Saturday activities

Look at my wholesome activities for the day. Oats & honey are so very good for one's health, as is thrifting with Olivia.


She did not purchase this pink suede coat, although it fit like a glove.
It draped so elegantly! Even her damp slippers (which she wears everywhere) did not detract from its vintage beauty.

Speaking of vintage beauty, will somebody somewhere shout out SOMETHING regarding this circa 1960 lamp. Atrocious? Horrendous? Ostentatious?

This funky-retro-monstrosity is certainly the belle of the ball. I dare anyone to NOT notice it.

Owing to the fact that it is befizzled & bedangled with real crystals, the price tag was a jaw-dropping $375. Inexplicable!!!

soul food

Behold, the pies.

Lemon meringue rules my world, I tell you.

packets of joy

I pushed a cumbersome shopping cart through the overstuffed aisles of The Christmas Tree Shop yesterday, convincing myself to only fill it with things I need.

Three large display stands of colorful seeds shouted my name while the 50% price sign drew me in for closer inspection. I stood there long, dreaming of this year's garden & its future bounty.

What a perfect place to while away the time, selecting one promising packet over another, toying with trying a new herb or flower! I walked away with most of my season's seeds, excepting the local ones I buy from our local co-op.

Now they reside in a kitchen drawer until May. Can anyone blame me for opening that drawer just to smile at these pretty things?

bring me summer, please.

A dose of garden-goodness cheers me along this cold February day. In our kitchen is a basket with a few butternut squash still lingering on from the fall.

Perhaps I shall make a batch of butternut squash bisque & thereby complete the circle.

horse-play

Yesterday, I whiled away an hour by exploring the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection online.

People: hear me, now. One simply cannot call browsing ART a waste of time. I see it more as investing in my well-being before going out into minus nine degree weather to play piano for an opera class.

Plus, I was looking for some particular things; namely, some images of horses in the Ancient Persian style. Why, you ask? Well, because it occurred to me that I would really really love a piece of art in that style. If I found the right image online, it would be a str--e--t--c--h, but just maybe, I could duplicate it myself & frame it.

It's what one does when they have extravagant taste, a small budget, and the teensiest bit of artistic ability. I don't know why I thought of horses. But if my memory serves me right, I recall some jaw-dropping renditions of prancing horses, usually topped off with a spear-wielding warrior charging into battle.

I also looked on Wiki & came up with this. WHICH I LOVED.

Before heading into town for a few errands & to work, I sent myself the link in order to think about how to make it -or something even remotely like it- mine.

An hour later, I snagged this beautiful find in the downtown flea market. It is approximately 10" tall and is quite heavy for its size.

I don't know how these serendipitous things happen to me, but let me take this opportunity to once again wish a Happy Birthday to myself.

two views

I love a good project. This one turned out beautifully!

a few unrelated things

We breakfasted this morning with new friends, one of whom is the director of this amazing project.
The winter sun blazed a trail across the dining room table while we listened intently and asked questions. It never ceases to astound me how people that love & serve Jesus can get to know each other so quickly.

I bought these painted stone birds in Ottawa. Birds seem to be my thing these days, right?

My mom sent me a little seasonal gift. She is the cat's pajamas.

Happy Saturday to one & all!

stop & wonder

Ottawa, Canada.

I could have taken pictures of the lovely shops, the authentic Irish pub we chose to dine at, the elegant concert hall, or some of my favorite people that were seated beside me in the uppermost top/back row of the hall.


Rather.

All I have are these two shots of a most intriguing example of architecture. Any takers on what this is about?

a valentine's fort

Call me crazy, but I'm gonna make a Valentine's Fort.

I wonder if I could get Hubby to crawl inside? If I lure him with food, yes.

This idea would be wonderful & memorable for little kiddies. Hot chocolate with conversation hearts, a few seasonal library books, and a paper craft! (Can you tell that I am yearny for when my kids were little?)

What happens on Valentine's Day at your house?

a switch of plans

My little road trip got postponed today, which leaves me cobbling together a different plan for the day.

Not to worry. I have a wood stove, cozy chair, and the most amazing book:

Instead of toting warm blueberry-struesel muffins to Rochester, I shall consume them at home:

A little keyboard-action would be a good thing, now that the semester is in full-swing:

And my therapy-craft-of-the-week could be wrapped up. I need to somehow affix this bird to his perch. Somewhere in my craft box is a tuft of moss, which would be a woodsy addition to this whim of mine:

A lovely pre-storm day to everyone!