check it out AGAIN peeps!

Okay - no seriously - I know it sounds like I'm bragging. I'm not bragging, I promise. I'm just so excited! Rachel from One Pretty Thing featured one of my crafty thingies again today and, good grief, I'm just plain thrilled :) Remember my turquoise lamps that needed some fringy goodness? Well, they're in the first row today on One Pretty Thing, looking funky as ever :) Thank you AGAIN Rachel! You're too cool for school ;)  

Happy 18th Birthday Davy!

Happy birthday, you precious, sweet, sensitive, loving, funny, talented, smart, beautiful, happy boy! From the moment you entered this world, with your fuzzy little neck and your husky little cry, your precious little face and your little peanut head... you entered my heart forever. 

Kindergarten

Happy-go-lucky, busy, fearless, always on the go. You were determined to keep up with your older brother - and you did! You could skateboard, you could rollerblade... swim, flip on the trampoline, ski! You taught yourself how to ride a two-wheel bike in preschool! Preschool! You were something else, for sure (that's one way to put it).

T-Ball

You loved to play and oh, you were so funny. SO FUNNY. But you had a sensitive side too. Not a day went by that you didn't bring me a flower - for years and years. Sometimes a crumpled flower you had saved in your pocket. Sometimes a lovely flower snatched from someone's garden. Sometimes you brought half the garden and I worried just a little... But you'll never know how much I treasured each and every flower from my Davy. 

5th Grade

Time goes so fast, so fast. Best buddies, homework, teachers you love, teachers you don't. Perhaps a little mischief here and there ;) Busy lives, girls, Cotillion! Movies, MASH, family games, your hysterical character impersonations :) Little worries that creep in at night and turn to big worries as you try to go to sleep. So much to think about. Sigh. Such fun times, such hard times. All part of growing up.  

9th Grade

Hard years. Ugh. Especially for sensitive ones. Self doubt, self consciousness, fears, wanting to fit in, wanting to be happy, hormones complicating everything. Friends choosing different paths. Lots of kids turning to lots of things. I think this is the year that the Guardian Angel Program kicks in :) I am really grateful for that program. And even when you were hard to love Davy, I loved you. 

11th Grade

Davy, you are every bit the precious boy you always were. You just had to see it for yourself. And you rose out of the ashes yourself too - it was no easy feat, because I watched you do it. With a lot of support, and a lot of love. But you did all the work. You found your inner music, you found your creative voice. Your inner strength and your faith were still there after all. You listened to your conscience, and to your heart of gold. Such a heart of gold. 

Senior

So happy birthday!!! How you got to be 18 already, I don't know. But I am so proud of you. We are all proud of you. And now you are ready to write the rest of your story. Do not doubt - you have everything you need for this wonderful adventure. Your creative voice will touch the world, and make it a better place. I know this to be true. 

Love Always,

Mom

check it out peeps!

Get a load of this you guys! Check me out on Rachel's awesome site One Pretty Thing! She's highlighting my Magnet Board Tutorial today (Thursday)! Remember that? From back in November? I think it was my first tutorial - lots of fun. I'm in the 3rd row down on the right! Click on the link and be sure to bookmark One Pretty Thing - it's a great site. Thanks for the recognition Rachel - you're the bomb! :)

hydrangea bribe

Good morning everyone! Here are some lovely hydrangeas - my favorite flowers - for you to enjoy :) And of course, there is an ulterior motive involved. And whining.

So how was I to know, when I started this infernal bookshelf project - a project that would normally take me about 2 hours to complete - that this would end up being one of the all time craziest weeks ever?!? My thirteen year old has been sick not once, but twice. The tree trimmer and his crew showed up. I had one of those artery scans to see if I'm going to keel over any time soon. I'm cleaning and organizing and going through magazines right and left. The landscaper and HIS crew showed up. My middle son's 18th birthday is Friday! EIGHTEEN! How did this happen?!? 

So as you can see, a slight shift of priorities has occurred. But I have continued work on my bookshelves nonetheless. And they are looking good. Although after all this ridiculous suspense, I can say with complete confidence and in all honesty, the results will be a HUGE let down. So please prepare yourselves accordingly. Hey, I'm just sayin. 

storage samples & random thoughts

Let's just say this bookshelf project of mine is driving me nuts in more ways than one. And not just because this happens to be an extremely nutsy week in the first place. But because it has me rethinking myself again. My first reaction to the photo above is wow, that's done so nicely! My second reaction is, gosh, that's a LOT of stuff. My third reaction is, yikes, who would want to dust all that clutter!
I guess it depends on what your space is all about. The above photo is obviously a workspace. You'd want to have everything near you within easy reach, and an inspiration board within sight as well. So even though it may have the appearance of clutter, this is definitely a very well designed workspace. 
This seems to be what people are moving a bit more towards lately. Concealed clutter. Or perhaps no clutter at all. Cubbies for distinct display, cupboards to hide everything else. Clean. I like it.
Now, my first reaction to the above photo, is that I love the look. I miss the absence of color of course, but I love the simplicity. Then my second reaction kicks in, which is my more practical side: how could anyone possibly keep old, rough crates clean and dust free???
These shelves are truly lovely. And I enjoy how all the books are color coordinated - that's a really nice effect. I would try something like that. 

(*all photo credits Apartment Therapy, except 3rd photo down, credit Serena of the Farm Chicks)

I think I've come to just a few conclusions so far. I'm definitely not a fan of bookshelves because my arch nemesis is dust. I hate it. And shelves love it. Shelves can't get enough of dust. Especially if shelves excel in clutter. The more clutter, the more dust. It's a lose/lose unless you love to dust. And I've heard that some people really do love to dust. Wow. But that doesn't mean I'm ditching my bookshelves, it just means I'm going to keep everything really simple. 

Something else I've been thinking about are collections. I have several collections (among them, magazines). Most of my collections bring me great joy - my colorful croquet balls, my cheerful quilts. But I think we have to be careful. If it doesn't bring us joy - if we can't enjoy it by seeing it, using it, sharing it, whatever - then why do we have it? Perhaps we need to reevaluate all our "stuff". When "stuff" becomes a burden rather than a joy, it's time to say goodbye. 

Just some random thoughts while I continue to work on my bookshelves... stay tuned.  

Bedroom Bookshelves Project

Remember a teaser a few posts ago? About a project I had coming up? Well, the time has come. And if I don't post these pictures now for everyone to see (oh the shame!), I'll never get this project finished. It has me completely paralyzed. I don't even know why, but it does. So......

This is my bedroom wall, opposite the Red Bed. I have this lovely little armoire, you see. It has glass panes all down the front and even on both sides, so you can see my quilts and textiles. 
Bright Mexican blankets, Pendelton trade blankets, wedding quilts from my mother and my mother-in-law, cherished baby blankets of our own boys - some stitched lovingly by hand from dear friends, cheerful old quilts and textiles I have collected and kept over the years, even my grade school sleeping bag that I cannot part with. Favorite fabrics, sweet embroidery pieces stitched by inexperienced hands... all of it is here in my lovely little armoire. 
I love waking up each morning and seeing all the cheerful color peeking out at me. It's one of the first things I see every day. It makes me so very happy. The problem is........
THIS IS THE REST OF WHAT I WAKE UP TO! WHAT A MESS!

My poor armoire is being drowned on both sides by looming bookshelves gone wrong! Seeing all this first thing as I wake up makes me want to hide from the day. I am an "everything in it's place" person, not a "just throw it on the shelf" person. Metal initials, leather boxes, a sewing box that lost it's twin, magazines hanging around that haven't even been cataloged(!). It's enough to make my brain explode. And I'm glad you can't see the half inch of dust on top of everything.
My backpack from Europe, stashed up there when we arrived home SEVEN MONTHS AGO. Bags of linens from Europe that are still sitting there. Linens! And underneath them are books my sly college son no longer needed and tried to hide while home during Christmas break. Let's see... pants I need to donate, a lone frisbee (?), some CD's, room freshener, years & years of photo albums no one even realizes are there, kitchen counter spray that somehow ended up in my bedroom (?)... blah, blah, blah. You get the idea. Say it! The "C" word! CLUTTER! UGH! 

(Moment of silence please. I'm still grieving the folding of Country Home Magazine) 

All my magazines need to be re-labled so the tops can be kept clean. Yes, you heard me correctly. No, I'm not freaking insane. I just like things how I like things. I went to Ikea and purchased new holders for them too. These have served me well for years, but it's finally time to recycle them. Especially after the time our ceiling leaked and it rained INSIDE the house and soaked them all... they never quite recovered. I haven't either. 

As you can see... I've got my work cut out for me. I will have to save the world another time.  

a fond farewell

On Saturday I received my very last copy of Country Home Magazine. I've been a faithful reader for, gosh, at least ten years. I still have nearly every copy. I consider it an old friend, and love revisiting it's pages. It has, by far, been my all time favorite shelter magazine. But like so many other shelter magazines hit hard by our harsh economic times, Country Home has officially folded. It joins the ranks of other well-loved magazines like Domino, O At Home, and Mary Englebreit's Home Companion. I will miss them all, among others, but none as much as my beloved Country Home. Thank you for so many wonderful years - you will always be a part of who I am.

listening is better anyway

So today my voice is gone. I know a few family members who's names shall not be mentioned who may possibly be slightly giddy about that - lol. No matter, it means that I will be a better listener today, which is always a good thing in more ways than one. Literally of course, and also because I loooooooove to listen to music. I love all my oldies that drive the fam crazy, but I am constantly in a search for new music as well.

I recently found the above video on Mrs. French's site, Bliss. It's filmed in Ireland (where else could that pub possibly be!?). John and I have performed in some tiny places in our time, but just look at where they are and how the group keeps expanding - you will really get a kick out of it! Not to mention how GREAT the song is. I loved it so much I ended up hunting down Lisa Hannigan on iTunes and downloaded her entire Sea Sew album for $8.99. Of which I am delighted to be listening intently to today. 

to go, please

So good morning :) I'm sending myself and all of you some beautiful roses from my cousin Shell. I went to bed last night with one of those coughs that came along suddenly (while I was eating a tangerine at the dinner table to be exact) and you hope is just because you inhaled some kind of spore or something and it will be gone in the morning... But apparently that is not the case, because here it is this morning, still in my throat bugging me. Phooey. So I'm sucking on a honey lemon cough drop and hoping for the best. And enjoying Shell's beautiful roses :)

I'm thinking positively. I went to the dentist yesterday and that's over with (yay!). I got my antiques business taxes done yesterday and that's over with too (double yay!) - even though I have to report another loss for like the 4th year in a row and both my husband and our accountant wonder why in the name of all that's holy I'm in that business... But hey, I almost broke even this year. Besides, are they even kidding me? It's my excuse to go to Cambria. Sheesh!

But if you really want the ugly truth, I'm afraid the below picture is what I've been feeling like the most lately. This came in my e-mail from my trusty friend Leslie, who obviously knows me a little too well. Bless her. I wonder if this comes in diet? 

Have a great day everyone!

Sprinkles Cupcakes

Our family took a little field trip a week or so ago (and yet again!) to Sprinkles Cupcakes in Beverly Hills. Davy & his girlfriend Val were the first to venture there, and when they shared a few bites with us, we knew we had to partake for ourselves. And how. 
It was a gorgeous day (check out the reflection in the window) and the line out in front of the store was not very long. For those of you not familiar with Sprinkles, there are several locations in several states, and their website is a gem of interesting information.
The inside of the store is very small and minimal. The highlight of the Sprinkles experience is the extremely friendly staff and of course, the amazingly delicious cupcakes. Some cupcakes, such as their famous red velvet cupcake, are served every day. Other flavors vary depending on the day. 


In this view from the Sprinkles website (*photo credit Victoria Pearson), you can see how each cupcake is color coded with 2 round candies on top. This is how you know what flavor it is. You can also pre-order different candies to go on top for special occasions. And for Valentine's Day, many of the cupcakes wore cute little hearts. 
So now we come home with all our cupcakes and I get to play with them! Here are all our red velvet lovelies. We've tried many of their flavors and have several favorites, but the red velvet remains our unanimous all-time favorite :)

If you look real close you can see just a hint of red cake

Ah, here are the red velvets mixed with a few other flavors - vanilla/vanilla (with the white sprinkles on top), strawberry/strawberry (a favorite of mine - the strawberry frosting is DI-VINE), and an unusual cinnamon/sugar cupcake with no frosting at all (!!!)

mmmmmmmmmmmm :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to one and all ~ 

have a lovely day!

Maui Wowi

Last night Primrose Gardens performed at Maui Wowi in Castaic and it was a lot of fun. The not-so-funny part was that exactly half of the band (Darryl and his son Zack) got stuck in snow and therefore could not make the show. So it was just John and Davy. And they were SO AWESOME!
Extra kudos to Davy who not only played excellent guitar leads, but sang harmony as well :)
We had many great friends come out to support them, which is always so wonderful, and it was a terrific evening. I think their next performance is at the Valencia Border's on March 20th. Come!

danke schon

I completely forgot to mention that I finished and listed a very cute set of 8 "thank you" notecards in my Etsy Store! They turned out great so check them out! 

Spring

When I was a child, Joan Walsh Anglund books were near and dear to me. I think I had nearly all of them. So simple, so sweet. So reassuring. I still keep them tucked away, as they are every bit as precious to me now as they were then. Perhaps even more so. The one above is entitled Spring Is A New Beginning. A lovely little book.

We have had several days of rain here in southern California, which has actually been very nice. But today when I woke up to a cold yet sun-drenched morning, it seemed like heaven had hit the earth. When I arrived home from driving the junior high carpool, I noticed the sun was hitting the little pots of soil where my bulbs are just now beginning to stretch forth their leaves toward the light. It stirred something in me, so I had to take a few pictures. I hope it will stir something in you too. 
Maybe just a little bit of hope.

upcoming projects w/ a few teasers

So here is a cool fuzzy picture of our ever-changing entry way, taken by the Mouse, via the mirror in front of him, of the wall of albums behind him. Kind of a confusing sentence for something pretty simple. I like the fuzz. I like the image of his 13 year old self taking it. I love all those albums. Do you recognize any? You must! Tell me you do! 

The wall of albums came down shortly after this photo was taken. I had finished a new painting and needed a fairly long wall space for it. But first I need to paint the entry way a chocolate milk color like we have in some of our other rooms. So.... another project :)
Here is a teaser of my new painting. This is actually a departure from my usual scraping and layering of color with spatulas. This is just a small section of it. It's only about a foot high, but it's about 3 feet long. I'm still thinking of what to put up with it. We'll see. 
Still here in the entry way. Love, love, love my coffee table books :) Do you recognize any of these authors? I bet you do. This is my favorite stack of design books but there's another one right next to this one! Yikes!
Moving on..... things are always changing around here! For those of you who were Red Bed lovers and avid supporters of my saga, do you notice anything slightly different? Well, I finally had my mattress lowered. Six inches, to be exact. I have to admit, it took away a tiny bit of the Red Bed's grandeur. But after all the work I put into sanding and painting that doggone headboard, I just had to see it! So I am happy as a lark :) 

And just one more teaser..... a pretty big project is coming up on the opposite wall from my bed. You can't see it now of course, because it's still hideous. I've already taken the "befores", so stay tuned! Hah!