Well Hello Summer!

 Happy Memorial Day! And a beautiful one it was, super warm, sunny and the first BBQ of the year. My son is here visiting from Georgia, sadly he goes back home tomorrow...it went quick! Last night the two of us went out with my husbands daughter and her husband and did a bit of dancing and a lot of laughing. Fun was had by all.

I have so much in bloom right now, it's so uplifting to see all the color. The columbine on the banks of the lake reseed themselves and every year there are more and more popping up in gorgeous shades of purple, pink and white and the rhododendrons are just bursting with blooms. It's times like this I love living out here best.

In other news, I have been invited to be featured on fabriclovers blog (I get some of my book cover fabrics from them), there will be a short interview and a couple of my books will be posted...I'm super flattered and pretty excited! It should be up on Tuesday, I'll of course share the link once it does :o)

A little summer music courtesy of The Boss

In the cool of the evening light.......at the Shores

No Words

So, I've been having a hard time of it so far this week so instead of whining I'll just have a Wordless Wednesday on a Tuesday (too late to be wordless, huh?!?) 

Here's to tomorrow!

tonight's the night the world begins again....at the Shores

Disco & the Garden

Today was as near to perfect as can be, sunny and just-right-warm. All the green on the trees and plants are still that bright chartreuse of new growth, just gorgeous. We have various friends that have an open invitation to pop over and go fishing off the dock at their whim...well, today one did come by, I hadn't realized it until I saw his pickup parked outside - how he managed to get to the water is a mystery to me! The paths were all covered in fallen branches and knee deep with last years leaves (no, I never got around to raking last fall) Well, I set out with rake and hedge trimmers, NOT the electric ones, ready to do battle - I won. 
Now I have to get in the beds that have been overgrown with low spreading evergreen and periwinkle....baby steps. I was in Georgia & South Carolina in April and the azaleas were in their full colorful glory and here it is mid-May and mine have just burst into bloom, I got to enjoy them twice this spring - the rhododendrons are next, I have them in several colors...they're such showoffs. 
Next have the bed I planted with my perennials that I swiped from the old house up around the way to clean up, it seems they all made it through their first year in their new home unlike my hydrangeas who only one out of the 5 plants I brought over made it through the winter, this is sad because they were all cuttings from a plant I had given my mother in GA. for mother's day many years ago - guess I need to start over.

So of course I don't post without a new book right? Well, here is one that turned out pretty neat, a dear friend gave me the idea for the title: "Studio 54"...anyone remember the days of Stevie Rubell, Warhol, The Factory & friends, disco and the like? I was only 12 and living in Germany but have read tons of books about those wild days. 

Time for a shower, I'm filthy and can't smell to awfully good either!

I wanna put on my, my, my, my, my boogie shoes......at the Shores

Thong?!?

A few girlfriends and I went off shopping a couple Saturdays ago and I was talking about getting ready for a art/craft show I'm vending at in June and mentioned that I was going to make some book thongs as giveaways with each sale, not a single one knew what I was talking about. Today I posted a picture on Facebook of some of the thongs I made yesterday and I got the same reaction....."book thong??", still nobody had heard the term. Well, to be sure I wasn't simply crazy I Googled it and it came back with nearly 17 million results = not crazy! It was a great way to use some of my glass bead stash I have been hoarding the past few years.

I'd like to plug a couple shops real quick. One is my friend Annie's brand new store ChinChic, she makes the cutest fleece accessories for chinchillas or other small pets...cage liners, hammocks etc. (ditch the messy bedding and get a couple sets - just wash and reuse). 
Next shop is Beth at Ravens Sight, she has THE best handcrafted soaps - trust me, I know, I've been using them for the past couple years - and she's also added tattoo balm to her offerings. Both Annie and Beth use only the best materials and ingredients. Check 'em out!

Above are a couple books I've made lately, they aren't listed for sale since I've got to build a stash for the show but I've got more in my shop! They're scrolling there on the right sidebar too.
I am slowly making my way through my fabrics....but have no fear, I still have about 30 to go to have used each design just once! I have been showing great restraint though, I have quite a selection on my wishlists....maybe I'll reward myself with a few once I am show-ready!

Not much for a video but I love Bob Seger's version of a fun Chuck Berry tune. Get up and shake it...it's quite a danceable ditty!

The coolerator was jammed with tv dinners and ginger ale........at the Shores

She's Baaaack....*QUACK!*

I had my birthday this past weekend and I chose to spend it at Hobby Lobby with 4 girlfriends, we had a good time. Sunday my husband took me to a superb new restaurant up the road that a nice young couple turned an old 1840's mansion into an amazing place to eat, we'll be back...and often. The food was fantastic, probably the best grub I've had eating out in many years.

I've also started making books and resisting the urge to list them in the shop. I hope like heck I can get enough done. If I can only curb my wandering off in the middle of my binding I'd be fine. Another focus issue I suppose. Or maybe it's my lack of discipline...meh...doesn't matter either way, it is certainly becoming a handicap whatever you call it.

The reason for the title of this post is last year I found some ducklings in one of my hanging flower baskets on the gazebo, you can see the post here, I never noticed it had become a nest until I pulled the basket down and saw the babies. Well, mama is back, different basket but pretty much the same place - she lets me get super close to her, all she does is stares at me and holds stone still - looks like the flowers will have to wait until the lil buggers are old enough to hit the water. Funny, right?

Hey, if any of you are on facebook won't you "like" my shop page? If you have one, I'll be happy to return the favor : )

Because my temporary guest appears to have stage fright! 
She's caught in the spotlight.........at the Shores

Do I Jump In?

Wow, I've been invited to a juried two day holiday Market in November, a 37th annual with 190 vendors and 6000+ paying customers for a nonprofit organization which provides training and employment for adults with developmental disabilities. First instinct is to say yes, yes, yes! But then doubt creeps in when I start thinking could I have enough books for 13 hours of selling with that sort of traffic to cover the two days?? Not sure I can pull this one off - I guess I have until the end of July to figure it all out in my head...now is the time I wish my kids were still at home to help me get it together with something this size. I would love to get feedback from anyone that has done larger shows (Please leave me a comment?)  

I'm working on 2 more books. Check out the shine on the cappuccino colored mica coated paper on the left in the picture. Looking to have them finished and listed today.  

Some Ray and Van the Man for you, the song starts at about 0:57.

Make me feel mellow down in to my soul.........at the Shores