
containers... future vases in a pinch or planned. These
are also "vases" that one could easily send over to a
friend and neighbor with blooms billowing over there
tops.





I realized that I have even more objects around my home. All containers
that were oh so lovely and not ready to be confined to the recycling bin.

Anyone wondering what and were the gift give away is? ! Ah, you are going
to be thrilled! Well, I am! :) I hope that you will be also!
Just leave me your name on TODAYS POST comment section OR if you do not have the means to comment you can go to my etsy shop, Oh Merci and leave your name and info in the "contact ohmerci" section of my shop :)


Here it is~



This is my first cozy little cottage design.
I love the slopped roof and the petit round top front door.
You will be set for the winter with this Sweet
Snowman Cottage.
***aqua vase not included***

Have fun spreading some summer joy around your home today
with this simple and fun petit project.
Tomorrow ~ Ah, a very fun project full of summer!!!

Hugs,
Mary

Second Annual Blog Celebration Week!

"She Sells Sea Shells Down By The"...Garden! Well, I do not sell them. But I did make this for our First~
BLOG CELEBRATION Project! Each day this week I will make a new post for this Blog Celebration Week!

My Son Doug loves angel food cake. While washing up the plastic container that it came in, I realized I could perhaps use this as a mold for a stand for my gazing ball. First I placed the gazing ball in the center to see if it fit ~ Success!

Quick Crete/cement (or your choice)
ROUND container* for mixing
Stir stick
plastic mold
Water

*I would use a perfectly round container if you can. Mine was wonky inside and it made for some frustration stirring.



Mixing up the quick Crete/cement in a recyclable container.





Scoop out powder into your mixing container
Slowly add water to the powder to get a peanut butter consistency
work quickly once the water is added
poor or scoop out cement mixture into the plastic mold getting it as full as you wish and
Smooth out top as best as you can, and clean up the edges with a rag
Let dry over night
NEXT DAY:
Turn up side down and mold should come out.


Now for the FUN!
Get out your shells bits of sparkle, ballerinas, pearls etc.

You can set your shells etc. out to gather your game plan. ooo! Did I just say "game plan"! Too much sports "muzac" in my life.

Make sure that your gazing ball will fit into the design.
*I left my gazing ball on the cement form while I did my initial design plan.

I found that Aleene's Quick Dry Tacky Glue worked very well! So happy!!!
I am NOT sure if it will hold up in the rain though. So you can be sure of success and use the E6000 Glue in a WELL VENTILATED AREA~ like outside!



Have fun and add to your hearts content!

on the way~





HINT: stand back and admire your progress so as to make any adjustments along the way!










finishing frosting:
I found a sand that had a hint of sparkle to it naturally.
Brush, spread... any way you can... get the glue around the shells a small section at a time and sprinkle with the sand of your choice :)
* I used a shallow box to catch the sand that fell away.
* I used this glass container that I use for paint water to hold the mold during the sanding process.

HINT: stand back and admire your progress so as to make any adjustments along the way!




This project I have fretted about for MONTHS!!!
Should I go through all of that work?
WILL it turn out?
Will it fall apart?
Will it look... wrong?
Yes, I am a worrier. Even Cailtin said it turned out better than she expected!
In the end, I am sooo glad that I tired it and I do hope that YOU will too!
I am going to figure out how to do a flickr group for this and the other projects for this week. So get busy my sweet friends and let me know when you can show us!!!


Ta Daa!!! ~


Thank you so for coming by and I will see you tomorrow for more FUN! :)

Hugs,
Mary

Lovely: Part II

*First I must apologize~ I will have to have our Blog Celebration Week #2,
NEXT Monday, August 3, 2009... My camera is being borrowed so I
am behind in my photos.

Today I will finish showing you the "guts" to my lovely dresser. (it is summer and "guts" and "lovely" remind me of summer...as a child)

This is the top drawer.~ Yes I made decisions about which drawer of the two will have which papers... kind of weird but it is a nice finishing thought.
The paper in the middle was one of my favorites and I did stock pile a number of sheets of it. But in the end I decided to use it only in the center of this drawer, as opposed to the entire drawer. The sides, front and back are all different papers.





I used Mod Podge for my adhesive. At one point I ran out of glue and could not get out for more... papers wrong size... I got a bit cranky once or twice.

Here is the second of the two drawers:



I heart this paper by Amy Butler. Not my usual soft worn colors but it works in this petit dresser.
Ok.. remember I told you that I got a bit cranky at times during this LOOOOng project. Here is evidence of one of those times. The dresser is curvy, VERY CURVY. I made a pattern to cut out the paper with but it did not work out for some reason. Now I was faced with only one extra sheet of Amy's beautiful bluish patterned paper. My paper shop was out of it and would not be restocking it! horror. I ended up adding the nice blue grey polka dot paper {which they are not carrying anymore either :(, I bought the last four sheets it turns out} on the edges and brought the front paper down a bit on the bottom of the dresser to compensate for any peeks. ugh. Not my best work but it is for me, not a client or friend.



Here they are, two lovely drawers:



NOW for the part of the dresser that inspired the papering project in the first place, the cabinet portion of the dresser!

Right Side:



Here is another cranky moment. The Paper that I just loved, with all of my favorite colors in, had that annoying antiquing around the edges of it. It was annoying in this project for it made it very difficult to match-up each paper without wasting. I do not like to waste... now I happen to know that my hubby will not be reading this for he would not agree. I do throw out food/leftovers after four days and my favorite bread if it has any mold... the whole loaf... Ok, am I getting cranky again?

I did not get an individual shot of the right side so here are the two sides together.



The middle wall of this side has a soft green polka dot paper.
OH!!! Did I mention that the SIDES OF THIS DRESSER ARE CURVY ALSO! Yep! Making another challenge for me and my antiqued edged paper. *Another note: my husband offered to cut out a new bottom for the cabinet portion of the dresser. I unwisely declined. If I had accepted I could have papered the bottom while it was still out of the cabinet... well in my perfect world. Any way the hubby had better and more important things to do, and it was better that I was cranky on my own.



So this is One of the challenges I have been busy on this summer.

I do love this lovely petit dresser. It fits perfectly on this little wall in our kitchen... but it is supposed to go back into the living room... wonder where it will end up?




*I should note here that by filling the insides of the dresser with pretty papers I was able to get rid of that DRY old smell.

Maybe I should re-name this post~ "Lovely Crankiness" ?? hehehe

Hugs,
Mary

Beau

*First I must apologize~ I will have to have our Blog Celebration Week #2,
NEXT Monday, August 3, 2009... My camera is being borrowed so I
am behind in my photos.

I hope that this finished project will appease you :) It sure pleases me :)
Remember how the dresser started out?
The wood was very dried out and gouges were plugged with some strange
compound. Now, quite a difference. I love the color. The PERFECT shade
of white AND chosen in record time!!!

How do you like the handles? The glass pulls are new, from Lowe's, and
the pretty turquoise/aqua knobs are from Anthropologie.



IF these knobs came in a white version, I would be all over it!!! My Friend
Meg used some beauties from Anthro for her buffet that were all white and
I loved it all! SOO fabulous and "chic".

Surprise!


Ok... I was so excited to use some of my pretty papers that when I went
visiting over to the beautiful Posy site and saw this, I thought that she
too was going to use scrap book papers! A sister in "creative crime" I
thought. It was not until I started actually cutting and pasting my papers
that I realized that by the word "papers" she meant "wall paper". I do
highly recommend wallpaper as it is MUCH easier in that it covers all
of a surface or as little as you want it too. sooo... I improvised. I was going
to use several papers per drawer anyway as I did here.

I am going to have to post again tomorrow with the rest of the pretty insides.

Thank You for stopping by :)

Hugs,
Mary

Apree

Here is the photo of the cushion I was telling you about.
I reworked it from a back pillow of a love seat into a big
plump cushion for this wicker chair. I used some of the
filling from a love seat pillow back. It has a very nice
downy loft to it. I love it and it is nice on the tush. I have
been wanting a quiet, comfy chair for our bedroom. An
upholstered chair would be ideal but I am not complaining.
I do need to fix some of the wicker on one of the legs. No biggie.

*** I am working on my BLOG CELEBRATION WEEK for
next week. Five days of fun! And a give away ~
which I will be showing you during next week. :)

***I will also be back yet again THIS week! I know, don't fall
off your chair! Elizabeth has challenged me! She needs to post
less and I need to post more. We are going to balance everything
out together! :)

Hugs,
Mary

Yet Another...

Yes, another project. This one IS FINISHED. However, I can not show it to you yet :( I know. It seems like a bunch of empty promises lately. I have been sharing my camera, so right now I do not have it to take the finished photo.

But this is a cushion that was on our little love seat in the living room. The deck cushions have been patched once with some lovely creamy white Laura Ashley velvet fabric. (we used to have a beautiful Laura Ashely Shop nearby). this is one of the back cushions~ I have reworked the shape to fit a cute little wicker chair that I have had since Caitlin was a baby. In fact it was in her nursery and then in Douglas'. Well, I have now put it in the master bedroom, brightening a corner by our window. :)

I think I will have the camera later today~ in which case I will update this post with the after photo :)

*The dresser is just in need of placing the hinges back on (there is a debate on brass (the original hinges) or silver hinges. and selecting the final hardware. Definitely later in the week I will be able to show you this. i LOVE it :)

so check back in ~ I will place the after photo at the bottom of this post.
*** UPDATE~ I did not get my camera back so I will show the finished chair in a future post.... Oh Merci for your patience :)

Hugs,
Mary

The Maternity Ward... I mean Yard

Yes. My husband found a rabbit sitting by a hole in our front flower bed. We think that she had just birthed the bunnies that evening. So Ducks, birds and rabbits galore have found our yard to be the perfect "first home" for their broods.




I know the mother rabbit had come to check on them for their coverings were changed daily. She hid them very well. On occasion we caught glimpses of their cute little faces~ then suddenly, 3 sets of legs and ears would go flying all around as they all tried to turn their backs to us... as if this would deem them invisible to us. A game of TWISTER in their tiny home. The above photo was taken on their last day in their tiny little home. They took up residence under our bushes for a few days and then under the clematis vine. Now they are off to the big wide world.

The Forth of July has come and gone... so quickly! We had fireworks every night! This includes surrounding towns and neighbors and neighborhoods! I am amazed at how large the "backyard" fireworks were this year! We watched the Naperville fireworks... they always do such a beautiful job. Our favorites are from Naperville and Petosky, Michigan where they shoot them out over Lake Michigan.

Finally~ a peek at what I hope to be doing today...


LOVE all of these papers! Amy butler... will I have the courage to actually use the paper??? It is soooo beautiful. Basic Grey, Porcelain, 7Gypsies, Deena's Penny Lane, Me&My Big Ideas. I will be using them on a special project, but like I said... which will I have the courage to actually "use up"... if they are gone.. they are gone :( However my project will be gorgeous!!!

Hugs,
Mary

Sounds of Summer

The windows are once again open here in our home. I am loving it! Such wonderful weather after a week of above 90 with humidity! I actually sat out on our patio on Sunday! AND WITH my CAMERA!!! Yes, I actually thought to take pictures!!! See, my husband, K.C. has always been "Joe Camera" in our family. Thankfully! We have nice family shots:)

3 phases of wind: *to see correct third photo go to my flickr page


Out on the patio the wind was blowing the trees around, tosseling them a bit wildly, like when you get out of your car and your hair is flying all over the place and you can not see! Pony tail weather.
The sounds that the trees made reminded me of my summers at Lake Michigan with my family. We went there every summer for a week of camping~ such glorious FUN! We also would take day trips. It was only an hour and a half from our home. Our friends owned a beautiful camp ground on Lake Michigan. We would camp in between two dunes... about 75 feet for tents on either side of the sidewalk. The sidewalk was cement and it led happy families and teenagers from the parking lot and wonderful little camp store through the little camp set ups then opening up to looking down at the beautiful beach...sun, sand ,waves and laughter. So many happy times there. It was were I would see teenagers having dances after dark and sneaking kisses from there girlfriends behind beach hats. Older boys thinking I was cute and best of all, my brother swinging down from the above dune on a vine right over our tent!!!!! Now that is fun! Well, we thought so, our parents did not agree :)
Are you hearing any sounds that take you back to a special time, event or place?
Please share with us:)

Hugs,
Mary

Avante

Yes. Another Before shot. Another project. I warned you last time
that I would not be showing you the after picture for a bit... and now
you see why, right? I started the rocker first, but I am waiting on
fabric decisions and I also wanted to start the dresser. The above
photo shows more closely the color of the wood and condition of the
dresser as I found it. Meaning~ wood in dry condition and some
white wash remaining. *Except for the primer I put on the one of the
drawers.



I was experimenting with primer. Brush on verses spray on. Guess
which one won? yes-serie bob! Spray on. :) Well, let me say this: I
brushed on one coat of primer and then sprayed on remaining coats (2).
Why brush on??? My dear sweet K.C. purchased an enormous, gigantic
bucket of primer a bit ago... for me! He did not realize, well yes he did,
I have been using the small cans which are easy to store and used up
in perfect order. He deemed it prudent and efficient, and rightly so, that
a ginormous bucket of primer is healthy for the budget/cost efficient,
best buy. By brushing on the first coat of primer I saved on the number of
coats of spray primer. And truly this was the best technique. On occasion
the brush on primer will have some yellowing of the white primer~ old stain
leaking through as was with this very old dresser. The spray on primer seals all of that up for me.

The second photo shows off the pretty curves of this piece. The two bottom spots
are cabinets. Caitlin took the photos for me during a time crunch. Thank you Caitlin :)
As you can see the insides are in need of a Fairy godmother. I have a trick up
my sleeve, but I am not the only one to think of this "Oh So Pretty" and Practical Idea!!!
hehehe, you will have to stay tuned to see who, or guess:) :) :)

Hugs,
Mary

Avante

Yes, it is another before shot~ that will have an apre`s
follow-up.



I found this at an estate sale I stumbled onto with my husband. we were out on errands in a different area from our usual. My Aunt had a rocker just like this and my cousin, Carol, loved rocking in it. It is a stationary rocker... so no slip sliding away across the room.



Cat toy (little round poof) is thrown out now and shoes... please take care of your shoes-----.



This is a nice box pleat skirt to make sure the lower mechanics of the rocker are concealed.
The back cushion is attached with snaps, I will have to change that, the lower cushion with ties.

Can I tell you how many staples were in this chair!!! There were THREE and one thirds tips around the deck and perimeter of this rocker! My fingers hurt for several days. I do mean HURT! I am trying to make the new upholstery without staples... I wonder if I can?

I am excited for the results HOWEVER I will be showing you a before and after shot of something else before this rocker is shown :) I am hoping to use some Shabby Chic fabric, IF I am lucky!!! So, PLEASE, wish me luck:)

Are you working on a project???

Hugs,
Mary

Refreshment

This is the "immediate" View at my kitchen window. It is quite by accident. Everything here is by default. Have you noticed that the best photos or spots in our homes happen by chance. The jumble of dishes, quickly stacked and placed on a shelf, next to some treasures of our children... all the colors and shapes looking so extraordinary together. Thus is the lot of my kitchen window.



Needing a place for the glass pieces, the window won out. All close at hand for frequent use... vases and pretty petit jars, empty of their jams and mustards (currently in use :)



The peony cut too short finds a home in my window... what joyful greetings. To quench your thirst~ why a pretty Shabby Chic water bottle. Yes, I have saved them. I love Rachel's design on them and the fact that Elizabeth always presented us with refreshments during our chats in the oh so wonderful and VERY missed Shabby Chic, Chicago... I can not part with them.

Share with us your "surprise spots" in your home... places that make you smile, all by accident.
If you do not see any at this moment~ do not fret, just keep your eyes opened and one or two will suddenly appear. Perhaps as children come in from the beach or...

Happy scouting!

Hugs,
Mary

just playin'

I had a bit of time and made one more petit pocket purse. Well, it could
be smaller~ this one is 5 inches x 7 inches. The pretty corsage is on the
reverse side of the zipper, a pretty pink zipper :)





On the inside there is placed a label that Caitlin designed for me...
yes it is my banner :)


I made a batch of these that I already sent out...
oh, but now I have added my special petit corsage to them.
Makes it a bit more fun when touching up your lipstick. :)

Hugs, Mary

My Yard

I know, more photos of the flower beds. I was hoping to put in a proper vegetable garden this year (I would have to sneak it in for it is against the rules. Really! Suburbia and a big neighborhood... equals rules. Some have put them in places were the swing set used to be. SOME have called sheds "play houses"... they surely look lovely :) I wish I had one too:) and house my studio in it:) a bit chilly/freezing in the winter!
Back to my yard...



I do not know what this is called~ It has been here for many years now and I never made a garden journal. The leaves are like Columbine and the long stems of flower will be done soon... leaving just the nice dark blue green foliage.
*massive amounts of peony buds in background :) soo happy about that :)


Here is a peony that is ahead of the curve in blooming.


This is the arbor to the back garden from the right side of the house. French Lilacs, that flower smaller pink petals, flank it while I patiently wait for two Clematis. One is a fluffy white Marie Boislott I believe. The bunnies munch on it every year. There is a second Clematis on the same side but opposite end which I think is pink.. also bunny food~ so no blooms in several years. I really should get a bunny proof fence around them.


This photo is for all of us who love the cherry and apple blossoms that float down and around the trees and are photographed and seen before a foot has even tread upon them.
Hi Lorraine :)
I happened to see this from inside this week after a dark rainy night and morning... it was such a happy sight.


close up :)


This is the same day as the above photo. We had a very nice afternoon and then rain and sun... We get that very often here... so you can count on rainbows, yes several rainbows, every year. You can also count on at least one double rainbow every year also! It is amazing! This was a double but I looked at it too long before getting my camera! So sorry about that.
Can you see it just over the bushes on the left?


I do have tomatoes around the corner of the patio. They grow profusely there and I have plenty to share. I love the petit, yellow pear ones and tiny clusters of various cherry tomatoes. I also have an herb garden next to my kitchen. I use this all summer and once was even able to use the sage for Thanksgiving Turkey!
I am so fortunate to have this yard. It has the perfect amount of grass for K.C. hmm. maybe a little less to mow this summer if I am lucky.

I will be back soon with projects and things to share :)

Hugs,
Mary

Maternity Ward

On Thursday morning we found this laying on our duckling safety set-up:

And this!

click on photos to see better.
Do you like our set up we made for them?? hehehe. I was still worried
that the babies may hurt themselves when it came time for jumping, so
we put out an old card table,covered it with a big tarp and stuck cushions
I was throwing out in between the tarp layers.... GOOD THING!
BECAUSE, later in the day we came and checked on her again . NOW there
were at least three ducklings and they all scurried off behind her before I
could get my camera in place... no paparazzi photos for me.

BUT then SUDDENLY, THIS happened! Shrieks and QUACKS!!! Oh MY!!!



This one just suddenly PLOPPED right down! I thought a moment, then
looking at Beatrice, a.k.a. mama duck, I went softly forward to get the duckling.
Mama would have nothing of the kind, she hissed at me, glaring with beady eyes.
Now K.c. had already had a fly over experience with her two days before! He
was trying to take photos of her and the nest UP CLOSE, as in over the top of
her! She flew out shaking up that paparazzi!
Oh! Back to the the problem at hand: I calmly stood there waiting. Mama
duck and baby started to "talk" to each other. I am sure Mama was saying, "Now
you get back up her this instant!" Baby duck was going the wrong way, she
wanted to slide down the "fun slide" I guess. So she did! Now she was on
ground level. This was not working so I swiftly went down and scooped up
this feathery delight and promptly placed her back with her mum! All was
good again.

Can you see the baby ducks in the above photo? *click on the photo*
There at least three ducklings. The ducklings need food and water so within 24 hours they take their leap of faith and leave the nest, following their beloved mum, Beatrice in this case.
This a.m. I went out to check on them and they indeed had left the nest. It is not too long of a "waddle" down to the lake and creek. hehehe

So ends The Story of Beatrice and Her Very Cool Nest!

Hugs,
Mary

Vintage Storage?

I have finished the "Vintage Storage" crates!
Remember them in their "Avant" stage.
Here is the half way point~ waiting for them to dry.
Oh, yes, they are stacked four crates high in this photo.


There are several views of the sides... each side is
different, of course.
I like the aged look of the application.


Apres:
And here they are a bit embellished and in place in my petit studio.


I wrapped some bits of tulle' around the wooden posts of the crates.
I wanted to keep them fairly free of adornment.


Bits of tags for quick identification of the crate contents.


Final view, a bit blurry. The insides were kept clean... easy viewing of contents.


I have loved the crates in Anthropologie stores for years. Now I finally have my own!
If you want to make them I am happy to help where ever I can :)

Thank You

This is a day late, but truly any day is a good day to remember.
Mercy Me... I love this song.



Thank you so for stopping by.
Mary

Darling Storage

First thing, Beatrice, our mother duck nesting in our hanging basket, is
doing quite well. Incubation is still underway.
While waiting, I am cleaning out my studio. Once the floors were finished
and the shelves up, etc. I just jumped right in to creating things and never
completely organized this petit space. It is in dire need of organization.

The above wooden crates were from this winters supply of Darling
Clementines and regular clementines. Soo delicious! They carried their
precious cargo to our home and now I am going to use them for storage in
my studio. Well, that is AFTER a little sprucing up!
I will be back to show you the final product.



It is going to be 85 degrees here today. Knowing this, I have already
exercised and did a bit of gardening... oh, and the screens are ready to
be put into place for those beautiful breezes!
Hope the sun is shining nicely on you and yours!

Hugs,
Mary

"Do You See What I See"???

No, not a star, but but something that is also wonderful and special!
Do you remember reading here about where Mr. and Mrs. Duck went? Well, the other weekend we found a little "HOME" that she made. I noticed that there was a clump of root ball hanging down from the basket. K.C. tipped the hanging basket a bit and we found a beautiful pale blue egg inside!!!

Then about Tuesday of last week we found Mrs. Duck, back in here Pent House, staying put on her bundle of joy(s). Remember, I did tip you in that my backyard seemed to be a maternity ward this Spring!


This is what can happen if you forget to clean up your hanging basket in the fall... Maybe you should thing about it? hehehe
We have a very good wildlife preserve,where they care and rehabilitate wounded birds etc. then return them to the wild. I called and the prompters directed me to Geese and Duck info... Very interesting. Geese mate for life, Ducks for the season of mating, leaving within one week once incubation starts. This means within one week of her sitting on the nest he leaves. That is the way it works for the Duck (Mallords) world. She will sit there for approximately 23 days. They have been known to make their nest in MUCH higher places. The ducklings should be fine as they are made to be able to handle tough situations. That is good news. I will be moving the hose reel and perhaps place an old towel over the brick edge... just for safe keeping... to hedge their chances. Oh dear, their little free falling entrance into the world. sigh.
I wish I could place a video recorder/ movie camera out there to catch them in action. I do know that ducks are not sleepy heads, they get up very early.
I would say that Beatrix, (the new name for Mrs. Duck) is a good mum!

Spring Continues...

Crazy Spring! Well, these tulips went crazy as soon as they went into the vase! This drove K.C. (Hubby) crazy! Yes, really. So I tried to "fix" them and they become more crazy! As if they were dancing.  

The effect grew on me and I now like the look very much. They remind me of those very fancy Dutch Tulips with the Parrot colors.  

Hello...

These gorgeous White Lilacs came from my garden.

I have 3, THREE, lilac bushes in the yard! I planted them a few years ago and now they are quite profuse in their blooms. This makes it much easier to cut them and share them with my neighbors. I try to think of the shape of the bush as I cut so that I will be left with an attractive bush as opposed to a stump! It is raining so I will try to get a picture of the bushes in bloom soon. :)

Tomorrow I have a very exciting post, well, I think it is!
And Yes, unless I have more computer problems, it will be tomorrow! :)

Hugs,
Mary

The Lambs

Here is my Lamb collection. I do not know why I started collecting them... I do remember 

it was in the midst of my McCoy and USA, WHITE pottery collection time. I am always side 

tracked by white. And pink. Soft greens and aqua and yellow can get me also.

I started with this one~

And as you can see form the first photo, I found another. One for Caitlin and one for Doug.  

A theme, an idea was hatched. I would give them each a lamb later in their life...

As you can see it became a party. An intimate one, but still a happy gathering.

And that is what today IS. A very happy and special day of gathering one and all on this National Day of Prayer. There are many events planed for today around the country. You can find them here.

It was in 1775 that the Continental Congress called for prayer while they sought to create a new nation, this land of Freedoms that we so enjoy the fruits of.

Lincoln called for a Day of Prayer in 1863. It would be in 1952, when President Truman officially signed it into law, through an act of Congress. Then, in 1988, President Reagan made an amendment to proclaim the first Thursday in May the National Day of Prayer. Today is the 58th formal Day of Prayer. I only learned of this special day about ~ six years ago. My very dear friend Brenda filled me in and I loved it. Our country is so great and We are blessed with freedom. Freedom to pray :)

Hugs,

Mary

Springtime Bounty

The rain keeps coming and everything is very soggy. Green, but soggy.
The sun keeps trying to push the clouds aside... keep tying "merry little sunshine" :)

The walk up to our front door is fairly bursting with joy. Welcome :)




There are two types of Ajuga (purple) in this bed, however this variety has won out.
It looks nice against the remaning Candytuft. My Candytuft (white) in Michigan was
an upright variety that formed an oh so nice petit hedge. The type shown is
more of a cascading type of perennial, re-seeding itself beautifully!


That is lamby pie on the front porch. I found her at our nursery a number
of years ago. We have a wonderful nursery with two locations. One of
them is within walking distance, well, walking with a wagon in tow, if you
know what I mean! The other is just on the other side of town, a very nice
drive of say 20-30 minutes, giving one a nice break. Each has wonderful
gardens to stroll while you shop. I will take the camera and get some pictures,

hmmm, maybe this weekend :)


This is a new addition of a few years ago. I had hoped to find another
yellow Elizabeth Magnolia for just the proper resource friendly price.
And there it appeared at our second stop!!! A lovely blessing that we
can share with our neighbors. It is a moderate growing tree.


Here is a nice place to stop and enjoy the company of a friend.
There is a heavenly scented Viburnum directly behind the bench.
It is not quit in full bloom but the aroma wafts in and around the
yard and home~ when the windows are open. Before that is
finished blooming there is a wonderful white Lilac bush that will
burst with flowers just at the end of the bench (left arm of the bench).


Here we are ... trying to feel as if we are in New York's Central Park
with the cherry blossoms adorning the ground. These are pink Magnolia petals.

What do you think Lorraine? :) somewhat hopeful heh?


This is the Elizabeth Magnolia from the back patio. It has a wonderful aroma!!!
This is what the young magnolia in the front yard is shooting for!


AND "Bunny Kins"! This little beaute" is just about 6 inches long.
I looked out the bay window into our back yard yesterday and thought it
was a leaf. No, a sweet baby bunny eating the grass. What good manners
she has not to eat my garden plants. I took some photos inside and then
went outside. Yes,I went way too close. She scurried off. We will have to
walk the yard in search of any bunny nests before mowing occurs.


Spring has come and it has felt as if we have a mating and maternity ward
in our yard! Bunnies are leaping and jumping and running everywhere; birds
are chasing oneanother as well and building nests and some have hatched
already! No good photo ops there. We also had a pair of ducks!!! K.C., my
husband, saw a pair of ducks waddling around the back door. When they
disappeared he went in search of them. He saw the male scurry off under
the arbor but no female. THEN, out of the corner of his eye he saw a pair of eyes...
above a beak that was stuffed with brown grasses~ one and all blending into
the HANGING BASKET that she was hanging in !!! Camouflage! But the jig was up
and she sailed off! My husband loves his story of he and the duck hunt!

I do not know how the baby ducks would get down from there if they actually
continued to make a nest there! Hopefully they are off to better home sites!

Hugs,
Mary

Great Joy

I do believe that my package to a most wonderful and funny, kind and loving, Mom and wife, and friend has arrived. (yes improper sentence) So I can share the contents with you :)

I spoke to how the project formed here.
Have you ever noticed that there are times when working on either a difficult project or a very special project, things "fall" into place. Grace is given. That is what happened with this project. :)

The given was that I wanted to use what I felt may have been a V.I.P. portion of the piece of art that I scooped up from her shop. I thought it may be the birds. So with a found piece of paper lace and a color that reminds me of the Ocean, a foundation was formed and the Love Birds were painted on top, whew.
Now something to define the outline, sheet music, "Good Morning Merry Sunshine". The Tittle was cut out and placed along the edge and then I filled in the area with those bands of music notes ( i am not a musician). WHY would I be going thru all of this detail!? Because the way I described the procedure was exactly how it happened , not nilly willy but not every detail was focused on. So when I looked down at it at this point I see that WITH the birds in an upright position , looking down at the plaque, the music bands of notes formed the letter "C" !!! This was not planned, the doves were upright with the "C"! "C" for Creative Chaos, Karin's site and "C" for her wonderful Cosme! Hey, simple things bring me joy!

Have things like this happened to YOU!? Please do share with us :)



I know my photos are not up to par today, so sorry but no retakes are possible. For some great photos or to score your very own piece from Karin, Icing On The Cake Studio, hop over to her blog and etsy shop. Her work is even more wonderful in person!!!

Big Hugs to you, Karin :)

Hugs,
Mary

Kindness, Love ...

This is a petit post on Michael Oher. He is just towards the end of his college career and is in the top contenders for the NFL draft. WHat??? You ask. Football? I know. I will confess that I do not ever "choose" to watch football, nor any other sport now. But given my loved ones that do like to watch various or all sports, hahaha, I may tune in a bit, crocheting could come in handy here :) Back to the real story here: Michael Oher's life story thus far reached me just this past Friday, the day before the NFL draft for 2009. What a life he has already lived in his young age! Just watch this video! Oh, and grab a new box of Kleenex, since you may have used up your previous box on Susan Boyle's moving audition!




I think that for me, knowing more about the players may be key to becoming a sport fan. Oh, and having watched my son play.
How about you? Are you a sports fan? Prefer to watch your children play?...

Hugs,
Mary
Michael Oher

"From Sea To Shining Sea"

This is a petit peek into a project I have been working on for a very special person!  

It took me awhile to figure out exactly what I wanted to send to her.   Once 

selected, my next challenge was to incorporate a bit of me into the piece. 

I am very happy with the results!  I will show this in it's entirety at weeks end :)

Sometimes we are working on a new design  for someone very dear to us and thus

we ponder, wile away the time without true commitment nor results.   Sometimes

projects, committees, great organizations fall into this group.  We must remember 

the words of Benjamin Franklin~

"A little neglect may breed great mischief."

Cole`re

Anger has been used a lot lately in the news...It seems that it is a word that could become politically incorrect or at least come to mean something much different than what Webster intended. 
an-ger n.  

1. A feeling of extreme displeasure, hostility, indignation, or exasperation toward someone or something: rage; wrath; ire 
2. Obsolete. Trouble; pain; affliction

The American Heritage Dictionary Of The English Language

However, anger can be used for good, as a motivator; to propel one into Positive action as seen in a new Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler.  (How many wonderful movies and misty eyed commercials have we viewed from Hallmark thru the years!)  Hallmark will air this movie, their 236th presentation, on Sunday, April 19th on CBS.

Irena died last year, May 12, 2008.  She was nominated for the Noble Peace Prize in 2007!

The following is a petit documentary on Irena, for a bit of a background.   Remeber the movie THIS SUNDAY! :)

I Dreamed a Dream ~ True Beauty

Have you noticed that there is beaute’ all around us? From the mess on 

our work table, the way a child looks at his/her mom, the way a parent 

looks at their child, or a bud getting ready to bloom after a long winter!  

How about This Beaute' I discovered this morning... after over
15.5 million others! Sorry but you will have to click on the link for it is
the only way to see the original. But SOOO worth it!!!
Get your tissues out :)

Still Cold

The daffodils are out and the aroma from them is wonderful... when it is warm enough outside to get close to them! :)  The above urn is on our back patio steps... I took the shot from the comfort and warmth of inside!  

Here is the side shot... it WAS completely empty, it is now filled with snow!   Well, last week it was.  lucky for us it melted in ONE day!  There were a few neighbors that still had snow mounds near their home the Saturday before Easter... which looked very strange!

You may think that You have seen this same photo last Winter, nope!  This was  taken the same day, week before Easter!   

All is green now, still cold.  We were supposed to be in the low 70's this week, a bit above normal.  That would be lovely.  We are instead 10 degrees below normal.  The Daffodils in the front are still ok, South facing... good Feng Shui.   I will see if I can get a good photo of them, the Candy Tuft is not blooming though.

I have made a cute little something for someone and will show it too you after they get it.  I also will be working on some special things for two friends :).    Labors of love :)

I hope that everyone had a beautiful Easter!

Hugs,

Mary

Bouquets Ready For Delivery!

Visit Oh Merci :)  and Nice :)

Just making a special post to let you know that my daughter Caitlin is having a sale today!
Nice will be a part of an exclusive event/sale happening tonight in Etsy's Virtual Labs, hosted by the lovely Marichelle of Heart Handmade! Stop by the lab at 6pm central / 7pm eastern time tonight!

And today until 9pm central / 10pm eastern time all Mini I Love You Banners are 25% off!
You will be refunded through paypal once you make your purchase!

- Links -

Info on the Shop Live event:
http://www.hearthandmadeblog.com/2008/02/shop-live-on-etsy.html

Direct link to Etsy's Virtual Labs where Shop Live will take place at 6pm central / 7pm eastern time:
http://www.etsy.com/virtual_labs.php

Nice shop: www.nice.etsy.com

A Bouquet ~ Almost

Here is a sneak peek of a few things I have been working on. It appears as a petit bouquet ~ for Spring and the anticipation of summer. Am I rushing into summer? Ah ~Spring and Summer. Theses will be added to the shop in all of their finished glory, this week.



Meanwhile I guess I will be appreciating the cold and sogginess, nourishing us in-spite of our protest.

Hugs,
Mary

Mother and Daughter

Now this is what I call beautiful work! Now you can see the difference from my three petit dollies (shown here) and these oh so adorable mom and daughter.
Notice all of the details AND the steady hand required to turn out such a beautiful piece!!!

Where can YOU get one for yourself, your daughter or even your family you ask?

Over at Erica Daley's of coarse!   She has a very nice selection.  So enjoy!



After my last post and messaging Erica and also Wunderkind... I took the plunge (hey, this time I looked at the sums and saw that I could own one of my very own!!! And I found one at Erica's! She is such a sweet heart that she gifted me the Mama!!! Now I need to come up with a suitable surprise for her~ and I may have come up with something! :)

Next on my list: try to score a Wunderkind as she is restocking tomorrow!!! That is Saturday, March 28, 2009, Girls!
The Early Birds get the dolls!

Hugs,

Mary

Play Time

I had a bit of free time and I decided to turn it into playtime!   Three cute little dollies ~ 

Spool Dollies.  I had just found a new glue and wondered if it would hold the wooden pieces together without holding it for a trillion years.   It worked  pretty good so I made three dollies. But they do not compare to the beauty of the originals!!!  

You see, I first heard of  these cutties at Erica Daley's .  You can scoop up 

one of Erica's sweet dollies here.  When you stop over at her place notice their cute pixie hair cuts now a favorite modèle de cheveux of contemporary women. 

Erica linked me to another site Wunderkind and that is where I found the style of 

Anime dollies.  They are also so adorable!  She even has petit hand knit hats for them!  (hint: look in her sold section).   Oh, and  Erica even has cute little homes for them!!!  

I dream of owning one of Erica's and Wunderkind's creations!   They are 

unique, creative and so inspiring!  A "wunder" ful petit piece of art :)

Hugs, 

Mary

Happy St. Patrick's Day

**this is a repeat post from 2007, I hope that you still like it**

Happy St. Patrick Day! Yesterday while working on some new items for the shop the radio was on, talking about St. Patrick. I did have an idea that he was not really a saint, but what a man he was...(please read the following with an Irish brog)....
He was actually British, kidnapped at a young age and brought to Ireland to be a slave! His duty was to tend the sheep. Tending sheep gives you quite some time on your hands. He would gaze at the grass and up to the stars and talk to the heavens. This is the way he came to know God! There came a time when he escaped form Ireland. He was able to get passage on a ship with very rough ,blood drinking, roughes. Now he did not partake in these events, and he was left to be much of the time. After sometime they found themselves on a lonely island. With starvation looming around, these men called out "hey there Christian". The men gave him this name because of his beliefs. "If your God is so great, ask him to give us food." Christian put forth a prayer. Well no sooner did these men turn around when a small group of wild boar appeared before them. They had plenty to eat from then on and they even shared a small portion with him. Christian made his way back to Ireland after hearing God speak to him. God asked him to return for there would be no other way that he could possibly return without being killed, for he was a slave that had escaped! He had the protection of God and was able to bring Christ the Lord to Ireland! For before this there was only a small pocket of Christians near Dublin that had learned of God from traders. The Irish gave him his name, St. Patrick. Also, he used the shamrock to explain the Holy spirit in one body! Three petals representing: the father, the son, and Holy spirit.
So there is what I now know of St. Patrick. HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY!

Hey! I Like Your Sweater! :)

Today is Friday The Thirteenth! I thought I was in a time warp, confused at the least... Did we not just have a Friday the Thirteenth!? Yes we did. In fact we still have yet another to get to this year! That is right,. This year of 2009 will have Three of them. Hmmm. How do you feel about that? In Paris, France there are "guests" that you can actually hire for your dinner party to insure that there will not be 13 guests!

Sooo to Brighten your weekend and not to mention, Friday the thirteenth AND not to mention the fact that the world could use some great news... I have a very special to my heart YouTube video for you. It reminds me of my Dad, who was a very kind and thoughtful man.



Their must be two pretty proud Moms out there! Say, do you know of someone like this? Or...
Maybe you can start your own little campaign! Let me know if you do.

Hugs,
Mary
p.s. as i send the youtube link to a couple of nephews, I realize that I am a very lucky mom.

Projects

This is a coup d'oeil minuscule~  A tiny peek at a very big and exciting new line I am designing! This has been percolating for a long, long time and it is all coming together. It actually has it's roots way back when I was in Junior High. Now that is way back, and lets not go back, as nice as Junior high days are... the pressures, the learning, the boys. Focus. The bottom of the photo is the secret part :) I LOVE IT!!! May I say it again! I love it, love it , love it!  I know, it IS a tiny peek.  You may also notice the strand.  I am using my new found crochet skills there!   I added a picot edging to the piece :)  Who knows what will end up on the editing floor/box.  We shall see :) 

I hope you do not mind the petit peek.  I just wanted to let you know that I have been diligently at work hoping to provide you with more beautiful things.  



Today is a good day for working inside. After yesterdays 64 degrees, yes, nice and warm for March, it is to be a very drippy day.

A good soaking for beautiful spring flowers that are starting to peek out.  Oh Happy Spring, I look forward to you!


Hugs,
Mary

Have you ever felt that you are looking for lost treasure in your own home? There are two types of "lost treasure".
First~ the kind that you know that you have. That special photo or cake plate that you can not find ever since you remodeled.
Second~ the kind of treasure that you did not know you ever had, under valued by you for years, stuffed in a corner of the storage room.

I am addressing the FIRST. To be specific, my Shabby Chic books. They are just as important to me as my embroidery book and now my new crochet book. I have ALL of Rachel Ashwell's books. :) I value each one, and each one is signed by Rachel, thanks to Caitlin for encouraging me to go to her book signing in Chicago. Thank YOU Cailtin :) I do have a very special and lovely daughter... but that is an entire book :) One for Daughter and one for Son :)

Back to subject... lost treasures. Yes, plural. When we remodeled the kitchen and also emptied out the dining room, so it could get a beautiful oak floor, I packed them, all of my Shabby Chic books, away. Hubby assuring me that they would only be gone for a month at the longest. I safely placed them in a strong box and he took them down to the basement, into my area. I now use this term "my area" very loosely. It has been taken over with hockey equipment on one side, YUCK and boxes of Christmas decorations, etc. etc. etc. etc..... My special box was lost. It was not with the boxes of dishes that came from the kitchen. :( sad. I would go down there to look every once in awhile to no avail.
THEN last weekend I went down to specifically look in the hubby's area. THERE was a heavy box, and books were in it!!! MY books! Found!!! So Happy.
Now they are back in my dining room/ library. Treasure found! :)
Have you lost a treasure? Is it still waiting to be found? Have you found it?



Rachel Ashwell will be releasing a new book this fall, Happy news in very rough waters.

Hugs,
Mary