My life under the bus

Of Books, Blythes and Boys....

The pool is up, patched and full of water.

The boys have already been in multiple times - even though the weather has been completely uncooperative.

The purple lips, shriveled toes and shivers are worth it.

Renovations are still stuck in the garage,

which is what happens when you do it yourself.

I realize I have to take a few steps back

and when it gets done - it gets done.

Waiting on sheet rock now that all the

other issues have been fixed.

I will have to find something besides

craftroom decorating to entertain me this summer

so I picked up some summer reading.

I was trying to find a few others but

the nice man helping me in Barnes and Noble

only had downloads available : (.

I have never gotten used to an ereader.

I still have a romance with paper and type.

I don't need batteries or wifi or electricity

or downloads.

I can escape with the turn of a page,

book weight in hand.

Elizabeth Bennet and I can wait for Mr. Darcy

again and again every time I pick up

Pride and Prejudice

and turn to my favorite parts....

without scrolling.

We have an understanding

and she doesn't mind when I stop by.

Looking for a further distraction I settled upon a small 

fixation I have had with Blythe dolls for a while.

I am waiting for my full size girl to arrive but found 

some fun things this weekend

in the mini department.

Looking for a birthday present I found some

mini Blythes on clearance and picked one up for fun.

Of course she needed some accesorries.

I found this cute used camper

which I am going to turn into a mini Glamper just for fun!

It's all taped up ready for paint.

What do you think about turquoise?

I'm a little jealous.

School will be out by early next week

and the summer season will truly begin.

My food bill will skyrocket

and I'll be living on Advil, sunscreen and coffee.

What are you up to?

Anyone else collecting Blythe dolls??

Are you laughing at me???

Sigh......

Happy Monday! Patty

Focus on Life Week 24: GREEN

 

 

Living in the Northeast

one of the spells that captivate us

 is the change of seasons.

Winters depressing snow, ice and grey

landscape collides into Springs manic phase.

Each brings with it it's own color

and enjoyment.

Each has it's own travails.

The grey on grey endlessness of the winters

explodes into the lush green jungle that is spring.

I had no trouble finding green.

I had trouble finding green that stood

 out in the endless montage that is all green!

My hosta won.

The variegated leaves definately stand out

 amongst all the lushness

and until the deer make a buffet of it.

I always imagine they make up the

grand flowing bouquet of a floor length skirt.

Then I thought of the contrast

of all that blooms in Spring.

We don't have much at this house

but these peonies and their hot pink

make everything POP!

 

 

A bunch of us took the green challenge.

You can too.

Hop on over to blog with

*Sally Russick*

 

 

Happy Saturday!

Patty

 

Focus On Life Week 23: Typography

 

 

This weeks subject is soooo appealing to me

I wanted to run out and find some good typography

ASAP.

Then the rains came -

and I'm not talking about the gentle pitter patter

of dainty drops.

I'm talking blow the dirt off you body,

 break your umbrella,

shrivel your toes to nubbins,

 monsoon sort of rain.

I multitasked this week and did my

grocery shopping

and showered at the same time.

That kind of rain.

So I looked inward.

No I'm not being deep -

I looked around the house.

 The photo up top combines two of my

favorite fonts -

"Illegible Script Which May Be Foreign"

and 

" Old Books That Make Things Look Cool".

 

This deceptive little cover was blog winnings

at one time - it houses a new notebook.

The real winnings for was turned out

to be the cover as I use it

all the time for my jewelry background!

It containes another great bit of typography

I like to call "Old Label".

 

 

My next shot combines my favorite

"Illegible Script Which May Be Foreign"

with another favorite

"The Typed Word".

 

 

This is my banner I have hanging in my

creative space and take down for shows.

Notice I also have a penchant for 

R.P.B.'s and B.A.O.P.

( Randomly Placed Birds and

Butterflys Affixed in Other Places)

but that is a post for another day.

 

 

Last but not least yet another example of

"Illegible Script Which May Be Foreign"

(and yes techinically R.P.B and B.A.O.P.)

this was a table runner I cut in half to decorate my tent.

Seriously I have a problem...

If you would like to make a confession...

or um... share some typography

join in with

*Sally Russick*

 

You can also check out my

Lettering and Chalk Board Art

board on Pinterest.

It's an addiction.....

XOXO, Patty

 

 

Focus on Life Week 22 : Foodie

 

 

Our Focus on Life mission this week

 was to capture something we were eating.

Food is so much more then food

isn't it?

Comfort food, diet food, cold food, hot food,

spoiled food all bring immediate images.

Worst of all the absence of food.

 

 

As I looked at this picture it hit me

for me it's about pretty food.

I don't spoil myself with much -

no manicures, pedicures, etc...

but pretty plates are a must.

I grew up in the house of a hoarder.

Meals were never pretty -

nor was much of anything else.

I think I appease that small soul

with a pretty plate and a bit of parsley.

It makes me feel good

and celebrates the food

and my existence.

It tells me I AM worth it.

A small tiny thing

that makes me feel happy.

 

 

I am guessing for most of us food

is not just food but so much more.

My favorite food?

Artichoke Heart Francaise

buttery, lemony, slightly nutty goodness

makes my heart go pitter pat....

What is your favorite meal?

Do you have favorite plates or will paper do?

Happy Saturday!

You can join in with us

on Sally Russicks blog

*HERE*

 

 

It's Monday....and There's Progress

 

Lord it's Monday...

hold on to your pants I feel a long

 meandering post coming on.

Renovations are in full swing.

I know it looks like *Hell*..

and well it is....

but this does constitute progress.

Some drains topped with gravel

and we are ready to pour!

Maybe even by the end of the week.

PROGRESS!

Unfortunately my space,

she still looks like this.

 

 

Did you shudder?

I have visions of spinning around

in my Julie Andrews dress -

however

it ain't happening in here.

We still have all this to

put up on the garage walls as well.

 

Blrugh.

 

In other news I did have some

 awesome finds this week

in the clearence section of Homegoods

and my attic!

 

 

The mannequinn I started to redo last year?

 ...and ran out of speed...

it's made of wire under all the paper

 and stinks for display.

 I'd like to cover it in linen and

maybe give her a bustle?

The step stool we lost when we

 moved here and I had given it up for gone.

Lo and behold searching for something else it popped up!

It reminds me of my eldest

so I hate to paint it

but may use some starch

 to adhere linen to it.

When I get tired of it it should rinse right off.

The cabinet was 10.00 - woot!

The hat box 3.99!

The bowls as well -

because who doesn't need a pretty bowl?

Last but not least some stacking boxes

with a coupon from Michaels

which are fantastic for display.

I can dream about where I'll put them.

In other news our membership with

"Little Dogs Who Eat Out of the Dishwasher Anonymous"

or

LDWEODA

has been for naught.

They line up like it's a buffet -

even if I open it with fairy wings and unicorn breath.

It seems hopeless. 

 

 

Definately NOT renewing that membership.

So I have plans for the week,

lets see how far I actually get!

Have you got plans?

Does your dog run for the dishwasher

 like it's a lifeboat on the Titanic? 

Tell me about it.

Happy Monday, Patty

 

 

The Rain Fell Down......

 

 

...like dog kibble from the sky.

First in the small tap,tap,tap, of

tiny pieces leaking out,

then the loud barrage of emptying buckets.

No matter these two are not getting out of bed.

 

 

The exhaustion a good rain brings on

 permeates everything.

 

 

The bed ...it calls me...

zzzzzzzzzzz

 

Two sick kids and two sleepy dogs-

what am I really going to get done today?

Hope your cozy and dry!

Happy Wednesday, Patty

 

 

 

Focus On Life : Week 18

 

 

This weeks focus was

abstract.

Meh...what the heck is that?

It sort of made me itch.

I'm not abstract at all.

Eeek...what to do?

Well I wasn't even going to do it

as I had no inspiration all week.

Then at about 4:30 this morning I

had to wake one of the boys up for a day trip.

Stepped out the door to the sun coming up

and thought hmmmmmm.

Then I got on Picmonkey and played a bit.

 

 

Originally I thought the trees looked

a bit like coral and was going to put

some sort of fish in there.

Well that was before coffee...lol

I also thought of the colors and a painted sky.

That was easier to achieve.

I am still not sure if it is ABSTRACT.

I am off to look at other posts.

 

You can join in

HERE

Happy Saturday, Patty

 

Renovation or How to Make Dust Without Really Trying

 

Gasparino residence - side entrance.

 

We bought this house about 6 years ago

 as a major fixer upper.

That is to say

it was more of a disaster

 then we even originally suspected.

Things happened.

Things I never want to speak of again.

Things we laugh over at parties.

Like the 1/2 a Xerox machine the previous

 owner buried next to the driveway

so he didn't have to pay to get rid of it.

...Or the pipes that got eaten away

 because he didn't service the

 water treatment equipment.

...Or the tub drain - that separated from the tub

when it was full of kids and water.

I still don't have walls in my laundry room.

The kids never took baths again

and have a fear of seventies bathroom fixtures.

Well time has come to fix some of those

cosmetic issues since the underlying issues

 have been corrected.

Remember the boiler blew a few months ago?

...yeah....

 

Well the garage basically needs

 an entire overhaul

 as it was never poured correctly.

 Since the basement was gutted

 we decided to just bite the bullet

 and fix the entire mess.

 

 

Floor was severly damaged and laid

 smack on the dirt so it's

broken up waiting to be hauled away.

Buh bye.

Five hours of sawing and jackhammering

accompanied by dogs barking was awesome.

 

 

Now to have it hauled away

and recycled.

Of course the house looks like

 a cocaine factory after a bust.

And these two are fit to be tied.

 

 

We've already lived through one house being renovated.

This is the first time for the girls.

I think their first comment was,

"woowoowoowoowoooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

ooooooooooooooooooooof ."

Oh yeah.

So as soon as this garage work is done -

it's on to the basement-

which means....

CRAFTROOM...

woot!

Anyone else out there renovating this year?

Hope your having a great Friday wherever you are.

XOXO, Patty

 

 

Me and Bacon....We got a Thing Goin' On....

 

 

I have a running joke on my

Facebook page about my love for bacon.

Really I don't get it as much as I used to

but my love remains true none the less.

You know what they say - those that

 are talking about the bacon

are probably not getting much bacon at all.

Well a lovely Facebook friend sent me

a bunch of bacony goodness including

DANCING BACON!!!

So now I can have all the guilt free bacon I want

AND

a new assistant.

I am having some issues with the other two.

 

 

Sleeping on the job AGAIN!

That thing in the lower left?

That would be my chair wheel.

I push them back...

they push it close....

I push them back...

they push it close....

all.day.long...

...and seriously there's two more perfectly good beds...

 

 

So the four of us ( cough)

will be listing today.

Some fun ephemera necklaces.

 

 

Oh and Party Pug Necklace...

how cute is he?

 

 

...and last but not least some fun charm necklaces!

 

 

You can find them all here!

FleurParLeJunquerie 

Happy Wednesday!!!

 

 

Focus on Life : Week 17

 

 

This weeks challenge from

Sally Russick was color.

Sally wanted us to note how color affected

 our moods or perceptions.

 

 

It's been a very long winter here

and Spring has been delayed so all

the color I found was in these vinca

 and some forsynthia on our property.

 

 

My eyes just soak up the color

after a long grey Northeast winter.

They make me feel happy.

We are still waiting for the trees to bloom!

I love how - depending on the light - 

these will show up as blue, purple or lavender.

 

 

If I was a sawing girl I would make

 the first photo into a silver pendant

 with little leaf dangles.

 

Join in with your photo.

*HERE*

 

Happy Saturday,

Patty