Garden of Weedin'

I have been overwhelmed with yard work this year, but in the spirit of "when life gives you lemons..." I decided to take pleasure in the entire garden today, not just the pretty flowers that I want to be there. I mean, who are we to judge, anyway? What makes one plant beautiful, and one a common weed? Here's a tour of the less cultivated parts of my garden:

This used to be my vegetable garden!

A single sunflower among the stinging nettles. Not going to pick this one!

The fire pit isn't getting much use this summer, except by the daisies.

A "volunteer" shrub in the middle of my field

Milkweed

Simple Gifts

It seems like Christmas was months ago, but I am so thankful for some of the gifts I received, I wanted to write a quick post about it. This was a year that many people felt crunches -- both time and money -- and there was a lot of discussion both in the media and in my own family about cutting back or simplifying when it came to gift giving.

I have always believed that it's the thought that counts and it's better to give than to receive. Sounds trite, but I've always felt this way and believe I've lived this truth. A gift selected and given with love is the most important gift of all. The value is in the process, not the item itself.

This year, I spent a delightful day shopping in a non-mall venue with a dear friend. I purchased gifts for the people I loved. I thought about them, how they would use the gift, shared a story or two about them with my friend as we shopped, and truly enjoyed myself. My daughter helped me wrap the gifts and prepare the packages for mailing. We had a lovely evening away from the TV (and Facebook) and felt the Christmas Spirit in our home.

The gifts pictured above are gifts I received. They too were selected with me in mind and given with true generosity and a nice dose of the Christmas Spirit. The scarves are from my mother in law and are something I never thought I needed but now can't imagine not having. They are pretty and feminine and just my style. The house pin is a gift from my mom and dad. It was made by a little girl whose class decided to raise money for Haiti. It speaks to my love of houses, philanthropy, and good-old-fashioned arts and crafts. In this year that I am selling a house and hoping to buy another one, this pin reminds me that a home is any house with a big heart inside. The peacock feather is from a close friend. It reminds me of the "stray" peacock that was living in her yard a few years ago and it's a reminder to me to be strong and proud (and maybe a little vain) -- all qualities that are important for me this year. The necklace is from a new friend, but honestly -- how perfect: I'm a jewelry book editor, and now I have book jewelry. I'm proud to be her editor and her friend, and I wear this necklace for inspiration.

I don't mean to be ranting in this post. I just want to offer a gentle reminder that simple gifts, gifts from the heart, are all anyone needs and are worth all the money in the world.

Oconomo-walk

My town is a great walking town. There are two large lakes, and most weekend days will find an eclectic mix of people walking, running, or strolling around the "lake loop." On my most recent walk, I passed a woman pushing a cat in a stroller. Yes, a cat. That can only be topped by what I saw this summer: An adorable pug in full life jacket, floating on a boogie-board while his big-brother black lab played an endless game of water-catch. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of the cat or the dog. But here are a few of the view:

Poor little duck, enjoying the last rays of sun as the ice begins to form...we'll have ice-fish houses out there before you know it!

Our town is nick-named Five-O's (get it? OcOnOmOwOc!) I thought this view from the bridge was appropriate:

Enjoy the beauty in your day, even if it includes a little ice!

My Beautiful Baby Girl

My baby turns 15 today, and proud mother that I am, I just have to share some pictures...

Project Update

A few posts ago, I laid out all the projects I wanted to complete during my winter couch-potato TV watching time. I've made some progress. I started out during the superbowl with these darling boxes.


They were easy to cut and fold (especially because my basket of Christmas Cards was still on the coffee table!). It was fun to re-read all the Christmas messages in a less-hurried time, and then I had no regrets when I upcycled the beautiful cards. I only completed one into the box, and the rest will store flat until next year. I stashed them in my box of Christmas wrapping paper (along with the folding directions) so I won't forget about them. You can find directions to make your own, here. Come to think of it, I've got some Valentine's Day cards out now...


I showed you my foray into bead stitching, with Amy's darling ring. I'm working on some earrings now, but I need a little more concentration (and light) than I get in front of the TV. Hopefully I'll have something to show on Monday.


I've also started the jewelry reconstruction. Sometimes when I'm wearing a piece, I realize it's a little "off," so I've been tweaking here and there and feel like I've got some brand new pieces for very little effort.


So, what have you been making?

Spending time on the couch

I'm really not a big TV fan, but lately our DVR has been whirring constantly. It's the heart of winter here in Wisconsin, and even though we're experiencing a January thaw, single-digit temperatures will be back in full force before we know it. The girls and I have our favorites: Modern Family is a hoot, Greys Anatomy and Private Practice are heating up, Brothers & Sisters is like watching a train wreck but addictive all the same, we had the Golden Globes last week, we were going to pass on Idol this season, but "pants on the ground" reeled us back in, and OMG, Project Runway and the delightfully gossipy Models of the Runway are back already! Even football has been quite dramatic, and we're just a few weeks away from the Winter Olympics.

So in my "everything must be rationalized to be ok" state of mind, I've made a long list of lapwork to do in front of the TV. So here's my list, and we'll see how much of it I get done before the end of the Winter Olympics:

* Jewelry deconstruction/reconstruction: I have many pieces that I'm just not wearing and I can use the beads for something else. I have some pieces that I've been wearing but need adjustments, like length. And I have some pieces that really need matching earrings. So, as I watch TV, I can sort through my existing jewelry and make these easy modifications that I never seem to get around to otherwise.

* Christmas ornaments. Don't laugh. I had a blast making needle felted beads in December, and bought all the findings necessary to turn them into ornaments. Problem was, December always gets a little busy (wonder why) and I never finished. These will be easy to do now, and I just need to pack them away in the right spot so I find them next year!

* Christmas-card gift boxes. I saw this on another blog, and it will be so easy to do. I still have my Christmas cards out. I'll pick the prettiest and fold them into little boxes for next year.

* Knit some fingerless gloves. It's been a while since I've knit. I like small knitting projects -- instant gratification and all. I found a great skein of yarn as I was rooting through my stash. It was something I just had to buy but then never used.

* Learn bead stitching. I was the lucky recipient of three beautiful gifts this Christmas: project kits from my bead stitching authors at work. As I've said before, kits are an excellent way to learn a new technique. Everything is at your fingertips, you have no decisions to make, and the directions are straightforward. I've already started on a tubular peyote ring.

Do you think this will carry me through until Spring? I surely hope so. Check back, and I'll post my progress. What are you working on?

New Work Coming

I've got some new work coming and I'm hoping to post today or tomorrow. We've had some technical difficulties in the camera department around here, and I am trying to find a back up plan. Thanks for reading, and I'll post some Christmas gift ideas as soon as I can.

Spring Break

It's time for Spring Break, and a whirlwind college tour for Meredith & me. I heart Mondays will return at its regularly scheduled time next Monday, after a brief break. I also have a new craft project for you, and a sneak peek at some work-in-progress for my next book. See you in about a week!

Priceless Artwork

A good friend of mine once said (when we were moms of young children) "there's priceless artwork, and then there's price-less artwork." In other words, don't feel guilty if some of your child's nursery school drawings end up in the blue bin.

Here's a piece I consider priceless. I found it stuck between some papers that were in a box that had been moved at least twice without being sorted out. It's got to be 12 years old.



This is a kitchen-table creation, or maybe a doctor's-waiting-room or back-seat-of-the-car time killer. I love it because it reminds me of my little girl who is a star, who is full of love, and has never stopped drawing. Now her pictures are a little moodier, use a lot more black and red, and contain symbolism that's often lost on us adults. However, it's still priceless.

Numerology

I love numbers. I'm always looking at licence plates and transposing numbers to find my birthday, or my friends' and family's birthdays. I have a lucky number (3). And, I am always finding my birthday numbers in the oddest places. For example, when I happen to glance at the clock, more often than not it reads 9:25. Now, the realist in my life tells me that I must look at the clock at least 12 times a day, but I only remember the two times it reads 9:25. My daughter, who is now in Algebra 3 should be able to calculate the exact probability of me noticing the time at precisely 9:25 (I hope she can; that's what today's test is on). But for the romantic in me, I'm sticking with the coincidence of bumping into "my numbers" in the oddest places. For example, for years I loved the fact that most of my favorite jewelry came with my custom numbers on the back: 925. But now that I'm older and wiser (and know a lot more about how jewelry is made) I know that those numbers designate Sterling Silver. To earn the name sterling, the silver content of the metal must be 92.5% pure. Why isn't it 100%? It would be much too soft. So, other metals like copper are combined with the silver to increase hardness. If you're ever curious about the quality of your silver pieces, just check the back. And, happy birthday to me!