Pensive Mood

My Mom always calls the bloom of a flower its "face".

Her Mom did this...while framing a pansy in her hand and admiring

that sweet little face.

Is it any wonder that this is now my habit as well?

For me, no face is sweeter than that of the daffodil.

Announcing Spring in the most cheery yellow way.

Take a moment to imagine what a field of these

dancing faces would look like...

the feelings that they would evoke.

Daffodils

by

William Wordsworth

I WANDER'D lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the Milky Way,

They stretch'd in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay;

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in a sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee;

A poet could not but be gay,

in such a jocund company;

I gazed -and gazed- but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought.

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

What moments in your life flash upon that inward eye as you lie quietly in bliss?

A monarch butterfly, using my large pregnant belly

as a landing strip...pausing to sun himself...

while watching me watching him.

A long winter walk with mom...right after a fresh new snow.

All was quiet and bright.

A stillness occurred that holds tight to our memories.

Imagine.

Palm branches held high.

Laid on the road to pave the way for

The King.

I hope that today,

your heart with pleasure fills,

and dances with the daffodils.

Feelin' Groovy :: Up-Cycled Denim

You may recall seeing these stencils on a previous post....fun and funky flowers...the hopeful anticipation of Spring! It was also the post that went a bit awry...so...I may seem a bit redundant...BUT...this design was to be used on my newest "altered couture". Basically, I find/purchase/acquire from family and friends, gently used clothing and then I have a little fun with them. At the time I made the stencil, its true purpose hadn't been decided. It was finally revealed when I started working with this pair of perfectly good jeans. I have a rule when it comes to re-purposing denim...if they aren't frayed or damaged in any way...then they still have some good life left in them as is. Strategically placed, these flowers really gave this pair of jeans new life. Old Maid New! And as the title implies...I was feelin' pretty groovy modeling them...for myself...well, and all of you!

Or so I thought...until I heard the familiar rumble of my husband's motorcycle pull into the drive. At mid-day? What's up with that? Turns out that rain was in the forecast and he had quite a bit of driving in his work day. This is the man who talked me into the bike with the line I'm rather susceptible to...it will save us money. Yeah, right!

Ahem...back to the altered clothing. If you have a keen eye, you may have noticed the hint of a pink shirt peeking out at the top of the pictures. This is another design I make...I call it the sirsasana shirt. I originally intended it to be worn during yoga practice, because, let's face it, when you're in downward dog, shirts have a way of creeping down (or would that be up?) as well, and...well...not everyone wants to show off their goodies. Hence, the extended shirt made sense to me...as it turns out, it makes sense to others in the yoga community because it is one of my best sellers.

Although intended for yoga, it doubles as a dress in the warmer months and looks great with jeans. Especially funkified jeans!

Next time I work with clothing, I will try to remember to take pictures of the process. It's a smelly prospect, but exciting as well. For instance, you never know for sure what colors the technique will uncover. I love the fact that this navy blue t-shirt (thanks, Rosebud) took a turn for the pink. Who doesn't love pink? Apparently, my hubby does. He gave me the sweetest compliment that I am going to share for posterity. Now as I said earlier, he made an unannounced trip home and caught me posing in the mirror. He said, "If you don't keep that outfit, I swear I am going to buy it for you from the shop." He got me right where it hurts most...the pocketbook. The pressure started mounting, because even Joey (who hadn't heard dad's comment) said, "Why don't you ever wear your own designs...they look good on you." Anyone who creates to sell will tell you...there isn't enough time in a day to make for oneself, let alone homeschool, write music, babysit, clean house, work-out, play, and make dinner! This time, however, I decided to make an exception...this outfit went right to my closet. My apologies to Harmony in Life...I know there is a waiting list, but two men in my life can't be wrong...right?

As The Family Grows :: Taking It To The Street

Let me set the stage:

80 degrees.

Sunny, breezy, no chance of rain.

Windows down kind of day.

I got it in my head to clean a much needed house.

Family had another idea.

Josh called wanting to go for a bike ride.

Part of his 6-pack ambitions.

My motto in life:

Fun Always Trumps Chores.

Said another way...

People always come first!

Especially my peeps.

So, we loaded Josh's van with bikes and

miscellaneous equipment...

water, pumps, and kids.

Jake stopped by just in the nick of time and joined us!

I think he was happy to see our dedication.

Kierstin was about to get her first bike ride...

behind papa.

Smiles were on tap.

I think the "fun" phrase of the day was...

"Don't fall asleep."

(said about a zillion times...followed by giggles)

Which she did (fall asleep that is) on the last leg of the course.

Here we are at Wildwood Metropark, getting ready for

The University Trail...7 miles.

Check out my Specialized Dolce...

the white bike propped next to the van.

I store it in my living room all year long

because to me it is a beautiful piece of art.

And oh my...it is a zippy ride.

Apologies again to the gang,

but I couldn't keep that s-l-o-w pace.

The Dolce only knows fast.

I would have loved to show you more but my camera died.

Well, the memory was full...oops.

Maybe you're wondering...

where's Rudy in this scenario?

Oh, he was too busy

polishing his bike...

Rest assured, he went for a ride as well.

A piece of advice...

Cleaning can wait...go have fun!

Sibling Shenanigans

The Thompson Clan

Let me take a moment to introduce all who were present...starting at left-front, that would be my sister Sue, followed by brother David, beautiful Mom, sisters Mary Rose and Tina (with her granddaughter Paige and hubby Doug), moving along to back-right...my brother Tim (wife Kathy hiding behind him), followed by George, Bro-in-law Ed (Mary's husband and sons John and Sam in front)...Phew!

We were lunching at Quimby's, a local eatery that could accommodate all. With Mary and Ed in town we had to do what we do best...eat!

Whenever the gang gets together, mayhem is sure to follow...joined in with a whole lot of laughter, fun, and planning. Planning what to do next. After stopping at mom's for a coffee, the sister's decided to do what sisters do best...we went shopping. Since Mary was in town, she wanted to stock-up on her favorite fragrance sold locally at a quaint shop in nearby

Sylvania, Ohio.

Canterbury Home

One look at that pretty pink door and you just know that you are in for a real treat.

This is the view of the shop as you walk in the door.

Goodies await at every turn.

I will let the pictures do most of the talking.

It is such a girlie place...

every angle is a delight to the eyes.

It is like walking through the pages of your favorite magazine.

(Another sister thing we do...a lot!)

A chair with a tutu? Why not!?

A little known secret about myself...

I collect doors.

I know, it sounds strange even as I type it,

but when I see an abandoned door along the side of the road,

my pick-up truck is soon to follow.

Apparently, others do this as well.

Look what they did with their doors...

I have what my husband calls "A Shrek Door"...

Much like the one above.

It's not pink...

yet!

I absolutely LOVE this one...

Mine has the same old hardware...

now it just needs a cool old mirror surrounded by hooks, a re-purposed drawer,

and that "Ladies" sign.

Anyone know where I can find one of those?

We were all loving this bold wallpaper at the entrance/exit.

Finally...wallpaper is making its long awaited comeback!

Lunch with the siblings...8 dollars.

Shopping Spree...free for me.

Sister's Time...Priceless!

This Moment

Borrowing once again from Amanda Blake Soule... {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Going To The Dogs

Meet Buddy. He is our Lab mix... that's a polite way of saying mutt. He is almost two years old now, but he is still a puppy at heart. The other evening, when he came in for the night, he couldn't find any of his toys. He sometimes sneaks them outside in the morning without our noticing. Well, without his toys he can become quite a nuisance... whimpering...nudging...typical restless behavior. I got very creative.

Now let me preface this with a disclaimer... I am positive that The Dog Whisperer would not approve of my methods. I got an old rag, tied a knot in it, and called it his toy. It worked! Look at that doggie grin. He hid under the coffee table with it all night long. As a puppy, this was his spot...his hangout. As you can see he barely fits under there these days, but that doesn't stop him from doing it.

Boys and their toys... if only all of life's problems could be solved so easily!

AWOL Pictures

I have been experiencing technical difficulties. I am not what you would call a computer aficionado. Here are the pics that were to appear in the post about The Neighbor's Grass Being Greener Than Ours. Please follow...

Now it all makes sense to you I'm sure! Continuing on...

Here are the missing pictures for the post entitled: Living Boldly. I tried to insert them where they belong but to no avail. I know I have some savvy visitors out there so if you would be so kind as to mentally arrange these where they belong, it would be oh, so very much appreciated.

I know what you're thinking... Oh, now I get it... OR NOT! Consider this a visual... "testing...1...2...3!" It is my hope that I have worked out that slippery little glitch. Wish me luck!