Create~

~For all of us striving to create something of beauty.~

~*~

It may be a painting, a piece of sculpture, something we are knitting or crocheting, crewel work or cross stitch . Perhaps you are a baker, a candlestick maker, someone that loves to prepare comforting meals for others.

Make it count. Put yourself wholly into it- whatever your hearts desire.

Surely you will feel satisfaction and fulfillment.

~*~

This beautiful quote from~

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Happy Birthday Darlin'~

Come~ have a glass of champagne, sit. Let's celebrate because today is special.

Today is Joyce's special day! Today is her birthday!

Any of you visiting me, know of Joyce over at A Perfect Beginning.

~*~
When I started my blog, over a year ago Joyce was one of those steadies that visited and left a thoughtful comment each day. She has the most positive outlook on things and always ends her visits with a warm hug.

I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Joyce in person, but I've spoken with her on the phone.

~*~

She is as warm via the phone as she is in the beautiful writing of her blog.
Last summer I was in need of some prayer and this kind lady not only prayed but her kind and encouraging words helped me through a tough time.

Joyce sent cards, notes, and emails.

~*~
{Carmie, that little stroopwafel is for YOU.}

Recently, Joyce and her husband have experienced some loss.

Still~ her words are positive, full of sunshine and always complimentary.

She is one of those rare individuals that gently pushes her own pesky bits aside to raise-up those around her.

No~ I have never met Joyce in person, I certainly hope to.

But I do think of her as a very dear friend.

~*~

Joyce darlin', these few words don't begin to cover it all. You are a gem, a treasure, you are one of those special women that just has the gift of making those around you feel so cared-for.

I hope that this day is all that it should be for someone so precious.

Thank you for your thoughtful comments and encouraging words.

~Happy Birthday My Friend~

~For Joyce~

"The loneliest woman in the world~

Is a woman without close women friends".

~*~

Images:

flickr.com

BBCgoodfood.com

Dreamsicle

You are invited~

~You are cordially invited~

To a happy celebration~

Saturday February 27, 2010

The fun will last the whole day long.

There will be flowers~

... and pink cupcakes...



...lots of champagne, love, hugs, good wishes and chocolate.

Did I mention that there would be cake?
Please RSVP right here.
Put on your party hats, clear your calendars, do a few extra crunches- because there's a party goin' on right here.
Tomorrow
Saturday- February 27, 2010
{just in case you didn't get that the first time around}

Images:

Iloveyouflowers

Womansday.com

Domperignon.com

Attic 24

Lucy over at Attic24 is a wife, busy Mum of three, and she totally inspires me.

I have wanted to learn granny squares forever, and have not been able to master it.

Today I am having a granny square lesson! I am very excited and have made lists of all of the yarns I want to for my projects.

I plan to practice-practice-practice.

When I'm ready to start my first big project, I know it will be a bright, cheery afghan-lots of greens and bright pinks.

Please stop by Attic24, say "hi" to Lucy, and see if her blog doesn't inspire you to pick up a crochet hook or a pair of knitting needles.

Images:

Attic24typepad.com

~Oprah's Chocolate set~

Did you see Oprah on Monday?

The entire set was made out of... Godiva chocolate.

I couldn't help but think of Kwana. I wondered if she was watching. Was she suddenly craving one small square of rich, dark chocolate. I was! She too has given up sugar for Lent!

Giving up sugar for Lent- c r a z y !

Giving up chocolate, that's one thing.

Ice cream would have been a sacrifice, a small one but still.

Hershey shell eggs, that would have been a sacrifice at this time of year.

Desserts, now that's a thought for next year... but all sugar?

~*~

O.K.- I promise, no more talk of my self imposed sugar fast.

After all, if I talk about it every other day, then I'm really not taking my offering very seriously.

Thank you my friends for letting me vent just one more time.

Image:

Courtesy of HARPO

Quiet time~

~ The weekend~

Snuck in a little reading here and there.

~*~

Prepared dinner for friends Saturday evening.

~*~

~Doing well with my sugar fast for Lent~

But not easy!

Ready for a whole new week!

~*~

In another day or two, I will be caught-up on some illustrations. Looking

for some sort of stitching project~ any ideas?

Images:

craftzine.com

Larkinart.com

Sex and The City, chocolate and Lent...

~Charlotte~

Remember in the Sex and the City movie, when the girls all go on 'the honeymoon' with

Carrie? Of course you remember, what am I thinking here?

Charlotte wouldn't eat any of the food because after all... it was Mexico.

{her words, not mine}

And she didn't want to risk~ well, you know, an 'upset' of sorts.

All she ate the whole trip was pudding, packaged in Poughkeepsie.

Then with one tiny swallow in the infamous shower scene all was- well, lost!

~*~

Well, I must confess... I felt the same way yesterday. I was baking my second of three desserts to be prepared this week when my pinkie swept right down the side of the mixing bowl to avoid a drip and I stuck it in my mouth.

Now it's barely 24 hours into the Lenten season and I have decided to give up sugar!

If you didn't mean to eat the drizzle of chocolate, does it count?

Bad, evil, sweet, chocolate...

Bless me Father for I have sinned.

Or have I?

I'm going to leave this one up to you, my sweet bloggy-buddies.


Images:

noveleats.com

msnbc

Sweet-Free Zone

Lent~ Giving up something we love- something that relates to a real sacrifice.

For forty days...

... and forty nights.

I am happy to do so {easily said on the first day} even though I will be making desserts for three separate occasions between now and Saturday.
I plan to up my journal entries, take-in more of my surroundings, being grateful, really listening, not judging, and trying to have a clear sense of what is truly important.
~*~

Images:

google search

Feteafete.com

Seth Wescott~

~Seth Wescott taking a Maine run~

Maine's own Seth Wescott won the gold medal on Monday in Vancouver in snowboardcross.
A great day for the U.S.
A great day for Maine.

Functionality vs. Style

I love my state of Maine-even with the long, cold, snowy winters.

Yet right about now is when I long to jump into a bright pair of cords and these flats, toss a light sweater over my shoulders and head out. No gloves, hat, big purse carrying extra gloves, extra hat, extra socks {you never know}~ just GO!

~*~

But as the days start to get a little longer and the frozen ground begins to slowly thaw, these are what we most often need to wear.

*

*

*

~The LL BEAN Hunting Shoe~

*

*

*

If you only have to deal with rain, then you pretty much live in the Rubber Moc.

I have had numerous pairs, they are functional like most of Beans boots and shoes, but lacking in the style department. Thankfully they started making them in colors a few years back.

~The LL BEAN Rubber Moc~

*

*

*

Drumroll......

~The LL BEAN Coastal Rain Skimmer~

EUREKA!!!

Perfect for weeks of mud and rain. Much like my old Rubber Mocs, but slimmed down, and in some fine spring colors. The navy/pink and yellow/navy are the ones I'll be sporting this spring.

*

*

**

*

*

~The LL BEAN Buckle-Toe Skimmer~

And because spring lasts a little longer in this neck of the woods- these will work just fine when I have worn my Rain Skimmers to death and need a change. A little tread to navigate the still uncertain Maine terrain.

Thanks to LL BEAN for combining functionality and style~ the two can coexist.



Images courtesy of:

Lilly and LL Bean

Making Toast~ The Book

I recently received a comment from a wonderful blogger- Colleen at North of 25 A.

I jumped right over to visit and read through many of her recent posts.

To say I was touched by the true story behind the the soon-to-be-released memoir of a family-

~Making Toast~

is a huge understatement.

More like obsessed!

~*~

A beautiful Mother of three young children, wife, daughter, sister- passes away suddenly while running on her treadmill.
Amy Rosenblatt Solomon was a pediatrician- a giver, a healer.

~*~

On the day that Amy passed away, her parents Roger and Ginny Rosenblatt left their Long Island home for the home of their daughter and son-in-law in Bethesda, Maryland.

The Rosenblatts remain there, helping their son-in-law Harris in the care of their Grandchildren, ages 6, 4, and 1 at the time their Mother was suddenly taken.

Read the story on NPR here.

Making Toast written by Amy's Father, Roger Rosenblatt is a touching account of the sudden and shocking loss this family endures. The Grandparents jumping in to help raise their young Grandchildren while coping with their own grief.

~Making Toast~

Scheduled to be released on February 16.

Available here and here.

Courtesy of NPR

Image:

Making Toast

Barnes and Noble

It's almost Valentine's Day~

I hope that your Valentine's Day is filled with...

sugar,

...and spice,

... and everything nice.


Have a wonderful weekend~ and on Sunday, a great Valentine's Day!

Images:

Google search and taste of home

Pavlovas~ Meringues~Macarons

I love meringues and pavlovas. I don't often makes them, but they are an all-time favorite of mine. Aren't these beautiful? Perhaps too pretty to eat!

I love the Robin's egg blue and splashes of gold.

There is a special dining spot on the coast that serves a Bird's Nest Meringue.
A nest of vanilla meringue filled with homemade coffee ice cream and topped with warm chocolate.

These cute meringue cookies with fortunes baked in. What a great idea for a birthday party~ or Valentine's Day.

These resemble more the meringue cookies I have made. Usually vanilla or chocolate with tiny chocolate chips.

Now these Macarons are what I really want!

Do any of you know of a decent mail-order macaron here in the states?

Pavlovas make decadent desserts when entertaining. Topped with whipped cream and an assortment of fresh fruits.

Mostly I settle for a simple sugar cookie or gingersnap recipe when we want to have a little treat around the house.

...but aren't these just the perfect meringues for Valentine's Day?

Fluffy, light, pink perfection~ lightly dusted with powdered sugar.

~*~

Off to make some egg-whites for breakfast... that's as close as I'll get to a meringue anytime soon.

Images:

whatscookingamerica.net

z.about.com

just-meringues.com

find.myrecipes.com

Laudree

squidos.com

womensday.com

Michelle Lloyd-Bermann

I have had this article in a folder since 1997. It shows a couple of the serene and lovely rooms of designer Michelle Lloyd-Bermann. She is half of the design team Lloyd Ralphs Design based in Toronto and Miami.

{excuse poor quality scan~ please click on images for details}

Michelle and her partner Christine Ralphs were co-founders of the Club Monaco Brand.
~*~
But back to Michelle's duplex in Toronto {circa 1997}.
Filled with fabulous treasures from her travels, it is light, airy and cozy all at once.
This mahogany desk sits regally among simple objects of desire.


The family photo above~ daughter Olympia sitting between her Mother and Father. Handsome family, aren't they?
At the time this article was written Michelle was still traveling for Club Monaco.
~*~
Her desk holds keepsakes and journals from her travels.
Michelle embroidered the chair seat above with her daughter's date of birth.
She liked the old Italian envelope so much that she stitched it to the lampshade on the right.



~The breakfast area~
With French doors leading to the garden.
A sunny start to any day.

The simple ease of this home is charming.

I love that Michelle incorporates bits of whimsy among such personal, beloved, family treasures.

Exquisite taste.

"Living only with what one loves".

~*~

Something to be said for that, isn't there?


Images:

Victoria May 1997

Carolyn Quartermaine~

Carolyn Quartermaine~ Script



For years I have saved small snippets of Carolyn Quartermaine's gorgeous script fabrics.


Everything this lovely lady dips her hand into turns out so fetching.

Really...there are few words that describe how I love these fabrics.

~*~

The back of this chair and the seat of this one~

After inquiring about any local stockists {I'm pretty sure I would need to take a road-trip}, I received the most delightful email back.

Don't you just love what the internet can do?

Everything right at your fingertips.


Images:

Carolyn Quartermaine