Beelieve

Bee still, my dear heart(s)...literally!

Have you ever noticed what it takes to get a good picture...let alone a great picture?  Or maybe my dear blogging friends are just experts :)  I envy you experts!  You should have seen me try to get some good shots of my paper heart garlands.  First problem might have been my "shoot location".  A tiny water closet due to the great fire engine red walls.  I had noticed taking pictures of these sweet garlands hanging in my hive has quite the distracting background.  So what does it take to get a good picture?  Luck?  Anyway here is a collage of my tries on just about every setting on my camera and then some.  There was also some turbulence...HA HA...I was going to say from the heat coming on but then realized I just told you I was in the bathroom taking pictures and "turbulence" might not be the best word choice.  In any case, the hearts kept moving around...ugh...please bee still, my hearts.

Instead of hitting delete repeatedly I will share with you collage ala oops...Hey I should go send this link to IF for "flawed" theme this week. I have many more where these came from...delete...delete.

 

YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO BELIEVE THIS!  I just hit flickr to find a photo of my inspiration for these to give credit where it is due.  I realized I had the same punch...way back before Christmas and am not sure where I saved the link...BUT Cori Kindred has so brilliantly and thoughtfully shared the method behind her photos!  Bravo Girl!!!  Please check this photo out! Where she links so a fabulous macro how to here!  Oh yeah baby!  I am getting a clue now!

New thoughts on organizing

Today I started a new inspiration notebook with brief ideas and first in line glimpses of what I am up to next!

A 10 minute tuffet

Or something a bit sweeter!  Still doing mission organization and really had at Pajama Girl's room.  There was several items to move out or relocate.  She has a little nook with a table and chair set she never uses so I set it all up different as a writing desk for her.  What to do with the extra chair?  This old library chair was so cute it had to stay so I moved out an over-sized chair at her vanity. But no one wants to sit and admire themselves on a hard wood chair right? I had to come up with something to satisfy a dainty derriere  This sew easy project can be done in under 10 minutes with the right ingredients, and this is what I used.

1. a vintage dresser scarf with some pretty embroidery on it
2. a pillow form
3. some grosgrain ribbon

I folded the dresser scarf in half and marked lightly on the fold where ribbon placement should be aligned with the spindles on the back of the chair.  I securely sewed them on to the right side of the scarf.  Next, with the scarf folded in half and with the right side out, I sewed around 2/3rd's of it at the point where the lace meets the fabric. Then I stuffed the pillow form in and sewed the remaining edge shut. 

Here it is all tied on.  A tip once you cut the ribbon is to quickly paint a little clear nail polish on the raw edge to prevent fraying. It will be poofy to start but what Miss Muffet does not enjoy a bit of poof in her life?

 

ps. An important note about peeling paint and vintage finds in a child's room.  There are  kits at the hardware store to test for lead based paints.  These are milk paint by the way.  To prevent further peeling I do clean well, sand rough areas lightly and paint a non-yellowing protective varnish (matte finish) on all our "shabby" finds.

Got Snow~Time to plant a flower

 

I needed this today.  Thank you m heart for showing me how create my own flower today. 

We have more snow than there are places to move it to.  The 6 foot fence has become close to a 3 foot fence, there are no more steps up to the houses and driving has become a dive into traffic on a leap and a prayer event since even in SUV's you can not see over or around them.  Snow banks in parking lots are over two stories tall, I bet in June they will still be there to remind us...all dirty and garbage filled.  Yesterday our back patio awning collapsed and took a door out...the half hanging door is supporting what is yet to fall.  Five glass panels left spears of glass in a pile of snow for 16 paws to pass through.  I will not stress about this because the fact our well water FAILED was about all I could take for one day.  So if we can dig out a path to the well head, we need to shock it.  Did someone say "Shock".

Thank you for listening and "poor baby" comments will be appreciated about now!

To create your own flower please visit Coraline garden.  Amazing, I can not wait to see this film.  I too want to "walk through a secret door in my home and discover an alternate version of my life".  Have you ever had that dream of the room or wing of your home you did not know existed...I have...several times. 

 Oh yeah, let me know if you made a flower of your own!

More "mission organization"

Hi there.  So...notice anything different around here.  I have not only been going crazy cleaning out this house of "stuff" but I also figured out why I could not change the colors on my blog with the help of the wonderful people at Typepad.  There was a toolbar on our computer that interfered with the color picker for some reason. I added it right around the time I played with the blue color.  It was one of those search tool bars that every time you search money goes to Pj girl's school.   Blah, blah, blah...I will never totally understand all this stuff but have come pretty far in "compu-land".

 ( More about the banner soon)

I also re-vamped the playlist so if anyone on narrow screen computers has a problem with any of the sidebar things interfering please let me know!

From Russia with Love!

About 2 weeks ago I was surfing around Etsy and ended up at JaneBo Felt.  I immediately fell in love with a Nuno felted scarf.  I suggest checking out the Nuno process if you get a chance.  So many great how-to's it was hard to pick one. Jane had just opened up her shop and I had to buy this before it was snatched up.  How though, she lives in Moscow.  My husband was a bit amazed I was about to find out how to buy something from Russia.  I tend to be clueless on things like this and said, "why not it is a beautiful scarf from  a very talented artist and I simply must have it".  So I asked Jane about it since there is no paypal for sellers in Russia.  Jane, who communicates very well in English, guided me through the billing linked with paypal and it was super simple.  We were not sure how long it would take but I believe it was shipped out on Jan 13 and was attempted to be delivered on Saturday the 24 but no one was here to sign.  I got to the post office as soon as I could yesterday and skipped out of there with excitement.  I had a package from Russia!

Let's open it!

 

Ooooo, look how pretty!

 

Ahhhhhhhhhh, beautiful....sorry the lighting is so poor but will nab a few of Jane's shots to show.

 

The scarf came with a sweet flower pin and it all smells as beautiful as it looks!

Check out the detail. (sorry about the flash shot)

 

Jane gave me a free gift for being her first Etsy customer, a felted flower pin of my choice.  So hard to decide so I told her to surprise me and I wear a bright green velvet coat. Take a look at what this honey sent me! (again, sorry about the flash picture, it was dark by time I could take photos)

 

I will include this super model of my new scarf from her Etsy site. A much better idea of the color and style.  I can also tell you the price was great too compared to all the other Nuno scarves I have seen.  Shipping from Russia was only $5 too!

 

Please check out JaneBo on flickr  or her blog to see more of her amazing work!  Thank you so much Jane, You are an amazing and talented artist!

Silhouettes of thought

First I need help.  I recently saw a journal silhouette image that made me want to try.  The bad news is I do not remember where now and not much computer time to search.  So kudos to the blog and artist who inspired me.  This was something I had to do.  My first attempt is suppose to be an image of a girl holding a scarf in the wind, I imagined I was her as I just wrote whatever came to mind. (she had on clunky boots)

 

Then last night as I was drifting off to sleep I did these little love birds.  I tried to write and not stop to think about it too much.

 

And now I must go drift off to sleep again.  Tweet dreams everyone!

The shake that seals the deal!

 

We shook on it and agreed that the latest antic is a true treasure and meant to be with us. I have always said to "pay attention to coincidence" and my husband has thrown that in my face recently.  It was such a heart break that has turned in to a heart warming story.  So much to tell but no time to type it all.  We will keep our new gentle giant and his name is now "Angus".  Thank you to Donna for that suggestion.  We liked "Luther" but it did not flow well and Angus he answers to.  Besides the obvious reasons to be named Angus, we are bit music fans...especially rock...hence the amazing guitarist "Angus Young" from AC/DC.

"Angus" went to the vet on Thursday and was oooo'd and aaahhh'd by everyone there.  Pictures do not do him justice and he is much bigger than he appears in them.  Every time I get the camera out he thinks it is time to come give me a kiss. Our vet says he is a healthy boy and not to fatten him up too much (he is pretty bony at 63 pounds).  Angus had all his vaccines Thursday and he will be neutered on this Friday.  We have already had one call from a friend of my husband who would like to take him...but it is not going to happen.  He is here for a reason.

Here is a picture with Pajama Girl just to get the idea of his size...and how well he fits in.  Not a mean bone in his body and he just loves everyone he meets. (he is giving Ella a big sloppy kiss)

 

This picture below I caught them off guard but a good one to show the size.  (btw...the hallway is where Dallas, our big shedder, lays around and after being away so long it was over due for a vacuum and never looks that bad!)

 

Angus likes the hairy hallway just fine...it is not snow and ice at minus 16 degrees like he knew only a week ago.

One World One Heart Give Away

Update again:  It is 10:15 and I need to go to bed so I will be closing comments now.  Thank you all who have commented here it has been my pleasure and I am just as excited to see the results via random generator tomorrow..once I figure it out :)

UPDATE:  COMMENTS WILL BE CLOSED ON FEBRUARY 11TH AROUND 11PM

If you have not heard about it yet you really need to check out the "One World One Heart" giveaway event.  The host Lisa, from A Whimsical Bohemian, has created an event to unite and connect artists around the world in such an exciting way.  I, being 100% Czechoslovakian by nationality, have it in my blood to stop everything and jump aboard this Gypsy Caravan of hers.  Currently there are over 400 participants GIVING AWAY THEIR ART OR GOODIES.  The rules are the same for everyone involved and contest comments will be closed in the late evening on Feb 11.

Without further babble, I am giving away this fun scrabble tile "French Gazebo" pendant complete with sterling silver chain and fun gift tin/traveling case.  I must thank my friend m heart for emailing this event link to me but glad to see some of my other friends are already on board!

SO LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS POST TO ENTER!!!

(I have now moved this post from remaining on top of my blog)

 

 

Click on the badge below to find out more about this wonderful event!

*Comments will close at midnight EST on 12 February*

 

 

Life is sweet again

 

I am as happy as a bird on top of a giant cupcake basking in the sun!

 

 

This little sweet "tweet" was made to use as a bow on top of my friend's little "Wooga's" birthday present, wrapped in cupcake paper of course.  Mmmm cupcakes, now I am hungry!  Guess I will just have to be happy to go take a very hot shower again for now!