Sweet Blogger Friends

I'm sure many of you have experienced the feeling of being "the new kid on the block"....or blog, in this case, as you began your journey into this vast, oftentimes overwhelming, world of blogging. Although I was instantly "hooked", I wondered, during my first few weeks: "Is anyone (aside from my sister, my mom & my best friend) ever going to read this stuff?" That question was usually followed by an immediate afterthought: "Do I really want anyone else to read this stuff?" Afterall, the things I share here range from my daily frustrations with being a single mom...to my dating horror stories....to exposing myself by putting my attempts at creativity "out there". It was with some hesitancy that I even dared to leave a comment on other blogs. I distinctly remember, the first time I got brave enough to add my two cents, I carefully chose a posting that had a slew of comments already posted, counting on the fact that mine would get swallowed up somewhere in the middle. As I wrote the comment, acutely aware that I was choosing words that weren't too flowery or familiar, I felt as if I'd sidled up to the "popular girls" in high school, and attempted to join a conversation that was well underway. Anyone who knows me well would laugh at this uncharacteristic show of insecurity. I am a "bloom where I'm planted" person and rarely is there a social situation which makes me feel the slightest bit uneasy. With some lingering trepidation, I realized that, in order for me to get connected to the ladies within this community, I was going to need to get over myself.
I plugged along, pouring through your blogs, with growing admiration for your artistry and imaginations and began to feel slightly more comfortable each time I left a comment for one of you. One of the biggest blessings about this experience has been "meeting" my friend, Monica (The White Bench). Monica was, I believe, the first non-family member/ existing friend to leave a comment on my blog. When I decided to do my vintage jewelry swap, it was Monica who contacted me directly...and that is how our friendship was birthed. Since our first exchange of emails, scarcely a day goes by where she and I aren't in touch. I do my best to keep track of the 8 hour time difference between Connecticut and Italy and try to get my "Have a wonderful morning/ day/ evening" straight :-) Most of what I have shared, in this posting, is old news to Monica as she has become a cheerleading squad of one, ever ready with kind words of praise and encouragement. I was more excited than she (although she might argue that point) when she finally received my swap package in the mail. Although she emailed me as soon as it was delivered, she kept me waiting while she brewed some tea and sat down to open her goodies. Fortunately, I didn't have to wait long to find out that she was pleased with what I had sent her. Monica wrote me the most wonderful email and was so descriptive that I could imagine her face as she tore into the package. The gorgeous flowers are pictures Monica took, and sent to me, of a bouquet she gathered from her garden. By the way, Monica, peonies are my absolute favorites as well...with lupines also at the top of the list! My parents live in Maine, so lupines hold a very nostalgic place in my heart.
Aside from taking a few moments to publicly acknowledge what Monica's support has meant to me, I want to encourage anyone who is new to blogging not to get discouraged if it takes a bit of time to get/ feel acclimated. Because this is such a large community, you may have to spend some time navigating and reaching out before you find your niche.

The Pansies are Popping!

Perhaps I will, a little later, write about the grueling 24 hours I have spent with my ex-husband, following surgery he had to rebuild his shoulder...and the insanity I face in trying to now prepare for the baby shower I'm throwing on Sunday. Perhaps I won't. Suffice it to say, I am emotionally & physically exhausted and, somehow, have to find the energy to do what needs to be done. C'mon God, some divinely-inspired endurance would be greatly appreciated right now!
Focusing on the task at hand: Pansies! Well, technically it is a single pansy I am referring to, but one is enough to remind me that: hope springs eternal. Following a night devoid of slumber, my children and I came home this morning and, as I was shuffling up my walkway, in a semi-comatose state, I saw...out of the corner of my eye...a purple pansy. Visual hallucinations wouldn't be out of the question at this point, so I asked my kids to confirm the sighting. They affirmed that there was, indeed, a flower in the garden...albeit with a lot less enthusiasm than that which filled my spring-loving heart. "Big deal, Mom. ONE flower in the garden and it'll die tonight when it gets cold again", says my eldest (very adolescent) child. Big deal, indeed! Clearly the metaphorical significance of this single bloom was lost on his jaded sense of hope and the blessings of things to come. Thankfully, my daughter was indulgent enough to stand outside with me while I snapped picture after picture of this glorious flower.
***an aside: I got a new camera from my best (guy) friend, for Valentine's Day! It has all kinds of bells and whistles, which I still need to figure out, but I am feeling certain that my fuzzy, too dark/ light picture dilemmas are going to be a thing of the past! To make my gift all the sweeter, my new camera is pale pink...I'm such a girly-girl!
Thank you, God, for putting that sweet pansy in my path today. Thank you, Glenn, for such a wonderful gift. As for the other blessings in my day, I'm sure they, too, will become apparent if I can keep my eyes open long enough to see them :-)

Gotta Love a Bargain!

Last weekend I picked up a really cute, rustic decorative plate rack at T J Maxx...on the clearance rack for $2. It hung, empty, for a few days because I didn't have any plates that matched the current colors in my kitchen. Today, I ran into a T J Maxx, in a neighboring tow,n and found 3 plates that I thought might work. The black plate and the floral plate were $1/ each. The BIG floral plate (on top) was.....$.70!!! It has a fairly conspicuous chip in it, but, as luck would have it, that chip fits snugly on top of the metal bar. If not for the chip, the plate would topple right off the rack. It's no wonder "Serendipity" is my favorite word in the English language!

WOOHOO & YIPPEE!

Finally, finally, finally...I figured out how to change my blog "wallpaper". I'm thrilled to have gotten rid of the original template. The only problem, now, is: I have no idea how I got it to switch! I followed the steps they outline on "The Cutest Blog on the Block" just as I have 100 times previously. This time, however, it worked. Lo and behold, I have a sassy and fun background to go with my...ummm....rather mundane, silly blog ramblings. Ah well, who am I to question how it worked? It did and I'm a happy blogging camper :-)

Ribbons, Ribbons Everywhere!

Oh, the fun I am having playing with my new shipment of ribbons! I can't say enough about Deb, the owner of Just Because Ribbons
I gave Deb carte blanche to choose the specific colors, although I did give her an idea of what I was looking for. Her choices were perfect! I wanted to take a picture of the whole lot, before I send some off to my friend, Monica: The White Bench

Serendipity

Serendipity: a fortunate accident. Just last night, I was lamenting about my camera/ photo editing program being highly uncooperative. In the midst of trying to take pictures of my projects, I switched to the sepia effect, on my digital camera, and happened to catch my daughter looking very pensive and sweet. There was no posing for this picture and it required no alterations whatsoever. Suddenly, my angst over the other silly pictures has vanished. I have this one...and it more than makes up for the rest!

Baby Shower Gift

In my earlier post, I mentioned that I am throwing a baby shower next weekend. The shower is for the daughter of one of my closest girlfriends. The mommy-to-be is like a daughter to me & used to babysit my children, so I wanted to come up with something special as a shower gift...without breaking the bank. My kids love looking at the scrapbooks I've made for/ of them, over the years, while the thousands of photographs I have in boxes are ignored. There's just something special about leafing through a whole book that's been lovingly made for you. I happened to have a pretty Flavia scrapbook on hand, so I decorated the enclosed pages, adding some for particular holidays/ seasons. All that needs to be added are the pictures of the new baby. I hope this is something Mommy will love (and not something she's likely to do herself) and will, hopefully, bring many years of joy to both she and her baby boy! These are pictures of a few of the pages:-)

Photo Frustration

I took advantage of my "free" weekend and spent quite a bit of time working on finishing up several projects (in between updating my resume, applying for jobs, getting ready for an interview tomorrow morning & cleaning for a baby shower I am hostessing next weekend). I proudly took pictures of all of the completed masterpieces, in anticipation of sharing them with all of you, and my camera/ Picassa just are not cooperating. I'm afraid I have switched the setting on my camera so many times that it doesn't know whether to snap a picture or scrub my bathroom floor! Although the pictures, clearly, did not come out as I'd hope (as evidenced through the viewer), I thought, surely, I could make them more presentable with Picassa. Not so much, I'm afraid! As I type this posting, I'm holding out hope that the pictures will magically transform between now and the time I hit "publish post".
:::crossing fingers:::
The basket was an ugly red and brown, heart that I glued silk rose petals to. I added my favorite, double ruffle ribbon to the top and made a pretty light blue/ green fabric lining. A bit of sparkle was added to the rose petals with some silver mica. An adorable cherub pin sits angelically on the front of the basket.
The collages are prizes I made for baby shower games. I think they turned out rather well, considering I was assembling them at 1:30 this morning!

Vintage Re-Vamp

I was trying to find some quick (and ridiculously) easy ways to use some of the vintage jewelry I have. I wasn't feeling like digging into a major project, though. Here are some of the short-cut pieces I made, which I'm going to put in my etsy shop. Speaking of which...here I go, off on another tangent...I've decided to wait until I have a fairly sizable number of items with which to stock my store. Rather than doing it piecemeal, and having visitors asking: "Is that all?" Any thoughts on doing it the way I'm suggesting?
Back to the jewelry: I bought a batch of vintage, goldtone chains (necklaces & bracelets) at a thrift store ages ago. I thought maybe I could jazz them up a bit with some of my singleton earrings or a pin. Et voila! The turquoise necklace was a screw-back earring. I removed the screw part and bent the remaining wire down, to form a loop. Now I can put it on any chain. The other two necklaces are simply vintage pins. I discovered, the hard way, that it's a good idea to file down the pointed end before you try to wear it. OUCH! For the bracelet, I took apart a pair of rhinestone earrings and a single clip-on, removed the backs and glued them to a goldtone bracelet. Fast, fun & easy...just the kind of projects I had in mind.

More Basement Treasures

I wanted to add some pictures of specific treasures I came across, during my excursion to my basement today. There are two old bicycles, propped in a dark corner, which I swear I've never seen. I found the coffee pot (which wasn't quite as vintage as I'd hoped), as well as a lantern that has, clearly, become the residence of the local arachnids. Think I'll clean this one before the creepy crawlies wake up. I also found a set of wonderful, antique bookends: with illustrations from "Moby Dick". The find of all finds, which were hidden in the recesses of the canning room, a set of yellow dishes with red poppies. There were 6 dinner plates, a large serving platter, a serving bowl, creamer/ sugar bowl & a few saucers. The pattern is lovely and are in amazingly good shape, considering they were shoved behind dozens of mason jars! Oh, I also wanted to share the vintage "machine" that haunts a space next to my washer & dryer. I'm not certain if it's a dishwasher or a washing machine and I don't dare open the lid, for fear of coming face to face with whatever might have claimed it as a residence.

Thrifting in My Basement

When my kids and I moved into the house we are renting, over a year and a half ago, one of the hidden treasures I quickly discovered was the basement. The owner apologetically explained that I would have to "work around" mountains of "stuff" that was stored down there. The stuff, I soon discovered, was everything the family didn't immediately need/ want when their Aunt Peg (the original home owner) passed away. My landlord gave me carte blanche to use or re-vamp anything that caught my eye. In the first few weeks, after our move, I spent many heavenly hours down in the basement, sorting through Aunt Peg's leftovers. I couldn't believe some of the treasures that were cast aside by the family. I've refinished several pieces of furniture (one table I gave to my landlord & his wife for Christmas last year) and used bits & pieces of this & that in various projects. As time has passed, I assumed I'd found everything I could put to use. One of my fellow bloggers was showing off her recent thrifting finds and it sparked a visual memory of an old coffee pot sitting somewhere down in the crypt....my children's pet name for my haven. Little do they know that part of its appeal is that it is the one place, in the house, where they won't follow me! I went down to see if I could locate the coffee pot and my vision, of the remaining mementos, was rejuvenated. There are still so many abandoned trinkets down there, patiently waiting for the creative lightbulb to go off in my head. I snapped a few pictures to share. Perhaps something will catch the eye of one of you ever-imaginative ladies and you can inspire me.

Double Ruffle Ribbons

Thanks to a "signal error" with my local cable company, I was without a phone and computer for nearly two days. No need to focus on the frustration it caused me because I am up and running again. It's amazing how those two "luxuries" are actually staples of daily living. I had to laugh, at one point, when an automated voice recording suggested I report my technical difficulties on the cable co.'s website. Why would I be waiting, on hold, for 1/2 hour if I had access to the internet???
I digress...
Last week I ordered some double ruffle ribbons from my new favorite etsy shop, Just because ribbons. I haven't worked with these ribbons before, but have been inspired by various projects I've come across, through blogs I follow. The ribbons arrived yesterday and they are absolutely beautiful! Sadly, I had only ordered 3 colors, because I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with them. As soon as I opened my little package, the creative juices were flowing. I started with a rather plain cardigan sweater that has been hanging in my closet for....well, for TOO long (as a personal organizer, I try to stick with the "if you haven't worn it in a year, get rid of it!" rule, but I don't always practice what I preach). The sweater is an odd, muted brown and lacked any "oomph". I piggybacked the "lemongrass" and brown ribbons, added some vintage buttons and my once drab cardigan is now a piece with panache!
Of course, I had to order more ribbon right away. I contacted, Deb, the owner of the shop to see if she could customize an order for me. She responded right away and we've been emailing back and forth, deciding what colors/ amounts would best suit my needs. Aside from the fact that her ribbons are lovely and very reasonably priced, Deb is so helpful and beyond accommodating. She has over 50 colors to choose from, so I gave her an idea of what I'd like, but am letting her gather a variety for me. I can't wait to try the ribbons out on my embellished baseball caps and hope to get them up on etsy as soon as possible!
Deb doesn't (yet) have a blog, so I told her I would gladly share my finds with all of you. Stop by her etsy shop, Just Because Ribbons, and see for yourselves :-)

The Winner Is...

I am so pleased to announce that Monica (The White Bench) is the winner of my first, ever blog swap. I have gathered together a special collection of vintage jewelry and sundry bits & pieces of baubles that I know will be put to good use by the ever-creative, Monica. I can't wait to see how she uses her inspiring imagination to create new treasures! Congratulations to Monica...I'm absolutely thrilled that you were chosen as my swap partner!

~Kimberly~

Remembering When...

There are times, when my children are particularly challenging, when I need to take a walk down memory lane...back to a time/ place when they didn't both think I was the most embarrassing, least cool human God ever created! Old pictures are the perfect partner for that kind of stroll. I came across these, which were taken 3 summers ago, during a business trip my ex-husband took us on, to a gorgeous resort in New Hampshire. We hadn't planned on accompanying him, which made the adventure all the more enjoyable. While he was busily presenting at the seminars, the kids and I had a wonderful time exploring the quaint, little resort village and taking a ride on a paddle boat. The ride came to a screeching halt when my daughter pointed out all of the funny black "fish" stuck to the side of our boat....leeches! At that moment, I lost all sense of reason and didn't CARE that they couldn't/ wouldn't possibly gnaw through the side of our aluminum carrier. I was going to walk on water (with or without children in tow) to escape this scene out of a Stephen King novel. EWWW! The picture was, obviously, taken BEFORE the slimy, slug sighting.

See? The images of that "look" of disgust my angels sometimes have when I enter a room has been replaced with....oh boy. Back to digging through old photographs!

Vintage Jewelry Swap

I'm going out on a limb and guessing I'm not the only one who has an overabundance of certain crafting goodies and a piddly (did I just use that word publicly????) amount of others. Lisa (A Thing For Roses) kindly suggested that I try my hand at a swap, in response to my inquiry about trading crafting supplies with fellow bloggers. I promptly set to sorting through my massive collection of vintage baubles. So, if nothing else...many heartfelt thanks to Lisa for prompting me to start a mission of organization. What I came up with is 5 pound lot of miscellaneous jewelry: some broken pieces (perfect for crafting), but most is perfectly intact. I took several pictures to give you an idea of what you will be getting and will leave it up to each of you to choose what to include in your treasure trove.

Since this is my first try at doing a swap, please be gentle if I am a bit unorthodox in setting it up. If you are interested in being part of the drawing, please leave a comment, expressing your interest, on my blog. Next Wednesday (January 27, 2009), I will (for the sake of fairness) have one of my children select a name. I will post the lucky swapper here and we will exchange care packages. Since this seems too easy, I've probably forgotten some critical element. Please let me know, if that is the case.

Truthfully, I am more excited about connecting with you all, on a more personal level, than I am about what goodies I might receive. There are times when this world of blogging seems so vast and I'm always thrilled when someone takes the time to stop by and/ or leave a comment!

Baskets Galore!

During my last visit to my friend Melody's shop, "Once Possessed", I picked up a few vintage baskets in need of some T.L.C. I snatched those up, along with some gorgeous fabric remnants & lace doilies/ runners/ napkins...for a STEAL. Thanks so much, Mel! Both of my kids had friends over this weekend, so I was able to let my creative juices flow...in between laundry, refereeing small disputes & updating my resume. I was pretty pleased with the finished products, so I thought I'd share.

As I was perusing Lisa's blog, A Thing For Roses, I had an idea which I'm not quite sure how to execute. For those of you who are die-hard crafters/ artists, is there a forum for trading excess supplies? Lisa had mentioned, in her blog, that a friend gave her some broken, vintage jewelry that she needed for some projects. It dawned on me that I have an over-abundance of certain goodies (like vintage jewelry) and am sorely lacking other supplies (ribbon, trims, etc.). I'm fairly certain I'm not the only one who has an unbalanced stock of crafting necessities. Food for thought :-)