Farewell, July...

Dare I say how quickly 2021 is going? I really believe time flies when a person is having fun. 

And so it goes. Today thunder and rain gently invade the morning. I'm contemplating coffee and weighing that pleasure against one more round of sleep. 

My son gave me a cool leather sketchpad for my birthday, so I've been doodling a bit... 

This week was a blur of cooking and cleaning and making things.  Yesterday I bought some green beans to snap and stem from Aldi's. After hours of cooking them, all I can say is either the beans are different or I can't conjure the summer magic of mom's home cooked beans.  They are just a little blah... and baby,  I have a whole potful! Lol

My son sent me this picture, laughing at me about my "foreign language" filet crochet piece I have had just like this since Easter... upsy doozy! Details! Lol... 

I hope all our Augusts are safe and healthy. What upsetting times for the soul.  

I'm trying to wait until August 15th, my personal date to decorate for that Queen of Seasons... 

Although... technically I've already started with the tree, huh? 

Don't these sound fab? I think a quick Google will give us the recipe. 

This one has me at "wheat thins" but... we've been either keto or at least gluten free so long.... I like the brown rice crisps from Aldis... sorta.. 

Have a lovely weekend. 

👀  you next month!

Orangeville Summer

Decorating seasonal trees has always been a dreamy experience. However, I have really enjoyed the challenge presented by my pale, blush-pink tree. My normal palette hasn't ever been pastels... throughout my whole life really. I love soft sherbert colors, but I  never gravitate there for decor or fashion. However, this barely there,  baby pink is a glorious exception. 😍 everything about this --- including the tree --- came from Amazon...  orange lights on white cords, silk florals.  I added back the rose gold, unbreakable ornaments even though they seem to be reflecting blue? Light and color are willfull, surprising chameleons...

I cut the gilded burlap Autumn ribbon into 17-inch pieces and wove those here and there... and I plan to add some more  small ornaments in the next weeks if I can "create" what I see in my mind... lol! 

Alexa still runs my outlet with voice commands ["Merry Christmas" for illumination and "Silent Night" for darkness]. When I least expect it [or want it], sarcastic Alexa [she who cannot be named] breaks into Christmas music instead of following the programmed voice command!  🙃

The yard and bushes look much better! I am cleaning in the Studio... Friday! 

Have a lovely weekend! 

Scrapping...

I have been working on the margins thing... lol... created a reading nook in my bedroom and also have been working on some more junk journals. 

I have a new habit of saving some of my night's sleep to konk out in my chair during my son's work day... 

I'm so un-sleepy at night... hmmmm... wonder why.

Tomorrow my lawn man comes to trim up some ornamental evergreens and remove an old patio/nostalgia spot/ugly area from the front yard. Why is it that every time I change something I feel like I am disappointing my parents... ? 

Oops! I forgot to crop out my messy desk!.I clear it between projects, but by the time I finish a book, the layers of ephemera and goodies are really overwhelming! 

I saw this cross stitch... I did NOT do this myself, but I liked the wording.  However, I probably won't heed them. I rather enjoy looking back!

My pink Spring and Summer tree has been put away. About half the lights quit, of course,  so I have moved into early Autumn/late Summer...  I have to show you later because last night was brutal. I broke a huge mercury glass ornament. It actually exploded on the floor. Then the silk hydrangeas I ordered from Amazon came with stems optional! I have tried to glue the stupid stems they sent into the flower... some assembly required! And I must have spaced out I needed three strands of lights... ugh... and the final "straw"? I thought little natural cat tails and fox grass would be a pretty touch poofing out of my peachy pink tree with white corded orange lights....  Miss Callie thinks they need to come OUT! 

So I have to go rescue either the grass or the cat... my Son has taken up the fight, but Callie's life motto is " I DO what I WAnT!" Lol... Bad Kitty?  Naw... just spoiled rotten. 

Good Morning!

Margins. I just heard part of a motivational post about ensuring wellness and well-being by having proper margins. That concept appeals to the English teacher/journalist spirit in me, as well as satisfying the artistic side. But... what does it mean for us?

Obviously for busy individuals margins require time off, a cooling down time at night and a moment of calm in the morning. 

Okay... for myself in retirement, and especially in pandemic, chronic ugh!, "do I have to say it? Getting older" retirement, margins have....not been happening! My days are often all margins! Most of my pages have reverted to crayon sprawls with very little on them... My planners have stickers and washi and a few notes and menus... 

Nothing requires me to do a darn thing. I always secretly knew I am too much influenced and thus motivated  by recognition or gratitude or praise... and although my teaching job really didn't usually provide much of that from the super powers, I still found so much reward in the interaction and outreach of caring for my kids and fellow teachers... I loved them....

I do miss my students and coworkers. I am gloriously happy to be home with my cool son and our crazy cool cat... (check out her new favorite place to sit when he sleeps on the couch!) Shhh! Don't tell him I posted this!

So... today is Monday and I am about to roll out yet another plan to put some more "copy" in my manuscript of life. I suspect I will still be merciful, an easy-grader/ cut some slack type of boss... so I may well find my margins are still way too big and my work print pretty small... 

July was always a "last call for summer" since school usually started in early August. I am particularly antsy right now because from age six through the next 52 years..... this was go time! Crayons in the big boxes... post-it packs and file folders....new posters and....... print outs with ridiculous new rules to follow!  

lol... I need to remember some of that, huh?

Have an awesome week! Since I have been rearranging furniture again, I DO have plenty to do today! What a mess!

Storm Front...

This old nation is really being bombarded with storm, hurricane, earthquake, and scorching heat... I hope you are all safe! 

We lost some old limbs last night, and the stormy noises sent my cat burrowing through and under the pillows up to greet me. I will admit I was a little worried to feel the presence of an unknown creature and see the ripples under the covers... my covers... Her eyes were like huge reflectors  when I got the courage to lift the corner of my quilt. 

We tried gluten free waffles this morning with keto syrups. Wow! Not sure what we were celebrating, but it was delicious. 

I used the gluten free mix that is kind of like Bisquick.  ALDI carries it. And I ordered the syrups from Amazon. 

I have discovered Home Town on Amazon Prime... so I have been binge watching those kids renovating houses and changing lives... we did our kitchen four years ago and I still can't believe it.... I still want to finish up a couple counters, but it is always so fun to go in and have coffee in the early morning!

I cleaned out some cabinets this week. My next project <ongoing> is that studio! It looks so j u.n.k.y! I need the Amish girls back but we are still all alone in our socially-distanced Oasis. 

Have a fun weekend. 

Tomorrow would be my Daddy's 97th birthday! He would have been out working at the trees with his chain saw this morning! Even at 97... ❤

oh, I forgot to mention how fun it was to use this mini wafflemaker... slow though! I don't recommend it for a crowd. Waffles are about 3 inches. Amazon. 

Happy 4th

Enjoy this summery holiday in any way you can!

We are planning a traditional menu and some special projects and movies in place of fireworks and cookouts. 

I think our neighbors had some large fireworks tonight but we missed them. 

Celebrate our beautiful Land! Stay safe!