Riverside Studios

Circle of Friends Journal Mail Out Day

2012-01-31T19:10:00.001-06:00

Beverly of Pink Saturday How Sweet the Sound fame invited a group of 10 willing blog friends to join in a Circle Journal project. Each of us chose a theme and built a journal. I picked Gift from the Sea as my inspiration since I love Anne Morrow Lindberg’s book by that title. I wanted the look of the book to be sort of beachcomber.

The cover is wrapped with strips of batik type fabric in seashore colors…the words are stamped on strips of sand colored muslin. Inside words from the book remind us of our gifts from the sea…

Inside the back cover echoes the look and theme…

I made tags for each of the other nine “Beachcombers” to introduce herself…

The finished tags will be tucked into pockets made of the same batik strips…

That’s all I am showing…I want there to be an element of surprise when the book makes the rounds…Each month two new pages will be added by a new member of the circle. Our first mail-out was scheduled for February 1st. But before I sent it out, I had fun with the inside cover of the box…a “group shot”…

Each book will be as different and unique as each of the ten creative journal builders. Mine was mailed to Sheila in Galveston, Texas! How perfect is that? She will create her vision of Gift from the Sea during February…judging by the pictures she posted of her journal, her contributions will certainly bring my book up a notch. Any day now, Nancy’s book will arrive in my mailbox. I will spend March working on Nancy’s book…March 1st will come and Sheila will send my journal on to the next contributor… and then I will send Nancy’s on to Sheila… By the time it visits all of the other nine “Beachcombers”, it will come back to me in the fall as a true gift from the sea. It’s one of the most exciting adventures I’ve ever joined. It’s all thanks to the idea of Beverly…Let the fun begin!

Pink Jump on Spring

2012-01-27T20:34:00.001-06:00

On my way into the grocery store this week I spotted these pretty pink foliage plants for under two dollars. Aren’t they pretty? Aren’t they PINK? There were only these two left, so I was happy to get them.

It’s probably jumping the gun to even think about spring planting of foliage plants, but the pair I bought last year (also at the grocery…also the last two) have survived the winter (so far) in the base of this rubber tree with only a blanket covering….They were less bright, but they are still pink…

Its sister “survivor” plant…as I call any annual that lasts more than a season…has gotten leggy, but is still colorful at the base so I think a Spring cleaning haircut and a little Miracle Grow will pop it back into shape.

The four of them will look Pretty in Pink among the wine corks that I’m using as mulch… Those outdoor survivors are looking better than their cousin plant that was shoved into the back of the makeshift greenhouse in our screened porch…it hadn’t been watered in a long while and when Hubby discovered it, it was ready to give up…

Pretty sad, I’ll admit…plant abuse for sure, but it spent the afternoon outside in the filtered sun and it got a good watering. Maybe the pink will spring back and it will be a happy plant by spring. Maybe I’ll have an amazing recovery story to post for pink Saturday in a few months. Hope your Saturday is Pink and the coming week is filled with good news…We got much needed rain in Central Texas earlier this week and we got our Pink in beautiful lightening bolts and buckets and buckets of welcome rain.

I’m off to the post office to mail my Circle Journal to Sheila. Beverly has gathered a group of ten fellow bloggers to join in a year long project to create ten journals. Each of us has chosen a theme, designed a journal and we are now starting the circle. My theme is Gift from the Sea because Anne Morrow Lindberg’s book is so wonderful. As mine makes its way to Sheila, I will receive Nancy’s journal and I know it will be amazing…so I have some Pink journaling fun coming my way from her. It will be such a lovely challenge to create a double page spread each month for each of the chosen themes. I already know what I’m doing for her journal and can’t wait to get started.

Stop in to visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound. Enjoy your weekend as you make the rounds of Pink Saturday participants.

You Go Girl on Pure Pink Saturday with Mary Engelbreit

2012-01-06T22:29:00.001-06:00

Every year I watch the Mary Engelbreit web site around June for the new calendars. I buy several of these purse sized folders for friends and family. The size is so handy…

You know the art work if going to be fabulous…

You know it’s going to be loaded with Pink. Look at this sweet Pink June page…and this February

page…I love how there’s lots of space for notes…and the matching folder is perfect for holding appointment cards. They are surprisingly sturdy holding up the entire year of daily use!

They have become an annual gift that I give my sister at Thanksgiving because with her busy life, she will already be planning for the year to come. And I can’t think of an artist/illustrator who is more Pink than Mary E. I never tire of her work. My other yearly purchase is the day-by-day calendar for my desk. This year’s theme is Life Is Sweet…I told you it pure Pink!

Every day includes words of wisdom and quotations that remind us of our many Blessings. Here is today’s…

“Carry Laughter with you wherever you go.” And with that happy thought, I send you off the visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound to check out the list of who is posting for Pink Saturday. Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a very Pink week.

It’s a Pink Saturday Parade for the New Year… Bring on the Rose Bowl Parade

2011-12-30T22:17:00.001-06:00

Today I’m sharing a few fun parade pictures taken when we cruised on The Mariner of the Seas the week before Christmas. Hubby and I had never been on this Royal Caribbean ship now sailing out of Galveston, Texas, and we decided that a cruise would make the perfect gift to each other. We were sooo right! It was a Pink week from start to finish! One fun treat was a parade right down the middle of the Royal Promenade. It’s as bright as anything…

With bright pink fish floating down among the crowds

It gets a little loud, but that was nothing compared to the night the crew celebrated the 80’s and their version of Disco Fever…bless their hearts, they tried to capture the era and the spirit…even though none of the dancers were even born then…and that late night parade was really spirited…

I will blushingly admit to enjoying their Y.M.C.A. Village People number…the costumes were right on!…especially the policeman…and the cowboy…Several nights later, in keeping with the Christmas holiday, there were Yuletide carols being sung by a choir…

And I found this colorful holiday tree with lots of Pink in one of the Ports of Call…

The Caribbean flowers were beautiful, but now for the greatest parade on earth…THE ROSE PARADE! It’s my very favorite part of New Year’s Day…I’ll be watching it while the Black Eyed Peas simmer and hubby makes his picture perfect cornbread to eat with the Hoppin’ John and turnip greens. I’ll bet our Pink hostess with the mostess, Miss Beverly over at How Sweet The Sound has Black Eyed Peas on her menu this weekend. Have a lovely weekend as you say a fond farewell to 2011 and celebrate the coming of a fresh new year. May everything about 2012 be PINK for you and yours. Thanks for stopping by…join me in using this Looking Backward and Looking Forward time to count our Blessings and to Pray for Peace.

Pink Saturday and Pink Christmas Cactus

2011-12-22T19:50:00.001-06:00

Last week I had a happy surprise…Mother’s Christmas cactus is blooming…

It’s tucked away on the screened porch that we use as a makeshift greenhouse during winter. I was watering before leaving for a pre-Christmas vacation when it caught me by surprise…like a little gift from my mother who had passed away in April. It still had lots of unopened buds ., but by the time we returned…

Many more were open and looking festive for Christmas. They bloom at Christmas and have a lovely legend attached to their history.

http://www.santalives.com/LegendChristmasCactus.html

The blooms will continue to open for the rest of the week and will finish around January 6. It’s a perfect and fitting tribute to Mother’s green thumb. I’ll admit to being a bit emotional when I first realized they were starting to flower. I’ve been thinking of this first Christmas without my mother and how many ornaments she made over the years. So I got to work…

I am just finishing a set of ornaments that I made for my nieces using some of Mother’s costume jewelry. Like this orchid pin…

I added it to a large gold ornament that has been tied up with gold ribbon…

And now a pin that would lie in the bottom of a jewelry box will now be enjoyed every Christmas for many years to come…

This Pink and red bee looks perfect sitting amid the ribbon on this oversized ornament…

I made three of these large ornaments…

One has the bee for Kate, another has an owl with bright aqua eyes for Kendra and for Kara, the orchid. Next year I’ll use some of Mother’s earrings to create smaller versions using some of our old family ornaments. In 2009 Mother and I picked several of her Christmas pins and pendants to do the same thing with similar ornaments.

I’m glad she got to give those to her granddaughters while she was still with us. Now, the girls will have some nice treasures for their own someday trees.

We’ll be celebrating at my sister’s home with traditional Texas fare…tamales, chili, beans, queso, guacamole, and pecan pie.

We look forward to visiting each other as we stop by to get the list of Pink Saturday posts from Beverly at How Sweet the Sound. Thanks for stopping by Riverside Studios. May your Christmas be filled with Joy as you enjoy the Blessings of the Season. Pray for Peace.

Retro Pinks for Pink Saturday

2011-12-02T22:01:00.000-06:00

For Pink Saturday I’m sharing our dining room Christmas tree. It’s decorated with with vintage ornaments from my sweet hubby’s family.

I love the translucent look of the Chinese lanterns…

I’m sure the colors were brighter when they were new in the 50’s…but isn’t the softness nice?

Many are hand painted…

Others like this Silent Night look more like stencils…

A couple met an untimely end this year…

But I’ll vow to be more watchful as I add the beaded garland next year…Hope your week is Pink. Stop in to visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound to get the full list of Pinks for the week, and until we meet again…

Pink Saturday celebrating El Rocio Retreat

2011-11-10T19:03:00.001-06:00

Last weekend a group of long time friends gathered in Mission, Texas, for a wonderful retreat. Come through the gate where the pink Bouganvilla are blooming…

And choose a path to follow…

You can start in the courtyard and follow the Fountain Trail…

It heads out through the brush…clumps of Prickly Pear Cactus line the trail…the red mulch looks pink and inviting in the gray light of early morning…

I look down at my choice of shoes for the day…

No rugged path through the Mesquite trees for me today. My flip-flop Clarks won’t do much to protect my bare pink toes…the next trail is even worse…

It winds beside an abandoned camp site… This seems more appropriate…

Yes! This path is perfect…

If you’ve never wandered through a labyrinth, you’re missing a calming, quiet, very pink experience. I didn’t have a solitary walk… there were birds everywhere at El Rocio…the area is a bird watcher’s heaven.

I decided to slip inside this sweet pink Hobbit house where I could watch the birds through the window…

Isn’t it cute? Built in the 1980’s the buildings are very organic and many walls incorporate actual rough-hewn trees.

Pink details were everywhere…like this terra cotta cross embedded in the wall.

November is the perfect month for a retreat…Reflection and renewal before the rush and rapid pace of the holidays. Just like our weekly visits with the Pink around us. Thank you, Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for hosting our weekly Pink retreat where we can step into our beautiful pink Blogland and recharge our batteries with all things pink and beautiful. Leave a comment and I’ll return the visit.

Pink’s Powerful Reminder

2011-10-14T16:19:00.001-05:00

This morning as I was shopping for weekend supplies (a nice bottle of Chardonnay for week end guests), I was attracted by a new line of reusable shopping bags…Pink roses with the Pink ribbon that reminds us of our on-going battle to beat breast cancer…Of course, I bought one to serve as a reminder of how lucky I am to be living in a time when breast cancer is not an automatic death sentence as it once was and how lucky I am that all of my mammograms have been clean.

So I can reduce the use of plastic bags and support the fight against breast cancer! That makes for a perfect Pink Saturday in my book.

Several weeks ago, I shared a rather limp pink crocheted apron. I promised to take pictures after it had been treated to a little starch and a good ironing…well, here it is…

It made an appearance at a shower last weekend. All the guests were invited to wear a vintage apron…

I’m partial to the gingham with cross stitching ones…

The bride to be is sharing a toast with old fashioned Coke bottles and real paper straws!(one of Nancy’s E-Bay finds)…The bride to be had her camera in her pocket and it makes her look “PG”…remember when we wouldn’t even say the “P” word…we were in the “family way”, but I digress…we had such fun in our aprons and it was a very “Pink” sort of day.

I hope your day and your week is Pink from start to finish. Thanks for stopping by.

Pink Crochet for Pink Saturday

2011-09-23T22:00:00.001-05:00

Today at a neighborhood tag sale I found this perfect vintage crocheted apron trimmed with a pretty shell pink.

It needs a good hand wash…

And a trip to the ironing board to tidy up the ribbons…

By the time I’m done with it, it will be fit for June Cleaver’s kitchen. Hope your week end is Pink and I hope you find lots of Pink in your corner of the world…You know Beverly has plenty gathered for us to share. Head over to her house to see who’s posting this Pink Saturday.

Beautiful Gray Skies on Pink Saturday…It’s RAINING in Central Texas

2011-09-17T13:52:00.001-05:00

I’m listening to the most beautiful sound in the world! Rain! With a rumble of Thunder on the horizon…I stood in my kitchen and watched my flower beds fill with wonderful rain and I cried with joy. This rain will help extinguish fires…it will save thousands of trees…the grasses will green up and feed livestock… This is a beautiful gray Pink Saturday. And Central Texas is so Blessed today…Happy Birthday Eve to Nancy at My Crafty Little Page. She is going to get the best birthday gift she could dream of…look at the TV radar… Beverly encourages us to find the Pink in our world. Today my Pink comes in yellow and orange on the TV screen and in the gray of the clouds.

Happy, Happy Gray Pink Saturday!

Pink Saturday… Quiet Sunday

2011-09-09T19:18:00.001-05:00

Like most of Americans, we will spend this weekend with a lump in our throat. Our generation joins our parents and grandparents as we recall exact details of where we were when we heard of attacks on our shores…Pearl Harbor was still fresh in the memories of my mother and father until each of them passed away decades later…September 11th will be the same with each of us. But life goes on and we find ways to heal.

Last year I posted pictures of my little red lilies. Mother had given me a few bulbs years ago. She called them “Back to School” or “September Lilies” because they start to bloom when school starts in September. I was afraid they might not survive the summer 0f 2011 when so many of our lawns are drying up.

Last year I said they would always remind me of September 11, and they do. Right now, in spite of a terrible drought and weeks of triple digit heat, those brave, hearty little red lilies are blooming their hearts out. Our nation is sad this weekend, but we are brave and hearty and we can still find beauty. God bless our nation and the men and women who defend her. God bless us as we remember our loss. Pray for Peace. Find and celebrate beauty. Beverly has taught us well. Have a Pink Week. Enjoy your visits at How Sweet the Sound and with the Pink Saturday community.

Pink Saturday…We may need an intervention…

2011-09-02T21:02:00.001-05:00

I’m off to Wimberley this Saturday…it’s Market Day, but before I head out, I’m putting out a PINK WARNING…just in case one of your friends invites you to join her on Pinterest…it sounds so innocent on the surface…share ideas with friends…get recipes…decorating hints… For example, I looked for “Pink” and look what I found…unfortunately, I have to admit that I stole this picture…

I say stole, because I didn’t Repin it giving credit for where I found it…very bad Pining manners, but I don’t have all the fine points of copy etiquette down yet.

Well, my point is this, if you thought Facebook and its web of games was a cyber black hole where your time somehow mysteriously disappeared, be forewarned…”Pin it” sounds like a good idea…so you pin a recipe for pulled pork, but then instead of heading to your favorite cookbook for your favorite coleslaw recipe, you start searching the web…you don’t need to write down ingredients, you simply pin it and then take your laptop into the kitchen to follow the steps while you cook…and your friends are notified of your pins so everyone knows what you’re having for supper…it’s kinda cool and kinda creepy. The possibilities are endless…Here’s the link, but be warned…it could be a double edged blade… good because it saves time by putting everything at your fingertips…dangerous because everything is at your fingertips and there’s so much lovely Pink out there…have a Pink Week.

http://pinterest.com/

Stop in to say “Howdy” to our lovely hostess Beverly over at How Sweet the Sound and enjoy the week.

Pink Saturday Declaration: Mandatory End of Summer!

2011-08-26T16:15:00.001-05:00

That’s right! You read it here first…Summer is over…Done…Finis…Kaput…No Mas. I’m declaring it Early Pre-season Fall…If Hobby Lobby can rush the seasons, why can’t I? Traditionally I start decorating for fall during Labor Day Weekend…September 1st…Back to School…unofficial fall. But not this year of Endless Unbearable Summer Heat! This year fall starts today! I’ve set out fall linens, surrounded a big open sided urn with pomegranates in shades of deep burgundy pink…

added sparkling pumpkins…

and deep pink velvet leaves…

Now, that’s better! I’m starting to think cooler days and maybe even a rainy night pot of soup…

I dragged out a fall centerpiece that was done by April Hiler Designs. I just love her work…she has a great Etsy shop. More pomegranates…

The kitchen got a wreath and a garland…

Out came a collection of fabric pumpkins…

Now, I’m ready for a cup of tea and a visit to Beverly for Pink Saturday. Thanks for stopping by. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling cooler already…

Have a Pink Week.

Pink Saturday…Let’s Get This Party Started!

2011-08-12T20:56:00.001-05:00

It’s my Birthday Week…My Birthday has an official sponsor…it’s the American Cancer Society ! ! I celebrate my special day by scheduling my annual mammogram make sure “the girls” are still tumor free. We all live in an amazing time when lives are being saved that would have been lost just a few decades ago. This is a perfect week to link to Kelee and the big plans she has for us this weekend.

I have a special announcement of my own…last week I showed a Pink Altered Book that I had made to celebrate being featured on Beverly’s How Sweet the Sound.

I filled it with Pretty in pink tags…

I offered it as a Blogland Door Prize to a Pink Saturday visitor… Since my birthday’s on the 17th, I decided that I would pick visitor number seventeen. I’m happy to announce that I’ll be sending the book to Pat, aka The Artful Diva. Her blog and her work is so amazingly beautiful that if you have not visited her before, you will enjoy treating yourself to the adventure.

Hope your week is Pink…now Let’s Get this Party Started, Beverly and Kelee have lots of big plans for us.

Pink is now the Official Color of Saturdays

2011-08-05T13:08:00.001-05:00

I’m so happy to be featured today…clever Beverly finding such a special way to help us know each other better. Read carefully, there’s a quiz at the end…noooo, just kidding, there’s a “door” prize.

Mondays can have Blue, but without a doubt, Saturdays are Pink…it’s official. Beverly named it and claimed it and that’s the end of it! For those of us who love Pink, it couldn’t be more clear.

For today’s Pink Saturday post, I’m showing another love of mine…Altered Books. The concept is simple: take a discarded book and repurpose it in some way to give it a new lease on life. I’ve made books to celebrate any number of Pink occasions: a friend’s recovery, my many Blessings, friendships, travel, and any and all things pink…anything worth celebrating is worth celebrating in an altered book. I’ve featured several of them here at Riverside Studios over the years. My favorite way to alter books is to create a Pocket Book. Here is the outside of a little ticket themed book.

When it is open, you can see the pockets…this book has four compartments…

just perfect for four Happy Tags…

And here is cover of another book…

and the inside pockets of another…

The tags and Art Trading Cards tucked inside cover the spectrum from words of wisdom and inspiration to clever quotes and jokes. The pockets are perfect for postcards and pictures with spaces to hold ticket stubs and wine bottle labels…they provide an easy-do alternative to the traditional scrapbook. Here’s my newest, one that I started just to showcase on this Pink Saturday’s post. I started with a little book that was badly water stained…

I folded it to create the pockets…

I gathered up several old sheets of tissue, some estate sale gift wrap,and a few vintage pages of piano scores.

I kept the materials limited to what was on hand. The resulting book shows hints of the original cover and words of “inspiration.

Inside this book some of the words show through the pink tissue…The garlands of flowers are cut from the gift wrap…

When the pockets are filled with tags and the book stands open, it looks like this…

Vintage seam bindings and pretty pink fibers dress up the tags which have a Pink sentiment or two…

I found these fun tickets at Paper Cowgirl vendor Night. And these tags really seem to belong to the spirit of the book.

And there you have it, an altered pocket book. This one is being offered as a Giftaway for one of my visitors today. I’ll have hubby draw a number on Wednesday and I’ll contact the new owner of Inspirations for Living Pink and post the winner’s name next Saturday.

Thanks so much for stopping by…thanks again to Beverly for this fun experience and for the happy institution we call Pink Saturday. Now swing back by Beverly’s to see who else is posting this first weekend of the LAST MONTH of SUMMER…and Have a Pink Week from start to finish.

Local Color…Pink Saturday

2011-07-29T19:36:00.001-05:00

Back in the spring several friends and I took a tour of New Braunfels Historic homes and gardens…

We started at the home of Ferdinand Lindheimer, the Father of Texas Botany…his names shows up in the names of many native Texas plants he helped to identify. This sweet little snowdrops type naturalized bulb was growing there…

In fact, they were blooming in the lawns of many of the old homes we visited that day, but nobody could tell us the name for sure…At one of the historic homes, we went across the street to visit with with a neighbor, Mr. Neely, whose lawns we had admired for years…we joked with him that we were his yard stalkers because we always drove past his home to see what was blooming and how his latest projects were progressing. The conversation turned to plants and guess what he offered?…A start of the mystery bulbs…from the lawn of the semi-abandoned house next door to his yard.

Now, isn’t that just the way it is with gardeners? Get a shovel and dig up plants to share…even with stalkers…How PINK is that? Can’t wait until next spring when mine come up…I’ll post pictures in 2012 as Beverly moves us into a fourth year of Pink Saturdays…And as we made our way from one historic stop to the next, I stopped to snap a picture of a local “landmark”…the Hoity Toit Beer Joint…

Don’t you just love it??? Texas now has a law against open containers, but this sign goes way, way back…I had my camera with me and I had been wanting to get a picture of this wonderful example of our local color before it is gone from the landscape…

I’ve never been inside, but I went to a parking lot tag sale there once and from the smell of things, they don’t heed the Surgeon General’s warning on cigarette packs…If those tobacco stained walls could talk…Well, enough of this digression, thanks for stopping by today…Head back to Beverly’s How Sweet the Sound to put you in the Pink.

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Have a Pink Week from start to finish.

Pink Saturday Sisters

2011-07-22T16:03:00.001-05:00

Several years ago my friend Nancy, My Crafty Little Page gave the Ya-Yas (our little group of high school friends and sisters) each one of these little lady vases.

Mine holds a bouquet of pink flowers and since she has a vase beside her, she holds my make up brushes. I see her every morning and think of sweet Nancy. She was my only Lady Vase until last year when I found this one in Wimberley…She lives in the guest house on my work table…

She is much larger than my dressing table lady and her demeanor seems rather bossy and “take charge” so she has been given the job of holding my crochet hooks…

She is the only lady on the work table and I think she likes it that way. She wears a pretty cold painted blue apron with a pink flower.

She even has pink slippers…

Yesterday I was in the Downtowner Antique Mall here in New Braunfels when I found a third lady vase…

She hasn’t been assigned a job yet while I decide what would be ideal for her little square basket…She has such a surprised look on her face. I mean. those eyebrows are way up in the middle of her forehead. Maybe she heard the weatherman announce the heat index…Maybe it’s a worried look…

She is probably afraid that I’ll put her out on the patio or in the screened porch where it’s in triple digits … I’ve heard that three of anything makes a collection, so I guess I have a collection of lady vases…here they are posed for a family picture…

Have a Pink Week, stay indoors with a cold drink while you visit Beverly and the assembled guests at How Sweet the Sound. Thanks for stopping by to visit my newest collection.

Pink Saturday with Coins in My Pocket and a Smile on My Face

2011-07-15T16:53:00.001-05:00

I’ve always kept a bright Pink Piggy Bank in the laundry room for spare change left in pockets…well, when my boys left home, the poor piggy started going hungry so I started saving all my dimes (my favorite coin since childhood…doesn’t every one have a favorite coin?)…Well, all those dimes over the last few years have started adding up and Miss Piggy had really put on the weight…I decided to empty her and see what my ten cent stash would yield…

I filled my When Pigs Fly Tervis Tumbler with, what else?, Pink lemonade and started counting…

I used my new digital coin counter that was a door prize at our family reunion…I was the butt of several jokes first, because I picked that to be my prize and then my family was afraid I would not be able to find it since it is camouflage… what I put up with…well, who’s laughing now?..that’s right One hundred and Eighty Dollars and still going!

I dumped out more coins and kept counting…

Miss Piggy is feeling better already…look at that smile!!! Now imagine my smile…

That’s right, Two Hundred Dollars…and still counting!!! and still smiling!!!

The grand total was Two Hundred and Fifty-Two Dollars!!! I’ll take it to the bank and convert my little nest egg to less cumbersome cash.

Then I think I’ll buy something for the lawn…something Pink, of course, something like another Pink Crepe Myrtle garden… I can certainly afford three or four good sized plants with my “free money”.

But no planting today…it’s summer in Central Texas…too hot for such nonsense… Think I’ll stay indoors with a lemonade and start making the rounds of Pink treats assembled by our host, sweet Beverly at How Sweet the Sound http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Thanks for

stopping by…Have a Pink week.

Pink Saturday in the Shade

2011-07-09T16:43:00.001-05:00

I’ve been out early this Pink Saturday…finishing a little garden project under the Pink Crepe Myrtle bed beside our kitchen door. I’ll post pictures when the groups of Agapanthus look more settled in. It’s too hot for yard work now…time to come inside for iced tea. I tried to coax Birdie, my patio pet, into joining us for a dip in the river…Our dog, LadyBird Johnson, had just gone swimming without permission and it seemed only fair to see if Birdie also wanted to cool her little bird feet in the Guadalupe River…Here she is ready to go…very excited because she never gets to go anywhere except the screened porch.

She’s got her sunshades and straw hat…

Her beach towel is over her wing…

Her Kindle is in her tote…

She’s waiting for me to slather her with sunscreen while I said I had to quickly post Pink Saturday greetings. She wanted to know what’s Pink Saturday? Well, when I explained how I find pretty Pinkness to share each week, she had some seriously ruffled feathers!!! Why hadn’t she been featured before? Wasn’t her pink ”pink enough” ? Was I ashamed of her since she had put on an extra feather or two? What a Diva!!! So long, Birdie! I’m ready to visit the Pink posts and check in on ladies with pretty thoughts and pictures to share…first stop, Beverly, at How Sweet the Sound. http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Thanks for stopping by…Have a Pink Week.

Of Thee I Sing…Happy July 4th

2011-07-01T21:57:00.001-05:00

Today I’m celebrating out nation’s birthday…with a few barnyard friends ready to sing in the holiday weekend…

This little shelf sitter critter grouping was ordered a few years ago from one of Mother’s “Gadget catalogs”…you know the ones…Miles Kimbell…Garol Wright…Colletions…once you get on their mailing list, you’re in it for life. She was always finding cute little kitchen timers, plastic storage organizers, weird cleaning tools, seasonal ice trays…you get the idea. Some things caused my sisters and me to roll our eyes…like the fold-up red plastic underwear and panty hose drying rack with dozens of little plastic clothes pins to hang out dainty hand laundry…but this little set was one of her better purchases. A whole barnyard of patriotic clad critters celebrating our Red White and Blue holiday.

The duck is my favorite…head thrown back, singing My Country Tis of Thee for all she’s worth!

The rooster is chiming in…and the cow and the cat seem happy to be celebrating their favorite holiday…

And Miss piggy is pretty dressed up in her striped mini-skirt…or is it a skirted bathing suit? They wish you a Happy July Fourth however you are celebrating it. Start the weekend off with our lovely Pink Saturday Hostess Beverly at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/ See who is sharing special holiday posts

Thanks so much for stopping by. Celebrate our Freedom…Pray for our Troops…and Pray for Peace.

Pink Saturday and I’m De-Stashing…This time I mean it…

2011-06-24T22:05:00.001-05:00

Happy Pink Saturday to everyone…we’re “in the Pink” here in Central Texas because we got a bit of rain…still under water restrictions, but everything got a healthy shower.

One of my annual New year’s resolutions is to simplify and de-clutter my life…sounds like a good plan in January, but after a couple of initial trips to the Hospice Thrift Store to drop off items, we get busy and one week slips into the next and we loose the resolve…But Not This Year! We are still culling our belongings and sending things on to new homes…a case in point: my collection of porch flower plates. I’m just showing a couple of pink beauties today to give you proof of my commitment.

Isn’t it pretty? My screened porch walls held a dozen different plates each decorated with different flowers like zinnias and nasturtiums, no sets, just odds and ends of such plates…all of them flowered…

This one has a lovely embossed border in addition to the delicate flowers.

I just have the one…but I have a pair of the plates with Pink Hollyhocks…probably my favorites of the group…

I’ve never been very successful with my own Hollyhocks and that’s probably why I like this pair so much. This plate also has pretty embossing around the edges. Perfect for catching and holding dust. And I’m fed up with trying to keep the outside house clean as well as inside…

I just love the flowered plates…when we had the patio repainted, everything came down from the walls and the plate collection never made its way up again... time to move on… I think I’ll take them to Wimberley Trade Day in July rather than being dropped off at Hospice because I’d like to see who buys them. Let me get them wrapped and boxed before I have second thoughts and lose my direction.

You head on over to visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Pink Saturday…Pink Summer

2011-06-17T21:20:00.001-05:00

Well, the central Texas heat has driven me indoors for the summer and it’s only June for crying out loud! We’ve been in triple digits for several days in a row!

What’s a Pink Saturday gal to do when it’s too hot for the lawn? Head indoors, of course. That’s exactly what I’m doing and I made a quick run to the book store for some Pink Summer reading and guess what I found!…

an armful of novels by Mary Kay Andrews! I know she is a favorite author of Beverly, our esteemed hostess, but I had never read any of her books…now the challenge of the week is to decide on the order…Chronological? Geographically from East to West?…North to South?

Savannah Breeze is pulling me right now because it has such a cool summer cover, plus its cover is the most Pink. I love Savannah and books set there so I’m also leaning toward Savannah Blues.

The Fixer Upper sounds dangerous…like I might become inspired to take on a DIY project…not in this heat!!! Better save it until later in the summer.

If you have suggestions for the reading order, feel free to make a recommendation. I’m so excited about my reading list…I’m usually a biography fan… I did enjoy the Earth’s Children series, you know, Clan of the Cave Bear, et al.

Check in with Beverly http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/ for this week’s list of participants and to see who is being featured this week.

Have a Pink Week…Stay cool.

Pink Saturday on Every Page and in Every pocket

2011-06-10T22:55:00.001-05:00

This week I thought I would share an altered book that I just finished…well, it’s mostly finished. Altered books are old books that have been discarded, but not destroyed…instead, they have been reclaimed, then restored to a new use and purpose…my favorite alterations to books are Pockets for storing tags, cards, or pictures… let me show you what I mean… this children’s book got a coat of paint and a layering of recycled wrapping paper and a few flowers cut from an old calendar.

You may recognize several of the flowers as the work of everyone’s favorite illustrator Mary Engelbreit. In fact. ME’s work is one of the main features of the entire book. And Pink?…every page explodes with it! Pink in color and Pink in attitude… look at the back cover…

See what I mean about the pink?

The pages have been folded and decopagued to form a set of pockets…each spread has a happy Pink theme…this one is dedicated to Joy… another to Reading…

The pockets are filled with tags also decorated with recycled ME calendar pages and stickers…sort of Pink and Green at the same time.

At least three different reclaimed wrapping papers supply backgrounds

and I’ve added stickers like the butterfly and flowers…

and hearts…the books are such fun to do…this one will end up in my Etsy shop when all the tags are finished.

I love the sentiment on the last page…see what I mean about a Pink attitude?

and now swim on over the Beverly’s How Sweet the Sound to see who’s joining in the Pink posts today…http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Pink Saturday…Meet “Stumpy” our Little Miracle Deer

2011-06-03T23:10:00.001-05:00

This week again I want to share Pink Attitude story…a story about a little doe who has the most amazing Pink Spirit…It’s corny, so be warned…Every afternoon hubby and I put out a little extra feed for our deer friends. It’s not much…some shelled corn, leftover tortilla chips the day after Mexican food night, half a loaf of bread, apples, just a little extra food and a few more calories to help them out during dry times. But we love to watch several of them eat the bread. …we call them “the Bread Eaters”. They prefer white bread over whole wheat…wouldn’t you think the reverse would be true?

But the bland white bread seems to be agreeing with them…just look at that beautiful coat. Most of them are pretty healthy.

Today I want to share a remarkable deer survival story. Two years ago one of our fawns broke her leg right at the hoof. I saw her running along the river bed with that broken hoof flopping like a stretched out sock…it was horrible and for the next few days Hubby and I fretted over her fate…we were certain she would suffer a slow wasting death…we could hardly talk about it… then one day she showed up at the feeder dragging her little foot hobbling around on the remaining broken bone of her rear leg…she ate corn and was getting around pretty well…eventually she lost the hoof and the bone healed over…well, it became our mission to make sure she got a pile of corn all to herself every day and a slice of bread when she wanted one…we never thought she would make it through that winter. We kept track of the days we saw her…we counted up days she went missing…we cursed every circling vulture in the sky…but then, like a miracle, she would show up…she can run with the best of them and it’s only when she is walking slowly that you notice the obvious limp. We started calling her Stumpy.

If she were a real wildlife deer out in the countryside, she would never have survived, but here in town on the river with water close by and neighborhoods with lots of shrubs and kind people putting out extra grub, she made it through her yearling stage…she had a good summer last year, again made it through the winter and this spring?…you guessed it…she was obviously pregnant. The worry and fretting started all over again…how could she feed a fawn?…what dangers were waiting for the offspring of such a handicapped mother? We have yet to see her with a fawn that we can be sure belongs to her…Hubby saw her at the feeder with a pair of young today, we don’t know if she has twins, or if she was on babysitting detail…and maybe only one was hers…We have become more calm about her fate. What Stumpy reminds me is that I need to have faith that all is well and while Nature can be cruel, animals have courage and an amazing willpower to survive. I told you it was corny, but we love that little deer for her will to survive.

To me Pink Saturday is about looking for and finding the beauty and the joy around us every day. Stumpy is that for me. Look at her picture…yes, she’s deformed…but she’s also incredibly strong of spirit…Pure Pinkatude.

Next week I promise real pink…and now to Beverly’s house… our Pure Pink Hostess for a list of happy Pink Saturday posts.http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Remember and Pray for Peace

2011-05-29T10:25:00.001-05:00

I was looking for a picture of Arlington all decked out with flags for Memorial Day, but this one shook me to my core. This is the reality of the day.

God Bless America and our brave young men and women who serve.

Backyard Bambi celebrates three years of Pink Saturdays

2011-05-27T20:45:00.001-05:00

Here in Central Texas it’s celebration time…of course, we’re so proud to be part Pink Saturday and we’re so grateful that Miz Beverly devised her weekly party to celebrate all things PINK .

My contribution this week is Pink in attitude and in sweetness rather than actual Pink… it’s a precious fawn who hangs around our lawn…The Fawn in the Lawn we call her…usually she hunkers down in a flower bed, but on this sunny morning, she was out in the open side yard beside the driveway…no cover, no brush, no bushes…

She thinks if she nestles down into the grass that nobody can see her…I guess the principles of protective coloring have not been fully explained to her…when she is in the thicket, she just about disappears…

See what I mean? But then she heads out into the meadow and just plops down right out in the open…she certainly is a city deer…they don’t have the fear factor of fawns who are surrounded by predators.

Isn’t she darling? We have several fawns that we have seen. We have no idea how many new babies we have out in the brush this spring…when they are still, even in light cover, they disappear... she has a little cousin fawn who is younger and even smaller…but I’ve never had camera at hand when she has been out in the open. I’ll try to chronicle their growth this year even if I have to hang my camera around my neck like some perpetual tourist. But now, I’m off to join the party that’s gathered around Miz Beverly over at How Sweet The Sound

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Pretty Pink Cactus on a Sunny Saturday

2011-04-29T20:16:00.001-05:00

Spring is such a beautiful time of renewal and rebirth…and there is no plant that captures that bursting forth of new beauty like cactus…the plants are so structural and architectural, but when the bloom, they are real show-offs… look at these beauties…

and just look at the color…how pink is that?

Enjoy one more quick look before you head off to visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/ and make your rounds this pink Saturday.

Mothers and Sisters

2011-04-23T15:54:00.005-05:00

Posted by MyCraftyLittlePage
LaVerne has been taking care of her mother who, sadly, passed away this morning. I know all of us in this blog community send prayers and healing her way.

This is for you and Linda, LaVerne.

"I'll wait no more for you like a daughter,

That part of our life together is over
But I will wait for you, forever
Like a river.." Carly Simon

Hold tight to each other and know that your other yaya sisters are right beside you also. We love you.

Happy Homemaker Tag…Fiesta is Coming

2011-04-10T21:16:00.001-05:00

Panchita is getting ready for Fiesta here in Texas. One of the Fiesta traditions in San Antonio, Texas is “Cascarones”…hollowed out eggs that are dyed and filled with confetti. They are cracked on the heads of Fiesta party-goers.

Fiesta honors and celebrates the heroes of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto. How cracking confetti eggs became part of the party is anyone’s guess…We do the same thing during Easter…go figure…Panchita has been busy getting the Cascarones ready for the party. This month’s tag will capture that crazy tradition…again, my tag is nowhere near finished. My 88 year old mother has been in the hospital most of the week and Panchita has been put on hold…but there you have the plan…Tag to follow.

Ayla and Jondalar are back for one last time…Tickled pink readers are celebrating!

2011-04-08T21:04:00.001-05:00

Fans of The Earth’s Children by Jean Auel have been patiently waiting for the final segment in the series for several years…the first was The Clan of the Cave Bear where we met Ayla back in the 80’s…followed by The Valley of the Horses in 82. The story line got really interesting when Ayla met Jondalar and he introduced her to “Pleasures”…and readers blushed bright pink as the heat between them continued in The Mammoth Hunters in 85… and The Plains of Passage in 90…then nothing until 2002 when Auel published Shelters of Stone. I had almost forgotten about “Pleasures” until details of the final book started to leak out…well, my copy came this week…The Land of the Painted Caves .

Ayla is now a mother and is in training to become a Zelandoni. Sort of Medicine Woman/Spiritual Leader/Earth Mother figure. I wondered how the responsibilities of leadership would impact the “Pleasures”…well, it was page 86 or 87 before the word was even mentioned and that was because she and Jondalar were passing the tents where the First Rites of Pleasure would be performed…no heavy breathing from either of them…no secret looks of longing…nothing…I’m on page 105 and nothing…now, don’t get me wrong, I read the books for the archeological background not the s-e-x…but, a warm blush as I turn the pages is good for the heart rate…and Ayla is the original Pink Saturday kind of girl…she crafts and domesticated animals and serves tea using her own special recipes. She was the original Martha Stewart with a sensual side. I will continue reading and enjoying the bittersweet knowledge that this is the final chapter in the adventure that started two and a half decades ago…I guess like all of us, Ayala’s “pleasures” are beginning to change with the years…but knowing her and Jondalar, I’ll bet there are a few rosy pink flushes coming any page now. Have a Happy Pink week and thank Beverly for inviting us to join her in this weekly tradition. http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Pink Adventures…always another new way to spread the Pink

2011-03-18T21:36:00.001-05:00

Spring is a season with a true Pink Attitude…we start our spring cleaning and spring gardening…looking forward to the rebirth of our seasons… it’s such a “Pink” time of year. I started getting into the spirit of the season early in March with an Easter egg painting class offered here in New Braunfels.

We’re very proud of our German heritage and this class at the Sophienburg Museum and Archives celebrates the ancient spring ritual known as Osterbrunnen during which time the village wells were cleaned and decorated. Eggs were painted during the winter months by folk art clubs (Volkskunstvereine). In the spring fountains, homes and parks are decorated with the painted beauties.

After a short history of the tradition, Karen Baese, our instructor taught us a few basic strokes and techniques for making dots and simple folk designs.

The easiest and most versatile technique was the simple dot!

Of course, our favorite color was pink!!!

See what I mean about the dots?

The kit came with a dozen eggs to make a smaller version of this hanging wreath.

Really stunning! In Northern Bavaria they use evergreens as the greenery. This was one of my favorite examples…

And check out this detail…

But my favorite picture of the holiday has to be this amazing example…

Is this “over the top” or what? I have one last picture to share… this is no “tea party’…look at their beverage of choice…

I think of beer and all sorts of celebrations, but painting Easter eggs while having a brew was a rather new idea…however, we saw lots of pictures of egg painting-beer drinking ladies…so I bought a six-pack (my choice was a Mexican favorite not a German ale) and I have my paints in several shades of pink all set to create my own version of an Osterbrunnen decoration.

Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to thank Beverly for hosting as you make the rounds today. Have a lovely Pink Week. http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Panchita Plays Lotteria

2011-03-11T08:25:00.001-06:00

The Happy Homemaker Tag Along Swap is into the third month and it’ posting day…Here at Riverside Studios Panchita is all dressed up with no place to go…yet…I’m a bit behind on my tags this month and so I’ll post later, but here’s a hint:Panchita will be all decked out in a traditional sequined falda and sombrero…but poor thing, she’s got to wait until I can get to embellishing and staging the tag. She is such a good sport as she holds the pose with a big sonrisa on her face until I get back to her.

She plans an evening of Mexican Bingo called Lotteria with her friends….It’s played with picture cards that are very colorful…Sorry for the delay, but life got in the way this week.

It’s trying to be Spring in Central Texas

2011-02-18T22:15:00.001-06:00

I have some garden pink to share today amazing as that might sound given the harsh winter weather we been dealt. The first pink is in our screened porch. Hubby made a set of plastic storm windows that y go up when really harsh temps are predicted…harsh for Central Texas is anything below say 30…this winter they were put up before Christmas and have stayed up until the middle of this week. The porch stayed in the 40’s so everything in there survived. Now we are ready to move things out and this pot of Pink Kolanches is ready to go into the sunshine.

It’s not much, but, boy is it welcomed in contrast to the dead zone that is my lawn right now. Look at all those buds…it’s going to be fabulous…

It should be in full bloom when I return next week…right now we’re packing and heading to Galveston, Texas, where we will board the Voyager of the Seas on Sunday for a seven day cruise of the Caribbean…shopping and nachos in sunny Mexico, snorkeling in Belize and umbrella drinks by the pool. Place your orders and I’ll be happy to sip something special in your honor. I’ll be sure to toast our hostess with something Pink…maybe a strawberry Margarita. Now head over to Beverly’s blog for everything Pink this week. http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Happy Sunny Valentine’s Day

2011-02-13T20:39:00.001-06:00

It’s so great to have sunshine again, the perfect weather for happy sunny thoughts. Elizabeth at Creative Breathing http://creativebreathing.blogspot.com/

sponsored a Dolly Dingle Valentine swap that I wasn’t swift enough to join, but my friend Nancy at My Crafty Little Page http://www.mycraftylittlepage.blogspot.com/ invited me to a side swap that she was hosting. There were five of us, I think. I only had to make one for Nancy while she made one for Elizabeth and then one for each of her swap partners…so what was Nancy’s total number of Valentines…too much like a math word problem to me. Here’s the one she made for me! Isn’t it cute?

She layered a very vintage BINGO card with a lacy heart and German scrap. She stamped a bright heart and added a bit of an old dictionary page that reads “Be my Valentine”. It has a gold foil cupid to carry the message and it hangs on a red satin ribbon. I love the look of that old German scrap…and the sweet faces are just the best.

I like them so much, in fact, that I had chosen similar vintage German Scrap for the Valentine she would be receiving…the children could be little German cousins.

“Love makes the World Go Round” is the theme of this tri-fold card…I used an old yellowed book in German along with a 50’s era school map and sheet music so Nancy could sing along with the theme.

And I even decorated the back so it could be free standing and viewed from behind.

It was a really fun swap and I’ll try to be more alert and timely next year, but I must say that I’m pretty happy with the way things turned out. Have a lovely day… count your Blessings and hug someone extra tight.

Pink Saturday in February means Hearts and Candy

2011-02-12T14:54:00.001-06:00

Nothing is more fun in the middle of this gloomy winter than Valentine’s Day…it’s placed in the perfect season to really be appreciated or did it catch on as a big holiday because everyone needed some pink and bright red to bring us out of the winter doldrums…like which came first the chicken or the egg?…Well, whatever the case, it’s just what the doctor ordered for me… Fancy Nancy at My Crafty Little Page http://www.mycraftylittlepage.blogspot.com/ invited me to a valentine swap and this is her creation…

It’s full of ephemera from the very vintage BINGO card to the cute little German boy scrap. And the gold foil Cupid is the perfect touch… Isn’t that the sweetest little face?

Nancy was inspired by the Dolly Dingle Valentine Swap that Elizabeth at Creative Breathing was hosting. I wasn’t quick enough to accept Elizabeth’s invitation, but was very happy to join Nancy in her side swap. This treasure joins more pink on my Valentine Tree.

Lots of pink to be found here. And look at this cutie from Mary Ann McKeating.

Wouldn’t you just love to have your old boxes of grade school Valentines back? I’ll bet there were some pretty cute die cut treasures in those boxes. Well, enough reminiscing about the past…I’m off to check in with Beverly to see who is posting today. http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Donde esta Panchita? Hint…Somewhere Warm

2011-02-10T23:21:00.001-06:00

It’s already month two of the Happy Homemaker Tag Along Swap hosted by the multi-talented Elizabeth…last month I introduced you to my year-long theme, “In the Kitchen with Panchita”. I’m using a book filled with images of vintage Mexican beauties to find pictures of Panchita…This month finds Panchita in Veracruz, Mexico enjoying a well deserved vacation. You see, she spent the entire Super Bowl Sunday in her cocina making guacamole and nachos for Pancho and his football buddies. For Valentine week, he wisely decided to treat Panchita to a second honeymoon in someplace warm and sunny…this has been a bitter winter for us all and don’t we envy them in beautiful Veracruz?

This is the front of my February tag…

It incorporates an old Spanish book, my chosen scrapbook papers, a crepe paper dress, a floral embellishment, and a picture of the happy couple. Since I popped her up on the January card, I did the same with this one. Besides, it makes the skirt show better. I’ll probably trim the hem with a little glitter and I may add a crepe paper petticoat for extra dimension. The backside uses the same paper and ephemera along with Mexican Loteria images…

La Palma, El Sol, and La Sirena seemed like a good group for a couple on La Playa. (Unfortunately, the mermaid is anatomically correct and so she needed coverage.) Of course, I’ll be playing with additional embellishment techniques all year long. The crepe paper is not in my usual bag of tricks, but I’ve taken a class with Ann-Denise Anderson, a Texas Paper Cowgirl crepe paper queen and I’m willing to play with it. Panchita’s dress is better looking “in person” than in these shots. So, there you have it…

The January tags had rounded corners, so these might have to be trimmed to match, but I sort’a like the pair mostly because I was playing with pictures of warm places! So this month’s “outside the comfort zone was the crepe paper skirt…who knows what next month will bring?

Birds of a Feather Flock together

2011-02-09T12:38:00.001-06:00

Last week we had a dusting of snow and I took a couple of pictures of the little bird prints in the snow along the walk.

Aren’t those just the sweetest little prints?

It looks as if they were huddled together keeping warm. The birdbaths out in the lawn were frozen solid.

So I was adding hot water to a birdbath on the patio…I had dozens and dozens of birds all morning long…guess the word was out among the flocks that food and warm water was available in our back yard. We doubled up on our suet blocks and made sure the feeders were always full so that at least their little bird bellies were full and warm. This has been such a hard winter that we are trying to help them as much as we can…while I was out in the yard, I snapped this picture of a reclining woman statue…

I had bought her in a local artists market in Haiti…being from the warm Caribbean, she is certainly not accustomed to the cold! I’m surprised she did not crack and break during the night. Several of our stepping stones have stress cracks and one is even broken in half! Is it any wonder that the birds gather together for warmth? Makes me cold just looking at the pictures. And today is freezing again, so while Mike is carrying sheep pellets and extra corn down into the meadow for the deer, I’ll take a kettle of hot water out to the patio birdbaths…

I love winter clothes…it’s the winter weather I hate. Happy Groundhog Day!

2011-02-01T19:51:00.002-06:00

I love cozy winter pajamas and fleecy robes…I love wearing wooly scarves and leather gloves. I have a couple of coats that are so dang cute. And after our hot Central Texas summers, we all look forward to cooler weather. Until it actually gets here!!! Just let the temperature drop below 60 degrees, or let the weatherman start talking about wind chill numbers and the romance of winter disappears…immediately…Hubby and I just returned from the grocery store, and I’ll swear half of New Braunfels, Texas, was there stocking up for the next predicted cold front. It reminded us of the shopping frenzy that precedes the coming of a hurricane along the Gulf coast. Our version of extreme cold is the low 20’s…sure, some of our more northerly friends scoff and talk about single digits, but when the wind blows, my nose runs and my eyes tear up, and I’m ready for spring. So we long for comfort foods like mac and cheese, and soup, and chili, and stew…well, that must be a universal reaction to winter. Half the hot chocolate inventory was gone and there wasn’t a single Marie Calendar Chicken Pot Pie to be had. We were able to get the makings for stew and taco soup. But we really wanted a pot pie bubbling in the oven…don’t offer me your favorite recipe if it means another trip to the store. I’m gonna hunker down with my new super soft throw and a couple of books and wait for the spring thaw. Tomorrow is Groundhog Day and if that little critter knows what’s good for him, he better not see his shadow!

Pink Saturday Spring Cleaning “Start Slow and Taper Off”

2011-01-21T22:50:00.001-06:00

Pink Saturday and sunshine in Central Texas!!! Yea! It’s been such a cold winter with lots of time for staying indoors drinking hot tea and working on crafts projects. One evening I needed a sewing needle so I pulled out my vintage Pink sewing basket.

Isn’t it cute? look at the detail on the top.

But not so cute inside…I had dropped it one day and it had turned over spilling everything.

What a mess! Trying to find a needle was like looking in the proverbial haystack. So I set about restoring order. It may be only a token attempt to start Spring Cleaning, but it’s not exactly spring yet. So I decided to take Susan Branch’s advice about housework, you know, “Start slow and taper off.” First I had to wade through dozens of spare buttons. You know the ones that are attached to new clothes when you cut the tags off.

All those buttons are now organized in the spare button box.

Look underneath that pile of buttons. Do you see the cross stitched tablecloth ? Hubby’s grandmother made it…I have a similar version in shades of blue made by my own grandmother. I’ll bet those ladies kept their sewing boxes in better order.

Then I found a couple of little mesh bags to hold all those odds and ends. And all those loose pins and needles are safely resting in the pincushion. No more searching the haystack.

Since I have officially started Spring cleaning, I think the weatherman should join the effort be sending some spring days. I love my little Pink Sewing basket, excuse me, my tidy little pink sewing basket.

My resolution for 2011 is to live a more purposeful life. I have been doing pretty well…not 100% on every front, but so far, I have met my goal of a weekly trip to leave items in the Hospice Thrift Store (without going inside to browse). My closets are starting to look more organized and less crowded already. The bookcases will be next. And the attic. And the garage…

I have written in my new journal every night and I am enjoying the day’s reflections…nothing profound to be sure, but affirming never the less.

The walking goals are on hold because of the cold, but as I said, start slow… Enjoy your Pink Saturday and stop in to say “Hi” to our hostess Beverly who has organized a lovely way to spend a Saturday http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Beverly’s Featured Blogger this week is my very good friend Nancy http://www.mycraftylittlepage.blogspot.com/

She is the one who got me started with Etsy and it was she who introduced me to the world of blogging. Nancy is amazingly creative and her blog is always just what the doctor ordered. If you don’t already know her, drop in and enjoy. Every post is a treat.

Have a Pink Week.

Happy Homemaker Tag Along…

2011-01-09T13:09:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year and Happy New Swap! I was able to slip in after the closing and join Elizabeth’s year-long tag swap! So this month’s tag had to be done in a Texas-Two Step Hurry Up! But theme has been picked and the year long plan is in place…So here goes…First, we were challenged to buy supplies only once and then use things we had on hand…I decided not to purchase new, but to use what was already in the paper drawer…it’s part of new year’s resolutions.(Yeah, for the last three or four New Years!)But this time I mean it!

Since I’ve chosen a Mexican Kitchen and “Panchita” as my Happy Homemaker, the papers are reds and greens for the Mexican flag…I’ll also be pulling from a pack of mulberry papers and a pad of card stock from Flavia in case I need some brights and some tiny tags…

“Back in the day “… late 60’s…there was a little booklet called In The Kitchen With Panchita. Panchita taught us everyday household Spanish. I thought of her immediately when I found out about the Happy Homemaker theme. I decided to do Spanish 101 with a year’s worth of possibilities to explore…the first tag features a vintage Mexican tiled kitchen with a Happy Homemaker fanning the fire in the stove.

I made an enlarged copy, cut her out, and popped her into the kitchen so she has a 3-D look.

A copy of the little booklet is popped alongside and the inside sub-title, “A Handbook For Housewives” finishes the front. Some bright Fiesta silk braid gives the tag a happy look. When you turn it over, you find this month’s Spanish lesson…

the Months Of The Year. Isn’t that a perfect lesson for Enero (January). There’s a little song to teach the months and, of course, the translation is just below.

The tags are lacking tassels and embellishments, but I need time to consider the entire year’s worth to see what I want to add. Living and shopping on the Texas-Mexican border for all my life has provided me with loads of bits and pieces that will come in handy and still keep me in Elizabeth’s plan to use what we have on hand. My tag is certainly not “over the top”,but since I came so late to the party, I’m not unhappy with it…until I start visiting everyone else’s January Happy Homemaker tags. Bet they are Amazing…I took a peek at Nancy’s last night… Yup, Amazing. One of the reasons I set this challenge for myself was to “Grow”…So let the challenge begin! I hope my December tag shows that I have done just that.

Pink Saturday …Let’s Get This Party Started!…NOT

2010-12-31T22:38:00.001-06:00

Hope your New Year is filled with Blessings in every shade of Pink…I’ll spend the day taking down Christmas. My mother’s family always liked to keep everything up until Epiphany, but I won’t honor that tradition this year. I’ve been fighting a cold all week and I’m keeping my germs at home. No big parties for me. Nope, I’ll be watching the Rose parade and the Bowl game later while I pack it up. But before I put the lid on the last box, I do want to share some holiday pink. This little tree stands in the dining room and it is dedicated to handmade felt stars and Russian wood folk ornaments.

Isn’t that just the sweetest face? and look at those rosy pink cheeks. The felt stars came from Nancy’s church craft show a few years back. And look at these pretties… and the priest to keep us mindful of the season…

The Wooden Russian ornaments are from our trip to Alaska. They are a great reminder of a fabulous trip. A group of nested dolls are gathered around the base.

Say goodbye for another year, Ladies. We’ll see you next Christmas…until next Saturday, have a pink week. Say “HI” to Nancy at My Crafty Little Page. http://www.mycraftylittlepage.blogspot.com/ and then thank our sweet hostess Beverly. http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com

It’s a Wonderful Pink Life

2010-12-10T23:50:00.001-06:00

Yes, that’s my all time, hands down, no doubt about it favorite Christmas movie. It’s a Wonderful Life …If it had a classic song like “White Christmas”, it would be complete. I had a longer post with pictures ready to go…thought I had posted and linked, but this newer edition of Live Writer sent the draft into the hidden depths of my laptop and I just can’t find it…hope this one makes it to the surface intact. Happy Pink Saturday to all until I figure out the kinks.

Baby, It’s Cold Outside…wishing for some Pink in a warmer climate

2010-12-10T23:21:00.002-06:00

Well, it’s not really that cold…not even below freezing tonight, but cold enough to make me long for the warm climate of the south of France…I’ve been once…last month and now I can casually throw out a comment like that to make myself sound more sophisticated. In reality, I was such a tourist…I mean who else takes pictures of chairs?

But they were PINK and they made me think of Pink Saturday…and this menu…

This is in Toulon, France, on the Mediterranean coast…these little cafes are right on the water…and when they offer the catch of the day, they mean it…

Here are the boats…

and here is the catch…

People go right down to the docks and buy right off the boat. Then they go across the street to buy their herbs…

and their vegetables…

and their fruits…

and maybe a little snack…

These pictures were taken on Pink Saturday in early November…it was the market day in Toulon…do you think they knew I was a tourist?…have you ever seen foreigners taking pictures in an American grocery store? or in Wal-Mart? Well, of course not, it’s just not the same. And today I wouldn’t mind being back in France to shop at the flower market…

But I’ve got Christmas cookies to bake and gifts to wrap…so I’ll put off day dreaming about warmer places and enjoy the Blessings of the season while I put another log on the fire and pull out the soup recipes…Happy Pink Saturday…hope your Christmas plans are happy ones. Now say “hi” to Beverly and wish her a happy pink Saturday too.http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Pink Attitudes Are Truly Universal

2010-11-26T23:12:00.001-06:00

I’ve been out of touch for a few days…21 to be exact…but that doesn’t mean I was on vacation from PINK…not at all. In fact, take a look at one really cute item in a waterfront café called Scooter’s in Las Palmas, Canary Islands.

That’s right…a bright pink scooter in the window…but the pink attitude doesn’t stop there…this pizza shop celebrates American movies and music in a big way! Of course, Elvis is the King…

and in his honor, you can order a special pizza…

The love of American movie classics continues all through the menu…

The Godfather pizza makes sense, but Gone With the Wind ? And it was difficult to figure out The Graduate. Still, it was nice to find such a happy Pink Attitude so far from home.

Famous American beauties also got top billing with lots of Marilyn Monroe and another wall of Audrey Hepburn…It was a welcome touch of home…

But if you wanted more local color and flavor, the waterfront provided plenty of scenic beauty.

Makes you hungry for a slice of On The Waterfront pizza doesn’t it? Well, it was fun, but now it’s time to head over to Beverly’s Pink Saturday gathering to see who is posting pink treats for us today. http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Everyday is Pink Saturday in France and Spain

2010-11-19T17:42:00.001-06:00

When this is posted, I’ll be on the final leg of the TransAtlantic crossing. We will dock in Galveston, Texas, Sunday morning after an amazing 21-day adventure that I will never forget. You’ll probably be sick and tired of my trip before long…I took pink pictures in every port and plan to use them until the well runs dry. The first set I want to share are the flower markets. They were one of the first things we noticed when we landed in Barcelona.

This is the view from the little cafe where you take your coffee or ice cream. And in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, you might buy your pink petals from a woman in traditional garb.

Sorry the quality is so bad, my camera was trying to tell me it wasn’t ready, but would I listen? Nope, snapped the shot anyway and made a mess of it. And it wasn’t just in the markets, but on the hillsides and in the treetops. This hydrangea is HUGE, but you can’t get a frame of reference to appreciate its size. But you can see the delicate pink.

Well, I’ll be home for our next pink celebration. I’ve missed visiting, but at 55 cents a min., I’ve had to be offline until I am home again. See you next week when I rejoin the weekly party.

Bon Voyage on Pink Saturday

2010-10-28T22:56:00.001-05:00

This is what I’ve been doing Friday…

That’s right… PACKING…the pink Tee and jacket are for traveling on Saturday…while you are making the Pink Saturday rounds, I’ll be headed for Barcelona, Spain…and a week long cruise of the Mediterranean. First stop is Naples, Italy…then on to Rome and Livorno…I’m packing light…mostly black and more black so everything goes together…

I didn’t buy a bunch of new clothes, but one very Pink Attitude splurge was a vintage lace mantilla. I’ll be wearing it to St. Peter’s and in the Sistine Chapel. I know it’s no longer required to cover our heads, but I just won’t feel right going bare headed into that magnificence…

Isn’t it lovely? Doesn’t the lamp look devout?

It’s not fine expensive lace, but it reminds me of those worn by the older ladies for Mass when I was younger…and it reminds me of humility. Which is what I am feeling today, humbled by my blessings that I am able to make this trip. I hope to do another update from Spain…

Now, you scoot over to Beverly’s blog to see what Pink Tricks and Treats are being shared today.http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

And if you’re a fan, check in on the Rangers…I won’t be home to cheer for them and things were pretty glum on Thursday. They’re needing some PINK in the worst possible way. You have yourself a Pink Week. I know I will!!!

Woo Hoo We're in the PINK in a Big Texas Way!!!

2010-10-23T09:05:00.001-05:00

Unless you're a long time Yankees fan (like I usually am) You can enjoy the story of an underdog Texas team that took on the giant and won...Yup! The Texas Rangers are in the World Series... Texas and the World Series...it still sounds like the punch line to a sportscaster's joke...but it's true...Look at the celebration...winners falling all over each like happy puppies...

This is probably what I love most about baseball...grown men still playing their boyhood game with the gusto of kids...and of course, the sports Cinderella stories about players who had been counted out but end up saving the day... Baseball in Texas in October...Yahoo! How PINK is that? If PINK is an attitude, look at what pink looks like on the face of Nolan Ryan...Yup, a pennant for his Texas team...can we even imagine what that trophy must feel like in his arms?

Mike wants him to run for Governor...Nolan is reserved compared to Ron Washington...talk about being in the PINK...

Well, I'm getting all emotional again...time to head over to Beverly's How Sweet the Sound for our weekly dose of all things pink... http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog

I'll spend the week with a stupid grin on my face...a World Series in Texas!!!

Pink Saturday with a touch of orange

2010-10-15T23:37:00.001-05:00

It's baseball playoff time...

I've been busy getting ready for the Garden Ridge Women's Club Holiday A'Fair today so I'll have to post something a little different...I'm usually a huge Yankees fan, but as you may know, they are playing the Texas Rangers and no Texan would ever root for a yankee team over a group of Texas boys...and Nolan Ryan threw out the first pitch...but in spite of a 5-1 lead, the Rangers lost to the Yankees in the end...so sad...I was in a local restaurant watching out of the corner of my eye...the boys had a comfortable 5-0 lead when we left... but later when I checked the final score, bummer, the yankees had rallied to come from behind and take the first game of the series...

I hope your Saturday is Pink...today I'm a little blue...but if I earn some green at the gifts show, I'll be back in the Pink. Go Rangers! now head over to Beverly's house to see who is playing on Pink Saturday. http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Pink with a Purpose

2010-10-08T21:09:00.001-05:00

When Beverly started Pink Saturday, she probably had no idea how big it would grow...just like the Susan G. Komen Foundation...when her sister, Nancy, started the foundation twenty-five years ago, she probably had no idea how it would grow and how many lives it would impact...but just look at what I found at the grocery store this week...

The Energizer Bunny has made pink batteries...

And we have Pink Race for the Cure reading glasses...

They have a pretty pink purse holder and pink jewels on the edges. Are these cute or what?

And wait, there's more!!! Pink refrigerator dishes to remind you of the Race every time you pack away the leftovers.

And water bottles to carry when you participate in the Race for the Cure or in the Relay for Life. So many ways to contribute...all our lives have been touched by cancer...vow to do something toward the cure on a regular basis...start with self-examinations...and don't forget mammograms and prayers.

Now, back to Beverly's Pink Saturday party...http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Thanks for stopping by.

Pink Katrina doll for Pink Saturday

2010-10-01T23:01:00.000-05:00

Last week I posted a couple of Dia de los Muertos corsages with Katrina dolls...I am dressing them a bit differently this week in anticipation of their special day. This series of corsages should be ready for the upcoming "Haunted Homecoming"

This lovely lady has a lace shawl and a pretty pink posey in her hand...While her friend has selected an outfit in basic black...

It's not exactly Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, but for a skeleton in her best lace dress, she really shines.

And look at her cute little bag, isn't she well appointed?

Another of their friends showed up in vintage green paisley...I call this one Vera Bradley...she needs to be pinned on one of the new black and green VB bags just out this fall.

Haunted Homecoming wouldn't be complete without a giant mum...just look at all that pink and orange

While you are enjoying Pink Saturday with Beverly, http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

the lovely ladies and I will be at Wimberley Trade Day...the weather should be great with that first touch of fall in the early morning air. Enjoy your day and have a pink week.

Pink Halloween Just Around the Corner...

2010-09-24T21:36:00.001-05:00

Before we know it, Halloween will be here. That means it’s time to finish up the spooky and creepy wares for this fall’s shows…I’m posting a couple of wrist corsages this week because, of course, they’re pink…

This “Lovely” lady is part of the Dia De Los Muertos series…raggedy distressed and “aged” flowers look like something left behind in an overgrown cemetery.

And skeletons dressed in lace shawls with flowers in their hair… well, not exactly in their hair, but close.

So, that’s what I’ve been up to…I think I need a dose of pink pretty posts. And I know just the lady to fix me up, Beverly at How Sweet The Sound http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Hope you find lots of lovely things this Saturday and I hope your week is Pink

September 11th

2010-09-10T22:55:00.001-05:00

Today as we remember the events that shook us so violently nine years ago, I have a fitting little tribute. My mother calls them September Lilies. They bloom for just a few days the first two weeks of September.

They're only about 6 or 8 inches tall...

Each stalk has the typical lily cluster of 6 or 8 flowers. I've never tried to cut them and bring them into the house, so I have no idea of their cut flower traits. I just like to look at them in the yard...and for some reason, they remind me of today. Maybe because they're "September Lilies" and after September 11, 2001, all our Septembers for the rest of our lives will remind us of that day. God Bless our Nation.

Pink and White in one plant...

2010-09-03T21:30:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I bought the most amazing bougainvillea plant as a gift for my Secret Sister in my Beta Sigma Phi chapter. It is two colors in the same plant. It's mostly white with splashes of bright pink!

Isn't it beautiful? Here is a close up...

Boy, I really wanted to keep it ...Maybe next month I'll go back to Gruene market Days and pick up one for myself...

I still wonder how they made it. Guess it's just a Pink Miracle...and for more pink miracles stop into Beverly's How Sweet The Sound http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

I'll be at Wimberley for First Saturday Market Day...we've had some showers and the heat shouldn't be too bad. I'll be shopping for bargains and treasures in shades of pink...enjoy your Labor Day holiday.

LaVerne

Pink Saturday Celebration of Miracles and Victories

2010-08-28T07:49:00.000-05:00

Today is a special Pink Celebration…We are celebrating bravery and miracles in our lives and in the lives of those who are battling Cancer. Please join this special Saturday by visiting Kelee at http://www.katillacshack.com/ for an amazing day as Guideposts Magazine reveals a special healing room created for a special lady.

I just celebrated my birthday with an annual tradition that some might find unusual…I’m giving myself my yearly mammogram…well, not on my actual birthday, but I make sure it’s at least scheduled by my birthday. I consider it a wonderful gift to myself…we are so fortunate to live in a time when early detection is saving so many lives.

A couple of years ago one of my Flickr groups made Itty Bitty Books to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month and this was my page…I don’t have the book any more; I sent it to Gilda who is one of the millions of American women who have survived Breast Cancer.

That was then… this is now…2010 and Gilda is Cancer Free and raising my smart, cute, loving grandson. We have all been blessed by her miracle.

I celebrate my birthday with my official birthday sponsor , The American Cancer Society who has made more birthdays possible for more people than any of us realize. You can make them your official birthday sponsor…check it out at

http://www.morebirthdays.com/morebirthdays/index.asp?from=MoreBirthdays09

Then stop by Beverly’s house to see who else is joining us for Pink Saturday …How Sweet The Sound … It’s sure to be a great day for a visit. Grab a tissue, we’re going to be celebrating Miracles among us. LaVerne

Pink Saturday…Pretty in Pink

2010-08-20T21:43:00.001-05:00

Well, if Pink Saturday has taught us anything, it probably is that everything is sweeter with a shot of pink…I was going through some pictures of crafts that I had done a few years ago and I found these…This first church stands just over a foot tall…

It and the little Nativity set were made in Mexico. The Nativity set was already pink when I bought it in one of my favorite shops and I painted a plain terra cotta mission-style church to match. It sold at Wimberley and is now part of the holiday season for one of our Pink-soul sisters … I wonder if she sings “I’m dreaming of a Pink Christmas” while she decorates each year. Another Pink church went to some little girl’s bedroom…

You can see the original natural clay if you look inside.

I sorta miss painting these mini-missions, but shopping trips into the Mexico border towns are so uncertain right now that I’ll wait until I feel more comfortable shopping in the markets again. It’s too hot to visit Mexico right now anyway. We should stay indoors and visit our blog friends. Beverly at How Sweet The Sound has our invitations to all things Pink…swing in to see her. http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Thanks for stopping by…leave a note and I’ll hop on over to see you too. LaVerne

Pink Roses for Pink Saturday...with a warning!

2010-08-13T18:29:00.000-05:00

This morning Hubby and I we were pruning the pink China Doll roses and I saved some of the casualties for the dining room table. I got the start from my mother who got them from one of her sisters...She was never too crazy about them because they have so many sharp little thorns, but we tolerate them because they are such good bloomers even in the Texas August heat and because the deer usually pass them up. (Which explains why I have any blooms at all.)

While we were working, we paused to admire our "pet" spider...if the truth be told, spiders are my "Room 101", but this one type is just so striking that I can't help but spare them my usual spider reaction. I was first introduced to the Golden Orb Weaver Spider when Mother called me out to her patio one morning to watch as she pitched a grasshopper into a giant spider web in the Rose of Sharon bush. I freaked a bit, but the spider was so quick as it wrapped its prey in a cocoon-like web that I couldn't help but watch. I think, even if you're squeamish about the species, you'll admit that this one is really pretty.

OK, I'm a little too scared to get really close or to hold the camera really still..

You can see the zig-zag pattern that is typical of their web. I tried to throw it a small grasshopper I had caught to demonstrate Ms. Spider's weaving ability, but I dropped it short of the web...Hubby says I would scream like a little girl if Ms Spider got very close...probably. After all, they eat their mates... But I do love watching from a safe distance. Guess I had better close this post with something pretty and pink to help settle your nerves.

There, that's better...for your weekly dose of pink, head over to Beverly's house at How Sweet the Sound http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

She might be sharing roses today, but she usually leaves out the scary stuff. Thanks for dropping by...enjoy the rest of your weekend. Come back next week and I promise no more spiders. LaVerne

Pink Saturday celebrations…Summer Family Reunions

2010-08-06T21:50:00.001-05:00

My mother’s family, the Bielkes, have been celebrating summer with an annual family reunion for close to 80 years…that’s a lot of gatherings…tons of German potato salad…and 9-pin bowling…and, of course, Bingo…Here’s my mother with her pink-clad great-granddaughter Ava at last year’s reunion. Isn’t this a great picture?

Mother’s getting ready to celebrate her 88th birthday in November so she has attended lots of these reunions and played many, many games of Bingo. Today I want to share some seriously vintage Bingo cards …

They’ve been used for years…in fact, the Zuel Lodge 163 is so distant a memory that only the really old old-timers can remember it…the cards remind me of our old travel Bingo with the sliding windows…

Aren’t they cool? Mother can’t get in the kitchen to organize the side dishes and the serving lines the way she used to, but she still plays a mean game of Bingo…

Hope your Saturday and your summer are filled with Pink and that you have had some time for family visits along the way.

Beverly’s gathered lots of Pink for you to share, so head over to her house at How Sweet the Sound to see who is posting today. http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

LaVerne

Pink Saturday with my feet up…

2010-07-30T22:45:00.000-05:00

Yep, I’m spending Pink Saturday in my recliner with my feet up…Yes, I finally joined the 21st century got a laptop and so I can check in on the blog world in my favorite pink slippers…first, my Goody Goody Bon Bons. They are the ugliest prettiest slippers ever. The fabrics and trims are just the best and they were soooo pretty when they were new.

They’re only about four years old, but they’ve had a hard life…I don’t just wear them as indoor house slippers as they were designed…no, I putter around the patio with my breakfast coffee in hand and my pretty satin slippers on my feet…lovely, until I realize that the bird feeder is empty…and before you know it, those lovely slippers are traipsing around in the dew and I’ve found two or three more garden chores that need tending to…the limestone and gravel path is hard on bedroom wear…my sweet pink Karen Neuburger slides have met the same fate…

The fabric on the toes has worn thin and they are showing their mistreatment…I promise myself and my sweet shoes that as soon as we step out the door, I’ll slip into my rubber clogs before I get sidetracked. I mean well, but I’m more easily distracted these days, and, well, I just forget my footwear and pick up the shears for a little deadheading in the roses and then I see an ant trail that needs attention and it’s all over. But I don’t have my feet up just to confess my slipper sins…I have my feet up because I can now share Pink Saturday with a whole new latitude and attitude…I think I’ll check in on Beverly at How Sweet the Sound to see who’s posting today. I could get used to this!!!

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog

Pink Saturday Berries for the Birds and Deer

2010-07-23T20:04:00.001-05:00

Our lane has a long row of native Anaqua trees. They have a dark green leaf that is leathery and rough like a cat’s tongue. Every spring they are covered with clouds of white star-shaped flowers. By mid to late summer, they are covered with little berries about the size of small cranberries..

They start off being yellow, then they turn pinkish coral and then deep pinkish purple. As they ripen and fall, the birds and the deer enjoy the bounty.

Mama doe enjoys a quick snack of berries.

Papa buck joins her some mornings…He is still “in velvet” and his horns are round at the tips…looks like 8-points.

The baby twins usually hang around in the thicket, but once in a while, they venture out to join mama munching on the sweet berries…

They are pretty shy… she has taught the little ones to seek cover when we are in the yard. But she comes pretty close; in fact, if I’m offering bread, she comes very close…

Now, isn’t that just the sweetest little face? And just look at those big eyes…I used to fuss at her for munching on my pink roses…but I’ve had an attitude adjustment…more of a “ PINKatude” and as I have said before, the roses have never made me as happy as my little deer families with their new babies every spring…Now swing in to Beverly’s blog to pick up the list of today’s Pink participants. You know there’s sure to be lots of fun.

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Time to Stay Inside and Make Something Pink…

2010-07-16T20:03:00.001-05:00

Summer has arrived bringing with her with a hot Texas sun! Time to make a pitcher of lemonade…Pink, of course, and work on indoor projects. Today I’m showing one of my Pocketful of Memories books…. This one has four pockets and it’s filled with lots of pretty Pinks. The book has a Ticket Theme…The cover has a few buttons, some peachy-pink flowers and flowered tissue covering some vintage dictionary pages.

It started with a small children’s book, some pretty tissue, and four inspirational embellished tags. Inside there are four “pockets” that are perfect for holding the tags. They were punched with a sweet border punch…then they were inked and tied with vintage seam binding and other fibers.

Glittered scrapbook flowers add more Pink to the pockets and the tags. The tags encourage us to “Fly” and “Dream” while giving us admission to La La Land and Wonderland…

It looks so cute when all the tags are in place…

Now, wasn’t that cooling and refreshing? Yep! I may stay indoors making cute little Pink books until September!!! Today is perfect for Pink Saturday visits, so head over to Beverly’s How Sweet The Sound for the list of today’s participants. She’s been busy getting the list together. http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Last Saturday I had a visit from Kathy at A Delightsome Life… She has lots of great Pinks to share and lots of comings and goings-on…Stop in and Say “Hi”. she might just have a cup of tea waiting for you. http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

I’ll be celebrating the Grand Opening of The Gruene Flour Cupcakery in their new location…I hear they’ve added cookies to the menu! and new cupcake flavors! Oh, it’s going to be a great sugar-high Pink Saturday! Check them out if you’re in town for Gruene Market Days .

Lilies are loving the rain

2010-07-09T16:30:00.001-05:00

I have some lovely lilies to share today…they’re getting ready for Pink Saturday and they are turning out to show off…Ready to open…on Wednesday while it was misting.

Along with their darker pink cousin lilies…

I don’t know the names of any of them, just their provenance…these came from Uncle Arno and Aunt Hilda by way of my mother who gave me a blub several years ago…now I have at least six…and you can see how many buds are in each bloom…I count nine or ten for sure.

I try to keep them trimmed as the spent flowers begin to fade…they look prettier with just the fresh flowers…and I think they keep producing more buds…the white spider lilies are also just starting to bloom…they came from my sister by accident…she thought she was giving me elephant ear bulbs…she got them from her friend, Kathy, I think. They are probably my favorites.

When they first open, they are really star shaped…

But as they spread out, they become more round in the center…kind of like me…spread out and round in the center.

They also have lots of buds in each bloom. Sometimes we have so many that I cut them and bring them into the house. Now if my sister reads this, she’ll think twice about digging up mystery bulbs for me again….I think I’ll tag a few to dig up this fall…I should return the favor…it’s the Pink thing to do, don’t you think?

Head on over to Beverly’s house at How Sweet the Sound to get the list of today’s list of Pink Saturday participants http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

and then stop in to say “Hi” to Yoli at Apron Senorita http://apronsenorita.blogspot.com/ We visited last Saturday and found out that we both grew up in the Rio Grande Valley in deep South Texas! Not only that , but we both live in the same central Texas town now!!! It’s a small world in blogland for sure!!! She has the most amazing list of daily and weekly blog parties…you love something? there’s a weekly blog celebrating it…you collect something? it’s on the list somewhere. her list is worth the visit! Happy Pink Saturday to one and all.

Happy Birthday, Kara Elizabeth

2010-07-04T22:19:00.002-05:00

Well, my baby sister has an 18 year old “baby” as of Monday…and it sure has slipped up on the older adults in her life! Look at us as she celebrated her first Christmas…

She was such a little pixie elf…and look at her picking bluebonnets…she loves flowers and she would head straight for them always picking blooms for Mom…

When she was older, she spent weekends with us…of course, her favorite place to be was down on the river. Here we are with the twins one July 4th …

and Michael-Mike helped her catch her first perch! I don’t know who was more proud or excited…

And she was always so bold…she would catch minnows with her bare hands and pounce to grab little frogs! No fearful shrinking violet this one! She has always been brave about things she really wants to do… Look at this tricycle Uncle Mike bought for her…

It’s British and has hand brakes for goodness sakes! She would race up and down the drive and I had to play traffic cop with stop and go hand gestures. It was really fast and she went over on it a time or two…did that deter her? Well, what do you think? She and Michael-Mike decorated it for Kindermasken Parade in New Braunfels.

Can you see the stick horse she has tied to the handlebar? She was already a horse lover at heart. She put on her little straw sombrero and rode the whole parade looking over her shoulder…

because her favorite part of the parade was behind her…

That’s her “I can’t contain myself…I’m so excited!” gesture…She was giddy over the horses! That was then. Look at her now… Fast forward a few years and my baby sister’s “baby” turned sixteen!

She celebrated that one with Willie Nelson at his big bash…

We had a hard time accepting the idea that she was sixteen…but EIGHTEEN!!! It is going to take some getting used to… Here she is last Christmas getting into her letter jacket…diving team at Incarnate Word High School…She will start her senior year this fall and in the blink of an eye she’ll be graduating…we are so proud of her and the most excellent young woman she is becoming.

Even though it seems rushed to us, she has really taken her time growing up and she has filled her life with good choices. And she has given us all eighteen years of joy. Happy Birthday, Baby!

Pink Saturday Wax Painting…thank goodness for good teachers…

2010-07-02T22:22:00.001-05:00

Last year Tina Wright taught a wonderful solder class where I made this sweet glass and silver wall ornament. I had never soldered until I met Tina at “Paper Cowgirl”, but that didn’t slow us down. No, sir, in true Cowgirl fashion she had me jump right in! And without slowing down or looking back, we used glass and vintage dictionary entries, a sweet phrase, “Home is Where You Roost” and solder to create a special little house

It hangs in my bedroom and it reminds me of her dedication to Paper Cowgirl Altered Art Retreat. Her vision of women coming together to share their talents and to learn from one another was shared by Cindy Mayfield who has carried on that dream. We just celebrated the third annual Paper Cowgirl Retreat in Waxahachie, Texas. We remembered Tina and toasted to her and thought of her and missed her. But we didn’t let her vision dim or her dream go by the way side…

And in true Cowgirl spirit I took another class that had me in over my head and swimming in uncharted waters. Sandra Feazel taught a class using hot wax. She had us create background details in Pink and cream and coffee-chocolate.Then we added creamy old sheet music scraps; incorporated color and pattern with bits of paper…We were chatting and visiting… Smooth sailing…until she lowered the boom and explained that we would be painting the next elements…a TREE…a NEST…and a BIRD! That’s right! PAINTING!…not cutting and pasting, but PAINTING! And so we did (except for Judy J. who cut the sample nest and the bird from the instructions sheet). Here’s mine…

The Pink flowers and the Pink swirls reminded me of Pink Saturday while I painted and the nest and little bluebird made me think of my project from the year before. And like our class with Tina, Sandra was patient and encouraging, and she put us so at ease that we painted those canvases just like we knew what we were doing. And then she taught us how to cover them with a beautiful blanket of beeswax.

Now that sweet little bluebird sings to her nest and her two eggs.

And I smile when I look at both those pieces…not because either is great art, but because I am still alive enough to take a plunge and because I have been fortunate to be surrounded by such wonderful Pink women who do such wonderful things for the hearts and arts of each other. Pink Blessings to you all week. Now head over to Beverly at How Sweet the Sound http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog She has a big ol’ list of Pink Saturday ladies just waiting to share their Pink spirit with you today.

2010 Paper Cowgirl withdrawal... I Can't Believe It's Over

2010-07-02T18:21:00.005-05:00

Paper Cowgirl Altered Art Retreat 2010 was an amazing three day event! It was so good seeing old friends and meeting new ones. I took three super classes that ranged from book making with Deb Taylor to learning new tag embellishing techniques from Chantal Johnson and even painting with hot wax in Sandra Feazel's class. We had such fun. Of course, I think I had the most fun in my Pocketful of Memories Altered Book class. When we alter a book in Waxahachie, we go all the way...we cut out pages, folded, pasted, taped, stamped, decopagued, and layered like you wouldn't believe.

2010 Paper Cowgirl My class
Originally uploaded by lbjonriver

Here we are...the Pocketful of Memories Altered Book class. You would not believe how great their books turned out...well, yes, you would believe it when you look at the talents they brought to class with them...and each book was totally different from the others!
After all the preparation and excitement, it's hard to believe that we won't see each other until next year...thank goodness for our blogs.

Pink Saturday and Paper Cowgirl Yahoo!

2010-06-23T23:30:00.001-05:00

This Pink Saturday will find me and about 70 other paper artists in Waxahachie. Texas for the third annual Paper Cowgirl Altered Art Retreat…I pulled out my Pink Doll Suitcase and started loading…Last week I introduced you to Frida Kahgirl, my set of paper dolls for a big beginning day swap, and before that I showed my Scrap Fabric Flowers inspired by Rebecca Sowers. That swap is also set for beginning evening…Wine and Roses!!!

I finished putting together my class kits…Recycled materials from start to finish…

The bags are recycled plastic mesh sunflower seed bags sewed with handles and a gusseted bottom. Inside will be books for altering along with sheets of vintage music and pages from an old dictionary. The supplies and a second bonus book are also included. The second book uses sheets of tissue paper…Look at all that Pink!!!

Don’t you know those books will be cute and colorful? Everything is packed in paper lunch bags

along with a sweet treat…white chocolate pretzels with M&M’s and peanuts…my boys used to call it “White Trash” and the name just stuck…I’m sure we’ll work up an appetite creating our books…

Wish you could join us…maybe next year? We’re going to have a ball! And we’re going to be learning lots on new techniques…Say “Howdy” to Beverly at How Sweet The Sound and check out Paper Cowgirl when you get a chance…Happy Trails until next week…

Pink Saturday Attitude Adjustment Needed…no, not for me…

2010-06-18T13:59:00.001-05:00

Frida Kahlo must have suffered from too little Pink in her lifetime…she probably needed more girlfriends and good times…I recently invited her to a party…a paper doll party…hosted by Nancy to be held at next week’s Paper Cowgirl Art Retreat. Frida was certainly happy to be invited…though she balked at being photo-copied into ten dolls…I convinced her she was being honored and flattered and so her ruffled feathers were soothed…but only temporarily…we had a serious parting of the ways when I covered her neck with a gold necklace…

I had to…she had painted a crown of thorns necklace and there was all this blood running down her collarbone! I mean, this isn’t some pain of the artist exhibit in NYC…it’s Paper Cowgirls Art Retreat in Waxahachie, Texas! We’ll be laughing and hugging, we’ll be drinking wine and relishing cupcakes…I couldn’t take her with that bloody neck! Well, you can see by her frown that she was peeved!

She likes the skirt fabrics and loves the shawl. She always is wearing one in her self-portraits…She likes the flowers…she loved to paint herself with them in her hair. So I pulled out all the Pink I could find hoping that would cheer her and put a smile over that big ol’ frown , but when I made those big petal sleeves and that cute petal peplum shirt…

“It” hit the fan…she accused me of dressing her like a “ @#*#ing Flower Fairy”! I lined all ten of those foul-mouthed Fridas up…

I told them her we don’t talk like that at parties and she needed an attitude adjustment if she expected to meet the ten X ten other dolls… I’m a little worried that she might put a damper on the gathering…90 happy Paper Dolls with their 90 happy Paper Doll smiles…and my 10 with their brooding suffering artist attitude…Nancy says Frida gives her the “creeps”. Well, now I see why…she has those painting eyes that follow you…every time I looked over, there she was…watching me with that bloody neck and that hint of a moustache, and that uni-brow.

So I packed them up in my pretty Pink doll suitcase. I’ll be holding my breath and keeping my fingers crossed during the big Paper Doll Swap Party…next time I want a swap celebrity, you can bet it’ll be Dale Evans or Doris Day or Dolly Parton…someone happy and sweet and kind…someone PINK!!!

I just hope my Fridas behave and that next Saturday doesn’t find me writing apology notes to the Paper Cowgirl Mothers of the other 90 Paper Dolls…Until then visit Beverly How Sweet the Sound for the list of lovely Pink blogs…You know they know how to play well with others and they will bring a smile to your Saturday Blog travels. Have a Pink Week.

Pink Saturday A Gift From the Flood

2010-06-11T22:48:00.002-05:00

Well, we in central Texas, and especially those of us here in New Braunfels got a jolting wake-up call Wednesday morning as a terrific thunderstorm parked right over us for several hours…some areas of the county got more than 12 inches of rain!!! And all that water has to go somewhere…within hours the Guadalupe River was way out of its banks with predictions of a 25’ crest!!!

We love living on the river and in spite of a couple of serious floods within the last few years, we have never had water in our home…surrounding our home, yes, but never inside…after the ‘98 flood, my friend, Barbara, made me a little shrine of thanksgiving to Our Lady of Guadalupe, for whom the Guadalupe River is named.

…my Ya-Ya’s, Nancy ( MyCraftyLittlePage ), Judy, and Patty held a candlelight ceremony honoring the River spirits for sparing our home…it was all in good fun and included a glass of wine or maybe two, but the spirit of homage to Our Lady and our thankfulness was sincere. We were in the middle of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood summer…I set the little altar up where I can read the lovely version of the Novena that Barbara painted on it…

I have always said that one day I would build a real shrine looking toward our house…fast forward to June 9, 2010.

When the waters were at their crest, I saw a white plastic shape bobbing in the trees. After the waters were returning to normal, I ventured down to the high water mark to check out the mystery object…and nestled there in the muck and mud…

That’s right!!! Can you believe it? I dragged her out and propped her up to drain and dry…look at her sweet, calm face in spite of what must have been a harrowing experience. Even covered with silt, she remains prayerful.

Her pink gown is a little faded but not her beautiful calm…and look at this sweet cherub at her feet…How PINK is that?

I promise I’ll clean the treasure and build a proper grotto setting. It may be cheap plastic, but you have no idea what she means to me. She will remind me to be thankful and prayerful and calm and faithful and to live with a pink outlook no matter what!!! Now stop by Beverly’s How Sweet the Sound to see who is joining the fun today.

New Braunfels is cleaning up after this week’s flood…

2010-06-10T20:41:00.000-05:00

Tuesday night and Wednesday morning it rained cats and dogs in Central Texas and we had a whopper of a flash flood…But the clean-up started immediately and Schlitterbahn is already back in business! I walked down to the river after supper tonight to check out the flood damage now that the water has receded and look at what I found when I was walking back...This is the coral snake! Luckily I had a pointed weeder with me and I killed him in a few strokes…Here he lies minus his/her head...

here’s a better shot with the head... It’s really a beautiful snake and if it weren’t for its deadly poison, I’d be happy to let it live…It’s pretty big for a coral snake.

This is the second coral snake I’ve killed this week! The first one was smaller, but it was up by the house and so it posed an even greater threat. I had just read about using hornet spray for self-defense and there was a big can nearby. I finished him off with a heavy dose of wasp and hornet spray. He/She slithered/writhed into a crevice by the stone sidewalk where I hope it died….That one was a “Probable Kill”...this one is listed as a “Confirmed Kill”. When I severed its head, I could count it in the dead-for-sure category…I went up to the house for my camera to record the event!

The morale of this tale is to watch out where you step in Texas in the spring...Can you believe it? I’ve heard about the dangers of snakes after a flood…well, here’s proof. Hope your week is less eventful in the deadly floods and dangerous snakes department. I need a glass of wine and a piece of chocolate to calm myself…I need a girl’s weekend away from all this drama…Hurry Paper Cowgirl Art Retreat!!!

Pretty in Pink flowers ready for leaves!

2010-06-04T21:54:00.001-05:00

Last week I posted my plans to make 17 scrap fabric roses using a pattern and instructions I picked up from Rebecca Sowers’s Etsy shop. Well, they’re finished…well, I still have to sew the leaves on, but check them our so far…

I sewed the strips and glued them in the circular pattern during the Indy 500…we had three favorites…Dario, Heilo, and Tony K. and were so excited to watch Dario take the checkered flag!

I piled these half-finished posies in a tea tray and had them smile for a group picture before they are wrapped and readied for exchanging at Paper Cowgirl Art Retreat.

I have picked one with lots of pink…

And as soon as I stitch those leaves on and add the backing, it will be ready to send out. This one will go to Stephanie http://angelicaccents.blogspot.com/ another Texas girl who stopped in during the Pink Saturday Second Birthday Party. I had never visited her blog before, but she has a lovely bridal theme going this June. You should check it out and tell her I said “Hi”…then don’t forget our Hostess with the Mostest, Beverly at How Sweet the Sound .

When I catch my breath, I’ll start sending out Bluebonnet seeds…I’ll print out some planting instructions even though I don’t have much luck when I try to tell wildflowers where to grow and bloom. The best plants with the most blooms just seem to re-seed themselves where they want to grow…

Well, I’m off to Wimberley Trade Day…We’ll have iced tea and the ceiling fan will stir the breeze…the day is supposed to be HOT so think of me while you are Pink Saturday post-hopping in your cool surroundings. Or better yet, stop by Booth 375 to say “Hello”. Sit a spell, have some sweet tea, and enjoy the shade.

Pink Saturday Birthday Celebration All Week Long

2010-05-28T22:15:00.000-05:00

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.

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.

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.

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…

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.

Pink Saturdays in May… Must be Time for Graduations

2010-05-14T18:19:00.002-05:00

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…

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.

Each one has pockets for quotes and notes of affirmation…

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

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.

Pink Saturday in the Garden

2010-05-07T20:05:00.001-05:00

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!

Look at the cute pink flowers…

and the post is detailed with even more pink details.

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.

Happy May Day

2010-04-30T19:52:00.001-05:00

For today’s post, I am sharing a couple of Pink Saturday special pictures for May Day…first, only in Texas and parts out West…Cactus Flowers.

I waited until too late in the day to snap their pictures and most of them had closed for the night, but aren’t they pretty? and a more traditionally May Day flower…

Deep pink shrub roses…I have no idea what kind they are…I dug the plant at my Great-aunt Tanta Frieda’s house after she had passed away. I made cuttings and now have about three dozen of these beauties. They bloom all summer and last until the dead of winter. But they are most prolific in early spring and late fall. And now the perfect little pink sweetheart rose, also a cutting. This one came from Mother’s garden…she called it China Doll…cute, but full of thorns. Keep her in your prayers as she struggles back from a stroke earlier this week. She is making remarkable progress at regaining skills, but still has a way to go. She is a remarkable woman and until her early 80’s was a great gardener.

I have about a dozen of these little cuties that came from cuttings. Well, Happy May Day…Have a Pink Week. Stop in to say “Hi” to Beverly at How Sweet the Sound. She has today’s list of Pink Saturday participants.

Memory Keeper Pocket Books

2010-04-25T20:54:00.001-05:00

Today I sold another special altered book that I call Pockets Full of Memories because they are perfect for storing all sorts of tags and cards and pictures.

The cover is a collage of toile tissue and a few scraps of vintage sheet music. Every imaginable sort of tissue came into use to decorate the pockets.

Here are bits of Blue Delft tissue from a birthday gift… and some wonderful butterfly and dragonfly paper.

The tags are quotes and affirmations that have been collected over the years.

Who would have thought an old discarded book still had so much to offer. I’m already working on another…also with shades of blue…

But this one will use vintage sheet music…probably from someone’s piano lesson days…

It will have the folded pockets that are decorated with sheets of music that have been stamped with my favorite Anna Griffin stamps. I’ll be teaching the “how-to’s” for this book at Paper Cowgirl Art Retreat in June so I’m making several different versions as instruction samples…I’ll post them as they are completed…I think my next one should be shades of green since it’s such a “green” project. If you like paper arts, you should check it out. http://www.papercowgirl.blogspot.com/

Pink Saturday Prayers for Children

2010-04-23T20:58:00.001-05:00

A couple of years ago I found a Little Golden Book that had been illustrated by Eloise Wilkin…The bright redish pink cover made a perfect little altered birdhouse for a child’s room. Usually I remove the pages and use them to decorate the sides of the birdhouse. For this special book, however, I kept the book intact so that the book could still open…

And the prayers are ready for bedtime reading and the

birdhouse is ready to decorate a shelf or desk…I had no sooner finished this project when I came across the old hymn, His Eye Is On The Sparrow which would have been perfect on this one…Oh, well, that’s how it goes when you are recycling and reclaiming…I used the music on the very next birdhouse.

And these sweet pink children remind us to give thanks for all our Blessings…

Now check in with Beverly for the list of participating Pink Saturday blogs… Until next week, hope your week is Pink in every way.

Pink Saturday… Pink is an Attutude

2010-04-16T21:17:00.001-05:00

My sweet twin nieces were busy a couple of months ago getting ready for the Guadalupe County 4-H Youth Show…they entered the Arts and Crafts division and both wanted unique projects…I think you’ll agree that they came up with one-of-a-kind creations that are PINK to the core…Look at their amazing work…First Kate (“Baby A” we call her cuz she was born first) decided on an altered book…a memory keeper pocket book with 12 pockets- one for each month…

She started with a Readers’ Digest Condensed Book that was in the “Free” box at our library’s annual sale. Then she went to work creating pockets…

She painted some pages and decoupaged others…using recycled and reclaimed bits and pieces…and, of course, lots of pink…

She filled each month with tags of quotations from famous people born that month…along with holidays, and birthstones, and flower of the month notes. It was quite an accomplishment for an 8th grader, don’t you think? Such confidence and daring with just the right touch of sweetness and femininity…just like our favorite color!!!

Of course, she won a Blue ribbon and it sold right away! Kinda sad to see it go, but she’s so creative that she can do another…

Not to be outdone, Kendra (aka “Baby B” of our Non-twins…we call them that since they look nothing alike) decided on an art apron…she had never sewed in her life, but that didn’t deter her! She was eligible to start with a plain cook’s apron for her project which she titled so perfectly “CREATE”…

she added flowers and letters and ladybugs…

Then she made it “Girly” to the max by sewing on a feminine flounce of ballerina net and flowers…

Now just look at her “Create Art Apron “ with the perfect final touches…Art tools!

And of course, she also brought home a Blue ribbon and she also sold her apron right away! Now be honest, could you have done something so amazing when you were in the 8th grade? I know I could not have even come close!What Pink Attitudes these girls have and what amazing women they will become!!!

Now scoot over to Beverly’s house to see who is posting even more PINK this Saturday!!!http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Thank you Beverly for all the fun.

And then check out Paper Cowgirl Art Retreat where we’ll be making art of every sort this June…I’ll be teaching my own version of a Pocket Full of Memories Book…It will be such fun, you should come. http://www.papercowgirl.blogspot.com/

Last week I offered Bluebonnet seeds to Pink Saturday visitors…I have decided not to draw “winner” but to share Nature’s bounty to all who replied…I’ll be harvesting and contacting everyone later. Have a Pink Week…

May All Your Weeds Be Wildflowers…

2010-04-09T20:15:00.001-05:00

Here in Central Texas that’s not just an expression…it’s a fact of life during the spring and into the summer…See what I mean…

You might think that this is an Impressionist painting, but the pick up truck in the background would give it away…for today’s Pink Saturday post I’m sharing a few pink touches from my yard…

The pink salvia was planted last year, but the bluebonnets and verbena are a gift from our Maker and Mother Nature. Look at the little bonnets that make up each stalk of our lovely Bluebonnet…

Can you see the bonnet?…Look closer…notice that touch of pink…

Of course, there are any number of stories and folk tales describing how they got their name, but one thing is certain, their beauty is legendary and a hillside field covered with them can move you to tears. These are “volunteers” that reseed themselves and burst into bloom when spring returns each year. Look at the pods of seeds that are already starting to form…

They will ripen, dry, and POP open scattering seeds all around. And next spring, the miracle will repeat itself. To celebrate this ritual of spring and to share the wealth, I’ll be harvesting seeds this summer. When they are ready , I’ll send a couple of packets out to three of today’s visitors. So leave a note if you would like seeds for your own patch of Texas blue for next spring. If that little touch of pink makes you long for even more, stop by Beverly’s house today to see who is posting for Pink Saturday. She has your invitation ready…ttp://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Beverly encourages us to introduce new people we have visited and today I’m thinking of Necel, a Lone Star girl, who lives out west and I’ll bet she is missing the spring wildflowers something fierce. Stop in to say Howdy to her…I think I’ll celebrate Pink Saturday by saving an extra packet of seeds for her just cuz…I know I’d be homesick if I lived somewhere without bluebonnets.

http://www.theoldhouseintexas.blogspot.com/.

And while we’re on the subject of celebrating all things pink and Texan, be sure to stop in to visit the Paper Cowgirl Art Retreat blog. http://www.papercowgirl.blogspot.com/

We’re a group of adventurous artists and artisans who gather every June in Waxahachie, Texas to teach, and inspire, and create, and have a hooting good time! You should check out the classes and vendors . Better yet, you should join us!

Pink is Coming up all over Texas

2010-03-26T23:01:00.001-05:00

Well, Texas is showing off in a big way this spring…in a big pink way that is…after what seemed like an endless drought followed by an ultra cold winter, Ms. Spring is showing the world who’s the boss!!!

I snapped a few pictures of the roadside flowers this week as three Valley girls (Rio Grande Valley Girls Barbara and Judy, and I) headed south to McAllen for a short visit. It sounded like Fourth of July Oooh’s and Aaah’s as we rounded each curve in the road. Most places had lots of different colors mixed together…

I’m just sharing a few of the most pink spots…like this pink phlox…there were whole hillsides covered with this beautiful hue…can you imagine? Wild flowers this amazing as far as the eye can see…

And these Evening Primrose are just starting to bloom…

In another month these small patches will also cover entire meadows…

But my favorite blossom this trip is the Heart’s Delight growing around Falfurrius. It’s been years since I had seen them…I thought they must have become endangered to the point of extinction when lo and behold! whole banks of them…

They look like a pom-pom verbena in a deep pinkish purple. Aren’t they beautiful?

The noon sun really make them glow! Look at this one just starting to open…

They don’t cover whole hillsides like the bluebonnets and phlox, but it was exciting to discover an old forgotten floral friend that was one of my childhood favorites. I don’t know if they are all over Texas…this small area in Brooks County is the only place I have ever seen them so you can understand why I’m so excited to be sharing them today. Speaking of sharing today, stop by Beverly’s house to pick up the weekly list of Pink Saturday blogs and make the rounds. You know you’re gonna be in for a treat… http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

And speaking of treats, the Paper Cowgirl Art Retreat registration is open…I’ll be teaching one of the dozen classes being offered… We’ll be making an altered book similar to this one which just sold in my Etsy shop this week…

Check out the classes and the teachers…you’ll be impressed and I’ll bet you will want to head to Texas to join us!

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

And don’t forget to visit Beverly during the week to sign up to post your own special pink one of these Saturdays…

Pink Saturday…Today is the First Day of Spring

2010-03-19T20:17:00.001-05:00

Well, I set out camera in hand Friday afternoon to find just the right shade for our weekly celebration of all things pink, after all, Spring will be arriving today and surely she’s bringing pink with her…I found bright red Azaleas…

But I need pink… so I kept looking…and I found the Salvia just starting to shake off winter…

Now that’s more like Pink Saturday material, but I had my heart set on native wildflowers, so out into the meadow I headed…I found our state flower, the Bluebonnet just opening…

and much as I love them, they just don’t have enough pink for my purpose…I found Mountain Laurel also celebrating the arrival of Spring

If you don’t have them in your parts, you don’t know what you’re missing. They are small native trees that stay glossy green all winter and then burst out in fragrant blooms early in spring…but they are purple and lavender not pink…they even smell purple…can’t really describe it, but the aroma is like grape jelly…no kidding, it smells purple… the wild verbena are also happy to greet spring…

But still not the hue I’m seeking…

I find tiny daisies…

and wild onions…

and this “sweet” yellow wildflower that’s trying to take over the state…

and I found one of my very favorite favorites, the tiny native grape hyacinth…

I was ready to give up on finding any pink when Hubby saw my frown…and just in time to save the day, he led me to the only pink in the whole meadow…

It was breezy and they wouldn’t hold still to pose…

so they may be a bit out of focus, but there they are the first PINK wildflowers of the season…pretty soon the Evening Primrose will be blooming and Texas will have entire hill sides of pink. We just have to be patient. Isn’t that our lesson after this long cold winter? We all need a little pink and it’s worth waiting for…with that in mind, I’m off to visit Beverly to see who’s posting pretty pinks for us today. http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

If you came to visit from Paper Cowgirl, you should join us… some Saturdays there are around 200 posts celebrating one of our favorite colors. My Paper Cowgirl posts are right after this one…and needless to say, there’s some pink in those posts too. If you are on the Pink Saturday trail, you should check out the Paper Cowgirl Art Retreat…http://www.papercowgirl.blogspot.com/

We’ll be meeting here in Texas in June…check it out. Have a wonderful first day of spring and a totally pink week.

Pink Saturday Goes Green…

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This Pink Saturday post is not about the green of St. Patrick’s Day…It’s about Going Green in a Pink sort of way….I’ve been making altered books for several years…Altering a book simply means starting with an old book, adding a variety of mixed media treatments and giving it new life by repurposing it. The book I’m sharing this Pink Saturday is a discarded library book…it was a play, so it’s not very thick. I painted it and started removing pages, then folded a few pages to create “pockets”. I used lots of reclaimed tissues to cover the pages. This page is covered with scraps of tissue from one of my birthday gifts.

This paper is left over from gifts I wrapped…lots of pink watercolor flowers…You can see a few of my tags in the pockets…Isn’t this a sweet pink-green way to use elements that would otherwise end up in the trash dump?

Mixed media projects are such a good way to use little bits and pieces to give new purpose to an old item.

This paper’s origin is unknown, and I only had a few scraps…I love the watercolor flowers and the writing. I wish I had enough to cover an entire book…

I added scraps of the tissues to the cover, then some vintage inspired scrapbook flowers and called it finished.

Now, that’s what I mean about going Green-Pink. This one is in my etsy shop and I will be sharing the techniques at Paper Cowgirl Art Retreat in June. Talk about a Pink gathering; Paper Cowgirls love pink, and glitter, and vintage ephemera. You should check it out when you get a chance…. http://www.papercowgirl.blogspot.com/

Right now I’m off to visit Miz Mollye…good Golly, she’s a hoot. http://mizmollye.blogspot.com/ I met her one Pink Saturday when I entered and won a giveaway she was hosting. One of the items was a multi-media book she had made…funny and talented!! She would fit right in with the “cowgurls”.

And then I’ll head over to Beverly’s house for this week’s Pink Saturday participants. If you’ve never made the rounds on Pink Saturday, you’re in for a treat…a Pink treat, of course…http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Paper Cowgirl Art Retreat is Coming

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Planning for the third annual Paper Cowgirl Art Retreat is in full swing and I’m sooo excited to be teaching a class. I’ll be demonstrating the techniques for making an altered book that forms a series of pockets to hold and display collections of art cards, postcards, photos, or any little bit of ephemera someone wants to show off . They’re really fun and easy, but they look complicated. Paper Cowgirl is like that…it’s about women coming together and teaching each other techniques and talents that look impossible. But when we work together on a project, we inspire each other and we create art works that surprise and please us. More about the great “gurls” later. Right now I want to show a book I’ve made for demonstration…

The cover is a collage of vintage papers… the inside uses lots of sheet music…and my favorite Anna Griffin stamps:

It’s really cool when filled with tags and cards…

In fact, here it is filled with swapped tags from last year’s retreat…I’ve put a couple in my Etsy shop, but this is the version I’ll be teaching. Check out the blog; Cindy’s been working overtime to pull things together.

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