travel swap

I don't think my free people travel swap partner reads my blog (if you do Madelene, look away dearie!)






She's an artist so I thought she might appreciate a mini-suitcase of art supplies.

I covered the suitcase with an old motorist map of Florida. Lordy but did it nearly do me in the cut that thing up! I've had it for ages and adore the colors and graphics. Maybe another will find its way into my life again...and when it does, I hope that I won't take so long to actually use it. I truly believe that you have to open yourself up to the flow of good things to come into your life. If you start hoarding or feeling too afraid to actually use the good stuff, I think you interupt the flow of more good things into your life.

The second picture shows Martha's mini-travel album kit from her new line at Michael's. I swear I go to Michael's and I just stand there for hours looking at it all. And if a poor soul happens to walk by, I can't help but say outloud, in a little bit of a desperate whisper "Oh, I love this stuff!" This little album is an accordian book which has its ends secured to the box so that when you open the box, you open the album. Love that!

I bought lots of fun art supplies and did some repackaging to make them fit with the theme. My favorite thing is the watercolor paper pad. I took off the cheesy, commercial cover and carefully removed the first page of the watercolor paper from the wirebinding. I printed a world map directly on that paper. I really love how stuff looks printed on watercolor paper...try it sometime for yourself.

I removed the product labels from the ink bottles and made my own new ones, using a scan of an old label.

Here's another shot of the Martha album kit. I think it was $7...something like that.

I also sent my fairy in a jar off to my swap sister...when she gets it, I'll post pictures. I don't want to ruin the surprise.

pink striped confection

The lighting's not the best for photo-taking in my little room at the cottage but after I worked almost all day lugging in new things and setting them up, I wanted to give you a look at how fun it turned out.

There's definitely a whole bunch of tiny little things in there...and it's a veritable paradise for anyone who likes to hunt for treasures.

I'm working for Ann and Linda today while they went off to an auction...the very same auction of my baptism by fire introduction to the sport. It sounds like they hit pay-dirt, with a truckload of fabulous finds.

our house

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A few of you have asked me recently to show more pictures of my house. After I finished cleaning and moving furniture around yesterday I snapped a few just for you. Most of these were taken in the living room.

1. Another thing I did yesterday was make room for the new painting we bought of Carmel. The watercolor is of Stockholm and I bought it for Rich as an anniversary gift when we were there for our 3rd wedding anniversary. Since we were travelling again to celebrate our 10th anniversary, we thought it would be nice to start a collection of landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes, etc. depicting places we visit to celebrate our anniversary. Is two a collection? Maybe not yet, but it's a start.

2. I added a lamp inside the big old dollhouse. The doll is complaining that it takes up all his room but look how nicely it looks all illuminated!

3. I like how the birdcage looks silhouetted in the window. I'm thinking of trying my hand at orchids again to put inside...

4. Close up of new painting, by Mary Kay King.

5. A little altar of our life together, and what we hope and dream for.

6. I bought this wonderful piece from artist extraordinaire, Stephanie at the Paris Flea Market.

7. What secret do you suppose that little birdie is whispering in her ear?

8. This cast of characters has a life of its own...but Bobby is always there to keep them on the straight and narrow.

9. My kitchen table. The fabric bunting was made by my friend Jean. I love it so much...it makes breakfast (cake!) feel even more like a party!

10. My family room. I'm thinking the wheelbarrow will look so sweet full of sand and shells...

dinner?

I'm still making nice dinners, for the most part. Except Friday night. We went out for dinner to Coastal Flats and I had what I'd been hankering for...a lobster roll! It was unbelievably good. I tried to make it last and savor every bite but I'm pretty sure I swallowed it whole. I also had another of my favorite things...a perfect margarita served with huge olives. I know it sounds strange but it really is wonderful. Maybe you'll have to take my word for it.

daydreaming

At our hotel in Carmel, there was the most wonderful outdoor room. It was my favorite place to hang out. Even when it was a little chilly. In fact, especially so. Because they had the loveliest outdoor fireplace, flanked by facing benches.

I'm still thinking of that wonderful outdoor room. As I look at a little space in our own backyard, I can almost see a terrace there. I'm imagining a room bordered with potted trees and plants, maybe a wall. A bricked floor, definitely. A small table and chairs. And two chairs or benches flanking a fabulous outdoor fireplace.



Our budget won't allow for anything as fancy as seen here, all from Sunset magazine. But I've noticed that a lot of places sell outdoor fireplaces now...places like Walmart and Target even. Maybe my dream isn't so farfetched afterall.

And since the real benefits to this outdoor room won't be realized until late summer/early fall cool evenings, I'm thinking that I'll start saving now to be ready when the stores decide these outdoor fireplaces should go on Summer clearance.

club little house...far away members

Daisy just reminded me that I needed to address a question concerning members of Club Little House outside of the U.S. It'll be the same price as domestic membership and you should be able to pay for it online here.

I just opened it up for another group to allow for those of you waiting for this question to be answered.

I also wanted to address those who've expressed trepidation after joining the group...please don't be afraid. This is going to be so much fun! You have plenty of time to make your little things so start dreaming up a wonderful plan, take your time, and, most importantly, have fun.

There are still lots of slots open so please join in....you'll love it. I promise! And you don't have to own a dollhouse either...perhaps just a little box or a shelf dedicated as such. Definitely the main thing you need is a love for little things!

breakfast of champions

In third grade, Mrs. Jenkins gave us the assignment to record for a week what food we ate as our meals. And so, after each breakfast, lunch, and dinner that week, I diligently noted in a little book. I transferred this information to a loose-leaf sheet of paper and turned it in.

The next day, Mrs. Jenkins invited me (and me alone) to write my entire week's menu on the chalkboard. An invitation to the chalkboard was always an exciting event for me. It took some time to write it all up there...it was a lot of information.

After what seemed like hours, when I was done, and as I walked back to my desk, Mrs. Jenkins asked the class "Class? Can you tell me what is wrong with this menu?" Just then a whole scurry of hands went up straight away...some of them with people nearly standing, stretching their hands as high as they could. Chants of "me" "me" "me" filled the room. One by one the students pointed out flaws of my menu. Namely, and most apparent to everyone, is that you're not supposed to have birthday cake for breakfast.

That thought had never, not even once, crossed my mind. And I don't think it really crossed my mother's either. For after every birthday in my family, until the cake was completely gone, we feasted on cake for breakfast. And, since my mother sliced the cake so paperthin you could see straight through to the plate, the cake seemed to last forever. And a day.

I thought of that story as I prepared this sugar and fat and everything nice breakfast this morning. And, just for Mrs. Jenkins, I added an extra slice of pound cake. (and perhaps thusly another inch to my waist)

p.s. You'll see a little peep of the project I've been working on this morning...my fairy in a jar for Melfie's sweet swap. I'm not allowed to show you until my swap sister gets her but I snuck this peak for you.

Club Little House Sign-up~TODAY!~

Hello, my friends. You may now Sign Up for the next round of Club Little House.

If you've done it before, you're more than welcome to join in again. I decided to do 4 rounds of 12 so there should be plenty of room. Initially I thought I'd limit participation to just one subscription per member, but I decided to open it up for your discretion. I, myself, may decide to do more than one round. :)

I'd be happy to accept participation from international friends. Just please be sure to send your package of goodies in early!

Thanks so much! I hope everyone who wants in gets in!

local friends...

I just got back from signing up for Carol Wingert's class at Scrapbooks Plus Saturday, June 23. Believe it or not, there's still room in all 3 of the classes. If you're local and like to make things (scrapbooks or not!) why don't you come? I signed up for the You Matter to Me book, pictured here (I snatched it from Pam's blog).


For more information, see Pam's blog and/or the store's site. I think you can call the store to sign up...703-263-9503

good things, small packages

It's been a while since the last meeting of Club Little House and I'm thinking that it's time for another swap.

Just in case you don't remember, Club Little House is a gift-exchange program where we'll make little things for each other's dollhouses. Unlike traditional swaps where you are making just one thing to send to one other person, we are each going to make 12 versions of the same thing. You'll send all 12 of the items to me and I'll put together a dozen packages of a dozen things to send back to the swappers. This way we will each have a nice package of 12 different gifts for our dollhouse families when we swap gifts.

What do you say? Are you up for it?

The cost for participating (to cover shipping and packaging supplies) is $15. Start thinking of what little thing you might like to make. The sign up page will be activated tomorrow at noon, EST.

If you think you might be interested, will you leave a comment here? I may open it up to more groups if there is a lot of interest.

dinner tonight

I'll rub a little of the seasoning salt into the pork chops and pop them on the grill. While they cook, I'll make the rice. I'm indebted to Near East brand for their great rice. When the chops are nearly finished, I'll pop the veg. kabobs on the grill.

The kabobs are all put together. I found them in the fresh produce section of Whole Foods, with their chopped, diced, and otherwise prepped veggies. They were a big expensive ($2 each) but it'll mean dinner on the table quicker, with less mess.

Lots of folks have asked about the card graphic. It's from my friend Mo Jackson's Vintage Paper 8 set. Click here to visit Moland.

If you ever want to know how I make anything I fix for dinner, just give me a holla. I'll be happy to tell...it's all easy stuff.

a little birdie told me...

Hello, my sweet friends. Hope you all had a very nice weekend. We worked in the flower beds all day Saturday. I was just looking out the windows, admiring our good work. It also reminds me that I have to get some water to the newly planted beauties. They are looking thirsty to me.

With my windows all thrown open, I'm hearing the prettiest birdsongs. Which made fun work this morning as I added a new product line to the site. "Little Birdies" are messenger birds made by my sweet friend Cindy, who's known affectionately as "Lovey". She's put so much love in the details of these fine feathered friends and I think they are just the right size for a "just because" gift to a friend. Or to yourself.

There's just one of each Little Birdie, and you can add your own personal message so that your friend can truly say "A little birdie told me".











Click here to see the whole flock and to order, if so inclined.

Cindy also made us a couple of sweet pillows. Aren't they wonderful?




Find them here.

We just finished dinner and it was really good. I cheated by getting the pre-assembled kabobs from Whole Foods and using a Near East kit for the pasta.

I spent most of the day with my friends Cindy, Mary Catherine, and Kelli. Cindy made something so wonderful for me to sell at Inspire Co. I can't wait to show you! I'm anticipating that they will go quickly. The detail is amazing and I love her sense of humor that shows through. I'm hoping to have them on the site on Monday so stay tuned...especially if you are looking for a little something to send a friend who needs a pick-me-up.

I wanted to tell you a funny, cautionary tale about my father. It's even funnier if you know him, but since most of you don't, I hope the funniness shines through. Yesterday he was backing out of his driveway, on the way to the grocery store. He was wearing flip-flops and the shoe got stuck behind the gas pedal still connected between his toes to his foot, with the gas pedal wedged between. He almost backed into the neighbor's garage before he knew it so he threw the car in drive. Full speed ahead he went, into his backyard, down the steep hill, up the steep hill, making a few highspeed big circles through the yard before he could get his foot loose. So, here's the cautionary part, as he told me this morning, don't wear your "'flops" while driving!

hey, what's for dinner Amy?

I'm working at the cottage today so I'll be home a little late for making dinner. I might end up cutting out the sweet potato fries...Rich doesn't really like them anyway.

what's for dinner?

Inspired by the wonderful, very fresh meals of our trip, I am imagining a whole host of lovely meals for us. (I think we'll be eating in for a long, long while!) While I was preparing tonight's simple meal, I thought I'd share with you what I'm having.



I'll keep posting them as long as this inspiration holds up...hopefully a good long while!

splish splash

On Sunday afternoon, Rich wasn't feeling well. I decided to leave him in the room to rest and ventured out on my own around Carmel, the cutest little town there ever, ever was. The most colorful of all the stores (they wouldn't let me photograph it, sorry!) was Lush. You'd never know it from their website but it really is a cute store.

They serve up what they call "Bath Cocktails"...all bath products designed for single-use. A bath bomb here, a lotion bar here, a bubble bar there...and $15 later you have what they promise to be an unforgettable bath experience.

I carry my parcel back to the hotel, fill the jet bath with water and climb in. I add my bath cocktail ingredients, one at a time, turn on the jets and within seconds...



this is what happened!

That's me STANDING UP (I'm 5'9") in the bathtub! Talk about a Lucy and Ethel moment! All I could do was laugh and laugh and laugh. The jets don't turn off until you unplug the tub so I had to hold my breath and go under.

I told the front desk what happened, just in case the bubble experience had any result other than a squeaky clean Amy and a squeaky clean bathroom. Rich didn't think I should share this photograph on the blog...but tell me, how I could I tell this story without a picture to prove it???

Oh, I did ask the people at Lush if I could use the products in a jet bath. "Oh sure!" was the answer. I think I need to show them this picture.

I'm happily back home, still squeaking from cleanliness. I have a million and one things to do but I am so happy. So happy. What a wonderful trip away that was! It was heaven. And I didn't even know how badly I needed it.

day 6: more beauty

Happy Mother's Day, everybody!

Today we woke up early to catch mass at the Carmel Mission Basilica. What a great way to start the day. After church we had breakfast at the hotel and headed out to Point Lobos. We hiked all around and were so happy to get so close to seals, a sea lion and lots of sea otters. Really wonderful!

day 5: big sur, bittersweet brown

We drove out down the Pacific Highway, through Big Sur. It's fruitless to even try to show you photos of the experience. They just don't begin to give justice to the majesty we witnessed. Big looming mountains, looking soft and velvet-coated to the one side of us. On the other, sometimes far below, the ocean repeating its crashing waves with great power and dependable regularity. We were truly awestruck.

We returned to the hotel for a short nap followed by the bubbliest bubble bath I've ever had (about 3 feet of bubbles!)

Then we joined our new friends Kate and her daughter-in-law Jo for dinner. We had a wonderfully lively dinner conversation and a lot of fun getting to know each other.

Back at the hotel, we enjoyed an evening of jazz piano by the great Dick Whittington.

*Years ago when we bought suitcases for our honeymoon, the name of the luggage just happened to be Big Sur and the color Bittersweet Brown. The salesman kept saying "Big Sur, Bittersweet Brown". I don't know why this stayed with us but it has and all day when one of us said "Big Sur" the other would say "Bittersweet Brown".

day 4: relaxing

We're in Carmel...having a fabulous time.

day 3: driving!

No pictures for this post...sorry!

We left San Francisco this morning and travelled the Pacific Highway down to Carmel. The trip took a while longer than the 3 hours we expected. We stopped at nearly every lookout spot. And guess what we spied at our very first stop...a mama whale and her babies! What a delightful surprise that was!

The whole trip was filled with gasps and wow!s and oh!s. Looking down atop the tall cliffs to see the ocean breaking waves against rocks was just wonderful.

So now here we are in Carmel. I'm sitting in front of a beautiful fire, tapping away this message as Rich takes a nap in our room. Tonight, we're hoping to get dinner at Clint Eastwood's joint.

Tomorrow, pictures...I promise!

day 2: shopping!

Oh what a wonderful day this was! It lasted forever and we did so many fun things. Most of all, we shopped.

First stop: The Tail of the Yak
It took us a while to get here because we decided to take the Golden Gate Bridge (which we couldn't even see, even when we were on it, due to the fog!) We decided, too, that perhaps we didn't need to buy a roadmap. We got a little lost, saw lots of very, um, interesting parts of California, and two and a half hours later, found Berkeley and The Tail of the Yak.

Anandamayi Arnold, who was featured in the April/May issue of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion, was there finishing some of her surprise shell boxes. She also makes paper flowers and colorful surprise balls. She is truly talented.

Just look at this flower she made entirely from paper! The closed flower has a surprise in it! Isn't it wonderful?



Here are some other of her creations, and the artist herself.





Here are some other shots of the Tail of the Yak:



Second Stop: Castle in the Air
If you read Ulla's blog then you've already seen how enchanting and wonderful Castle in the Air is. Here is more proof...













What a really fun place!

Last Stop: Timeless Treasures
We drove back to San Francisco (in minutes, not hours!) and had a lot of fun driving through Chinatown, the Financial District, and up and down hills all through the city. Cerri, Megan, and Kerry all told me that Timeless Treasures is a place that I had to see...and boy am I ever glad I listened. The owner Joan is just so sweet. The short while I was there her sweet store ebbed and flowed with happy customers and chatting friends, all of whom adore Joan and her collection of wonderful things. What her store is known for is its abundance of vintage letters, ranging in size from tiny to feet tall. I suspect, too, that the store is known best for the warmth of the owner. If you are in the San Francsisco area, you have to pay Joan and her store a visit. You'll feel like you've walked on the set of Mr. Roger's neighborhood as she introduces you to each new person who comes in.

Here's further reason, if you need it, to get thee to Timeless Treasures...

day 1: exploring

We managed to do a little exploring after we got here yesterday. We took the BART to town and then took a cable car from Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf. What a fun adventure! "Clang, Clang, Clang went the Trolley!"

there's nothing plain about her...

My friend Lorraine is one of the loveliest people I've ever met. Her zest and zeal are evident in everything she does. In this picture, you'll see that she turned up at the Paris Flea Market in cupcake boots to match mine! We are putting together entire entire cupcake inspired ensembles for our next tete-a-tete. See how much fun she is?

If you really want to fall head over heels for my sweet friend, just read the wonderful article her daughter wrote about her, which appeared in today's Washington Post...such a perfect Mother's Day gift to her mom.

hoojie?

My friend Stephanie (Doojies) has just opened a little spot on Etsy. See here. She has such a fun sense of humor and she's so very talented. Keep an eye on her shop...I have a feeling she'll be filling it with great things.

happy birthday, jessica

Happy birthday to my sister, Jessica! Have a day filled with fun and happy surprises. I hope this, your 17th anniversary of your 21st birthday, is a good one.

mix and match wardrobe

I should be packing but I wanted to show you what I ended up choosing and putting together for my travel wardrobe. I can mix and match almost every piece, and layer for cooler evenings.




For shoes, I have a pair of black ballet flats, black strappy sandals, and red espadrilles. I have the big white tote for all day treks and the little red clutch (that I'll use as a wallet) for when I don't need a big bag.

I'm getting so excited...I can't wait to get there. I'm hoping to blog on site so check back in this week.

I'd better get back to work.

that's random

I've been tagged by Wendy and Sarah and I think someone else all asking me to share 7 random things about myself. Since Random is my middle name (not really) I think I share random things on a daily basis. But I'll play along and give you today a bonus 7 things about me that you might not already know.

1. I really, really dig McD's Sweet Tea. And sometimes I drive up with my $1.05 in change, including pennies, just to get that nearly gallon-load of syrupy sweetness.

2. I grew up in a papermill town (if you've ever been to one, your poor nose will remember).

3. Our code for checking our teeth after we've eaten is that we smile really big and say through our teeth "How's your mother?" If there's a problem, say a wedge of spinach between my two front teeth, the response is something like "Oh, she had a terrible fall right in the middle of the street!"

4. If I am out and I look in the rear view mirror to see a crown of frizzy hair, I panic. I'm likely to stop at the nearest drug store to find something (anything!) to tame it. I've also used hand lotion and even lip balm (I was desperate, people).

5. I can't keep a secret. If you tell me something and ask me not to tell anyone, especially Jane, the only way I can keep the secret is to not talk to Jane. Ever. Again. Oh, unless it's a really serious friendship breaking, world-ending secret. I can keep those, even if it keeps me awake at night. But if you're throwing Jane a surprise party, forget about it.

6. I can't bring myself to write in blank books--journals, diaries, etc. It's a commitment issue.

7. I had a book called "The Jumbo Book of Jokes and Riddles". The book was truly jumbo, about 6 inches thick with different color paper for each section. There was a whole section of limericks. When I was in third grade, I plagerized one instead of writing my own limerick. I won a trophy for that poem and had my picture in the newspaper. Don't judge me. The guilt of this crime has haunted me for nearly 30 years.

envelope book

I just finished making the envelope book and couldn't even wait for parts to dry before showing you.

















I used mostly papers and embellishments from Brenda Walton's Dollhouse line. It was so much fun working with these fun papers and patterns and things.