Monarch Post

stretching it out...

    Our all summer long, much awaited family vacation week is starting tomorrow.  Just like the photo above, it's going to be right between hospital and school....things are stable for a moment on the family homefront, and everyone insists we keep our vacation plans--so fingers crossed, everything will be okay for a week.  Wish I could figure out a way to s-t-r-e-t-c-h out summertime. *sigh*

I made this floor mat for Jesse and Sophey, when they were toddlers.  Delighted and surprised when they pulled it out and set up their town; I thought it wouldn't see playtime again until rediscovered by yet-to-be-grandchildren.   Yes, I'm definitely treasuring every lingering little childhood moment with my last two "babies"...

  

See you in a week.

Lots of love,

Kelly

chocolate RX

"Seize the moment.  Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart."

                 --Erma Bombeck.

      Thanks Erma. I'm finding I can find a quote to justify about anything.  And this one's true for me too --"stressed spelled backwards is desserts".  My secret chocolate stashes around the house are being depleted.  Yesterday, I inhaled a whole Dove dark chocolate bar before I got out of the grocery store parking lot.  And then there's the baking...  when I'm stressed, I bake.  I bake at other times too, but stress can bring on a baking frenzy around this house.  Since my Mom's health crisis,  I've been taking things to bake to her house.  I made banana bread the other day, and the house smelled wonderful, just like it used to.  She thanked me for making her house smell good again, and I blinked back the tears-- again.

Don't want to turn my generally happy little blog into a downer--but I'm thinking it's gotta be real too. So for now, I'm just hanging in there, and I'm gonna eat those chocolate bars whenever I darn well feel like it.  I'm considering it mental health food from here on out.  And it does raise those serotonin levels right?  Well, I know for a fact it does mine. 

I wish I could say I've been creating away, but no way right now.  So here's a couple of photos of what I made awhile ago for my friends' shop in our town...

    More of my little inventions--old sunday glasses painted and turned into felty wooly ice cream pincushions.  The "ice cream scoops" come off so that you can keep extra pins in the sunday glass.  You know I'm all about that multi-tasking stuff...

And I sure wish I could say I had that old Etsy shop of mine ready with a dozen of these sweeties, but I don't.  I don't know when I'm gonna get that Etsy shop open either right now...I guess when my life gets somewhat back on track.   So for right now, eating chocolate and trying to go with the flow is where it's at...

Take care

Lots of love,

Kelly

out of the woods...

"Promise me you'll always remember.  You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.  Christopher Robin to Pooh Bear"  --A A Milne.

     Sweet  RoseMarie was a thrift store castaway when I found her last June.  Way too cute to sit lonely on a shelf, I bought her for a dollar and brought her home with me for a makeover.  We started with a nosejob.  Yes, I made it bigger-- you see in the bear world big noses are desirable for sniffing out honey and berries ;-).  Then we moved on to a wardrobe.  RoseMarie "told me" nothing too trendy.  She's  a solid, steady kind of bear.  A new paisley jumper from an old thrifted skirt.  A felted wool sweater cut down to size.  Black wool mary janes--always classic.  Pearls and a rosey hat for accessories. Suddenly, this bear looked a little like the late Queen Mum of England.  Not a bad thing I don't think.  She was solid, steady, and not too trendy herself.   Just what I need to be more of right now. 

My mom is "out of the woods" and home from the hospital after four days.  Too much morphine for her tiny little ninety-seven pound body.  Two days of being completely delusional.  It was simply a harrowing experience for all of us.  I've cried buckets.  I truly believe she pulled through it by prayer and the grace of God.  She said yesterday she's happy to be alive.  So are we all.  It really is surprising to find strength you never knew was inside yourself.  But I hope I don't have to find that kind of strength again for a long time.

Rose Marie's finishing touch was a heart sewn on her sleeve.  Just the same place mine has been ;the past few days.   I've been thinking that's not such a bad place to keep a heart;  I've learned it hurts more to keep it safely stuffed inside...

Thanks so much for  your prayers and love. xoxoxox

Lots of love,

Kelly

 

calling all good fairies...

"Age is opportunity no less,

Than youth itself, though in another dress,

And as the evening twilight fades away,

The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.

--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

   Meet my good fairy godmother friend, Stella Aurelia Wintersbloom. She's an art doll I made last year.

I wanted to challenge myself by sculpting a "mature"face for a fairy doll. I thought it would be really hard to do a doll with wrinkles. I was completely wrong.Her face was the easiest I've ever sculpted. It seems smoothing out a doll's face to make it "perfect" takes alot more time-- I think Stella was trying to tell me something here...

I never have a clear idea of how a doll will turn out. She just emerges from my hands. And sometimes I don't get who she really is until after she's finished. In Stella I see many faces.  She looks like my Mom, both my grandmothers, a special neighbor, and for some unknown reason, the actresses Blythe Danner and Katherine Hepburn??  Beats me on those two-- maybe it's the hair?

I wish we lived in a culture that honored older women more. Why do we still put older women "out to pasture" when they have so much experience to share?

When I lived in England I loved to watch the "Agony Aunt" (pronounced aauguny aauunt ;-)) segment on Good Morning Britain. Dear Abby-type letters came in from younger women, and wise old agony aunt Claire Rainer would dole out the advice. It was good advice too.And always with lots of clucking and "there, there dear", "that's perfectly natural to feel that way dear", and "this too shall pass dear", added for good measure. I just loved Claire. And even if she hadn't solved my problem, she still made me feel better. The world would go on...Claire knew because she'd lived it all.

Today my Mom, who is now seventy-six , is having a hysterectomy. She's had a hard row these past couple of years. She's been suffering from depression and what now appears to be dementia. I wish I could be more like Stella, wave a wand, and take all that away from her... I'm hoping for the best today, and I would so very much appreciate any loving prayers and energy you might send our way.

Don't know when I'll post again...it might be awhile...we'll see.  Family first. Cross fingers it will be soon.

Take care

Lots of love,

Kelly

edit-- my Mom made it through without complications yesterday. now it's time for TLC.

birds of a feather flock together

"The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." John 3:8

  Just landed again back home.  My Sophey and I went to Girl Scout camp for a few days.  Quite the departure from my spoiled trip to Carmel last weekend, but a fun and beautiful place in its own way too.

Right before I left, these sweet little birdies landed in my mailbox, from my very best girlfriend, Melinda.    She said the birds reminded her of me--and I think she's right. I love birds. See the tree in the background?  It's loaded with birdfeeders--makes washing the dishes much less tedious if you can watch the birds have lunch. 

I learned a few years ago that  birds are a symbol for Spirit...I like that symbolism.  Flitting here, there, and always landing softly.  Bringing joy and beauty.  Gentleness.  Sweetness.

    And speaking of Spirit, or in this case, maybe spirit(s)--here's a photo I took of our tent at dusk.  I've heard other people talk about "orbs" in their photos, and I've seen them in other photos of mine, but never anything this size.  The funny thing is, the first night in camp I felt quite anxious and unsettled.  I don't know why.  But the night of this photo, I was peaceful and calm.  The first night we had lots of mosquitoes, this night not a one.  My roommate Mom, had the same experiences as me.  Angels anyone?  Let me know if you know anything about this phenomenon....

Here's the same photo a split second later, with a flash.

    

 Nothing here......????????

Lots and lots of birds of a feather flocking together at camp.

 Such a good thing for these little girls to be a part of.  The Girl Scout motto is, "building girls of courage, confidence, and character".  What could matter more? 

   See you next year camp.

   And next post I promise to get get something crafty going--just had to share one more trip!

Lots of love,

Kelly

an enchanted weekend: "part 2"

    Well that's what one shop sign said, and I think I'd agree.  We loved it here.  More so than just about anywhere we've ever been.  The weather is wonderful. The people are friendly, and there are mountains, beaches, and farms all right here.  Just the places we like--and all in one spot. 

Anyway, without going on and on... Here's the rest of our wonderful weekend.

Mike rented a convertible.  It was fun flying around the hills with the top down.  And my hair is so short right now, it didn't even matter!

  

We drove along Pebble Beach.

And had lunch on the 18th hole.  Guess where?

Uhhuh...  Pebble Beach.  My golfing hubbie's idea of heaven on earth.

Then we drove to Carmel-by-the-Sea.  Here's one of the town's cottages.  There are streets and streets lined with homes like this one.

And streets and streets of shops and restaurants.  And guys in tights at this one!  Well you can't beat that for fun--ha,ha.

Even the alleys are beautiful here!

This was my favorite shop, named Piccolo --a collection of curiosities and indulgences.  And it was all that!

After we finished shopping, it was evening.  Mike and the innkeeper had arranged for a picnic and bonfire on the beach.  It was completely romantic.

The picnic and bonfire were waiting for us.

Along with roses,

and a message Mike wrote in a bottle.  Here's where my heart melted...

We ate our picnic, roasted smores and talked for hours as we watched the sunset. 

 And just in case your starting to want to throw up right about here because this is all starting to look like a bad beer, or worse still, a bad erectile dysfunction commercial ;-), well, please don't. 

We've been through our fair share of problems, and ups and downs too, in twenty years. I think everyone must.  But we made it this far, and it seemed right to truly celebrate that.  Especially this weekend, when it all felt so effortlessly good.  It seemed to both of us that the universe had conspired to give us this good.  As we talked and dreamed about the rest of our lives together on that beach, a young man at the next bonfire played his guitar, for hours.  He played on even as we left.  It was magic.

And when we got home, even our kids had conspired to support us on our journey.  Here's what they made for us...

 

They all pitched in and gave us some great advice for the next twenty years too..

 

Pleas note Number 5 on that list--Mike and I had a fight once in a McDonald's, while on vacation, about getting in each other's way and "spatial awareness". Oh, the things your kids do remember... See, it's not all roses and sunsets here!

But humor me here, please.  One more photo longer...  I'll take the roses and sunsets as long as I can...

Lots of love,

Kelly

 

an enchanted weekend: "part 1"

     Well, I said I'd be back with happy things on Monday.  It's 8:30 pm on Monday, but I finally made it to my blog! And boy oh boy, talk about happy things... I truly had one of the most wonderful weekends of my life. I will always remember this enchanted weekend.  Everything was oh so perfect!  My Mike outdid himself--to say the least. (In case you didn't read the last post, my husband planned this whole trip as a surprise for our 20th wedding anniversary). We didn't stay in San Francisco, as I thought we would, but drove on to Monterey and stayed there the weekend.  So much to see, and I took so many pictures, that I"ve decided to do this post in two parts. 

 So here's part "1"...

  

Old Monterey Inn.  Just the most amazing award winning bed-and-breakfast home you could imagine.  Beautiful, warm, elegant, gracious, are a few of the words I would choose to describe this place. Every little detail so thoughtfully planned.  Even a little quote card placed on our bed each night... Patti the innkeeeper thinks of everything.  And the gardens--just incredibly beautiful and lush.  I'll take you for a tour of the inside first...

  

 

 

I loved the china in the dining room.

And the breakfast menus!

 

And all the carved wood, throughout the house.

Especially our carved headboard. 

 

 

 I loved the view from our bedroom window. 

  

And the leaded glass windows.

 

I could get used to living like this!

And the garden was as gorgeous as the house.

Even the corners are blooming here!

 

I loved all the garden art.

  

Especially the terra cotta people on the fence!

Aren't they funny!

 

Sleep tight!  Next we'll be off to Carmel-by-the-Sea.  Oh, those cottages and shops--not to mention the beach (I saved my best for last).  See you tomorrow!

 

Love,

Kelly

 

my own rose garden

   

 Yesterday was our twentieth wedding anniversary.  I can barely believe it's been that long ago that we married.  A big beautiful bouquet of roses arrived on my porch to mark the day.  They look a lot like my wedding day roses--lots of pinks and creams that day too.  And lots and lots of love everywhere I turned.  I think I floated through the entire day.  

We found this sun and moon trinket box at an art fair last summer.  We  both laughed, and opened our wallet. It's the running joke here...We are definitely the yin and yang couple-Dharma and Greg have nothing on us.  He likes the sun and rises early.  I like the moon and staying up late.. He's very left-brain. I'm extremely right-brain...and I could go on and on and on here...But our hearts have always been in the same place.  We love the good we see in each other and we love this family of ours.  Opposites attract they say, and it must be true, but true love has held it all together... 

So we're flying away for an anniversary weekend in San Francisco tomorrow.  I can hardly wait! He's planned it all, (left-brains like to plan) and it's a complete, big surprise for me.  Be back Monday with happy things to share!!

Thanks so much for stopping by, xo.  Have a wonderful weekend.

Love,

Kelly

yellow rose how-to

  Yellow roses are my all-time favorite flower.  I wish I could say the photo above was from my garden, but these gorgeous yellow ladies grow in Sea Worlds' garden, where I photographed them last spring.  Rows and rows of yellow roses.  They were spectacular.  I think I love yellow roses because they are so happy and so elegant-- all at the same time. 

So here's my little how-to for those picnic basket roses a few posts ago.  Since I've never done a "tutorial" before, please forgive me for being a novice.  And forgive some fuzzy photos.  I didn't notice that fuzziness until now...

   I used quilting fat quarters for my roses, and cut the quarters into 4" wide strips.  The length on this piece of fabric is 21".  Fold the fabric width-wise.

   Fold over end like so...

   Fold over again from the bottom.

   Start wrapping and gathering fabric around the fold.

   Continue wrapping around...

   Fluff and fuss until it looks like you want it to look.  Hand sew base of rose.  I use 3 strands of embroidery floss, since it's stronger than regular thread-- and doesn't break as easily.

   The leaves are made fom a 5" square piece of fabric.  Fold diagonally to start.  And try not to stab yourself when stitching that last rose.  BandAid tutorial next time...

   Fold again like this.  What's up with my blurry photos?  Sorry.

    Fold other side.

     Trim bottom of leaf.  Hand stitch along the center folded "leaf vein".  Of course, no photos of stitching because I couldn't stitch with both hands and take a photo--superior planning (not) here... Gather and stitch together bottom of leaf, pulling unfinished side edges down and stitching and gathering fabric tight.

   Anyway, what the leaves sort of look like when you're finished!  (I'll get better at this, you guys!)  And there ya go!  Obviously, I am cheaply and easily entertained...

See you soon!

Lots of love,

Kelly

fresh picked for you

    Well now, I am looking and feeling better today than I did last Friday. Got my beauty rest, got my makeup on, got my eyes pointing in the same direction...  I don't have flowers sprouting out of my hat yet, but I have a few creative thoughts in my head again, so that's good!

 I need a little more time still to open my Etsy shop--next Monday(?) hopefully.  And I will have that how-to on fabric flowers and leaves for sure tomorrow.

 I received a blog award by sweet Deb over at  posted-from-home last Friday, and so I wanted to post this first.  Thanks so much Deb! The rules are to pass it along to at least seven lovely blogs. So I've picked seven out of oodles I enjoy.

     

So here we go:

*AT A GLANCE*

*KayEllen*

*every little thing*

*that silly lil' doe*

*bailiwick designs*

*the polka dot pixie*

*under the red roof*

I'm finishing up those felty sundaes and a few more goodies/orders for my friend Brenda's shop here in my town @ www.justabedofroses.com and I'll show and tell on those creations too this week--pinky promise on that one! Gotta get back to work.

Take care.  See you soon!

Love,

Kelly