A Sweeter Love...

is ready to be framed. I sure loved stitching this one. It has many design elements that appeal to me. I didn't stitch it the way it was charted though. Many colors were changed including the verse which was to be blue instead of black. The verse border was to be filled in with satin stitches, which I just didn't feel like doing. Also, I left off an over one white swan in the lower right corner and substituted a dog. I had enough of the over one with just the verse alone! I think I'll play in my stash this afternoon and pick a new project. The painting is all finished in the great room, and I'm going treat myself to a little R&R.

Things are changing...

around the house. As I have said many times before, decorating is a work in progress for me. Nothing stays the same for long. I just keep moving things around until I'm happy. The sheep picture previously hung in the bathroom. I think I like it better above the pie safe. Our house is hard to rearrange because we have a great room that consists of the kitchen, living and dining areas. Not my dream house...I like individual spaces. This week, I'm painting the walls a yummy color that looks like an old tan crock. Love it! It's slow progress, I'm doing a little spring cleaning with my rhubarb scented cleaners in between.

I also tackled the area above the kitchen cabinets. It may still need a little tweaking here and there.

A tale of three bird collages...

Over the weekend, I took a class at one of my favorite places, Mystic paper. We made three mixed media wall hangings. The class was taught by Judy, who is a great and patient teacher. It was a fun way to spend a couple of hours. I'm only posting one of them for now. Another will be a gift for someone who reads this blog. And, the last one needs hmmmm... shall we say, a little modifying? It seems that in all my excitement, I sewed the bird sideways. The poor little babies are about to fall out of the nest! I was more concerned with sewing through paper, which is easy by the way, and didn't notice my goof. I wonder if anyone else noticed...no one said anything. Probably thought I planned it that way :)

My first...

fairy in a jar. I have been captivated by these since I first saw them in one of the Stampington magazines. I needed a gift, so decided to give it a try. The possibilities are endless...I have ideas pooling for many more. I like the looks of the vintage canning jars, so now I'll be on the look out for some, and any other unusual glass bottles.

New blooms...

in the garden. Colorful flowers are showing up everywhere. My miniature rose bushes are bursting with new growth. We have six planted. I bought them last year after Valentine's Day. They were on clearance, and if I remember clearly, they were less than two dollars a piece. They were kind of sad looking, and I wasn't sure if they'd make it. They have done so well that I hope to plant more eventually.

Each year the Johnny Jump-Ups return, and a few are growing right next to the roses. I think their combined hues are striking. We enjoy them while we can, until it gets too hot.

Here is the newly planted Queen Elizabeth rose bush. The photo does not due it justice. The color is really beautiful.

Houses...

Cotswold's cottage...

Pennsylvania stone...love that red door!


On the coast of Massachusetts...with a view of the ocean.
I could sit on that wrap around porch for hours, inhaling the smells of the sea.

This is my very favorite. I love the simplicity.

what kind do you live in? I love architecture, and I like taking pictures of houses. They are like people, they come in all shapes and sizes. I have a few favorite styles. I could imagine myself living in any of these. Of course, the ones I prefer are all old or very old. No modern contemporary abode for me. With the exception of the saltbox, which is courtesy of Country Sampler magazine, these photos were taken by me while on various vacations. Part of the fun in travelling is seeing different styles of buildings. Here in Arizona, homes are pretty much all beige, or tan , or taupe...sigh...stucco.

The button box...

I used to keep my buttons in an old canning jar. It was a total pain when I needed to sort through them for a project. I had to dump them out on to my work table ,and without a doubt, half of them ended up on the floor. Well, of course, Ruby and Scarlett thought that treats were falling from the sky, so I'd have to quickly scoop them up. I decided I needed a better storage solution, and this is what I came up with. It's a French themed bouton box. First, I gunked (is that a word?) up a box with paint, stain and a little crackle medium. Then I got carried away adding rub-ons and embellishments. Naturally, I had to do some stamping on it also. It was a fun project.

At first there was one...

sad face, then there were two.

As I was saying good-bye to my sister today, I noticed Scarlett forlornly peeking under the fence at the beloved, spitty ball, which had rolled out of the yard. I ran in to get my camera, and Ruby had joined in. Have you ever seen more miserable faces? That ball represents their world of play, play play. Life is a ball!!! Come throw it for us over and over and over again.