be yourself: live with passion

A chicken craze?

Is it just my imagination, or are you also hearing a lot of chatter about keeping backyard chickens?

It started with several of my favorite bloggers writing about their feathered girls. 

Rebecca Sower , one of my sweet friends and favorite bloggers, has been a chicken lover for quite a bit (long before I started noticing this "craze") and I love reading posts about her hens.  Several months ago, Heather Bullard styled the most adorable pictures of her new little peeps and then several posts later, showed the most amazing mansion style chicken coop ever that was built by her hubby, "The Man".  Andrea of Faded Plains, another of my favorite bloggers, has also been writing about the acquisition of chickens and has been posting pictures of how big they are getting.

Then, earlier this month, at a family graduation party, I got chatting with one of my local cousins whom I haven't seen in a while.  She is apparently raising chickens now in her Chandler back yard.  She and her hubby related some hilarious stories about their adventures with chickens...get these names...Rotisserie, Nugget...you get the point.  She's a pretty quirky cousin!!!

The most recent issue of Romantic Homes magazine featured an article (great article by the way) about Lizabeth McGraw, owner of the California shop Tumbleweed & Dandelion, and included in that article was this photo of the coop in her urban backyard.

Photo by Mark Tanner via Romantic Homes Magazine

Can you see why I'm thinking there's some kind of trend here?

For the past couple of years, we've talked about getting chickens.  I think it would be fun to have some fluffy feathered girls in our backyard...well, maybe.  I'm wondering if maybe I'm romanticizing the whole idea of chickens.  I know that they smell.  I know that they leave poop behind.  They like to squabble, and sometimes fight over each other's eggs.  I know that the eggs don't come out nice and clean and in a carton :).  And, after talking to my cousin, Joy, I now know that they don't do well around bodies of water such as pools or ponds.  And, from the research that Vern's done, they also love to root around stuff that is planted.

We have a bit of a dilemma...a pond, a small backyard, and plants everywhere.  Thought I'd share what I was viewing this afternoon...forgive the shadows...it's a hard yard for photography because of all of the shadows, but here goes...don't know why, but Typepad won't let me center the pix...

 

  

See what I mean?  Lots of plants and very little room for much of anything else.  In spite of it all, I still want some chickens...

If any of you have chickens, do you have any suggestions?

Anyone else thinking of adding some finely feathered friends to your backyard?

   

 

  

The satisfaction that comes from making by hand...

After teaching in the paper/book arts industry for the past 8+ years, I see it a lot.  I especially see it in a class where a book is made completely from scratch and by hand.  There's an amazing sense of accomplishment and self-satisfaction that follows the completion of such a project.

Last Friday, I taught the beach wall hanging class at Scrapbooks, Etc.  The sense of accomplishment in that room was so thick, you could cut it with a knife.  A couple of the people in the class had never used a sewing maching before...and they totally took to it and did a fabulous job.  One person chose to do her hanging as a book...it was gorgeous...and, judging by her frequent grins, I know she loved what she did.  Most people followed the basics and deviated on the details...which made for pieces that were uniquely their own. 

I was so inspired by all of this.

Enough so that I decided to do some hand made linens this weekend. 

Because Ashley and I were both sick last weekend, we decided to postpone Vern's Father's Day Dinner until we were feeling better and yesterday became our special day to honor Vern.  Inspired by my class on Friday and motivated by some of the tablescapes in Kaari Meng's most recent book, Handmade Soirees, I decided to make some new table runners.  Using French General linen/cotton fabric left from the most recent Heirloom kit, I created two new runners for our dining table.

What made me grin was that, in the amount of time it would have taken me to shower, dress and drive into Phoenix to pick up a couple of these at a store like The Willows or maybe The French Bee, I measured, cut, hand basted and then machine stitched two of these runners.  Not that it wouldn't have been fun to go to those stores...but bringing out the plastic to pay vs. bringing out the sewing machine to make...NO CONTEST!

The sense of satisfaction was great.

Here's a close up of the gorgeous fabric...

I kept the setting simple...white dishes, simple glassware, 2 carved wood candlesticks and sprigs of fresh mint tucked into three tiny glass yogurt jars.  It looked clean and summery.

In this household, making from scratch and by hand extends beyond book arts, paper crafting and sewing.  Miss Ashley, our very accomplished gourmet chef, again outdid herself in the area of culinary arts.  She put together a wonderfully fragrant and tasty paella with seafood, chicken and spicy sausage. 

Here she is stirring the food in the braiser...

And, here's the result of the chopping and stirring...

After the sumptuousness of that meal, breakfast this morning was fruit and yogurt! :)  Thanks, Ashley, for pouring your heart into an incredible celebratory meal!

Hope you take some time this week to make something by hand...maybe one of your stashed creatologie kits...maybe an apron or a quilt...or maybe a simple, made from scratch meal.  And, hope you take time to share with us what you made...so that we can all celebrate that sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.

Happy Monday!

to the beach...at least in our dreams!!!

If you are joining me in the "Best of the Beach" hanging/book class at Scrapbooks, Etc. tomorrow morning, here's what you will need to bring:

Pencil, eraser, scissors, UHU glue stick, wet glue such as PVA or Tacky, sewing machine with dark brown thread (or if they are renting a machine, they will need a bobbin and dark brown sewing thread), favorite brown ink, sewing needle
 
For photos, I recommend sepia toned photos.  Here are the sizes:
panel 1 and panel 2:  3" x 5"
panel 3: 1" x 1 1/2" to fit in shell
panel 4: 5" x 4 1/2"

the tiny one in the shell is about 1" x 1 1/2"

I'll be providing the fun vintage photos shown in my sample and they are printed on a matte finish photo paper.

See you tomorrow!

gray...

Not my newest favorite color...

Not the featured color of the next creatologie kit...

Not the theme color for redecorating my house...

Instead, it's the color which reflected back after seeing this miserable little self in the mirror.

Since Saturday, I've been down for the count with the flu.

All of Monday was actually spent in bed...and I honestly can't remember the last time that happened.

I'm up and about now...not quite as perky and chirpy as my little friend here, but desperately trying to get caught up on missed days of getting Heirloom kits ready.  My apologies for the delay.

OK, back to packing...

See you soon in normal color mode!

French Marketplace: A Day to Remember

Saturday was a glorious day...one that I will remember for a long time.

It started with weather that we've not seen for a long time in Phoenix in June...sunny and

pleasant...absolutely wonderful.

Then, the women who came to the all day Heirloom Event and Workshop...they are such an amazing group.  I really felt inspired and blessed to have spent the day with them.

I thought I'd share some of the flavor of the day through pictures (many taken by Vern).  You may also enjoy seeing some of the food that was created by the oh so very talented daughter of mine, Ashley.  In fact, there were some mentions of adoptions...ummm, sorry, but no!

This was the little vignette that greeted everyone at the front door.

And the display on my entry iron and limestone table.

The breakfast tablescape...our fine rooster, Rhett, deigned to come down from his usual lofty perch on one of the pot shelves to grace us with his presence in the iron wagon.  Ashley baked the most delicious vanilla bean scones...made with real vanilla beans...better than the Starbucks!!!!!  There was a lot of breakfast food...the majority of which she made from scratch.

Here we are before getting started on building our French Marketplace Heirloom book.  We built our books indoors and did all of the fun and messy art stuff outside on the back patio.

Lots of painting, misting and stamping...thank God for the gift of a glorious day...all the better to dry the hand dyed linen!  We moved our sofas out onto the patio, which provided comfy seating during our breaks...the very best of outdoor living!  I did chuckle a little as I had this fleeting thought...it kind of reminded me of a classier Beverly Hillbillies (grin)...

Sharon gets the "seamstress of the year" award...there are some ladies who owe her big time for sewing their covers...Sharon, make sure they pay up!!!!  We took over quite a bit of the house to make all of this happen.

Our chef presenting the lunch offerings...needless to say, no one went hungry!  Two gourmet meat presentations, twiced baked potatoes, salad, fresh green beans and mushrooms...can I just say THE BEST?

Some more creating pix...

After all of the hard work play, we needed more sustenance (right, Annette?)...which, in this case, meant dessert!

Ashley's Pièce de résistance

Check it out...home made apple pie in a jar...YUMMY...with homemade (real) whipped cream.  You know the adoption thing...the answer is still "NO"!!!!!

This little guy saw it all...and he can't stop chirping about it.  You know what?  Neither can I!!!

I just wanted to end by saying thanks to all who came (and those who missed because of family circumstances...we missed you), to Vern for all that he did to get ready and for his constant support, and to Ashley, who worked tirelessly for several days to help me get ready and to cook.  I couldn't have done it without all of you.  Thank you!!!!!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
  

"never say never"

Ah, that old saying came home to roost this past weekend.

I grew up with a Mom who gardened and canned...every summer.  In addition to the fact that canning saved money and that the end product was healthier than store bought canned goods, I think that Mom really loved the process.  Now me, not so much.

Being home from school in the summer did not translate to a summer vacation.

Mom subscribed to the thinking that idle hands were the tools of the devil...or some such saying...which meant that there were lots of chores to do during the summer months.

One of those chores was to help with the canning.

I can still remember the way my hands looked after a stewed tomatoes session...acid etched for sure...really icky looking.  The jars were sparkling clean and they looked great with the bright red tomatoes stored inside...it made me feel kind of good to see them...but the hands...yikes!  After I left home, I told myself that I was NEVER going to can.

This past weekend, I did some canning...well, sort of.

I had a blast. 

It's amazing how the contents of the jars determined how much I liked the process.

Guess I shouldn't have said never :)!

This coming Saturday, I will be hostessing (and teaching) another Heirloom Boutique Event and Workshop at my home.

It didn't make it to the email or blog stage.  One email to the alumni and the event was sold out.  We'll be a little smaller this time because we DEFINITELY need to be indoors...I think it's supposed to be 110 today!

Anyway, I thought I'd leave a little teaser for those that are coming...and show everyone else what's been occupying my time.

We're getting the place ready for a French Marketplace...can't wait.

By the way, there are just 2 French Marketplace Heirloom kits left!  Makes me grin!  In case you forgot to order yours, you may want to do so before they are gone.

Off to pack kits...it's going to be a busy week.  Hope you have a good one!

ETA:  DOWN TO ONE HEIRLOOM KIT!  YOU CAN GET IT HERE.

EDITED AGAIN A COUPLE MINUTES LATER:  KITS ARE ALL SOLD OUT.  THANKS!!!!!

consider the lilies...

Yesterday, I was in the backyard and stopped by the edge of the pond.

I was preoccupied...thinking about challenges, trying to deal with the stresses of life, carrying some worries on my shoulders.  The pond was teeming with the activity of the fish and alive with all of the growing and blooming lilies.  Do you know how sometimes you can look at something without really seeing it?  That's where I was.

All of a sudden, this thought popped into my head..."consider the lilies".

"Consider how the lilies grow.  They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith.  And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.  For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.  But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well."  Luke 12:27-31

As I made my way to the house to get my camera, my eyes went to the rain lilies next to the pond, then the day lilies growing in the large oval pot in front of my studio window.

Do you think Someone was trying to send me a message?

OK, God, I got the message!