Lettering

 Above is practice from lesson #9 of Letter Whimsy, the Teresa McFayden online workshop I'm taking.  I think we only have 3 lessons left.  I have so enjoyed the learning, the practicing, and the result. 

Week 4's tag for my 2012 journal.  This week I spent hours practicing.  On the back side I listed other points of interest from the week...like that it was windy and rainy.  AGAIN.

Popcorn

Ahh, my latest crush.  It all started in November while visiting my BFF in Oregon.  After a long day of shopping we stopped at Safeway for provisions.  At the entrance was a display of Popcorn Indiana "Black & White" chocolate drizzled popcorn.  Why not?  Sounded like a decent snack.  At the first taste of this treat I was hooked; the bag was empty by morning.  Since then I have had very little luck finding this again.  In fact, I think the company may not make it anymore (ACH!).  They do make other flavors, but most are savory and not sweet.  The Cinnamon Sugar is darn good, too.  On my quest for sweet popcorn, I'm sampling some other brands.  But what I really hope to find is a stash of the Black & White chocolate. 

52 Week Tag Book - 2012

 Last week while cruising through some of my favorite blogs, I came upon Suzanne's Blog where she showed some of her journals.  One of them is a 52 Week tag book.  I LOVED that idea and decided immediately to start my own tag journal for 2012.  I will use a standard sized shipping tag to catalog the IMPORTANT EVENTS of my week.  "Important" being anything besides to the chores and errands that keep me busy.  Above are my first 2 tags for the year. 

Here is week 3, which was dominated by the snow storm that turned to ice storm.  You might notice that I'm hand lettering on each tag to describe the activities.  My hand lettering has never been something I liked...but that has changed!  Thanks to http://www.teresamcfayden.com/ "Letter Whimsy" online workshop, I am gaining much needed skills.  And it is so much fun, too. 

This is the back of Week 3's tag.  Because...while the snow was a big deal, so was bird watching.  I had large numbers of my usual bird species come to my seed and suet feeders, plus a couple occasional or new visitors.  The occasional travelers are a flock of at least a dozen varied thrushes, and the new visitors were a pair of European Starlings.  Now that the snow is gone, the bird life has settled back to normal numbers. 

Testing from iPad

Not as easy as I'd like it to be to add pics and edit. Means I nave to get right the first time.

Testing from iPad

Wouldn't be great if I could blog while travelin?

Good Bye, Little Tree

 I took this pic on Wednesday.  Birds were flocking to our seed and suet feeders that hung in this little flowering plum outside my kitchen window. 

I woke up the next morning to this!  Our little tree was gone.  It probably was not due to the icy snow, because the bare branches didn't collect that much of it.  I had observed over the summer that the tree was splitting at the trunk where 2 large limbs diverged.  I shall miss the showy display of spring blossoms, and miss the perfect location for bird watching.  Not to worry, bird feeders were relocated to a nearby tree, and were found straight away by the winter birds. 

Snow/Birds

Snow is still a novelty in these parts of Western Washington.  I woke up to this scene today. 

 After feeding the cat, I head to the barn.  My boots were sinking at least 5 inches in powdery snow. 

On the way to the barn each morning I put out the bird seed and suet feeders.  I have a hungry crowd this morning, including a varied thrush who seems to just be observing.  I think these are one of the prettiest birds we have locally.  So, a snowed in day it will be.  Please don't let the power go out...my biggest fear during a storm.  Power service is really reliable, but still...

Bedroom Fini

My bedroom is back in service.  I still have to fill up my curio cabinet with the Christmas pretties I've left downstairs until this project was done.  I may add some wall art, and there is a bare corner...but I (hope)  won't BUY anything to decorate this room.  I can shop my house from just the right accoutrement. 

I second guess myself a bit for not going lighter on the walls, or even all the way to off-white.  But it's done and won't be redone for many years.  My little pretty space. 

Desperation Dinner - Spaghetti

 My never-fail-to-please dinner for Bob and Garrett is the simplest spaghetti.  While the onion is sauteing, I toss in some fennel seed, brown the sausage, the bottled sauce, then pour in a splash of cream just before ladling the sauce over the pasta.  Add a sprinkling of grated Parmesan, toasted french bread and salad and dinner is served. 

A dessert these guys love is boxed pudding.  Today I made chocolate.  I mix it up in the large measuring cup to eliminate any extra dish washing.  (oh, yes, i'm back to the boxed pudding after yesterday's from scratch recipe failed to set.  my fault.  i didn't put in the recommended amount of cornstarch.  bah)

The Appearance of Un-Progress

This is 9 am, day 5 of my bedroom painting project.  Yeah, this is hard deadline completion day.  Not only is the room far from ready for move-in, the paint used on the mill-work is highly noxious and makes my eyes water to get near it.  I paid an extra $100 for zero VOC wall and ceiling paint, because???  To then use this standard toxic formula on all of the doors and trim just does not make sense to me.  Fool that I am, I neglected to specify this to the painter.  And he is a what because he didn't ask?  After having a melt down last evening, I collected myself and repeated in my head "I am not a victim.  I am not a victim".  I made some decisions to shorten the paint process, told the painter to never use that formula in my home again (nicely), and believe it or not the room will be ready this afternoon.  My BFF of 20 years commented, about my complaining  "What, are you some kinda princess?" Well, duh. 

More Chaos

 Since the painters are here, I'm having the baseboards and crown molding in my kitchen/dining/family rooms painted.  We installed the trim years ago but never got around to finishing the job.  So, while my bedroom is out of commission, I've been keeping busy in the kitchen or reading by the wood stove.  NOT.  I came home yesterday to find that space "reconfigured". 

Last night before dinner I was going to sit down with my practice journal for Letter Whimsy for some handwriting warm-ups, per the lesson plan.  That was not possible, either.  Guess I'll retreat to the 3rd floor with my iPad.  Take that away from me and I'll, I'll, I'll...head to the barn. 

New Year; New Bedroom

For my Christmas present from my husband, I asked to have my bedroom painted.  Yes, yes, I have my own room...because I am an impossible sleeper.  First, there must be no noise, no light, no movement in order for me to sleep.  Second, I toss turn many times during the night and wake up frequently.  In a classic case of mis-match, my husband snores (don't we all), reads in bed with bright lights on, and has restless leg syndrome.  Rather than kill him, I moved on down the hall.  I decided that if it was my room, I was going to decorate it just for me.  For now that means shades of soothing ivory with very little color/pattern.  While we're at it, Mr. Painter, can you also install closet doors that are mysteriously absent in this 20 year old house? 

 So here we are on day 1 of the project.  My new paint color is Barely Beige by Benjamin Moore.  Using their Natura formula which has zero VOC's.  The room looks so big with nothing in it.  Makes me want to add back only my bed, dresser, small chair, a few pieces of wall decor.  But then what to do with all the other furniture that is stashed willy-nilly in my husband's bedroom?   Bob is being very good humored about that obstacle course. 

My cat makes me laugh.  We had just placed the top of an old armoire on the bed prior to moving the heavy piece.  I turned around and here is Gray-Cat looking like this is her forever bed.  The bedroom should be done in 3 days.  Stay tuned.   

Whoops, I Did It Again...

This is the 2nd time I've made this "Marmalade Parkin Tea Bread" and both times the cake has fallen in the middle.  Ack!  The first time I messed up the conversion from British to US measurements, badly.  I found a conversion chart, carefully worked it out, and I was certain all would be well on the next attempt. Wrong!  I guess my first clue was that the cake looked done in about half the baking time.  But the toothpick came out clean!  And the cake was perfectly formed...until it had been out of the oven for a short while.  Then it fell flat, and is obviously undone in the center.  Good Gravy.  What a rookie.  Shall I go for a 3rd time?  I think not. 

Too Good to Stay In

 If you know me really well, you know that my horse, Buffalo Boy, and riding have been my passion for over 20 years.  I felt I had to retire Buffy at the end of the summer, due to his senior citizen status (he's 29) and some intermittent stumbling.  Leading up to this I had increasingly been riding less, crafting and exercising more.  Even though I spend time with Buffy every day, I do miss the trail rides we take around my property.  SO...I decided he was too good to stay in retirement, and today, we went for our first ride in a couple of months. 

Do I look happy?  Does Buffy look happy?  Oh, well, he's always been a bit of a control nut, but he was happy to be out and about.  How do I know?  By the way he was looking around and snorting at "his" scenery, and the way he walked so briskly.  This is the best way I know to welcome in a new year.  In fact, for most of the past 22 years this has been my personal way of celebrating my birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, you name it, I'll ride in honor of it.