Indulge Your Shelf

I hope you had a lovely Easter weekend!  Ours was so nice; in the days leading up to it, I was distracted from the holiday by Birdsong preparations -- swaps and general giddiness -- but I made a point of being in the present on Easter Sunday.  I cooked and set a pretty table, while watching old movies on TV and relaxing until company arrived in the late afternoon.  We had six friends come for dinner and they all brought delicious stuff to eat, so we feasted and visited. my husband and I on Easter After dinner we had the most spectacular snow storm -- monstrous snowflakes, big and wet and drippy, falling by the millions from the sky and then melting as soon as they hit the ground!  I wish I'd been able to photograph them! Here's a surprise that came in the mail on Friday, just in time for Easter, from Michaele !  I love surprises, don't you?  A spring tree and some embellished clothes pins! Here's the tree, unwrapped and on display.  It is so ad...

This fun Easter centerpiece is something I blogged about back in 2009 -- but I think it's a good one to re-run, don't you? Instructions are here . Let me know if you make it!

We had a dreary, cold, drizzly kind of day today here in Colorado; it was the perfect day to stay home and work on my swaps for Birdsong. This little lady is part of the Frilly Birds swap; I made eight of them. Same bird, different outfits from vintage lace, trim, and millinery. It was a lot of fun!  Thanks to The Graphics Fairy for the pretty bird! I try not to show too much from swaps so that participants are surprised, but here's a sneak peek at a journal page I made for the Journal Swap.  I made eight of those pages, too; they're decorated on both sides. I also worked on 30 of a little trinket I'm making for each of the people who will be at Birdsong (that number includes teachers and all.) It doesn't sound like a lot, does it?  But it kept me busy most of the day!

Yesterday my son and I helped out at our Scout troop's annual food drive for our local food pantry. Our town was so generous this year!  They collected more than 1,000 lbs. more than we did last year! 2700 vs. 1600 lbs. last year at the same time... It was a happy time for a bunch of hard workers. I finished a project I have had planned for so long now: the pillow above.  It is made from a vintage 1991 French designer fabric that I have before now been reluctant to cut; it depicts Minton tea cup patterns. I love this fabric so much that I'm planning to keep this pillow for myself.  I don't do that often enough; I'm sure that's true of all of us, huh?  I added some very nice black vintage buttons to the front. On the back is this gorgeous woven fabric that matched perfectly; like I said, I've long planned this pillow and I'm happy to have finally made it into a reality! Here's another pillow that I think is just really fun!  It's made from two differe...

Birdsong at Karla's Cottage is only 2 weeks away!  I wish I could say I am completely prepared, but I am so far from it!  Only yesterday I started working on one of the three swaps I joined for the event.  I don't want to reveal too much, but it has something to do with this pretty picture: My buddy Suzanne and I don't really have our travel plans set, either!  I am nervously watching the weather for our drive to Kansas; this morning, for example, the main highway we must travel on was closed for blizzard conditions for a while.  But, somehow, I just know it will all work out! Ever since we met, Suzanne and I have been showering each other with gifties...as I see something I know she'll love, I grab it for her, and she does the same!  So in addition to our craft supplies, swaps, and snacks, I know we'll have the car packed up with bags for each other! Big news in town: a new antique store and a thrift store have opened!  I've already been twice to ...

My husband is very pleased with the progress I'm making in the reorganization I'm doing around the house.  Check out my newest brainstorm for a solution to scrapbooking clutter: It's a tea cart I found at an antique store!  I love that it is on wheels, because I can roll it over to the dining room table when I want to spread out and crop; it's the perfect size for 2 stacks of 12" x 12" papers on the shelves.  If I was really serious about it, this could also be a self contained workstation, since the table leaves fold up and make a pretty large workspace if you pull up a chair!  I am loving the look of it. The room reorg has sparked all kinds of other projects, too!  For instance, with my newly cleared off dining room table, I had room to unpack that sewing machine I bought last month and set it up.  From there, it was an easy leap to pillow making! I whipped up this pile of pillows -- eight to be exact -- using a lot of the pretty linens Linda Sue se...

It's baby chick time at the local farm supply store! They are so cute! I've wanted a baby chick ever since I was 8 years old. But I never was able to have one.  Maybe someday. There were ducklings, too! I hope your Monday is just ducky!