wishes for you...

My wishes for you this holiday season are for good health and abundant happiness, peace for your soul and precious, joyful moments with those you love.

I leave you with this quote - one of my favorites - "And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." - Dr. Seuss-

mama's home alone with the butter pecan...

Whew! After an exhausting 4 day weekend with the kids, due to snow days, I'm finally home alone. After I'm done with this yummy butter pecan ice cream, it's back to work. It's like Santa's workshop here and the big deadline is fast approaching. There are still gifts to be made and wrapped, cookies to bake, holiday concerts to attend...

a hat for a monkey...

I made this adorable little cowboy hat for the monkey above. It was a special request from a special aunt. While I think it turned out pretty well, I don't think I will ever become a hatmaker!

a little christmas decorating...

Taking out a few decorations today...The kids, of course, have their big, glitzy tree complete with colored lights, but in my own space I like to keep things simple...

paper rainbows...

Been busy making some fun and colorful chunky books. The rainbow book reminds me of this sweet song by one of my favorite green friends.

satin ribbon roses and cozy flannel slippers...

My fingers are a bit tired today. Many hours went into the making of these satin ribbon roses, but I think they are just the touch needed for these pretty slippers. I definitely improved as I went along and no two roses look the same. Like snowflakes right? The slippers are made from a very soft, cozy flannel. Perfect for cold winter nights. There are four pairs in this batch and they will be delivered tomorrow to Boudoir in Lynchburg.

wise words from a small bear...

"When late morning rolls around and you're feeling a bit out of sorts, don't worry; you're probably just a little eleven o'clockish". -Winnie the Pooh-

staying up late...

The sun gives us light, but the moon provides inspiration. If you look at the sun without shielding your eyes, you'll go blind. If you look at the moon without covering your eyes, you'll become a poet. -Serge Bouchard-

waking up early...

When I first open my eyes upon the morning meadows and look out upon the beautiful world, I thank God I am alive. - Ralph Waldo Emerson-

thankful for...

All morning, I was thinking about what I should post today. I was trying to come up with some profound thing that I was thankful for and maybe some beautiful picture to go with it. Of course I'm thankful for my family and all of my many blessings, but I was trying to think of something a little different and I was having a hard time coming up with something great. So, I decided to wait until later to post and I went off to do some laundry. And as I stepped into my cellar, my toes got a little wet. Uh-oh. So, there it is. Today, I am very, very thankful for plumbers. Especially ones that come quickly on the day before a holiday. Sometimes it really is the simple things...

random projects...

...this pile of body parts will be transformed into a "really cute something" for a "really special someone"...

...still sewing slippers almost every day... here's a recent pair...

...experimenting with fabric dye... I love how it came out... I have various plans for this pile...

...playing with tiny paper and leather scraps... not quite done yet...

...some necklaces in progress...

...and that's what I have been up to... what about you?

holiday things...

What have I been up to? Oh...making holiday pretties for my shop... Here are some of my favorites. The walnut shell is filled with tiny, wonderful treasures. I call it "inspiration in a nutshell".

small offerings...

...a tattered fabric flower found on the road...

...tootsie rolls from their almost spent halloween stash...

...little chalked notes, tucked between my to do lists...

...dried grass from a walk outdoors...

...small offerings for mom...little "i love u's"...to keep me going through the more difficult moments of this adventure they call "parenthood"...

ahhhh...

It's so beautiful out today, that even though I have a lot of work to do, I couldn't resist going out on the deck and putting my feet up for a while. The sun is shining through the shedding trees and it's so warm and inviting. The leaves are at their peak of beauty. I can hear geese nearby. Just too good to miss...

a dream...

Last night, as I was sleeping,
I dreamt - marvelous error! -
that a spring was breaking out in my heart.
I said: Along which secret aqueduct,
oh water, are you coming to me,
water of a new life that I have never drunk?

Last night, as I was sleeping,

I dreamt - marvelous error! -

that I had a beehive here inside my heart,

and the golden bees were making white combs

and sweet honey from my old failures.

Last night, as I was sleeping,

I dreamt - marvelous error! -

that a fiery sun was giving light inside my heart.

It was fiery because I felt warmth as from a hearth,

and sun because it gave light

and brought tears to my eyes.

Last night, as I slept,

I dreamt - marvelous error! -

that it was God I had here inside my heart.

---Antonio Machado---

believe in yourself...

... because if you don't, who will ...

happy halloween...

Have a fun halloween!

a whiter shade of pale...

...inspired by this version of an old song...

pile of slippers...

... on my way to drop off these lovely "wedding slippers" that I've been working on all week...

like a box of chocolates...

...only better, because this one is not going to give me a migraine! While I was out and about this morning, waiting for a violin repair, I found an antique shop I've never been in before...I found this great jewelry box lined in pink velvet and satin, which I could never pass up and while I was paying for it I noticed a big baggie of buttons - the bag was really grungy, I could hardly see through it, but it was a cheap bag of buttons, so I added it to my purchase. When I got home, I dumped out the buttons and as I sorted through them, I got pretty excited, this was a really great bag of buttons. Lots of mother of pearl (my favorite) and some cool white ones and some nifty milky glass ones and a few really awesome metal ones... And the moral of this story, never pass up a dirty old bag of buttons.