What a journey!!

Whew!!! I thought I'd never get back!!!

A week or so ago, I set off to visit a few of my Blog Followers, and . . . (WOW !) what a journey it's been!

I tried dropping bread crumbs so I could find my way back, but then, you know, my neighborhood is full of seagulls and geese. Did you ever see the seagulls in Finding Nemo? They're the ones that cry, "Mine! Mine! Mine!..." and snatch every morsel as it hits the ground. So, crumbs weren't a great help. I guess I should take the GPS with me next time.

This time, I traveled far - going back to one of the first Followers to sign on to my blog - Jessica C at The Chickadee Tree. In addition to blogging about her crochet projects and crocheting in general, Jessica creates and sells chainmaille jewelry over on Artfire. Check out her earrings, bracelets and such here.If you like what you see, she's in the middle of a blog Give-Away for some chainmaille earrings. There's lots of ways to enter. Go to her blog for more info on this.

I'm also impressed with a huge crochet project she's taking on - a Tetris Blanket. Using 4" x 4" crocheted squares, Jessica plans to replicate a testris screen! Cool!! This one's gonna take a while but I look forward to seeing the finished project. (I've been a fan - er, "addict" - since the inception of the game.)Oh, yeah, in her "spare" time, Jessica is "Mom" to two little ones. Talk about a busy and creative lady!!!

Of course, before leaving Jessica, I needed to check out some of the sites on her bloglist - and, well . . . time really got away from me. That, and meandering from one to the other kind of headed me off in various directions and wandering around in circles and -- Well, let's just say a "momentary browser failure" helped me find my way out!!

So, if you have a few minutes (or just want to try to win those earrings) check out Jessica's blog. (You can enter for her Give-Away through June 30th.)

Hot + Hazy + Humid = Miserable!!

It has been * HOT * HOT * HOT * here this week!!!!
This kind of weather is not unheard of in these parts but we usually don't get it until August, by then, we've acclimated a bit more. Not that one can ever really get used to heat indexes of 107 degrees and more. It will always be defined as HOT!!!!

Our air conditioner has been a reluctant player this week to complicate matters. It's still under warranty so we called for service. They can't get here until Tuesday!!! (10 days from the date of our call!) Fans have helped some but it has been so oppressive that I just want to flop like a rag doll!!

Don't get me wrong. There have been a few upsides to this. We don't dare add to the inside temp by cooking so we've been forced to go out to dinner each night!! Since it uses the least amount of energy, I've done a lot of reading as opposed to housework. (What a great excuse!!) I've finally finished the second of Stieg Larsson's trilogy (The Girl Who Played With Fire).

(If you haven't read these, get to it!
But be sure to start with his first book,
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo)

The heat however has attacked my creative mojo. I think it melted. I've had to force myself to work on my many projects. Orders have, of course, taken the first priority. It's a little harder to keep the new ideas flowing in this hot air, though. To prove I'm not just sitting around reading and eating snow balls, I'm sharing some Work In Progress pics. Maybe that will push me on toward getting them done!

I was inspired by the arrival of cherry season and began working on a Cherry Baby concept. Hopefully, I'll get this in the shop by Monday.

I'm still stitching lace at every opportunity, too. It does take time to plan out the placement and get it pinned in place. Once I've got the lace on a garment, I'm letting the outfit itself guide me in the painting concept. This little pink dress is now talking to my paints about it's future.

Remember the Apple Jars? These were the ones I picked up at the trhift shop with D's apple-themed kitchen in mind. Then, once I'd painted them, I thought maybe I'd put them in the shop instead. Well, I guess my conscience was working on me, 'cuz they've been sitting here and I haven't been able to bring myself to put them in my shop. After all D is a sweetie and they will look so good in her kitchen. So, after all is said and done, they will be making their way to her shelf.

Now, the challenge is to fill each one up with something special (and apple-oriented). So far, some of my ideas have included apple-flavored jelly beans, sour apple candies, even apple jacks cereal.

I'm open to suggestions. Any apple ideas out there?

What a busy and HOT weekend!!

We started out on Saturday with an afternoon at our local winery with The Big Guy's brother and sister-in-law and a few hundred of our "closest friends." There was a Jimmy Buffett tribute band playing, great food available, a cool breeze under the trees (Okay, a breeze moving WARM air but it was MOVING.) and, oh yeah, WINE!!!!


It was a good day for the first "UNOFFICIAL" day of summer!

I was up early on Sunday as we really did still have to make a choice between parties but, in either case, I needed to whip up a dessert to take with. We ended up heading to Harrisburg, PA for the Treasurer's Picnic, an annual party held by the Blues Society of PA. It's a bout a 2 hour drive for us, each, way, but well worth the trip. Let me tell you, these folks can PARTY !!!

They put on a huge spread of food that lasts all day from about noon to 7:30 p.m. They start with appetizers and nibbles for an hour or so and then put out a huge buffet. The grill and smoker goes all day and there are tons of salads and sides. Everybody who comes brings a dessert. They have loads of water, sodas and even a self-serve beer truck!


. . . And there's LOTS of great LIVE music!!! We had 7 full bands, each playing a 45 min to an hour long set and then 6 acoustic acts who did about 1/2 hour sets in between the bands. ALL were of the highest quality and totally enjoyable. One of the high points this time came with The Don Johnson Project. this is a great party/dance band and they really get everybody moving. This time, they had a real musical phenom with them. A young guy named A.J. who plays a mean guitar and he's only about 11 or 12 years old!!! (He's the guy in the red shirt, way to the right in the picture.) Look out, Eric Clapton!!

This is a great bunch of folks who really know how to have a great time! Unfortunately, since it is a long trip for us, we usually only get to about 4 or 5 events they do each year. Most happen in and around Harrisburg or Allentown. (Yes, we DO have a local blues society and we belong to that, too. They just aren't as much fun!)

I felt bad because we had to choose between parties. The other was just down the road from our house but we do see most of those folks every week or so. Still, we hated to miss that get-together. We just couldn't do both.

Yesterday, we only had to trek right next door but it was an all-day event. Again, great food, fantastic company and good day was had by all!!

I was pleased to find my little sailor style onesie also made it into, not one, but TWO, different Etsy treasuries over the weekend!! Katie at ktimages did it first, on Saturday, in a treasury showing how we wear our Red, White and Blue and, then, Tracy of Lucky 1724 featured it in her Stars and Stripes treasury yesterday. Be sure to check these out as Red, White and blue is still in style and we'll all be looking to show our patriotism again on July 4th!!

I think it's the backside on this one that garners most of the attention!

And the fox says...

Who among us hasn't sat with a toddler and played the old "The cow says 'moo'" game? I can't imagine how many times over the decades I've wracked my brain to come up with a different critter to ask about in one of these matches of the wits. I must say, though, "FOX" never entered my mind!Let me backtrack a bit.

The other night, I lay quietly awake in my bed listening to the mysterious sounds of the night. This was unusual in that it's rare that I am awake for more than a minute or two once my head hits the pillow at night. It's also really strange that it should be so quiet at that moment. The Big Guy was asleep in his chair in the other room at the time, so there was no loud snoring beside me.

The windows were closed but the sounds from outside penetrated their way into the room. I noted a strange pattern of sounds that seemed to answer each other. A series of three "ooo-ooo-ooo", followed by what sounded like a poor imitation of "woof-woof" and then a series of three whistle-like sounds. It repeated many times over before I finally fell asleep.

The dog-like bark definitely sounded fake. I was sure it was a human creation.

Behind our house, we have woods with a stream and marsh land and a fair representation of animal-life. Only a few hundred yards across from the front of our house, however, is a medium-sized apartment complex catering to a transient, young adult population which presents a constant flow of traffic and activity. It is not unusual to see people standing around outside talking, smoking or just generally "hanging" at all hours of the day and night.

I chalked the odd sounds up to some sort of "code" being conveyed among those folks much like the signals we created as children. I mentioned it to The Big Guy the next morning but soon wiped it from my mind.

Well, summer arrived in these parts today. It was hot and sticky all day. After dinner, we gathered around the Tiki Bar in our neighbor's yard (What a great neighborhood!) for a cold beverage and some good conversation. For entertainment, we plugged in the bug zapper and watched the show. (It doesn't take a lot to amuse us!)

Before too long, the concert I'd heard the other night began again! This time, without the closed windows, it was easy to identify the first set of sounds as an owl's call. It's not an unusual sound in this area. I'm almost ashamed to admit I didn't recognize it the other night.

My neighbor was quick to identify the "bark" as that of the fox! This surprised me. I've been around foxes all my life but never gave any thought at all to what sound, if any, they made! We have a pair that live directly behind our house in the woods. My neighbor even feeds them occasionally. As if to reinforce his assessment, the fox quickly put in an appearance strolling along the edge of the yard. He stopped to pose in the glow of the spotlight on the shed but was quickly frightened by the sound of the bug zapper and fled into the safety of the woods.

In case you're wondering, the last of the sounds, I believe, was a tree frog. They have a variety of sounds in this end of the world and they are plentiful.

So, next time someone asks, "What does the fox say?" You'll know the answer to be "WOOF! WOOF!"

Have a good summer weekend, y'all!!

Huh??

I am Sooooo Confused!!!!

My computer suddenly decided to do really strange things to me last night. It shut down mid-stream while I was reading a blog that I follow daily. I rebooted. It did some very strange negotiations and finally decided it would not let me access either of my browsers. I ran my security scans, finding nothing. (This took several hours.)

This morning, it gave me a security warning. Again, I ran several hours of scans. Nothing turned up. I rebooted and things moved along fine. No problems all day. Hubby used it this evening. No problems. Tonight, I've worked with five different programs, no problem.

And then....

I tried to post here. I've always approached through Firefox. Blogger refused to recognize me. I could get here through a general search but it wouldn't even give me the option of signing in. I tried to have things reset but, since you do not work with a human on the their end, it wanted me to answer a long questionnaire regarding my general G-Mail account and all other Google programs I use. I have no problems there - only with Blogger.

I'm not comfortable giving them a lot of details for programs I'm not having trouble with. I feel like there should be a box to check that says "This has nothing to do with this problem and is, therefore, none of your business." I do not see why they would need me to provide five e-mail addresses that I usually send to through my G-mail account. I do not generally send social messages through that account. For the most part, I only receive on that account.

I know this is the age of electronic communication, but sometimes, it would be nice to simply pick up the phone and speak with a live human being and explain what the problem is. Often the problem isn't one of the multiple choices they give in their list of possibilities. Often, one has to wonder who is accessing this information and why.

I spent so long getting here tonight that I've now forgotten what wanted to tell y'all !

I know I feel bad that it's been so long between posts. I have to wonder where all that time has gone. It's been a very busy week beginning with an impromptu dinner get-together with 12 of us last Thursday, house guests over the weekend, and personal and family business to take care of over the last two days. Not much painting or sewing got done here.

Hopefully, I can get back to my regular routine by morning. (Just in time for the holiday weekend!)

How on earth did we get to Memorial Day weekend, already?!?

It's been a good week so far.

I finally got the rest of the first batch of vintage miniature figurines listed in the shop this week. Taking the pictures of these tiny pieces took a lot of time! I was lucky enough to make a few sales, both online and off. I've gotten some new orders, too. (Maybe one of my best non-holiday weeks of all time in terms of orders!)

'Tis the season for all things beachy and ocean-related. I've had lots of requests for my handpainted lamps and lampshades featuring fish and shells so yesterday was spent basecoating a bunch of pieces, mostly lamps. I already have a few new shades in the works. Hopefully, I'll have time to do the detail work on some of these tomorrow.

Remember the little glass canisters with the apple indentations that I bought a few weeks ago? I painted them yesterday, too. Now all they need is some cute bows around their necks. My original plan was to give them to D. for her apple-themed kitchen but I'm seriously considering listing them in the shop instead. If they're still around when I need a gift for her, maybe she'll get them then.

Poor thing! As a child she inherited all the dolls whose handpainted eyes looked a little crossed or the bear that simply didn't sell after a full season of craft shows. Now, as a grown-up, she's still a fall-back for merchandise.

Then there were some custom orders to complete, too. Since they are gifts and the recipients don't have them yet, I can't share them with you at the moment. Maybe soon. Let's just say I had fun and am very pleased with the results.

While all that paint's been drying, I've been sewing a lot of lace onto all sorts of things. Some of the lacy items should be ready to show you by tomorrow. (Most of those also have some painted details.)

On Monday night, Queen of Sienna included one of my glass paperweights in a feather themed treasury on Monday night. You can see the entire treasury here. Be sure to take time to check out Queen of Sienna's Etsy shop, too. She has a really great eclectic collection of vintage pieces.


Then, today, June over at the I Sew Cute blog, featured my "I Speak Cookie" apron on a post about baking her way through the Betty Crocker Cooky Book. Sort of makes you want to jump up and make a batch of cookies. (Or, at least, eat some cookies!)

When you get a chance, stop in and see some of the adorable pieces of resin jewelry June makes and decorates with sprinkles, glitter and love. You can see her shop here.

I think I'm going to sit back, relax and do a little reading now. I've just started reading The Girl Who Played With Fire. it's one of those books, one simply hates to put down!!

Making plans beyond Saturday?

There are two subjects I try to avoid on this blog - politics and religion. Sometimes, though, one just has to comment on the world around us.

Okay, so if we're to believe all the signs around us, the countdown has begun.

This is the nearest billboard to my home
when you head North on the main drag.

If the hype is true, all the truly "good" people will be led to a beautiful life in heaven on May 21, 2011. (That's this Saturday, folks, if you don't have your calendar handy.) Those who are deemed not worthy will be subjected to "five months of torment." At the end of those five months, the world will be destroyed by fire. (Seriously, check out their website.)

***At the outset, let me say, this post today is done entirely for entertainment purposes, meant strictly to tease (or, possibly, provoke a smidgen of thought). It does not represent my true feelings, beliefs or personal opinions. I do not intend to make fun of any of my readers and their own beliefs or positions on this subject. (See, this is why I normally avoid religious topics.)

So, what are you going to do with these few last good days?

I mean, if you're in the first group, what do you need to do to get prepped for the journey? Assuming heaven is that fantastic, blissful place where all our needs are met and we're kept in comfort, what could you possibly need to carry with you? Incidentally, if that is the case, why pay any bills this week, stock the freezer or look at vacation brochures? Why make any plans at all?

Now, if you're part of the latter group (I've got to believe "the majority"), why pay your bills, finish school, get up and go to work, etc. Sure, you'll be tormented for five months but you can put up with a lot for five months. So, maybe you'll receive harassing phone calls from collectors. So what? What will you need your life savings for if the world ends in October. (You know, the day of the huge bonfire?) Why not go out and blow it all on enjoying life?

I've got to believe most folks aren't buying into this seeing as most did go to work today. Paid bills were mailed. Children went to school and plane reservations have been made for months down the road. Folks aren't out there partying in the streets, drinking themselves silly, or gambling away their life savings. (Well, at least, not most folks.)

And this is the second billboard going that way.
Want to get rid of all that cash we've been
stashing for the future?

Nope. I even bought a 20-pack of toilet paper today and a 300-pack of daily vitamins. So, I guess, I'm either believing I'll be around for at least the next 5 months or there really isn't an expiration date stamped on my body anywhere.

So, what kind of plans are YOU making this week ?