Monarch Post

daffodil shopping

I found bunches of daffodils in the grocery store the other day.... only $2.99 for a clump of yellow golden sunshine :D  I bought three. It's February (we all know what that means) and flowers/daffodils become my new necessity- not a luxury, in my mind anyway.  Oh, we need bread and milk to feed the children... nah,  just some daffodils for the kitchen table... that's what we really need ; )

They smelled HEAVENLY every time I walked past them for about three days...  I wish they lasted longer. They are just maybe my favorite smell in the whole wide world. Right up there with newborn babies  slathered in baby lotion... and my husband slathered in Ralph Lauren Polo cologne... (which would bring me right back to why I birthed those babies of ours in the first place, but then that would be a whole 'nother post, and that's just TMI).

Anyway... 

WOW on the daffodil smell.  

(Good job, God. Thank you.  ; )

I worked in my craft room most of the day- between doorbells and running ibuprofen to the school for a kid headache. (The life of the mom.)  I finally came up with a very sweet butterfly fabric pattern with black polka dots and appliqued floral fabric wings. I haven't taken a photo yet- I think I'll  need to make a few more first.

I also art journalled and that was good.

Sometimes I feel constrained by sewing, and it was very freeing to just doodle around with pens and fabric and paint... haven't done anything like that in so long. I'm always telling myself I'm too busy to just doodle for no reason, but it really does help the creative process along. It's like exercise- I'm too busy for that too I think, but when I exercise I know it helps me in so many ways.

Today, I'm off to  hit the thrift stores looking for yellow wool sweaters to make into daffodils for my annual Easter basket-making marathon. I can't find any anywhere. Last week I found these three pinky ones and that was all I could find.

And I am also going to exercise in the mall...  yes, the mall... because  wiggling,  jumping up and down, and sucking in my gut qualifies as exercise ( in my mind) while trying on  jeans in a tight dressing room. Right?  Of course it does... yuck.

But I need a pair of straight leg jeans for the weekend. Mike and I are going away to San Diego for a three whole days (alone). 

And I am so excited.

Have a happy weekend yourself!  K.

 

 

beautiful day

Last fall after Ainsley and Jeff's wedding I said when the photographer posted her wedding photos I would let you know...

Well, looks like they are posted now.

Better late than never, right?!

(Scroll past the first blog entry, Ainsley's wedding is next.)

So here's my eye candy prescription for you today-

especially if you live in Utah on this gray, February day.

Wishing it was seventy-five degrees and glorious today, like it was this September wedding day!

Brrrrrr.

Stay warm, friends!

XOK!

(Such gorgeous photos... I want to take a class from Terra one day)

enjoying...

Today I am enjoying:

My new thrift and fabric store finds.

A child's tea set in a red basket.

Just like the one I had when I was a kid.

(I don't know what happened to it).

A Minnie Mouse dancing figurine to add to the Disney collection.

A needlepoint granny purse.

New fabrics in colors and patterns I LOVE!

Fat quarters with FIVE great patterns... That never happens.

The amazing Indian summer we've had in Utah.

The leaves have stayed on the trees so long this fall...

And the "nesting in" that happens for me in the fall.

The cool weather always renews my creative energy.

I'm enjoying:

Sewing and working with wools again.

And making headbands and pins for the shop I sell to.

Lots of 'em :D

I'm enjoying:

the kids creativity too.

The creative "leftovers" on the kitchen table this morning.

The roses given to me by Mike last night... 

he worked long hours for us this week.

And turning old things into something new and different.

I think this will might be a child's purse for my shop when it's finished...

I'm enjoying stitching again,

and dreaming up new ideas to make and sell.

It's been a dry, uncreative year for me.

I am so glad that is all changing...

 

I think the tide has to go out

so that it can come back in.

 

I think the well has to be drained dry sometimes

before it can be filled with new water again....

 

And if you're the last five people left reading this old blog

that struggles sometimes to be real

and authentic,

and me,

then thanks for hanging out.

And in with me.

 

This  c r e a t i v e  life is my journey,

full of twists and turns,

valleys and mountains,

deserts and lush green gardens.

 

All I know for sure at this point in my life is

that life truly is a journey,

and it's made just by going on,

one foot in front of the other,

EVERY. DAY.

In fear and joy.

**********

 

(And all I really hope for this old blog is that it 

inspires you to live true and authentic too!)

(You are who you are for a reason and you are enough!)

 

Wishing you a lovely Friday and a happy weekend,

XOK

 

The WEDDING (part 3 ;)

 

I was planning a how-to post on the tabletop decorations we made for the wedding today, but of course I didn't actually take photos while I was making the crafts (that would have been too easy, of course) and it's just been so rainy and dreary here for the last few days, I haven't been able to take good photos... but I will, as soon as the sun is shining again!

So I'll do another post or two soon on making mercury glass look-alike vases (yes, thrift store vases and jelly jar glasses can make awesome wedding tabletop decorations ;) and a how-to for the photo booth photo by the vase and votive holder.

The black and white photo booth photo of the two of them was perfect... so so them. (They are constantly laughing and joking around all the time). I had to figure out a way to use it for a wedding decoration, and almost by accident, the photo of the two of them and the whole photo booth thing tied together really well.

 

Ainsley wanted a photo booth at the wedding after seeing this one at a bridal fair last January. It was such a hit-- I wouldn't have guessed it, but it was. The booth printed two photos, one went into their guest book with well wishes, and the other photo was tucked in with a bag of candy for the guests to take home. The kids at the wedding took about a zillion photos of themselves in the booth-- it turned out to be a great babysitter too! 

 

 

It was a great place for shmooching and being silly.

 

*************

Running off to my studio today, I think I've got wind back in my sails. I'm glad it's a rainy day today... the house and studio feel so cozy on days like this one.

And after the next couple posts, I'll quit blabbering on about the wedding and move on to other schtufff!

XOK!

The WEDDING! (part 2)

 

Mike said she was shaking as he walked her down the aisle, and then she giggled and stopped shaking just before he gave her away.  A guitarist played and sang "Marry Me" by train as she walked down the aisle. Ainsley asked after the wedding if he was good... she nervous heard him going down or coming back, she was so nervous. You wouldn't have known it, with that million dollar smile and Marilyn hip sway ;)
 

It was such a spectacular view and the weather was perfect for mid-September.

It did rain at 4:30 on the wedding morning though-- one of the most torrential rainstorms we've had. The guys were up making sure the basement didn't flood again, and then of course we were all up...the bride too, who stayed the night with us... hoping, praying, and crossing our fingers that the storm would roll on its way. It did and the the sun came out for us in every way.

And apart from two flower girls melt downs who refused to walk down the aisle, and one bridesmaid breaking her shoe heel off right before the ceremony, (she walked barefoot down the procession and being an actress she carried it off perfectly!) things couldn't have gone any better for this wedding. The ceremony was amazingly beautiful. (And yes, I cried a bit!)  

They were married on the ninth hole of the golf course right by our home. The ninth hole sits on a bluff with rolling greens and trees below, and our majestic mountains meeting aqua blue skies in the background made for an awfully stunning setting.

 

 

 

They made it through their vows without a hitch. You could feel the love between them and everyone there for them.

 

 

 
I'm thinking Christmas card photo material right here...

XOK

The WEDDING- part 1!

 
Oh, what a week it has been.... I'm still taking it all in!

So far this is the only photo of the wedding day I have. Way, way too busy talking, hugging, laughing, and dancing to take a single photo!

When the wedding photos are posted on the photographers blog, I'll link it and show you what a beautiful wedding day we all had. (I don't think I've ever been in a more love-filled, joy-filled, spirit-filled place in my life).

 
I did remember to take a few photos of the flowers the morning after the wedding. I knew our florist was an artist, but I still couldn't get over how gorgeous the bouquets and the table arragements were.

 
Ainsley's bridal bouquet.

The blue brooch belonged to my maternal grandmother, Millie Warner. A '50s costume jewelry piece... it fit the old Hollywood vintage dress/wedding perfectly.

 

Something old, borrowed, and blue all in one... Made me feel like she was there for the day too.

 
Roses, delphinium, ranunculus, and phlox in the most gorgeous shades of salmons, peach, orange, and blue became the tabletop centerpieces.

 
 
 
There are four leftover bouquets in our bedroom, and two bouquets in our bath this week. The rooms smell so heavenly. The roses heavy scent mingled with the nutmeg-spicey phlox makes for the loveliest room perfume!

 
 
(The photo booth was the hit of the night...!)

Back with, "The Wedding- Part Two" (and probably part three, four, and five... ;) soon!

XOKelly 

Oh and P.S.- I just remembered you can see her bridal photos, (if you care to) they are on our photographers blog now.

 

 

spring gifts

 
Mike brought home a tulip bouquet for me on Tuesday.

 
I put them in the living room in a "new" thrifted vase. Yesterday they started to open.

 
Last night around six o'clock the sun was hitting the tulips just so... perfectly.

 
And apparently you can take lots of tulip photos when the sunlight is just so... perfect.

 

 
See what I mean. I tell ya... a perfect spot of sunshine in every way. (And I have a keeper for a hubby.)

  

Last Saturday Ainsley stopped over with a just-finished present for Sophey. She made her an afghan. And made her own pattern. Isn't it gorgeous? It looks like the tulips to me: swaying stripes of reds, yellow, and green. I think my grandma and mom would be proud.

 
And last but not least, dessert!( I've cut way back on the baking around here-- there are wedding clothes to fit into this fall. But on Sundays, we usually indulge a day.) 

I've made this cake twice now, and it's about foolproof.  Grandma Mettie's oatmeal cake-- gotta love the name. The recipe is here for you at family fun magazine. It's buttery, and nutty, and not too sweet, and just so... perfect ;)

I'm working on some new designs/ideas at the moment. We're finally having nice spring weather here; which means I have the attention span of a termite lately. It always happens in spring... But, I did put together my flickr favorites awhile ago, so there's some crafty lovely inspiration for you there. Just click on my flickr badge on the side bar and look under favorites.

Thanks for stopping by,

XO

Kelly

                                                           

                                                                  

                                                              

the best of the week

 
 
 
 
I've been playing around with my new camera taking random shots around the house this week. The roses are from my Mike for Valentine's Day.

 
Favorite birds and dogs in the dining room. (I keep them apart, I know that birds and dogs don't mix well :)

 

Bookshelf photo of St Therese'

 
(my, how our kids have grown...)

 

 
In the kitchen, a rose from the sweetheart dinner on the windowsill

 
and a corner,

 
and a bowl of Pink Ladies.

 
Kid craft,

 
art,

 
and ingenuity!

 

 

 
In the studio, new fabrics 

 
and

 
new taped on ideas to inspire...

 
and even a new organized box of floss (I know, I can't believe it either!)

 

 
But the best part of the photos around the house last week were

 

of sweet Corbyn William's twentieth birthday.
 
 
Even if the cards weren't all sincere. We are; we love you so, our funny, bright, easy-going, economics-studying, African drum playing, soccer watchin', coffee shop workin', dog-lovin', uber cool cool guy.

 
XOXOXOX You're the moon and the sun XOXOXOX

 

Have a great weekend, everyone!

xoxo!

 

 

limiting the limitless possibilites

 
Whenever I've been out of the creative process for awhile, I usually feel overwhelmed on where to jump back in. But in the last couple of years I've found a really good way to get myself over the hurdle of that overwhelming and blocked mental state.

 
I limit myself to just a few things from my studio to play with. For me, that begins to stop the overwhelmed feeling of where to start from when the world is too wide open. This time when I started this exercise to get unblocked, I choose a dozen plain white paper tags, one sheet of red paper, one bottle of red acrylic paint, a brown stamp pad, one heart paper punch, a few stamps, a red marker, letter stamps to spell one word-- transform, and then I let myself have free reign with a box of buttons and my stacks of fabric.

(I also told myself I didn't have to blog about this, so I wouldn't have to feel stifled in that way either, and I really wasn't going to blog about it, but since it turned out so well and the process might be helpful to someone else I decided to blog about it anyway!)

 
 
 

 
And then I played and played for a couple of hour. (Night time seems to help too. So do candles, good music, hot tea, a shut door, and the phone of the hook :)

 
 

 
 
 
 

The cards weren't made for a purpose (other than to get me moving again) or to sell, and not thinking in those terms when I'm creating really seems to help me too.

 
It's a great little creative exercise for me, and I'm sure lots of people have similiar tricks they've learned along the creative path. 

I used the same "limiting idea" to make soft hanging hearts last week-- back with those next time.

XOKelly

 

 

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