Morning Glory Studio

moments...

 

“But on paper, things can live forever.
On paper, a butterfly
never dies.”
― Jacqueline Woodson, Brown Girl Dreaming

 

                    On Monday, adjacent to my parking space was a small garden, teeming with bees and butterflies, busily gathering nectar and doing what ever else  they do. I took a few minutes to capture the butterfly - so seldom have I seen any this summer.

Maybe because I wasn't looking?!

I think perhaps t'was a sign to stop and take time to just be...

Cheers~

ten on tuesday | welcome home! ...

 

 

The only thing - at least in my book - that beats the excitement of going away on vacation is coming home! And that is the subject of this week's Ten on Tuesday prompt from Carole: Share our top ten faves for arriving  home; here are mine:

1. Sleeping in my bed. Gets the #1 spot everytime...
2. Feasting my eyes on familiar surroundings ...
3. Greeting and being greeted by loved ones ...
4. Taking a hot shower ... and
5. Donning my fave at-home loungewear, AKA nightgown or PJs ...
6. Catching up on the news of family, friends, neighbors, etc...
7. Sorting the mail - which is usually 99% junk...
8. Sharing with Norman (and in the next couple days, family and friends) details of my time away...
9. Resuming daily routines and rhythms, especially MSQT (morning solitude & quiet time), even tho' I continue the practice when I'm away from home, it's just not quite the same...
10. Being here! As Dorothy said: "There's no place like home! "

 

 

Thanks to Carole for another fun and, as summer draws to an end, fitting Ten on Tuesday prompt...and hop on over here for hers and other's top ten! What's one of  yours?

 Cheers~

watercolor wednesday | in appreciation...

(selfie portrait of me admiring the geraniums on the deck)

 

        For the past couple days we've had a delicious break in the weather! So.very.much. appreciated. It has been a treat :

• to turn off the A/C;
• open the doors to the deck;
• breathe in cool air;
• take a walk without perspiring to beat the band;
• to just enjoy and appreciate.

Today is no different and in honor of Mother Nature's goodness, I am going for a coffee break at my fave spot on the Avenue this afternoon. I hope the weather in your part of the world is delicious, too!

Cheers~

back to school...

            Today was "back to school" for our girl Kayla, now a high school sophomore.  At 15 3/4 years old, she is now quite the young lady.  As her mom texted: "Back to reality, back to school! Our baby is no longer a baby!"

It seems like just yesterday Kayla was a bright eyed little girl on her first day of pre-K. No longer! For the past 11 years, I've greeted Kayla on the first day of school. This year, t'was the exception. She, in her wisdom, concluded that back-to-school as a sophomore woudn't be quite the same as in previous years: just (hundreds of)  kids gathering, milling around, reconnecting...

Yep, her mom and I got the picture...just as my mom got it when I, a kindergartner, two months shy of my 5th birthday, announced to her on my third day of school: "It's OK Lilly (that's what I called her); I'm a big girl now. I can walk by myself to school." My mother said her heart sank and yet, she had to let me go... (I suspect she may've discreetly followed at a distance).

I think I know how my mom  felt. 

I do plan to "be there" when Kayla moves into college ... and aren't those shoes too cool?! Not quite one's sensible, sturdy oxfords.

 

Cheers~

(U)FO Friday...

 

(a Baltimore Album quilt block in process)

        It has been a while since I've updated/shared any progress on my quilting/stitching projects. Today seems like a good day to do so as I sit here, waiting for the washing machine to finish the next to last load...

First, Baltimore Album:

A year ago this month I shared that I was starting a Baltimore Album Quilt, taking a class... I have, to date, six blocks (of a potential nine completed ) or they are at least in an almost done state: needs a berry here, a bird there, etc.

The above block has given me all sorts of fits and starts and I'm just not happy with the implementation, thus far, of my ideas. Initially, I'd planned to use ruched flowers in the centers of the red flowers  - now, I think I'd rather use gathered flowers in the center, as illustrated by the yellow flower above; both techniques are traditionally associated with a  Baltimore Album quilt block. And then I thought I'd applique´my focus fabric on top of the Y-shaped green  - the calyx - using the technique Broderie perse ...I  have tried  and  I  think my problem is the applique´is too small to get the desired effect and/or I need a different block design. I'm also trying to decide which piece of fabric - the gold-red or the peach I like best. Bottom line: I think it's back to the drawing board with this block....

On to the Flower Garden:

I was on a roll with the Flower Garden... I could see a bit of daylight. I taped all  24 blocks and 2 side borders on the wall and took a picture... immediately, I noted an OOPS...two of the blocks really jumped out - yep, those two purple ones.

Most the blocks in this quilt are on a lightly colored yellow background. Two each are also on a green, blue or  pink background...  I'd decided to do that when I first started the quilt and separated from the others, no problem. Doesn't work when they are together, tho'. So, I have two blocks to redo...I am either going to applique´the designs from the old blocks onto  the yellow background or start from scratch. I could always use the existing blocks  as small  wall hangings or pillows. Still thinking...

And thus the tale of the two major quilt  projects - still very much in process ....

What do you do  - besides stomp your feet - when you run into roadblocks on a project?

Enjoy your weekend!

Cheers~

summer magic ...

 

Thursday 11 August 2016 ~ 11:15 am

        A hot summer day. We arrived 15 minutes early, before the Textile Museum opened. Luckily, a park bench in a shady spot in front provided a place to sit, relax and be relatively cool. Looking at the scene across the street, I wondered:  What magical stories might I find on the other side, through the passage way? 

 

 

inch by inch...

           Yesterday - I went to IKEA. Once home, I relaxed : watched the news; bits and pieces of Hedy Lamar films on TCM; the Olympics...and knitted.  T'was a peaceful, non-demanding way to end  a very.hot. day. Today, hotter yet... a quilting friend and I are going to the exhibit at the Textile Museum, that I wrote about here. Sadly, for this trip, Mother Nature isn't sharing another wonderfully cool day - at least not in these parts but revisiting the exhibit is worth it. And the museum is air-conditioned...

Looking forward to revisiting the exhibit with a new set of eyes.What's on your menu for the day?

 Cheers~

ten on tuesday | h is for ...

 

 (source: American Heritage Dictionary. 2nd college edition. Houghton Mifflin, c.1982)

        Today's Ten on Tuesday prompt is a fun and clever one: list 10 words that describe you... and here is the wrinkle: each word must begin with the first letter of your name ---so, here goes: H (as in Honore´) is for:

1.  happy: generally, I am quite happy...at least I think so. Sometimes I am annoyed with nonsense and I'll express my thoughts/opinions but I don't consider myself negative...
2. healthy: other than my " [growing] older feelings, my health is good...just an occasional creaky knee joint, especially noticed when the humidity is high...
3. handwriting: mine has improved over the years, especially since I was in grade 4 and got a C in handwriting...my first ever. I was crushed...we were learning cursive and I just didn't bother to practice. That "C" got my attention...
4. hair: mine gets grayer and grayer every day. When I was younger, I wanted to gray prematurely...I looked at my parents and decided, nah, that wasn't going to happen 'cause neither of them grayed prematurely...
5. habits: some that I have are cool with me and others - like procrastination - I could definitely do without!
6. home-body: I much prefer my own bed than those in hotels - tho' there are some perks one gets being a guest that I certainly don't get at home...like bedroom cleaned everyday...
7. heights, fear of: not a fan of bridges, elevators on the outside of buildings; mountain/rock-climbing, zip-lining...and nope, have never tried and never intend to...
8. handed, as in right...except when I broke it three years ago and had to adapt...not fun nor easy...
9. hard-boiled I am not tho' I do like hard-boiled eggs...
10. hopeful...I am most days tho' some do test my resolve to keep the faith...

Thanks Carole for challenging and  stretching our creativity.  You can read more here. What 10 words describe you?

Cheers~

all colors of threads...

 

        This was one of the photos representing my Colorful Summer  2016...painted in Waterlogue, of course!

T'is a cooler day and I'm off to stitch the binding on the Double Wedding Ring quilt - hooray! We're almost done with our project...and it is looking quite swell. Happiness! I will share photos soon...

Enjoy your day. I  hope it's as colorful, at least, as the photo above.

Cheers~

"summering" 2016...

        (Watson, my god-doggie, summering on the lake)

 

            And so, Carole wants to know for this week's Ten on Tuesday prompt: How we are doing with our Summer 2016 Bucket list? Since I never quite got around to sharing mine on June 14 of this year, that's an easy question for me to answer: Just swimmingly! 

All joking aside, my 2016 summer bucket list has been very comme ci comme ça  (like this, like that). And I am loving every - well, nearly - minute. For the record, I didn't really publish a list - but I  do have a list of activities that I have been focusing on this summer; they can sort of be classified as more :

• reading: one goal I have is to read at least one fiction title a month; my report: on target! ...
• journaling : I  journal every day but I am focusing on expanding my journaling  - in what I write as well as what I write  in...
• knitting :  for two years and counting, I've had on the needles  a poncho. It is Stst  (straight stockinette) and more than anything, called for a little attention. I heard and have made more progress this summer than in  all the  days before ...
• stitching on specific quilt projects:  Both the Flower Garden and Baltimore Album quilts are indeed a "work in progress." And with each stitch I make, I can honestly say I see a quilt being realized (NTS: share photos later this week!) ...
• connecting with friends, including spending more time  with those who are close by ...
• being out in the nature ( as described by  bébé Chris' mother when she was about 5 years old) more, weather permitting...
• tackling some around the house projects, e.g., washing kitchen cabinets (still to be tackled). I'd thought about enlisting Kayla's assistance - she's 15.6 , a good little worker and I thought, this would be a great way to earn a bit of spending change. Foolish me: she's been busy, busy  summering with friends at Virginia Beach, attending  her grandfather's family reunion, etc...and soon, school resumes...
• enjoying short bursts of creativity via online activities; in July: Colorful Summer - a photographic journey. This month: 31 Art Journal prompts on Creativebug..looks like fun...
• contemplating a day trip to the beach and thinking: wait until the summer throngs are gone...too many folk either trying to get there and/or are there...

And that's a brief rundown of my 2016 summer bucket list. Where are you with yours? For more ideas, check out Ten on Tuesday here!

Cheers~