A good read..

 A good book is never to hard to find, a great book is a bit tougher. My sister in law suggested I read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and even let me borrow her copy. Such a wonderful read.. highly recommend it!

It has been so long since I picked up a book and read it. (except crafting books, I shuffle through my knitting/crochet books constantly) But a story, a wonderful yarn that you can float away on, it has been way too long.  The last book I read was The Secret Life Of Bees, and that was eons ago...

Once I got part way through the book it came to my attention that I had nary a bookmark in the house! So I made some. (of course..) You can download the above bookmarks, along with a few others from my other blog, The Vintage Moth.

Get off your computer and go grab a book! (first make a bookmark..)

:) xoxo~

Abbie

Worry Woos

The Easter Bunny visited and brought the kids some of the most fabulous books! I really need to share them. Each of kids got a different book and they all loved them, even though their ages range from 2 and half to 11. The books are The Monster In The Bubble, The Nose That Didn't Fit, The Lonely Little Monster.

Absolutely endearing! The images are so cute!! and the story lines are rhythmic and tender. So original and just very nice books.  I absolutely love them and, even more important,  the kids love them! They will be books we keep for years to come.  The Monster In The Bubble would be great for a graduate gift too..

Lovely! Lovely!

xoxo~

Abbie

The wind is changing..

I have some wonderful things to look forward to with the New Year rapidly approaching. 2010. Wow. I can remember pondering the new millennium as a child.. the year 2000... and now we are ten years beyond. Wow.

I am very excited as the book that I had ordered a few weeks ago came today!! Woohoo!!

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

I seriously can NOT wait to get my teeth into this book. It looks fabulous!

AND...

I am all signed up for Amanda's absolutely amazing class of self discovery, The Bloom Project.

Last I knew there were only 2 spots left for the next session, which ends on my 35th birthday. How is that for good karma?

Hope you are setting yourself up for a great year! Time to stock my fridge with fresh, healthy foods and get some exercise equipment cause I'm not hitting 35 without some muscle on this body and happy thoughts in my head!

xoxo~

Abbie

Note to self..a must read.

An author that comes highly recommended by my dad. Yep. My dad. So, although I have very little time for any endeavours that do not include runny noses or the vacuum, I think I'll

give it a try. Has anyone read any of Bill Bryson's books? He lives (or lived) in Hanover, NH, not too far from us.

Inspired Clothing...

This Gap jean skirt needed a new life. As I am entering my mid-thirties, the highcut slit, ( in the middle of the front) is just not the look I'm going for with a baby on my hip and two other young children. So.. much to my husband's dismay, I decided to close the 'gap'. (uuggh.. excuse the pun) Above, my daughter helped me decide which cotton fabric to use.

Having settled on the small floral pattern, I pleated it twice at the top, and sewed it on both sides and the top using a pale blue thread. (Mind you, without the pleat, it folded and stuck straight out!!) It wasn't enough.. I cut out a little chickadee from the same fabric (template below) and fused it the bottom corner of the skirt. It still wasn't enough!

On to the fun stuff!! I have been quite taken by Amanda Soule's work and book, The Creative Family. I love her embroidery! So.. I made my own. The little birdie needed a branch to perch on! Using doubled plain brown thread, I stitched (very simply) a perch.

Now that's a skirt I'll wear! Thank you Amanda for the inspiration!

Here is the template for you.. just left click to enlarge, then right click to save it to your PC. You can adjust it's size, use it for paper cutouts, whatever you like!

Enjoy!

xoxo~

Abbie

A quiet moment...

Come and sit a spell.. we are lounging in front of the fireplace today, as it cold and drizzly outside. (actually this is where I spent my Sunday..) flipping through the pages of my new Somerset Life and enjoying the eye candy. Corey Amaro just has a fabulous way of weaving stories of her life in France.

And I really enjoyed Sandra Evertson's Article, Les Modes Francaises. I tried to download the elements she used to make the bark clothe bag tags, but the links did not work..

Ah, well.. at least the fire kept my tootsies warm..

Above is a little glimpse at a Floating Journal project Anke Martin and I are doing together. We each have a journal, and once our entry for the month of April is completed, we will 'swap' them. Float them across the ocean that separates us, and work in the other journal the next month. Once the books are full, we will each have one to keep. They are spiral bound, and to start I just couldn't keep the metal rings bare.. I'm sure as the year progresses, the journals will have much added, and i can't wait to see the final results! Anke is one of those talented artists who has inspired me for years now. (It's been years Anke, can you believe it?!) We 'met' on ATCards.com - she traded my first Artist Trading Card with me, and we have been friends ever since. If we were closer I know we would be fantastic friends, but, alas, we have an enormous body of water between us. Someday, perhaps we will meet, until then, we write back and forth.. As the journals progress, I 'll post about them.

A little bird helped me pass the time..

Our weather here in NH has been absolutely crazy! After every snowstorm we get inches of rain.. homes and buildings are buckling under the weight and most spirits are starting to buckle from being housebound. It is even hard to take the children out to play. Everything is covered in ice, and the snow (almost 4 feet in spots) is so hard we can walk on top. The dogs can now peek in the kitchen window when they go out. Very strange to see... Yesterday it poured all day. So I crocheted; brought out my book and found a cute little birdie pattern.

Just like when I cook, (I tend to make recipes my own by changing and adding) I mixed up this pattern some as well. I am very happy with the way it turned out! It has a contrasting beak, and the silver bead is more like an eye than the buttons. I just need to attach a pin back to it and I can have a little birdie to wear! (mine is chubbier too!) It only took about an hour or so.. a cute little project for a rainy day..

Getting Lost..

My cousin and I used to get lost in the collection of books in my grandfather's library. We used to try and find hidden treasures; those bits and pieces of lives gone by that were forgotten between the pages. Old letters, notes, photographs. We found a few things that got our hearts racing, but I don't remember them now. All I remember is the endless fascination I had with this room. You know, all those times I spent in there, I don't ever remember opening one of the cupboards below. It's as if, the books were 'allowed' because they weren't hidden away but the closed doors, well those were 'private', the spaces of his home that held his things, not the families. Inside the shelves is now painted a wonderful robin's egg blue, making the books just scream to be held..

His enormous dictionary is still there, along with some walking sticks. We hiked alot as a family when we were together during the summers, but I don't think my grandfather ever used one, perhaps they are my aunt's. She has an amazing way of making 'the farm' feel like it always has, even though so many of it's treasures were spread to 'the four corners' after he passed away. She has filled it with her own and mixed in those that were left behind. I love to visit, and peek at the changes she has made, and enjoy the unchanging warmth the home holds.

The spot below has been transformed for the winter months. A bright spot from the winter sun, it is the perfect place to sit and work on the ever uncompleted jigsaw puzzle and gaze out at the endless snow.

So come, enjoy the fire roaring at your back, sit, and piece by piece, slowly put together a picture of spring..

Something to do..

As I was browsing my fav blogs this AM I ran across Suzanne's, At Home With the Farmer's Wife. she had taken up Mary's book tag so I thought I would too. I have just finished The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd. Wow. all I have to say is "Wow." You must read. Anyway.. the tag goes like this..

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

Sentence #5: "That night, when the darkness was weighed down with singing crickets and Rosaleen was snoring right along with them, I had myself a good cry."

The next three: "I couldn't even say why. Just everything, I guess. Because I hated lying to August when she was so good to me."

OK, two more, just to tease you.. "Because Rosaleen was probably right about dream worlds. Because I was pretty sure the Virgin Mary was not back there on the peach farm standing in for me the way she'd stood in for Beatrix."

The last request, to tag five people, well, consider yourself tagged if you wish!

Now, as for the above pic, Martha went and cancelled her newest Magazine, Blueprint! WTF? I love this Magazine!! It is so fresh, young, and chic! It helps me remember that there is an elegant, suave world out there! Oh, well.. they are adding to my Living subscription instead.. nothin' good lasts forever I suppose. I am very disappointed.. my journal/sketchbook lays on top of it.. atleast that won't be cancelled anytime soon, although if my creative fire doesn't start burnin' again it might well be!

Note to self..

Note to self: OK, When looking for blog comments do not post about pea soup. I know, it is not the most appealing of soups. Or the nicest looking, but really, it needs it's time to shine too! :) How about lobster? Anyone like lobster? Dinner rolls? Those are usually a hit.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

On to brighter things! I started showing you 'a few of my favorite things' the other day, so I though we'd continue on our journey. First off, its cold here. -1.8 at 7:45 this morning. Ughh. I feel like a frozen alligator.

Above is an antique ginger jar my in laws gave me. I just love the drawing on it.. Beside it is just a colorful stack of old books. (I just adore old books, the more worn the better!) Below, an image of the lake we live next to in NH and the jar is a piece of pottery my grandfather had commissioned to sell his maple syrup in. The decoy was a gift for my husband a few years ago.

Some dish towels that hang form my stove. I just love the hand appliqued birdie!

The top image is of the seat to an antique chair my hubby got from his grandfather, and the bottom, is one of a pair of lanterns we have flanking the french doors in our great room.

I also would like to wish Dear Mary a very Happy, Healthy Birthday! Enjoy your day!