Impromptu Trellis

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Do you think it will survive the next rain storm?  Not so sure but it was worth a shot.....

Next year, I'm planning something more stable.

In Vogue: A Stylish 'Did You Know?'

The first black model to appear on the cover of Vogue was Beverly Johnson, August 1, 1974.  A few weeks later, I was born.  Clearly, things were looking up in the world!

From page 212 of In Vogue: An Illustrated History of the World's Most Famous Fashion Magazine by Norberto Angeletti and Alberto Oliva.  (The book, incidentally, is a hefty tome, lavishly illustrated with gorgeous, stunning, and breath-taking photos from the magazine.  Lots of fun and inspiration for both fashionistas and photographers.)

Tie-Dye Tiles?

I’ve been playing some more with alcohol ink on reclaimed tiles.  Here are the same tiles as I add to them.

Baby Shower Gift Ideas

The nice thing about baby shower gifts is that you at least get some warning so you have time to make something :)

I'm noting these here so I don't forget them.  I actually have entirely different plans for the two baby shower gifts I'm making, but these will be nice to have on hand.

I think the second one would be cool to illustrate with photos of people in the baby's family.

Both page hail from the 2014 issue of Craft Ideas magazine which I picked up at the library and is hopefully not overdue....   The baby blocks are by Alice Golden and the giraffe rattles are by Melony Miller Bradley.

June Budget

Due to his father's illness, my husband bought a very expensive last-minute plane ticket.  That's what money is for--to make it possible to do what you need to do.  He was gone for 3 weeks, and while the gasoline tab was pretty low... you get the picture.

But like I said, that's what the savings account is for.

There is some good news.

We are about $400 from the half-way point on our mortgage.

Blog revenue was huge in June: $29.30.  Thanks to everyone who starts their Amazon shopping through the blog link!

Weekly Round-Up

Since my last Weekly Round-Up I have….

… welcomed my husband back from Germany.  He had been gone three weeks due to his father’s illness and death.  I hadn’t posted anything anywhere as I didn’t want the whole wide world to know I was home alone.  I am so glad he is back!  I learned afresh how much I need him in so many ways…. 

…. been temping at a construction company.  (Yes, me!  And note that there is only ONE 't' in temping....)  I’m learning a lot and that is always fun.  (Learning = fun is in Aristotle.  Which is sort of ironic as Aristotle is not my idea of fun…)  I don't like working full time, but it is wonderful to have no work stress.  The people I work with are great and I've had a really positive experience as a temp. Except, of course, that the paycheck is really, really small.  I think this temp job is my last for the summer, as I have a bunch of projects that I need to finish before school starts.  And yes, I am in the office, and no, I'm not wearing a hard hat.

…. had my second pottery class.  The teacher has open studio, at no extra charge, 8 am- 10 pm whenever she isn’t teaching so I went over there on Friday and made a little vase.  It’s much harder than it looks but it’s great fun.  (I forgot my apron, so of course I ended up covered in clay.o..)

… played the Patchwork Board Game, a really fun two-person game that is sort of quilting meets Tetris.  Buttons are money and there's lots of strategy and variety.  I also got to chat with my neighbor Judy, who took pity on me because I was so lonely without my beloved and introduced me to this fun game.

.... went to a class taught by a former student at the parish where he is working this summer.  He did a great job and it was neat to be there.  My "babies" do eventually grow up, and some of them make me proud!
... went with Stacy to see "As You Like It" in the cemetery carriage house.  Good company and a good performance, although it's not Will's best work.

… supposedly planted lavender.  I say "supposedly" because these do not look at all like lavender seedlings to me.  It doesn't matter because they promptly died.  I had been coddling them for months, they weren't growing, and I just got tired of babying them.  The moral of the story, which we have also learned this year from rosemary, is that if it is going to come back year after year, just buy a plant and be done with it.

Happy Fourth of July!

Stay safe!

Quotables: On Travel

Often I feel I go to some distant region of the world to be reminded of who I really am… Stripped of your ordinary surroundings, your friends, your daily routines, your refrigerator full of your food, your closet full of your clothes, you are forced into direct experience.  Such direct experience inevitably makes you aware of who it is that is having the experience.  That’s not always comfortable, but it is always invigorating.

- Michael Crichton, Travels