Friday, April 3, 2009

Pink Saturday Books




I took two of the things I like best...pink and books...to celebrate Beverly's Pink Saturday extravaganza.
Oh, oh, oh: I first want to thank all of you who stopped by to visit me last week. It's always wonderful to meet new friends and I've loved spending time, this week, getting to know you via your blogs.
Back to the matter at hand. Pink Saturday. I was sorting through some books this week and came across three that I love...and they all happened to be pink. I set them aside for today's post, but forgot to photograph them while the natural lighting was optimal, so we're back to my familiar, amateurish, had-to-use-the-flash pictures. Progress, not perfection :::sighs:::
The first book combines the talents of two of my favorite artists: Anne Geddes (photographer) and Celine Dion (singer). They collaborated, on this book/ cd /dvd in 2004, which is aptly named: "Miracle: a celebration of new life". Any description I attempt to offer would scarcely do the project justice, so I'll just say: it's a brilliant work of art and the perfect gift for expecting parents.
The second book (since I'm, apparently, on an Anne Geddes roll) is called "My Baby Sister". It is a book for siblings to record the events surrounding the birth of a new baby and, subsequently, the growth milestones of a baby sister. The book is filled with Anne's amazing photographs and has pages for big brother or sister to record their memories of baby. Another unique gift idea...and a terrific way to make older siblings get involved in the life of a new addition to the family.
The last book, "Return to Fairyopolis" is a whimsical journal of fairy fun, fancy & faith.
Ten years after her first encounter at Fairyopolis, Cicely Mary Barker’s young charge, Dulcie, is now a teenager—and her belief in the Flower Fairies is beginning to waver. That is until a journey to the countryside begins to melt her doubt. Investigation, research, and correspondence with her friend (and still a believer) Cicely Mary Barker—along with fairy magic—leads her back to Fairyopolis! (Amazon.com Editorial Review)
I hope all of you have a wonderful Pink Saturday!



All is Well in the Animal Kingdom



I took my Gretel to get the staples taken out today (13 days after the surgery to repair her broken pelvis). She is such a little trooper: not a peep, out of her, as the vet removed the 27 staples. I, of course, couldn't wait to get her home and give her a bath. That will have to wait, a few days, per order of the doggie doc! She seems relieved to have those metal objects out of her skin. Perhaps it's just me projecting...okay, it's most likely me projecting! I hardly think she, who went head to head (or bumper to rump) with a mini-van, and emerged victoriously, gave a fig about a few staples. After I took a few pictures of her, I came into my room to find the cats snuggled, happily together on my bed. Animal photo ops abound!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Fabric Guru


I just came across this fabulous site, via Cindy's blog (My Romantic Home). Fabric Guru has a huge assortment of gorgeous fabrics...some up to 75% off...and shipping is only $4.99, regardless of how much fabric you are purchasing! If you're anything like me, the thought of paying a small fortune for shipping is abhorrent. I'm not big on promoting random websites, but this one is worth taking a peek.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Eureka...I Think She's Got It!





I keep hearing Monica's advice echoing in my head: "Natural light"...the key to a good picture is natural light! I planted some flowers this afternoon and quickly snapped some pictures. Lo and behold, when I went to edit them in Picasa, I found all I really needed to do was a bit of cropping. I'm fairly certain I heard a choir of angels singing from somewhere in the distance...Italy, perhaps?

Monday, March 30, 2009

On the Fence




There are those "win some" projects, there are those "lose some projects" (case & point: my wart eggs), and there are some projects that you're just not sure about. This wreath falls into the third category. I love the combination of turquoise and earth tones, so I decided to do a wreath with buttons, beads and small stones. I finished it a few days ago and keep eyeballing it, not sure if I like it (it's definitely not a piece that I love) or hate it (in which case, I'm pulling it apart...no sense wasting my bits & baubles). In spite of the fact that I love the color combination, it doesn't match anything in my home...at least not at the moment (subject to change on a whim). Keep or dismantle and start again...any thoughts?

Drumroll Please...


The winner of my 100th post give-away is.....
WAIT just a sec...there's a story behind this. I had to disqualify the first three drawings because my sister, Kim, was the "chosen one" three times in a row. One would think that it would occur to me: maybe I should remove her name from the hat, after the first (or second) time. Evidently, I'm a little slow on the uptake! Sas, I'm sending you a package today anyway (closet cleaning time).
Enough suspense (this is getting to be like the annoying commercials, right before an elimination, on American Idol...not that I watch American Idol, but.....okay, I just "outed" myself.) The winner is: Kelly, at A Girl Named Kelly Kelly! This is exciting for me because Kelly and I are just getting to know each other through my big sis, Kim. Kelly, if you would email me your contact info, I'll get your goodies in the mail today. Thanks to all of you who left comments and for taking time, out of your busy day, to visit.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Quick Re-Vamp





Thanks to Jen, at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, I went on another spray painting rampage yesterday. Being the QUEEN of immediate gratification, I have had an ongoing love affair with spray paint (speaks volumes about my love life:-). I just discovered Jen's fabulous blog, which is packed with great ideas...from soup to nuts! I went back to some of her earlier posts and discovered a few projects she did, refurbishing items she had, with spray paint. I forget that most metals are spray paintable (better check on the grammar there), so I went rummaging through my garage for hidden treasures. I found an ugly old, metal urn, originally destined for G.W. or S.A., grabbed a can of off-white paint and set to task.
When the urn was sufficiently dry, I simply added a tulle bow (dollar store) and some lovely silk roses that were a gift from Monica. Simple, but pretty, I think. I have to continually rein myself in, as I tend to want to over-do with...well, you name it and I want to over-do it! If I decide I want to put the urn in another room, I can take the bow/ flowers off or substitute other. The beauty of a neutral palette. For now, it's going to hang out in my bedroom, filled with silk hydrangea...until the real ones start to bloom. Thanks again, Jen!
In my haste to get to spraying, I forgot to take a "before" picture, so you'll just have to imagine...ugly!
***my 100th post give-away winner will be chosen tomorrow morning. Don't forget to leave a comment if you would like to be entered.