Friday, May 28, 2010

Pink Saturday Birthday Celebration All Week Long

Happy Blog Birthday, Beverly. Thanks for reminding us to find the PINK that surrounds us… and for organizing us and introducing us to each other. It is wonderful to pause in the midst of our hurry-scurry lives and concentrate on finding the beauty of all things PINK in our daily lives.  Stop in to say Thanks and Congrats!http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

And speaking of PINK, just look at all this pretty PINK! I bought stacks of Waverly fabric samples at Bussy’s Flea Market in San Antonio years ago just knowing that “someday” they would come in handy.

2010 Paper Cowgirl swap projects in progress 004

2010 Paper Cowgirl swap projects in progress 001

Aren’t they pretty? I guess they are from the 80’s…Well, that “someday “has come in the form of a special swap invitation from Mendy Mitrani , http://mendytexas.blogspot.com/ Mendy is one of the instructors at Paper Cowgirl Art Retreat coming up at the end of June. Check it out at http://www.papercowgirl.blogspot.com/ Mendy challenged us to create special flowers from vintage materials and ephemera. Twenty-six of us accepted the call to make pretty pansies to swap. I was all set to make flowers from paper and bits of lace.

apper flowers in progress

But they looked too much like the project we are doing in the class I’m teaching that I just couldn’t get going…But then, as luck would have it, I found a Great project offered by Rebecca Sower in her Etsy shop.

2010 Paper Cowgirl swap projects in progress 008

Isn’t it pretty? I ordered the instructions and started pulling out piles of fabric…The project is pretty easy since her instructions are excellent!  I started making them Friday night while watching the Celtics game and here they are so far…

2010 Paper Cowgirl swap projects in progress 010

I’ll be using velvet leaves and fluffing the loops up a bit, but they are turning out pretty good so far…and since this is such a special Saturday, I’ll be making an extra one for a Blog Birthday Giveaway. Leave a comment and I’ll announce the winner when we meet again next Pink Saturday. I’ll make sure to pick a good one with lots and lots of pink!!

I’ll be super busy this week…it’s time to get out in the garden to harvest Bluebonnet seeds. They are dry and starting to pop all over the yard. They actually “Pop”. You can hear them and if you’re near enough, they’ll hit your legs! I’ll be sending packets to those who entered that giveaway back in  April. If you missed that post, leave me a comment requesting those seeds and I’ll share some with you too. Mother Nature has been so very kind with spring showers at just the right times so we have lots of seeds to share. And now, be sure to visit Beverly on this happy day…you know she was featured in Artful Blogging this month! Have a Pink week all week, every day from sunup to sundown…Happy Trails…Happy  Pink Trails until we meet again.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Pink Saturdays in May… Must be Time for Graduations

When you first hold a tiny newborn baby, it never dawns on you that in a flash, in the mere blink of an eye, you will be attending a graduation!!! You should see it coming…First there is the Kindergarten ceremony in their pint-size caps and size XXX-Small gowns…sooo cute, and you marvel at how big they’ve grown and how cute they are. But it doesn’t really hit you until suddenly those one time itty bitty babies are as tall as you and they are graduating from junior high!!! One short summer away from high school! !! How does it happen so quickly?…it seemed as if it took me YEARS to graduate from junior high. But it has taken my nieces only a couple of years, several months, and a few weeks!!! I mean it; I’m not exaggerating…look at this July 4th picture from a couple of years ago…

2010 Affirmation Pocketful of Memories Kate and Kendra

Big sister Kara’s birthday will be the next day on July 5th…in this picture she looks about 4 and my sister, Linda, and I are feeding the twins, Kate and Kendra…They are eating baby food! See that? Baby Food!…cuz they are babies!…and now? Flash forward just a couple of years and Kara is going to be a senior in high school and the babies…the babies are graduating from junior high…WOW! Next year all three will be attending Incarnate Word High School! It’s like some wrinkle in time where everything moved at warp speed.To mark their graduation from St. James School, I’ve made them each a Pocketful of Memories altered book. 2010 Affirmation Pocketful of Memories Kate and Kendra 009

Each one has pockets for quotes and notes of affirmation…

2010 Affirmation Pocketful of Memories Kate and Kendra 008

There are a few blank tags for their own memories and pictures.

2010 Affirmation Pocketful of Memories Kate and Kendra 007

I can’t believe I packaged and sent them off without taking pictures of their Kindergarten graduation pictures…I tucked them into the pockets so they would have photo evidence of the “Before” and “After” as they are growing…funny thing is they will look at their pictures and laugh at how long ago those shots were taken and how young they were “way back then”, but Linda and I will know the truth…those pictures were taken just a couple of years ago…only a short several weeks after two itty bitty miracles were delivered.

And this is why I love Pink Saturday…every week, I pause and look for the Pink in my life…it’s always there. This week it’s yellow and baby blue on the outside recycled from a couple of Winnie the Pooh stories, but the Pocketful of Memories books are pure pink attitude inside. I am also celebrating the Blessings of Healing as our mother makes progress in her recovery from a stroke in late April. She is back in her apartment at Argent Court, a wonderful assisted living facility in Seguin, Texas. Everyone at the Rehab hospital knew that she wanted to be home by Friday since that's her hair appointment day and on Fridays they have live music and get a glass of wine at Happy Hour. Hope she enjoyed the evening.

Beverly is a genius for inventing this amazing happening and she is a very sweet hostess for inviting us every week. Stop in to say “Howdy” and to check out who’s posting this week. http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

And then check out Paper Cowgirl Art Retreat to see what that creative bunch is up to.

http://www.papercowgirl.blogspot.com/

Have a pink week!!! Do you like the pretty new pink look of my blog? My sweet friend and fellow Paper Cowgirl, Nancy, http://www.mycraftylittlepage.blogspot.com/ did it for me. You must stop in to see her and compliment her artful blogging.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Pink Saturday in the Garden

Today I’m sharing an unusual birdfeeder that I bought several years ago…it’s been in the garage because I didn’t want it to get weathered…You’re right, there are no birds to feed in the garage so I broke down and “planted” it in a side bed by some sweet pink China Doll roses…an old recycled, repurposed kitchen pot spiffed up with, what else? Pink paint!

2010 roses pink and red with jeans pot feeder 003

Look at the cute pink flowers…

2010 roses pink and red with jeans pot feeder 002

and the post is detailed with even more pink details.

2010 roses pink and red with jeans pot feeder 004

Don’t you just love what creative people can do to “Pinken” up our world?  Stop in to see Miss Beverly  at How Sweet the Sound and see who’s joining the parade of pink today.



Limping Deer and the Twins

Limping Deer and the Twins
They are still spotted at this time.

Show and Tell Sunday June 15

Flea Market Finds...sounds like my whole house and yard...

Milk Glass Collection

Milk Glass Collection
Who knew that a 25 cent flea market find would unleash such a collecting frenzy? I never pay more than a dollar unless it's a really nice piece. They are great grouped with a single daisy in each.

These used to be inexpensive florist vases in the 50's and 60's. Everyone's Grandmother had bunches.

Mexicana Dishes

Mexicana Dishes
My sister found these for me at Bussy's Flea Market in San Antonio, Texas. I had seen pictures in her Fiesta reference book. Mexicana was also made by Homer Laughlin in the 30's. I had been looking for several years without ever finding even a single piece when she found the set...with a promise to hold it for us, she came running to find me and I bought the entire set...60+ pieces for $50.

Mexicana

Mexicana
I've added to the set over the years, but the price and experience will never match that first amazing find.

Vintage Kitchen Hutch

Vintage Kitchen Hutch
When my hubby found this hutch it was Pepto pink and I was not 100% sure about it. But with a new red back and fresh white paint and refurbished hardware, it became one of my favorite pieces.

Nancy made me save the vine

Nancy made me save the vine
The vine and flowers painted on the inside were in such bad shape that I was ready to remove it all. Nancy -My Crafty Little Page convinced me to keep it and after some touch-up work, I'm glad I listened to her. My husband restores vintage Cushman motorscooters and he tries to make everything "mint" condition again. The Shabby Chic movement came along just in time to keep me from making some terrible mistakes.