The Cutest Craft Project for Mother's Day

I didn't have much time to write today, but I seen this project on FB and had to share it with my readers.  I sited the person who posted it in the case you want to see what other treasures they have.  It is an absolutely adorable idea for a Mother's Day gift.  You could make it for yourself and make one for your mother (grandma.)  What a precious memory for her!

 

1/2 c salt
1/2 c flour
1/4 c water ( give or take )
... mix together, roll, press adults hand in first, then childs hand :)
bake @ 100 degrees for 3 hours

Paint desired colors.
 https://www.facebook.com/#!/ctrysidecottage

https://www.facebook.com/#!/whitneyjayden

Aromatherapy Thursday - Lilac

You can get Lilac Fragrance Oil from Etsy Shop Indigo Fragrance at http://www.etsy.com/shop/IndigoFragrance?ref=seller_info

I Grew up in the Midwest where lilacs were abundant and splashes of purple would decorate the country landscape, taking it for granted that everyone had one in their yard. The fragrance of the blossoms was so sweet and if we didn't get a hard freeze it would be heavy on the air in the spring time.  They are a short blooming shrub but maintained a nice foliage throughout the summer months so they were well worth having and very popular.  Unfortunately for me they only grow in zones 3 -7 so I haven't been able to enjoy that sweet scent for over 4 years.

As I mentioned in other posts, my grandmother Lily had a green thumb.  She had so many wonderful signature plants that many of my memories with her has a flower or herb attached to it.  She always had giant trumpet lilies, fragrant pink peonies, four-o-clocks and one of my favorites, her Lilacs.  She was not very well-off financially but she was very thrifty and appreciated the things she had and labored hard to make sure those things precious to her lasted.  She loved plants and the lilacs she had (along with the lilies and peonies) were heirloom.  My great-grandmother gave her those plants which came from her heirloom collection so the lilacs that decorated my grandmother's yard were over 100  years old.

I am  not a winter person at all and would probably drive my grandmother nuts way before April with my cabin fever.  I hated waiting for the outdoors to come back alive.  On some of my restless days she would take me through the yard showing me the signs of rebirth everywhere.  The lilacs were one that I distinctly remember because the buds looked like tiny little grape clusters.  I noticed how if I would pick one and smash it a little the tiny petals would open slightly and they smelled almost lemony.  Even after she passed away I survived my cabin fever anxiously waiting for the those tiny purple nubs to pop from her lilac bush letting me know that I had almost made it through another year's dark winter days.

When my grandfather passed, many years later, the land was passed down and I took joy in nurturing my grandmother's plants and adding many more.  Often I would stand back, look at my gardens, and hope that she would be able to see how the land she loved was well taken care of.  But at one point I thought my grandmother's lilac bush was going to finally die after all those generations.  It was the largest of the group but was starting to look too sick to keep, its branches were stiff and gnarled with barely any leaves.  We had been renovating the land and decided to cut it down and smooth out the hill to make room for a larger cottage garden.  The area was beautiful and bright but in my heart I knew that I had lost a great heirloom and something very dear to me. 

After a few months I noticed a little green stem poking out of the ground where the original bush had been.  Amazingly the small amount of roots left behind came back to life.  Over the next few years the bush grew back, slightly smaller but healthy and full of its original glory.  Although I have since moved it is reportedly still growing and standing proud, just like the memories of my grandmother it will never die. 

This beautiful painting was found in ETSY shop Studio Laura at
 http://www.etsy.com/shop/studiolara316?ref=seller_info

Another unfortunate thing about lilacs is that I do not know of any true Lilac Essential Oil.  They have very good fragrance oil but none I have seen are truly essential.  If they do it would have to be made differently than others since the distilling process makes the oil smell rancid.  I have always relied on the synthetic but find the results to be very satisfying.

Aromatherapy is much more scientific than my personal studies give it credence but personally I believe that some of the effects of certain aromas have more to do with the scent memories than actual properties.  For me I feel more up lifted and rejuvenated after I burn a lilac scented candle or tart.  I think that it tells my brain "you made it winter is over."  So, due to my budget, I will have to stick with the in expensive oils.

If you are able to acquire a natural product or use the actual fresh flowers themselves; lilac boasts of the ability to sooth and calm nerves giving you a better balance emotionally.  It is sedative and lessens anxiety so overall its main properties are soothing and calming.

Although it is not commonly used in true aromatherapy I believe that this beautiful flower is worth adding to the list since it has such a delicate and rich aroma that packs a powerful emotional punch.

The Muppets Are Back In Town! ~All is well

Growing up in the 70's and 80's was an amazing time.  I was smack dab in the middle of many significant changes in history and culture.  I was around to see a boom time, one that many of us would look back on with nostalgia and longing.  The collapse of the Berlin wall, the end of the cold war, the country's financial stability and more important the world was introduced to the Muppets. 

While many of us long for the security we felt when the country was thriving financially and politically we can't go back in time or resurrect the past.  But what we can do is watch reruns and make sequels.  Maybe that is why I am so gravitated to these cute little puppets.  Not only do they bring cute antics and fun entertainment but they carry with them a memory of better times, comforting me and letting me know that yes they are still here.  Kermit hasn't forgotten me and look he brought Miss Piggy...

This amazing handfelted art was created and found in ETSY shop Woolington Lane at http://www.etsy.com/shop/WoolingtonLane?ref=seller_info

...OR maybe it is 2:30 am and I really need to look at getting more sleep at night.  I am not sure which it is but what I do know is that Muppets were great and it is nice to see an old familiar face.

I Dream Of Macy's Christmas Windows

We often hear about family traditions and I certainly talk a lot about them, but I have realized that over the years I have developed several of my own personal traditions.  I am sure many of us have those things that we just have to do every year or so and they are often called habits or something else but most are really traditions.  I love my traditions and have been faithfully celebrating and finding these every year on my own.

I've been married before and, of coursed, lived with my parents when I was growing up; I never thought much about how they would say I was boring for wanting to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.  Not a soul in my network thought it would be fun to watch It's A Wonderful Life for the 50th time but I faithfully watched my old movies every year, even as a kid.  I didn't even think much about how people would dismiss my desire to see the Macy's Christmas windows and they were disgusted to even think of going into the city just to see the lights.  But I still, to this day, watch old Christmas movies right after Thanksgiving and I still love the parade and I dreamt every year of going to see, first hand, the Macy's windows; that is until a few years ago. 

My first holiday with my husband, Terry, started with some challenges; I had just moved across the country and had mixed emotions about the coming Christmas season.  I missed my children and it since we just moved couldn't fly back to see them.  It was also a huge cultural adjustment.  The differences were more than I had expected since we were still in the US and I hadn't moved to a new country for Pete's sake. While I was a little sad in the beginning I soon discovered something truly amazing about us as a couple.

I hadn't shared with Terry my little traditions because over the years you just become so used to friends and family thinking they are strange or hokey you stop mentioning them.  As I made plans for Thanksgiving that year he mentioned watching the parade, what!?   I almost thought I didn't hear him right.  We started talking about how everyone always thought we were silly for watching the parade ever year and how we remained steadfast despite having to watch it by ourselves.  For the first time Terry and I watched the Macy's parade with someone willing and excited to join us in our personal traditions.

'Holiday traditions...Here Comes Santa Clause' by postcardsintheattic

The Macy's Parade and Christmas windows are a huge part of my holiday traditions.

Santa Claus And His Elf... valsphotoart $30.00	Santa balloon at Macy&#... RobertPLangdon... $3.50	Even More MACY's TH... KreativeStiles $20.00	2.25" Magnets-Macy... rogueradish $16.00
Chicago Holiday Scene C... ArtdeJoie $2.95	Macy's Day Parade- ... JRoseArt $6.00	Fine Art Photography - ... MarcysPlaygrou... $15.00	Vintage Marshall Fields... mammothcurios $400.00
Fine Art Print Reproduc... GwenMeyerson $18.00	Original 1935 New York ... ryder $16.00	Vintage Gold Key Comics... CharmingPony $2.50	Santa Animal Parade wit... LoriCrossStitc... $200.00
Polymer Llamas Waiting ... Llamatique $30.00	Wall Art. Winter Parade... cagneyandfrien... $11.20	Spray Gun & Tin Man Col... moregood $4.00	Believe- Christmas in N... MelissaLoraine $8.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

H2 style="FONT-FAMILY: sans-serif; MARGIN-LEFT: 10px; FONT-SIZE: 16px">'Holiday Traditions...Christmas classics' by postcardsintheattic

My favorite classic Christmas movies

White Christmas Recycle... Momsmedia $8.00	Vintage Movie Poster - ... VintageCanadia... $99.99	Magnet- Miracle on 34th... CrossEyedCatGi... $3.50	Miracle Ornament ThreeDegrees $4.00
Chevy Chase National La... DonnasCraftsnC... $3.99	Is Rusty Still in the N... omghidanielle $1.00	George Lassos the Moon ... teaessare $15.00	Scrabble Tile Pendant ... ziggles $5.95
How the Grinch Stole Ch... BubbleRoll $14.99	Grinch Steals the Chris... createhumankin... $24.00	1958 Rudolph The Red No... TheIDconnectio... $15.00	Christmas Classic "... anamgifts $16.50
Vintage A Charlie Brown... ALLTHINGSSNOOP... $7.50	Charlie Brown Christmas... noteableart $15.00	The A Christmas Story M... nukes $1.00	A Christmas Story VHS t... sallysSerendip... $5.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

During that first year I found that we both love It's A Wonderful Life, Miracle On 34th Street, and National Lampoon's Christmas; we watch them every year at least once.  Every year we decorate our tree and home the day after Thanksgiving and take it down the day after New Years.  And best of all my dream to see the Macy's Christmas Windows did not seem silly to him at all.  The very next Christmas he took me to Chicago to see their Macy's windows, until then I thought it was only done in New York City. 

My personal traditions have been so important to me that I didn't give them up even if I had to do them by myself and even face a little teasing. My traditions help me get into the Christmas spirit and simply made me feel good. But now these traditions are so much more important to me because they are no longer just my personal ones but they are true family traditions.

Happy Holidays

This years Macy's Windows

I am back and now a Mother Inlaw!

In 1991 I gave birth to a large healthy beautiful baby boy.  From that moment my life was changed... there is nothing like the bond between a mother and son.  The time I spent with my son as he grew up was an amazing adventure; he was my sports star, my artist, and my friend. 

Two weekends ago my son married his sweetheart and again my life has changed.  Now I am not only the proud mother of a wonderful son but also a wonderful daughter.  Change is bittersweet, it is hard to see your children grow up and become independent but with that comes new adventures and memorable moments. 

Their wedding was the first of many beautiful memories to come.  I loved her choice of colors and flowers; my daughter inlaw and her mother did a beautiful job designing her wedding. Sweet little navy colored butterflies everywhere and bouquets of dark blue columbine, lovely light blue hydrangea along with white roses for beautiful nontraditional autumn colors decorate an elegant little reception hall.  (Not that I am partial to butterflies or anything.)

I have been blessed with mature successful children and now I have the opportunity to welcome a new member to our family.  I can see that she makes my son happy, she has dreams and visions of their life together and my heart felt prayer is that they are able to reach all of those and more. 

Interview with Fresh Retro Gallery ~ Simply Beautiful

A wonderful interview with Liz Knaus, a talented artist with a great eye for antiques and vintage decor.  I fell in love with her shop and would love to decorate my home with her lovely pieces.  I am especially in love with the train pictured below, but that is not my only favorite.  These two items were childhood favorites of mine; it is so fun to find these treasured memories in her shop.


http://www.etsy.com/listing/65957569/250-miniature-playing-cards-great-for



http://www.etsy.com/listing/76909170/fisher-price-pull-toy-bob-along-bear-no




http://www.etsy.com/shop/freshretrogallery


Tell me a bit about yourself……
I'm a wife, mother, sister and professional graphic designer. I utilize and decorate with art, antiques and "found objects" in my home. I have a shop at http://www.FreshRetroGallery.etsy.com where I sell vintage finds (with descriptive gift ideas), original family tree charts, religious postcards, paintings, illustrations and ceramic art.

Apart from creating, what do you do?
Church and Bible study class at Faith Lutheran (LCMS) in Abilene, KS are an excellent start and boost to my week. I enjoy time with family and friends. I belong to a book club and a womens group which each meet once a month. I try to read a devotion daily. I feel best when I push myself to go for walk/runs, use my Nordic stepper or swim laps. I serve on vocational department advisory committees at Solomon High School and Salina Area Technical College.
What first made you want to create?
I grew up near a lake on a farm in Minnesota where I discovered a love for nature and the desire to explore/draw/create. Being a daughter of creative and ambitious parents sparked the fascination. I watched my father build things such as a tall and complex seed cleaning business, a big snow blower and mechanical Purple Martin houses that could be raised and lowered with the flip of a switch. He could juggle things figuratively and literally, apples and oranges!

Mom, not wanting to waste anything, gave me the blank white cover stock from her pantyhose packages and the backs of empty check books to draw on. Always supplied with paper, crayons, colored pencils, watercolors and markers, I was encouraged to doodle and "make" birthday cards for my siblings and friends. I once drew a horse from memory when I was very young. My grandma lovingly taught me that the back end of the body where it connected to the hind legs is actually a smooth, curved transition rather than a big circular lump as I had sketched. It was then that I realized that to illustrate realistically, I must pay close attention to shapes and found joy in making something new on something blank.

As soon as I was old enough to read and understand them, my mother encouraged me to sew by following the illustrations and directions on guide sheets. I loved playing "fashion designer" choosing fabrics, notions and styles; altering and tailoring things to fit perfectly. 4-H was a great organization which fostered and rewarded these creative skills as well as educated me to keep track of time and expenses. I took every art class possible in high school and studied at Alexandria Technical College which lead me to a career in graphic design where I keep learning new things all the time. I've taken on the challenge of a couple architectural design projects.

Describe your creative process...
Experiences, life, environment, spirituality and music all offer inspiration. The details of nature influence thoughts about subject, color and texture. Ceramics, jewelry design and woodworking are art education classes I've enjoyed as an adult. Visits to museums, galleries, theatres and concerts are motivational forms of entertainment. My children inspire me. My husband has a great eye for vintage items which enhances my connecting antiques to art. The popular combination of art and antiques in print media has influenced my style. Creativity allows me to fulfill space that otherwise would remain void in my mind and in reality when I push myself to carry out ideas.

What handmade possession do you cherish most?
My father carved a plaque out of wood. It is an intricate 3D antique nautical ship on a graphic striped background within a scalloped circular shape over a rectangular shaped base.

What one piece of information would you like to know from experienced etsy sellers?
The secret of Google's PageRank algorithm.

How are you promoting your work?
I write detailed descriptions to aid shoppers searching. I offer my family tree charts in a local antique shop and through a dealer who supplies a gift shop and sets up at flea markets. I include a FreshRetroGallery.etsy.com gift tag when shipping orders. When a treasury I'm featured in strikes me as extra unique and wonderful, I post the link on facebook. When I first started up, I emailed friends to let them know. I bring it up in casual conversation and mention my web address when I send out Christmas cards.

Where do you want to be in ten years?
Creating more art (especially mixed media) and taking inspiration breaks by traveling.

Memories Of My Country Home

Don't forget to check out my post ~ Flutterby Connection's interview and a chance to WIN 
2 personalized ornaments! Go to http://butterflyintheattic.blogspot.com/2011/08/flutterby-connections-give-away.html


Growing up in the country was a very special experience for me.  I am by no means a country girl; I love the city which I chose to live in now.   But with that being said I am a bit torn and my heart longs for simpler time. A time when a dandelion was magical...

This lovely print was found on ETSY shop TML Creations at
http://www.etsy.com/shop/tmlCREATIONS?ref=seller_info

and time when a hay bail could be a jungle gym...

This wonderful photograph was found in  ETSY shop Little Bird Treasures at
http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleBirdTreasures?ref=seller_info

I have such beautiful romantic memories of long walks in the hot summer afternoons waiting for the cherished breeze to come by and cool me.  I would play long hours in our creek that was full of high weeds and as I waded through the icy cold water and looked up I could pretend that I was in a different land.  Light filtered through the tall grass overhead, it looked hazy and hot but in my little world of frogs and tad poles it was cool.

This sweet photograph was found on ETSY shop McClark 23118 at http://www.etsy.com/shop/mclark23118?ref=seller_info

When the blackberries were ripe each day I would take an old ice cream bucket up to the woods and try to fill it full.  I never ate them as I picked because I knew that there were many treats to be made.  My Grandmother Lily was a country girl; she worked very hard to stay on the land that she loved.  While she allowed me to indulge in such whimsy, she herself worked endlessly harvesting and reaping what her acres of land provided. 

This wonderful oil painting was found on ETSY shop Word Weaver Art At
http://www.etsy.com/people/WordWeaverArt?ref=ls_profile

My grandmother would spend tireless hours in her wondrous gardens hand tilling, sewing and tending to them lovingly.  She had an amazing green thumb that was the envy of all who knew her.  There was corn so tall and straight bearing plump lush cobs of corn, bright orange carrots, and beautiful purple beets.  I think that I learned to love vegetables simply from seeing their pretty plants and spectacular colors as she pulled them from ground and plucked them from the vine.

The gardens that my grandmother started and I continued until 5 years ago...My country home.

The yard was filled with gardens each flower lovingly cared for by my grandmother.  She didn't have a lot of money but she was resourceful.  What she couldn't buy she would make; master seamstress, needleworker, crafter, gardener, chef, baker, pianist...and the list could go on endlessly.  My beautiful Grandma Lily passed when I was just 7 years old.  But in those seven years that I had with her she taught me more about life and the gifts God gave me than any teacher of any school I attended.  She taught me to never take for granted anything given to you, to always look around you and to appreciate life, to see the beauty in everything and everyone, and that all things have a purpose. 

This beautiful photograph was found on ETSY shop First Light Photo at
http://www.etsy.com/shop/firstlightphoto?ref=seller_info

So while I truly enjoy all of the conveniences and excitement that surrounds me in my city a little part of my heart sill always belong to my country home.  Today is a day where I am truly missing my grandmother.  I miss the times she would tell me stories about the plants and insects in the garden while she tended her plants.  And I miss the long walks through the acres of hills and meadows where I grew up.