Big THANK YOU's to Renata and Melinda!!!

Two of the One World~One Heart giveaways that I won have arrived in my mailbox recently.

From Renata in Brazil, a purse-size, vinyl-covered notebook she created with lots of pages to record information or make notes. I love the latch she added to keep the notebook closed.





Renata also crafted this lovely card that she included with my notebook--the Portuguese word "Parabens" translates to "Congratulations". Renata is a very talented paper artist and has recently moved her "scrap PARTY" blog here.

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Melinda has also made a move recently, a big one--from Washington to Utah. But, even in the midst of packing up her house, she managed to create this incredible mixed media art quilt for me!


When I won her drawing for a pet portrait, Melinda asked for a couple good, clear photos of the pet I wanted in the portrait, so I sent her two photos of our 18 year old cat, Emma. When she saw Emma's blue eyes, she suggested a turquoise background and I think it was the perfect choice. She also sensed that Emma was quite girly (so true!) and added some bling around her neck. She really captured Emma perfectly...and, apparently, Emma thinks so too...


It's funny, often when I'm taking pictures of things for my blog, Emma shows up and weasles her way into one or two of my photos, but when she did that today, it actually made sense to have her there!


After her modeling gig, she moved on to some sunbathing. In Emma's world, that is a very busy day!

Marilyn

Rainy Day Reflections

What is it about a rainy day that makes this so appealing?


Curling up on the loveseat with some stitching or a good book...or, in Emma's case, napping. I understand the attraction to napping--it's cloudy and the sound of rain is soothing.

I do wonder, some, about the attraction to stitching or reading on a rainy day. The same cloudiness seems to make it more difficult to see, or would that be my aging eyes? Is there a connection between stitching or reading and the soothing sound of raindrops? Hmmm. I suspect it could be the coziness of the rainy day matched with the low energy needed for stitching or reading...

Really no need to do a lot of analyzing...kind of useless, actually, because it really wouldn't change my perspective about how comforting the combination can be.
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This is what I'm stitchin' up. I sketched the face a couple of days ago without any real plan. But yesterday, I did the ol' "I wonder..." and this is where it went. Still no real plan, just enjoying the process.


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Now, about the rain... It's not even a cool rain. It's warm and muggy. Yuck. But with the a/c turned down low, I can pretend, right? And by the looks of these first fallen leaves on the lawn, cooler temps could be a possibility before too long.


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OK, just one more "wonder". Why did this little leaf fall to this side of the tree all by itself while all the other leaves are in a group on the opposite side? You can make up your own story.


For now, I'm taking my curious self back to the loveseat where I'm pretty sure Emma hasn't moved a muscle since I left.

Marilyn

What are you doing this weekend?

I didn't need to ask about Emma's plans...she's a 17 year old prima donna who does whatever she pleases and at this point in her life, that means a lot of sleeping!

As for me, I'm looking forward to a fairly relaxing weekend. It seems that our recent weekends have been very full. I really enjoy being with family and friends and I don't mind a lot of activity but sometimes and I need to just BE.

I need to sit on a bench...hum a tune...
I need to be spontaneous and squirrel-eeeee...
I need to ignore responsibility...
and find joy in the little things! Have you seen these?! My darlin' babe brought them home--Skittles and CHOCOLATE, why didn't I think of that?!
I'm also looking forward to starting a new project. I signed up for a doll quilt swap,

and this is the fabric I'll be using. I bought it last weekend when we were in Lawrence...Sarah's Fabrics is an incredible store!
I figured out my pattern last night while we were watching TV, so now I'm ready to get out the ruler and the rotary cutter and go at it!

What are your plans for the weekend? I hope it's an enjoyable one!

Marilyn