Last Things First

I'm going to put last things first today. On Thursday, we went to Portland because I had a few things to find for the room that shall not be discussed and John had some shopping to do for two little great-grandgirlies. Can I just say that it's a lot of fun to shop for girls? It is. Not that shopping for boys isn't also fun. It is. All good. And I didn't even get to do much except for holding up this or that and saying, "This one? That one?"

He chose simple green cotton dresses for the twin cousins whom he'll celebrate at a birthday party today in the bosom of his family. I smile just to think about it and how delighted he will be by their antics. They are three and one — darling ages. They are certainly beautiful little girls.

***

We had a nice Thursday and were home early in the afternoon. I so love turning the corner when the familiarity of the neighborhood hits and I have that little pang where I realize how right it feels and what a blessing it is to live here in this place.

Well, no, not this place; this is my neighbor's home still wearing the patriotic buntings and looking fine. Notice the open door to allow the beautiful dry air in. No need for the AC lately.

This is the place; this little sage green haven with its postage stamp lawn and tiny garden. It is enough. 

Looking up through the bee balm to the room that shall not be named above. 

For Mosaic Monday, I'll be sharing the earlier part of our day.

Are you up to anything fun or exciting or both this weekend?

Things Too Good Not to Share

Just a few things to share this morning. I see you nodding. Of course. That's what we do here in Blogdom.

How about a cup of tea and a piece of cinnamon toast while we chat? Do you like this tea pot? I do.  It's made from the words that I used this week on my blog. Terri shared the site earlier this week. You simply use your blog's url to create something fun.  Check it out and see what you come up with.

Dolores shared something pretty cool at her blog Moving Forward with Alzheimers. It's a video where a dollar is contributed to Alzheimer's research with every viewing. If I can help by watching a video, I'm thrilled. I hope that you may be, too.

Lastly, I've found another photo editing program that I enjoy. It's more frustrating to work with than some, though it has some nice fonts and cool frames. I made a header there that looks like this.

And I said that I wasn't going to talk about the sewing room again. What a liar I am!


P.S. The program? piZap. Google it!

The Last of the Sewing Room Saga

No one can develop fully in this world and find a full life without feeling understood by at least one person. ~ Paul Tournier

 This post concludes my ponderings on the sewing room. 

 ...and a low rumble of approval swept across the land

What have I learned? A lot. I have learned that I like colors because I like candy. (Not to be confused with "eye candy.") You think I jest? No. Oh no.  Serious time has been spent thinking about this connection. The more colors (and, presumably, the more candy) the happier I am.

I do not surround myself with "beauty" so much as I surround myself with the things that remind me of beautiful people.

Such as this puzzle assembled over a cold winter by my grandmother's friends who wanted me to have it to remember them by. I do. And it makes me smile every time I stand there to iron.

And here's the beginning of the craziest patchwork ever...polka dots and country cows and florals and checks all dance along together.

You are here.

She is here.

They are here.

 Pearl is here.

My daughter is here, my grandfather, too. All the family really.

My friends.

It's not perfect...

nor will I be making a skirt to hide it all. Wouldn't want to hide the candy after all.

(Wish I had hidden the Lysol wipes, though. ☺)

Pearl has a point!

Ice Cold Drinks~July Note Card Party

Edited to Add: July 19, 2012

Thank you for another wonderful Note Card Party! It surprised me because July is a traditionally slow month in Blogdom. Mr. Linky will close at 10 a.m. just in case there are any last minute linkers. See you in August!

***

Welcome! It's been some kind of crazy hot, hasn't it?! Thought that recycling these first two images of drinks featured at Suzy's Ice Cream Social in former years might be pleasing. (BTW, Suzy @ Kitchen Bouquet is planning an Ice Cream Social for the weekend of August 18 and 19. It's a lot of fun and a great way to share a favorite drink or ice cream concoction.)

Not sure about this first one, though. That orange looks a little radioactive to me. =D It was first featured *here.*

Everyone wanted to know how I managed to balance the ice cream container on the coffee can. (Easy—it was empty!)  First featured *here.*

Now I am ashamed that I ever posted this one...what a sloppy whomping mess. However, it sure was tasty and the recipe link is provided *here.*

And this is the joy of loading up images in the month between parties as the rootbeer was featured just last Saturday. I needed a fourth photo of a cold drink and this filled the bill. I do think my picture taking skills are improving a squeak.

Before anyone worries about citing where you found your photos...not necessary unless you wish to.

If you have any questions, you will find the directions in the Note Card Button provided in my sidebar and you are always welcome to email me...addy in profile.

Now let's have some fun!

Why Do I Do What I Do?

Day Two of Cleaning the sewing room and progress is being made. Right. Once in a blue moon, things come together in there. I've been able to determine why the room isn't working as well as I'd like and why it falls into such a state.  I need some things to help facilitate order and so my list is growing.

On Sunday evening, John invited me to a movie at church where we saw Seven Days in Utopia. If you find it on the IMDB, you'll see that the reviews are not the greatest; however, don't let that stop you from seeing it should you have the opportunity. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since.

It's about a golfer who is struggling with his game or it's about Every Man and his place on the stage called Life. Anyway, at one point the golfer is asked why he grips the club the way he does. The question wasn't meant as a criticism; it was meant to get the golfer to be clear and intentional and know why he does things in a certain way. This hit home with me. How often I float along without knowing why I am doing what I am doing!

So can you tell that I've been thinking about that very question in the mosaic above?

My gift at the end of a long afternoon...much better than flowers or chocolate!

***

Note Card Party link-up will be ready between 8 and 8:30 this evening. If you've never participated, I hope that this will be the day. See you later!

A White Hot Mess

It was a red hot mess...

~No Way In~

Perhaps a white hot one... Whatever it was, it was an embarrassment. You may think that you are the only one who ever has a mess. Nope. One of the drawbacks to an upstairs room that no one ever sees is that THIS can happen.

~A Tidy Southeast Corner...fabrics stored on a drying rack and a peek into the far room.~

As a result of watching Dawn at The Feathered Nest and Sandy at Quill Cottage show their tidy studios for Where Bloggers Create 2012, I felt inspired to get things straightened and sorted. I started by moving some furniture around, which always seems to get me motivated. I managed to get the fabrics sorted and my sewing table cleaned and that's where I ran into trouble.

I got sidetracked by the view...

And my little ideas...

If you have vintage pillowcases, you know that they do not fit standard pillows of today. I like to use them to make caddies as I've shown before. This one came in perfect for the end of my sewing table. Did you know that an old makeup brush works very well at cleaning little bits of fluff from your sewing machine? Yup.

I thought about the little things I'd like to share such as my mother's baby shoes hanging in the window along with her little coat upon the wall. I wrote in careful print on the bottom of her shoe...My Mother's Baby Shoes with her name, her date of birth, and her place of birth. I thought it would be good lest someone someday might wish to know. 

 ~a new placemat binding~

Then I began finding projects that had been tossed aside and it seemed that, now that I could get through the room, I ought to work on them. (I note that Dawn is working on projects in her newly cleaned studio as well. Thing is, she waited until it was clean first. I've sort of just taken off sideways.)

Oh dear! What's to become of my poor little sewing room? Stay tuned for further details.

***

Hope to see you tomorrow evening between 8 and 8:30 where you can sign up early for this month's Note Card Party, if you'd like. I am so looking forward to your posts this time out! Mine may feature ice cold drinks. Just sayin'...

Flowers~Mosaic Monday

Almost anything you do in the garden, for example weeding, is an effort to create some sort of order out of nature's tendency to run wild. There has to be a certain degree of domestication in a garden. The danger is that you can so tame your garden that it becomes a thing. It becomes landscaping. ~ Stanley Kunitz (The Wild Braid)

My garden may be a little too tame, though the plant I allowed to grow and grow and grow has turned out to be a weed after all (to the left of the ditch lilies and right beside the front steps).

The morning glory is just beginning to bloom. Yay! (For all those who are concerned about the invasive nature of morning glories, they do not overwinter in my corner and so are considered annuals not invasive perennials.)

Please join Mary at Little Red House for many more delightful mosaics.

II Timothy 1:7

Sound: from the Greek sophronos meaning discipline and self-control, according to Strong's Concordance. Ohhhhh...and I always thought it meant "sanity." Does discipline and self-control lead to sanity? Hmmm...that's a lot of pondering for today.

A peaceful and blessed Sunday and may you have interesting things to ponder...