just one? not a chance...

1)

contemplating, today, the irony of these lists of 'flickr favorites' and 'etsy favorites' for a person who is in no way, shape, or form a 'favorites' type of person... never have been, and most likely never will be. inevitably, i will inwardly cringe when someone asks me what my favorite movie, book, music, show, etc., etc., etc. is. (sorry if i occasionally let a sigh or eye roll slip when these questions are asked). as someone who is not really a definitive decision maker, asking me to pick out the very, very best of all possible choices? not gonna happen ;) (seeing the top five favorite lists the etsy featured sellers must complete makes me a little panicky in itself! i know i would be unable to complete this task, and therefore would be fired from being an etsy featured seller before it was ever put in print)

now, i know those things which fill me with joy, make me smile, make me cringe (see above!), make me inhale a wonderfully deep breath that forces me to stop and feel each heartbeat, make my stubborn temper finally burst open and cause my head to explode. but, i can not and will not narrow each down to only one. perfectly happy to make a decision in the now... it just may change a bit tomorrow. so, i believe this may be exactly why i do go about creating these lists. never do i have to pick out ten favorite favorites of all time, lock them up, and throw out the key. instead, anything that makes my heart sing, brings tears down my cheek, forces a loud bahahahahaha (that was for you cary) out of my mouth, will always have a place on these ever changing and rotating lists.

today, i will share some of these flickr lovelies, each depicting a few of the many things in life that fill me with happiness ;)

(links to all of these flickr images can be found on the bottom of the post)

2)

endless, somersaulting, bigger than life imagination

3)

needle and thread in fingers... stitching together a story, an emotion, a fantasy

(well, i suppose this was an obvious one)

4)

juicy, sour lemons... sneaking away as a child to eat them after my mom told me my teeth were sure to fall out if i did (they didn't)

5)

breakfast, anytime of day, the bigger the better

6)

flying within my dreams

7)

warm sun closing a day of new memories

8)

the birth of new life, and hope, for a species so endangered

1. Jumping Someone Else's Train., 2. Prepare thyself summer!, 3. jour trente-quatre (thread & needle), 4. 37/365, 5. Breakfast with strawberry jams, 6. Leap of Faith 139/365, 7. heart flare, 8. Baby Ndakasi

happy monday

saturday shopping list - february 6th

"a light wind swept over the corn, and all nature laughed in the sunshine." ~ anne bronte

umbrella, by lesliethomson

macaron rose, by maisondelucille

girl in the yellow suit, by kikiandpolly

yellow flower paperweight, from hausproud

mountain flowers photograph, by squidart

sugared lemon, by eclu

vintage linen robin wall hanging or runner, from ethanollie

1893 cirl bunting - morris ornithology bird print, from slinkymalinkicat

hard candy, by prettythingsbymeg

illustrated german biology chart internal organ, from hellovictory

after a few gloomy days here in georgia (and many, MANY, rainy days over the past several months), i am feeling in need of a bit of sunshine. so, why not infuse a bit into today's shopping list. and, whether displayed on your body or in your home, each lovely is sure to bring a little glow into anyone's life

**as always you can check out fancypicnic for links to all the saturday shopping lists

happy weekend!

'arbol del amor (tree of love)'...

new fiber/textile mixed media piece... 'arbol del amor (tree of love)'

i happened upon this name, a nickname the spanish gave to the european redbud for its edible pink flowers and heart shaped leaves... also commonly referred to as the judas tree, believed to be the tree judas hanged himself from after betraying Christ (although the bible says it was a fig tree). an interesting combination... love in different forms

i've intricately hand embroidered the tree trunk, with vintage cotton thread, and stitched the antique embroidered doily onto this striped linen/cotton

looks lovely hanging together, or with the larger piece propped or hanging, while the smaller piece rests lying below... or in any way your imagination leads you

two pieces of the whole... finding one another to connect the 'arbol del amor', the tree of love

inspiration on a thursday...

above images by photographer anja frers

traveling the web with my fingers and eyes, on this rainy georgia thursday... admiring these images of beauty from talents in photography and art

such inspiring works stimulate my own brain, shooting sparks down my arms and into my hands... encouraging my fingers to create

above images by artist david graeme baker

love how the above images of the women lying down, although in different mediums, echo one another... baker's paintings capture a snapshot of time, realistic with dreamlike qualities... the same can be said of frers' photography

above images by photographer rodney smith

and no one can create scenes of elegance like photographer rodney smith... each photograph carries you twisting away from reality and into a daydream

february...

welcome to february...

light caressing, tempting with warmth...

gaining strength, washing over the fog of the mind, pulling you from an almost remembered dream...

calling forth the sounds, the smells, the dripping color...

holding on longer, bringing new minutes to each day...

sending me into another year... this month of my birth

1. light, 2. Daydream - 18/52, 3. Strength , 4. doppelganger, 5. january1010_1, 6. new little blue bird..., 7. DSC_2327, 8. lovely images to work with, 9. blueberries, 10. in february

happy february

speckled egg nest...

'speckled egg nest' ~ needle felted/mixed media fiber art, now listed in the shop

originally designed and needle felted, using llama's and wool/mohair roving. bits of cotton lace and fabric intertwined around the branches and stitched into place. three wee speckled eggs tucked away inside... patiently awaiting a spring arrival

oh you beautiful, beautiful season...

from my flickr

sunday thoughts... toes in salt water, warm breeze on my cheek, fingers grasping for sand, watering flowers just opening to morning's light, bright blue skies, naps under the tree's shade, skirt flowing around bare legs...

my sister spotted the first forsythia in bloom, yesterday, here in georgia... mmm, spring is finally within reach... more than just a winter's dream

saturday shopping list - january 30th

a little love for your body, a little love for your home...

romantic, old world simplicity... could use a bit of this in my life ;)

trying to bring home less, only those things i truly love and appreciate. gifts of worlds past, with a history they can whisper, or created new by individual caring hands and beautifully creative minds

1 ~ evangeline nuno felted silk flower hairband, by glamourjunkie

2 ~ vintage rose floral picture, from twoartdirectors

3 ~ porcelain lace wall hanging, by forestclearing

4 ~ maximum fringe necklace, by iheartnorwedianwood

5 ~ blushing in pink, by ouma

6 ~ my lady a vintage wood silhouette, from oldcrowfarm

7 ~ antique journal turn of the century, from desertnana

8 ~ maiden floral vine crown, by whichgoose

9 ~ nightie night, from veravague

10 ~ sitting hen, from beautifulliving

as always, you can visit fancypicnic for links to all the saturday shopping lists

*** new facebook fan page ;)

i won, i won, i really won!

via staceywinters

how excited i was to awake to an email from stacey winters, letting me know that i had won her bluebird giveaway, for this book and a print! i won, i won, i really won! now, i've always been really good at winning little things here and there that i have absolutely no use for... cans of soda, baseball hats at raffles, soccer bags (you get the idea... random objects that eventually are given away), but this, THIS, i really love, and will use, and will read, and will admire!

a big congratulations to stacey. this is her blue bird photograph, gracing the cover of ariel gore's new book, 'bluebird: women and the new psychology of happiness' (which just hit shelves, and is getting great reviews)

deer whisper print, by staceywinters

freckle in fall limited edition print, by staceywinters

you can see stacey's beautiful daily photo journal here, and purchase her lovely work here

this has put me in the mood for a giveaway of my own... look for one this next month!

a handmade and vintage season...

sharing, today, some of the gifts i received over the christmas holiday, all of the handmade and vintage variety (my very favorite kind of treasure)...

as someone with perpetually freezing feet, not wearing shoes in my house can make for some very painfully cold days during the winter (and spring and fall)... my niece and nephew gifted me these absolutely, delightfully, toasty warm (and very cute) felted woolen anklet slippers (by pawfelts) , which can be found on my feet every single moment i am in my house! and, finally, my feet are deliciously warm! i had long admired my sister's pair, and was thrilled to receive a pair of my own

and, what fun to have a mom with an etsy store (imsovintage) filled with vintage goodies! i'm always adding items from her store to my etsy favorites list. so, when i unwrap my presents from her, i'm sure to find one of these delightful treasures

i've been in need of a little sewing basket to keep my odds and ends in, which i can also leave out all the time... this gorgeous chinese sewing basket met that need! looks wonderful displayed on my coffee table, and in perfect reach whenever i need a needle and thread! and to make it even more exciting, it was filled with vintage sewing supplies

(look at this treasure she has for sale now)

oh, how i admired this gorgeous necklace from june shin, when visiting a local show here in atlanta with my sister and my sister's mother-in-law... and, somehow, cary managed to snatch it up, sneak away, and purchase it for my christmas gift without my ever realizing she had left my side... very sneaky indeed

pairs perfectly with outfits from casual to dressy... my new favorite piece!

another lovely vintage piece from my mom... i can never have enough vases... for dried and fresh flowers all over the house

these beautiful vintage wall plaques, each with a different scene, lend such a touch of romance and paris chic to the room

as we near the close of this first month, wishing everyone a wonderful start to this new year and decade