From WorkWorkWork to PlayPlay Play

Doesn't every family have one of these? Pterodactyl kites ROCK! Had a bit of a "coming to Jesus" moment this week. A friend died unexpectedly. Too soon, for certain.

It made me look at my life a little more carefully. I have been spending a lot of time working lately and when I'm not making things, I am thinking about deadlines for making things. Sometimes, I am sad to admit, I have failed to be fully present in my own life.
Hence the kite. We have had this kite for a long time. It was high time to actually USE it. And have FUN using it.

So we did. It was cold and dreary, but we decided to head to the beach and just live a little. The kite flew well, the kids got along fabulously and I felt as though I reawakened my sense of what is real and important.

(I'd smile, too, if I were in front of this many goodies! The cinnamon smell wafts out onto the main street. Too good to pass up!)

A close up of some seaweed. We explored. We created. We had fun. We were a family.

Here is a picture of the pier on that day. Very cold, but nicely brisk.
The sailboats were out in full force. Lots of wind, that's for sure!

Thanks for popping in.

Until next time, don't forget to live.

Theresa

Have you see these before?

First I found this.

He was sitting on a blanket at the Veteran's Stadium, waiting for someone to make an offer.

Look at those eyes. How could I say no?

I wasn't sure what to offer....$30? $20? So I just asked the man how much.

He told me. He said, "$3.00".

HUGE grin. Into my bike basket quick as a wink and home we went.

My kids named him Ralphie. He lives next to my computer.

I never did learn of Ralphie's origins. I have searched for patterns, but to no avail.

He seems to be a combination of handmade and machine sewn, but I don't know from where he came.

Imagine my surprise when I saw THIS little guy.

Very similar face, no? (Check out the awesome wool felt shoes!)

I purchased him from eBay just to see how he was constructed and perhaps where he was made.

His tag says 'Austrian Gnome'. He has a wired body and some kind of furry stuff for his cap. (It sheds.)

Does this ring a bell for anyone out there in blogland?

Just curious.

Thanks for popping by!

Until next time, happy gnome sweet gnoming!

Theresa

If I were...

I saw this yesterday on Cart Before the Horse. Jo James posted it. (You NEED to check out her work. Crazy amazing!) http://thecartbeforethehorse.blogspot.com

I cut and pasted then added my own answers. Please feel free to do the same! I would love to hear your answers!

If I were a month I’d be. . .October
If I were a day I’d be. . . Wednesday.
If I were a time of day I’d be. . . twilight.

If I were an animal I’d be. . . a squirrel.
If I were a bird I'd be. . . . blackbird.
If I were a pair of shoes I’d be. . . .well broken in.

If I were a stone I’d be. . . .river tumbled.
If I were a tree I’d be. . . . Japanese Maple.
If I were a flower I’d be. . . . a blue iris.

If I were weather I’d be. . . the calm after the storm.
If I were an element I'd be...water
If I were a car I'd be. . . dependable and roomy.

If I were a color I'd be. . .. a verdant green.
If I were an emotion I’d be. . . .joyful wonder.
If I were a gift I'd be. . . .just the right thing.

If I were a fruit I’d be. . . . a juicy plum.
If I were an instrument I’d be. . . .piccolo.
If I were fabric I'd be. . . undyed muslin.

If I were a body part I’d be. . . .fingertips.
If I were a facial expression I'd be. . . .crinkly eyes.
If I were a song I’d be. . . .lively yet quiet.

If I were a sound I’d be. . . .wind through the trees.
If I were a taste I’d be. . . .salty/sweet.
If I were a scent I’d be. . .line dried linens.

My Well Has Temporarily Run Dry..

..but that's OK.

Please enjoy these photos from my yard while I track down my muse and force her to get back to work! She is well practiced in the fine art of avoidance, but I am pretty crafty as well.

It will be a contest of wills.

This gnome was hiding a white egg at Easter, which blended in with his ceramic mushrooms really well. It took the kids awhile to find it.

Either that or they were freaked out by the gnome himself. I'll have to ask.

This is the tree with the door. We still aren't sure who lives here or where the door leads, but we'll figure it out someday! We love to sit and speculate.

Blossoms, blossoms everywhere. Spring has sprung for sure! This one is good for bee watching.

This is our Mimosa tree. It will appear dead until mid summer or so, at which point it will green in and bloom and be FABULOUS until late fall.

Most of the year, though, it looks like this.

Until next time, happy muse trapping!

Theresa

You've Heard of the Bunny Hop....

..but how about a Bunny Swap?

Recently, I participated in a swap that was organized by Vivian from Viv Out On A Whim. You can see her blog at http://vivs-whimsy.blogspot.com/ She is always up to something, that Viv!

This adorable bunny was sent to me from Flora Thompson of Bone Head Studios!

If you aren't familiar with Flora's work, you are in for a treat. She has a really unique style and is just brilliant.

Her seasonal pieces are out of this world!

Check out her blog at http://boneheadstudio.blogspot.com/ There you will find links to more of her amazing work!


Isn't this the coolest bunny you've ever seen?

My husband was home when I found out that my swap partner was Flora. He remembers because I gave out a whoop that would wake the dead. Then I made him look at all of Flora's work.

I had been following Flora's work and she is one of my absolute favorites. Her work is always appealing to me.

Now you can see why I was so excited!

Let's be honest. Even her hang tags are adorable and they're just part of the packaging!


In addition to the sad, darling little bunny up top, she also sent this charming little brooch. Isn't the face great? Cuteness personified!


This is just an update on some recent things I've made. This is the most pompous bunny in the world. He looks as if he would pull out the soapbox and lay it on you at the drop of a hat. Ugh!


Doesn't he look like he is ready to pontificate?

(Don't tell him, but he has a HUGE bottom. Very distracting. Not at all good for public speaking!)


This silly little thing that is about 2.5 inches from head to tail.

It's a wee little felted mermaid in the style that was around in the early 70's.

Someone was talking about these a while back and I thought it was sort of intriguing. I do have memories of dolls similar to these, though the ones I had were a funny smelling (and likely toxic) plastic.

Now what to do with it? I have no idea! Any suggestions?

Thanks for popping in!

Until next time, happy bunny swapping!

Theresa