Lots to Share

Its a cold Saturday morning in Houston and I am just feeling so happy at the prospects of a weekend at home with nice little things to do, like a massage and pedicure and breakfast with a brother. I'm determined to get a little crafting in - maybe sew on my Susan Edmonton project from 2009 Inspired (thanks, Jeanne for the reminder!) And as I'm sitting here sipping my flavored coffee and I look down and see this.... Junior. Is he not the cutest? Do you think he minds as a boy - laying on a pink poodle blankie? I added this pillow and blankie next to my chair because he normally naps on a blue afghan in the sunroom. And its so far away and he's all lonely in there so I came up with this solution. Good stuff, huh! Junior has so much energy when I get home that I have to play with him for a bit. He really has energized Killer, who is going to be 11 in a few short months. I love my pups. I really don't understand how anyone can exist without them.

Okay, so want to see my Pam Garrison impression? I am using a little linen napkin I found at an estate sale last week and started a little bit of stitching, while on a plane! I am excited to get started and expand my horizons. Y'all, I don't even know how to do a french knot... okay - that is on my to do list today to look up... thank you, Internet. See those little red numbers... I bought a HUGE stash of that from a lady in Belgium on ebay. And then I found single initials... I have been searching the world over for double monograms but I am very happy with the singles - that will be a separate post. I really think this is all leading up to an etsy shop opening. Am I the only fool for French red script ribbon or tape as they call it?

Junior is snoring... One eye opened - as if he knew I was talking about him...

I took a break last week at lunch and popped into an estate sale. Well, actually two. On Friday we were driving to meet the Finance gang for lunch and I spotted a neon green ESTATE SALE sign on the corner. I talked it up enough to get our male driver to take a look-see. And YES, folks, we have converted another to the joys of estate sale shopping. And I think I should get 2 points because it's a male! Here is what I found - some linens and a pin cushion lady and blonde bisque doll head. I wanted those three birds because Jean Carey, (the lady that owned my house for 50 years before me) had one buried in her yard and it sits on my window sill. These must have been grocery store give-aways in the 50s. Or something like that...

The linens and books are from an estate sale and the old monopoly game pieces are from ebay. When I came home from St. Kitts this week there were 5 packages waiting to be opened - I love it! Imagine all the things you can make with those monopoly goodies.

Another package included all these bits and bobs of ribbon and laces. OH my word, it has some gorgeous embroidered ribbon included - total score. Is this silly but I have a hard time busting up a bag like this... I want to keep it in tact, to remember where I got it all. I think this was an ebay buy. I've also been buying here and there on shopgoodwill and I've collected about 6 or 8 vintage celluloid photo albums. A white creamy one arrived this week - no photos but gorgeous pages with flowers. I haven't figured out a display for all of them... But I love them. I will work on that and get back to you - maybe next weekend.

Is anyone have a birdie in the back of their brain thinking, damn, this girl has a shopping addiction? Well, go ahead. Think it. There are alot worse things to be addicted to, just ask Tiger. I'm Catholic and have lots of guilt on my own, don't you worry!

I met lots of nice people at the board meeting and dinners in St. Kitts. Its always a bit lonesome at first since I'm solo. I "had lunch" with the CFO of Anthropologie. Yes, that Anthropologie. Well, it was more like I stalked him and manuevered my way into his table at lunch, only to be trumped by another woman who took the seat in between us. I was trying not to be too overbearing... So much for that. The second night was a lovely restaurant, Beach House which was gorgeous place with great food but not alot of conversation. But the last night, I had a great time visiting with Natalie, who owns Stonewall Kitchen and Sheryl and Sandy from Cherry Hills, NJ. We discovered later that Sandy was a bone marrow donor for his brother, who also didn't make it.

I'm cold, perhaps a shower will warm me up... Hope you enjoy your weekend.

Sometimes You're a Jellyfish

says my friend, Vicky. She's right. Right now I'm just floating along in life. I've taken steps towards freedom but not there yet. Soon enough. I started reading everyone's end of 2009 post and when I looked at my photos, I hadn't realized how 2009 was the year of Travel. If I don't make Elite status this year, I never will. Oh the Places You'll Go: Grand Cayman, New Orleans, ROMA, Netherlands, Chicago, Boston, Bahamas (twice), Long Beach - all for work. I fell in love with Rotterdam and Driehuis. That doesn't include our great summer vacation when we started in New Orleans and had the most fabulous grilled oysters at Dragos, lazed on the beach in Destin and Seaside and drove through antique stores in Mississippi, and shopped at Canton's First Monday. My kind of week, for sure. Some of the best things in life.

This great craft of scrapbooking took me to St. Louis for Scrap St. Louis. With some of the best peeps ever and great projects and teachers (Cheryl Mezzetti) - Jeanne, Nan, Cathy Doyle, Kathy N, soon-to-be momma Kathleen, Melissa, Barb, Julianne, Tanya. Oh, I love all those people. North Carolina for Inspired where I. fell. in.love. with Susan Edmonton's sewing. And Carol Wingert's project, not to mention spending time with more great friends, Ronda. For the fourth straight year, Phoenix was fantastic with my favorite Canadians, Heather and Charleen and non Canadians, Ronda and Tanya and Nancy. I can still feel the energy in the room when Tim Holtz's lamp went for $29k. It is so great to be a part of that experience. And rounding out the year with a fantastic Silver Bella and three of the best teachers, Rebecca Sower, Charlotte Lyons and Pam Garrison - what a trifecta! Spending time with some great people there - old friends and the serendipity of dinner with new friends. Good times. Oh and Swaps! I did my first swaps ever - Year of Tags, Saint Tags and Alphabet Tags - I was proud of what I created.

With shopping I had fun at Round Top, all 3 of the Urban Markets and Canton and got to go to the Long Beach flea for the first time ever - loved it, of course. Found some great stuff at MAM and the Guild also. Oh, and my new collection, which is vintage photo albums, thanks to shopgoodwill and ebay.

And Thanksgiving was so memorable because my sweet niece, Nancy made an incredible meal as good as any chef. We were blessed.

My favorite You Tube of the year was Pink Glove Dance. I watched it a gazillion times.

I want to hold on to all of those great memories because the year ended so badly. My marriage ended and that's not what I wanted. What can you do but live and learn? There were some great lessons and great experiences. So, I'm ready for 2010! Bring it.