Monarch Post

boo to you

  
 
 
 ...from the robber dude and the fortune-telling gyspy.

Happy Halloween to you!

dreaming in color

 
Last week Corbyn came to me needing a manila folder for a homework assignment. I couldn't find one, so I started rummaging around in a top shelf in the kitchen. I ran across an old folder filled with magazine clippings (remember doing that before blogland?). On the top of all the clippings were these photos printed on a postcard subscription for Cottage Living. I had completely, completely forgotten about this postcard, but when I saw it I remembered sticking it in the folder, and thinking wouldn't it be fun to live in a house with such a bright, happy kitchen?! 

That was seven years ago, back when we lived in a little house all painted in seafoam blues, cremes, salmony pinks, and decorated in cabbage rose fabrics. No bright yellow kitchen walls or red chairs in sight... I was seriously floored when I ran across these photos. 

And look at this home of ours now... Pine farm tables, red chairs, bright yellow walls, green furniture, roses, sunflowers, mismatched china, and the dog-- the DOG!! (We didn't have Winston when I filed this photo.) 

 
I guess I tucked a happy red and yellow postcard in my subconscious file back then too...

(I'd love to have the white kitchen cabinets, but those will have to wait for a couple more years.) 

(And now if I could just score an old daisy chandelier at a yard sale... ;)

Well, that's it for me today. I've got a busy week ahead finishing up projects and Halloween costumes. I might not be back for a few days. Love, Kelly

 

 

 

the pumpkin patch

 
 
We went to the pumpkin lady's house and picked out our pumpkins this week. We started coming here when our oldest two were very young. It's a small farm in the middle of the next town. (Think of the movie "Up".)

We go here for two reasons:

#1 The pumpkin lady leaves long stems on the pumpkins. We like our pumpkin stems long. 

#2 The pumpkin lady always has Smarties in her apron. (She gives me Smarties too.) 

I think I have a personal third reason...

The pumpkin lady has the coolest, frothiest white beehive hairdo ever. It's kind of a French knot in the back with mounds of white curls and white bobby pin intersections. I try not to stare; it's hard not to. She drives a tractor with that twelve-inch high beehive hairdo. (At Christmas she puts her tractor on the front lawn and decorates the whole thing with red and green tree lights.) She's in her seventies. I am impressed. She reminds me of my Grandma Warner who was a farmwife with white hair, aprons, and Smarties in her purse. 'nuff said.

Happy weekend. XoKelly

progressing

 
 
Hi. Still here.... I've been working on finishing up a whole bunch of ideas to send off to a gift company. I met someone at The Creative Connection event who's interested in my gift line ideas. It's not exactly top secret; I just don't want to show much of what I've been up to yet on the web-- (I'm sure you can understand why.) But I'm afraid I must be looking like such a slacker with no ideas or projects for you lately, so I thought I'd explain myself (as much as I can for now). Here's a tiny peek of one idea.

I am so loving sitting and stitching though now my fingers have toughened up (so sore for awhile I had to stop for a day!) Lots of experimenting with fabrics, trims, lace, stitches, and ribbon. My hands are busy, but I find my mind has lots of time to wander over to other ideas.... 

  

Like what to be making for Christmas projects, soon!  And what to make out of this pile of estate sale doves??? Got any good ideas you guys? (Of course I could just sell them individually as ornaments, but hey, that would make my life just too darn easy.)  So far I can see them in ivory wreaths, but there are like thirty doves here... what else?

 
 
 
I've been thinking alot about this book too since I read it last summer. Chapter two is titled, "Sufficient." One story is about a friend of the author's who has a gardener who comes to help her with her large garden every so often. After he's finished gardening, she makes him lunch. He always tells her his small portion of food is sufficient, and the way he says it, the friend knows not to try and make him eat more. I was so struck by the stories in this chapter. I mean, this is America, land of excess, never enough-- more more more. The land of the all-you-can-eat-buffet! Who ever says, this is sufficient? But I find myself thinking of the word sufficient everyday now. And it has been liberating, let me tell you, liberating. Because I realized that just about everything in my life is... guess what... sufficient. And for a girl who has so often struggled with thinking she's never quite enough, well, it's huge to feel sufficient for a change (most of the time.)

I have sufficient health and so does my husband and children. 

I have a sufficient home.

I have sufficient clothes.

I have sufficient friends.

I have sufficient intelligence.

I have sufficient faith.

I am enough. 

No, not perfect. I will never be perfect, and I don't need to be. Sufficient does not mean perfect; I'm getting it.  My thighs are not perfect (never will be), but they are sufficient; they attach my legs to my bum and I can walk. Sufficiently.

I think it's amazing what one word, at just the right time, at just the right twist of the lightbulb moment can do. Not too much, not too little-- the mama bear chair. That's it. Yay.

I think I've finally got it (yay, for the blonde ;))... sufficiently, and clear down to my toes.

Happy Wednesday to you! XoXKelly 

 

P.S. EDITED After rereading my post, I found it looking rather ironic that I am writing about a gift line and American excessiveness! Well, all I can say for now is the gift-line company I'm working on ideas for is about humanitarian aid for those whose lives are far from sufficient.....

 

 

 

so true

 

It's fall break time for the schools around here. Sophey just finished her submission for the school art contest yesterday. This years' theme is "together we can..." Her artist statement is, "together we can have a life like a work of art."

All her own ideas-- no help from Mom.

 
 
 

And Jesse has learned where to scratch Winston to make his tail move from side to side. You should hear Jesse laugh when he's scratching the dog now.

Apparently, dog scratching can be an art form too. :) 

Have a lovely weekend, my friends. XO.

 

I totally scored at the thrift stores

 
I totally scored at my thrift store Columbus Day sale yesterday. You know you've got it bad when you make a special trip to the thrift store because it's half-price day. But when you find that little diamond of whatever in between all the junk, and it's practically free...  somehow it's just great cheap therapy. Don't ask me to explain it any better than that.... but if you're here, you may totally get it too :)

Anyway, that's one very awesome green enamelware pot up above. It'll be perfect for soup this winter. My old perfect size soup pot is twenty-five years old and falling apart, so this sweet thing will provide years of simmering enjoyment. (No one else in my family will ever appreciate my perfect-shade-of-green-enamel-ware-pot, but I will never appreciate V8(?) engines or football, so I think we are even here.)

The yellow oven-to-tableware piece still had the original stickers on it-- never used. Double score.

And the yellow trivet is just plain adorable.

As is the white stoneware serving platter.

And the metal pinecone candle holders (looking Pottery barn chic and expensive, I might add) for eight bucks-- whoohoo!

 
I also found this fabric (which is currently living as a dress) but I'm thinking it may soon become a dining room table runner for Thanksgiving. Love those colors and that crazy paisley pattern!

 
And I bought one tatted lace doily.

I tried to learn how to tat  once... for about five seconds... but then my eyes crossed over and I blacked out.

The most TEDIOUS craft ever-- in my opinion. But I admire those who've done it and have lived to tell about it. Anyone who has the patience to tat and can actually make something like this should automatically be qualified for sainthood. No other miracle-working would be deemed necessary. You tat a doily.... you join the sainthood club there sister Mary Kathleen, followed by a long round of applause, a standing ovation, and a loud Amen!

 

Moving on....

 
Found a charming cloche for the d.r. hutch at another consignment store last week.

 
Sweet.

 
And I picked up the prettiest daisy plates and bowls at another thrift store. The folk art box was an estate sale ($1) find a few weeks ago.

 
The hutch definately has more personality now...

 
And so does the old bean and bacon soup for lunch, but now I need something homemade and bubbling in that green enamelware pot. :-)

Happy Tuesday, my friends! XO!! 

 

 

 

 

footsteps

 

Last night for Sophey's Girl Scout meeting, we went to the local food bank and dropped off GS cookies and food. Last spring we took a tour there, and the girls have been wanting to do more to help out at the food bank. Afterward, big sister Ainsley talked with our girl scouts about her new profession as a case (social) worker for mentally ill clients at an outpatient clinic. She taught the girls how important it was to have helping places like the food bank for people who are not mentally healthy and/or are living on the margins of society. She loves her work, and we are so proud of her accomplishments and big heart.

Our girls are fifteen years apart. And for ten years Ainsley prayed every night for a baby sister. When she was five her first brother Corbyn, was born. When she came to meet him in the hospital, I tried to be very cheery for her sake... look how cute your new brother is! She looked up at me completely serious said, "Ya, he's cute. Can you make a girl now?" I laughed and said, "well, give it a little time." Well, eight years and lots of fetility problems later, another brother, Jesse was born. Two years later, and one more pregnancy... this time we decided it would be wise to find out the baby's sex. A girl and sister to be!

  

Ainsley was so happy to finally get her longed for baby sister, but she knew there would be a big age difference now too... she said she'd wanted a little sister to play Barbies with and now that would never happen. Well, she was right-- no Barbies for these two. But lately, they're finding their own way to be sisters. Sophey has sleepovers at Ainsley's house and they do girl things-- like the fancy toenail painting session up above.

Things seem to have a way of working themselves out, don't they? :)

Have a lovely weekend. XO

little surprises

One of the (many) wonderful things I received at The Creative Connection event last month was this charming tote bag from French General. The bags were draped across our dinner chairs one evening, and they were filled with goodies. I had to laugh because at what other women's seminar would you find a swag bag filled with glue sticks, acrylic paints, and Mod Podge? And at what other women's seminar would that assortment of goodies elicit ooohs and aaahhs from the recipients?!

There was so much stuff to go through that I really just got to sorting it all out last week. And I have to show you my very favorite thing...

When I first pulled this gift out I assumed it was a sweetly packaged but ordinary little dish towel. But au contraire!

 
It was also (drumroll, please) an apron! Genius. Just genius. With a little hook to hang it by on the end. And red to boot.... French General... I am all yours.

I went to their site to check out the rest of their goods; they have such a beautiful assortment of things for the home. But no luck finding any more of the dishtowel/aprons to buy. I'm wondering if they were made especially for TCC? I was thinking of what a great gift this would make for Christmas.  

And then I thought how sweet a little redwork embroidery would look in the corner of the apron...

I lightly penciled in a heart, stitched it, and then had fun doodling in a variety of other stitches. I don't know what it is exactly, but I like it :)

 
I did see very similiar red-striped dishtowels in JoAnn's a couple of weeks ago. I think they came in a three-pack for 12.99(?) The ribbon is about 12" of grosgrain stitched onto both sides. Cinchy project.

 

 I just noticed this advertisemt for daisy egg makers from Williams-Sonoma this morning. ($15.00 for a set of four.)

OH. MY. GOSH!

Must buy, must buy, must buy.   

Happy Wednesday, XO. 

just for grins

 
I just finished a few things for a my friend Brenda's gift shop this week. And for the life of me, I can't find the pattern pdf I used to make the pumpkins. I was sewing late at night, so no photos of pumpkins in progress. The cat pillow was a big experiment, and I didn't know until it was finished if it was going to work out at all. The cat head is a big circle with a V cut out at the top. I also cut out the holes for the eyes and mouth and then stitched white wool into the eye and mouth area. The teeth are just backstitching with embroidery floss. And that's about all the kitty instructions for the moment... I am lame this week.

But I did find lots of great fabric pumpkin tutorials online if you're interested in making fabric or wool pumpkins. (If you Google "fabric pumpkin tutorial" you will come up with a dozen different ideas easily.) I made my pumpkins by combining two tutorials. The closest pattern I could find is here. I sewed six panels instead of eight. But otherwise, the pattern shown is very similiar to the one I used and can't locate. I didn't use the stem pattern piece. Instead, I cut a rectangle of wool and rolled it up lengthwise; hand-sewed the seam edge, then hand-sewed the stem onto the top of the pumpkin. 

Anyway,

The other tutorial is from the thompson family blog. I used their string idea to create the deep pumpkin sections. (You'll see what I mean if you go there.) I also filled the bottoms of the pumpkins with about 1 1/2 cups of plastic pellets you can find in craft stores to give the pumpkins some weight. I finished filling them with polyester fiberfill. As usual, I used recycled felted wool sweaters for the pumpkins and cat.

And that should just about cover how to write a vague, generalizing, and tutorial avoiding post for now...

 
I think I just figured out my story for this Cheshire grinning guy. 

*So Ches, Timmy the hamster is missing. Really?

And the new loaf of sandwich bread is gone. Huh?

And the expensive Gouda cheese has disappeared. No waaay?

Dude, I have no (burp) idea what you are talking about*

What are you thinking? Gotta cat tale to tell? :)  xoKelly