2017 August
Short & Sweet & Silver Spoons...
8/29/2017
It is ready to go!
Yard sale finished... house is staged.... phone calls being answered! Florida Real Estate is a little different than in Kentucky.
I'm receiving and fielding the calls on the house since both the kids work full time. My mouth dropped open when I got a call last night with a large cash offer, sight unseen, and solely based on our online photos. HMMMM... would you trust that, or not? From all that I'm hearing, it seems to be the normal for that area but not trusting this one!
Here's hoping for a fast sale and that we are blessed to find something as we head to South Carolina this weekend!
Just a few final pictures as the house is staged and ready to go
It's amazing to look around this house and realize how much of the design and work the kids did themselves.
The concrete counter tops, the table, the built in bench in the breakfast nook, the porch swing, the headboard and bed. Lots of heart and soul poured into this place.
Definitely his mothers son.... fix it up and move on to something else.
I'm sorry, Brent and Natalie!!
Definitely looking good!
I'm back home and in the studio again.
I'm finishing up some custom orders with lots of pillows to work on and final details on several of pieces.
Have you checked out my Basic Pillow pattern online?
It definitely makes pillow making easy!
Just a little work being done on the exterior at home.
After I took the shutters off I noticed a large crack at the corner of the house. I immediately called my builder - not the one that built this house- and asked him to check it out.
After inspecting the attic and taking bricks off the corner of the house he determined that it's not structural, just the way the brick was laid. THANK GOODNESS!!
Repair work has been done and all is good! Just a little hiccup in the day!!
Thanks Terry and Lee... great work as usual!
Don't these look like fun fabrics to work with?
I'm using these fun blue, navy and white fabrics and trims to design a 34" round custom poof ottoman. I woke up first thing this morning with an idea of just what I wanted to do and how to start and, of course, it's not an easy idea!! But it'll be great when it's done.... and I have all day today to work on it!!
I have a lot of furniture that I'm excited to show you... as soon as it gets back from the upholsterer. I'll be glad to have the finished pieces back and to get them to the customers. I'm both excited and nervous to find out if they'll be happy with their new pieces.
Guess what, Mom! It's coming back to you!
You know all those odd pieces of silverware from all different directions of the family? Well, I sent them home with Deb while she was here to start on Christmas gifts... but I couldn't wait. Some are already on the way to you and Tracy. I was so excited to see the beautiful jewelry that she turned them into and wasn't at all disappointed!!
Start thinking about Christmas shopping and give Deb a shout for a custom piece or buy some of her goodies online! Check her out at soul whispers art. LOVE my pieces!!
The blog is short and sweet this week.... headed back out of town to SC, FL and then back home again. Have a great week!! I'm going house hunting with the kids!!
0 Comments
A Seamstress' Secret...
8/22/2017
Another whirlwind of a week. You know how it is when you have deadlines to meet and have to think ahead so that you can get ready to go out of town and make sure things still function properly while you're gone. It seems that it NEVER fails that the day before I go out of town, I get a big online order to be shipped, or an ottoman to be made. I think I'll have to start figuring a 'surprise' project on my 'to do' list so I'm not scrambling at the last minute before I leave town.
Another batch of pillows were delivered to the Studio for AWAKE Ministries. I love that we have people who take it upon theirselves to make and do when a project strikes them. Thanks, Jo, for such beautiful pillows ready to be shared!
A SEAMSTRESS' SECRET!
I love to learn new things. Especially when they are inexpensive and so...
"Why didn't I think of that?"
While we were making pillowcases, I looked by Jo's machine and saw this little pile of fabric circles that looked like giant colored Cherrios.
Now, not having girls, I was not familiar with these bright colored hair bands, and was definitely intrigued with them.
BUT... I was more intrigued to see what was being done with them! Jo puts them around her bobbins to keep the threads tucked in. WOW! I really dislike the threads that dangle all over no matter how many times you wind them up. PERFECT solution. Dollar Tree, here I come!
Look at the pretty pillow cases all finished and ready for the Women's Renaissance Center.
Thanks to the ladies who came and visited and sewed and snacked on these good color co-ordinated cookies from Plehn's Bakery in St. Matthews. We had the Thumbprint cookies and Icebox cookies. Both were excellent, but I LOVED the Thumbprints... YUM! Thanks to Patty for the treats.
I thought we had this mess cleaned up the last time I left Florida! The kids were getting ready for a yard sale, before their big move and you know that saying that I always had outside of Making Ends Meet on the stepping stone...."To make a great omelette, you have to first break the eggs!" We are breaking eggs!
Loved this box I found.... not sure who wrote it, Brent or Natalie, but I can guess.
Just like me, my art things are the treasures, even if it's everyone else's trash, and everything else is fluff!
I wonder what the dust collectors are that are tucked away in this box? HMMMM.....
Saturday was such a beautiful day and the yard sale was a huge success.
...can't say the same thing about Sunday.
One hour in and it started to rain, and rain and rain. That sure didn't stop my new friend here from using the plastic bowl she just bought for a rain bonnet.
The best part about this yard sale was that they got rid of most of the big stuff that they wanted to see gone.....
AND someone came in the pouring rain and cleaned up and took all that was left!
That's the way to have a yard sale!
I extended my visit just a few extra days, just because. Love that the kids let me come and help them out and to be a part of their lives. The trip is always so much fun and we never know what we're going to do next! Now on to South Carolina to help them house hunt!
0 Comments
Just Because They Can...
8/16/2017
Checking off the list!
A creative week in the studio filling some of the orders I've received for custom furniture pieces has taken lots of time. And, at the same time, I"m trying to get ready to head to Florida for a week. I haven't kept these kind of crazy hours for awhile.... oh yea.... except a few weeks ago as Community Life Coordinator in Montreat. LOL!!
This little guy will sit on the banding that goes under the cushion. I know there's a name for that part of the chair, and my upholsterer, Bobby Allen keeps telling me what it is, but for some reason it doesn't sink in!! The plaid is going away and the neutral and teal colors will be the replacement.
My photo taking needs to get better....
This wrinkled picture of the back of this chair does not do it justice.
I will definitely have to share the finished piece!!
This chair is going to go in the Birds & Botanical Collection of furniture.
My customer saw the original Sweet Tweet chair and said, "That's what I want". In her colors of course.
I think the ottoman being designed to go with it is my favorite... pictures to follow.
LOOKY LOOKY!!
My plants have stayed alive and actually thrived!
Usually, by this time of the year, after several traveling trips, they're looking a little bedraggled. Thanks Jeff for keeping them alive while I was gone. Now to do it just one more week!
There's Potato Vine, Rosemary, Boston Fern, and two kinds of Coleus. The Potato Vine in the front is almost covering my door because it's growing so wild.
I just go to the garden center and pick out what I like and hope it grows.
NEWS FLASH!!!
The warehouse at the old MEM building is cleaned out... FINALLY... and you can benefit from that!
Crescent Hill TRADING COMPANY now has all the wonderful silks that were in the store and, get this.... THEY ARE JUST $10.00 per yard!! That's at least 50% off, since these silks ran from $20 - $100 per yard!!
Check it out for yourself and get some bargains in time for holiday sewing!! They won't last long!
They also have a great selection of tassels (not displayed in this photo) available at great prices!!
Mark and his crew have been busy at the TRADING COMPANY painting, rearranging, moving out old inventory, moving in new, and working on the 'Rabbit Hole' - where the great bargains are downstairs. Changes are happening! Stop by to shop and say, "hello."
"WOW!", is all I had to say. I went to Blue Ash, Ohio - near Cincinnati - the other day to visit Marcia and Bob, my long time friends who are my family by choice. We had a wonderful visit and as I was talking about AWAKE Ministries and the good things that I see them doing, Bob got so excited and said, "Let's take a ride... I want to share something with you".
This massive building and volunteer center is located in a 168,000 square foot building - to put into perspective, MEM was about 6000 square feet. They started by taking suitcases of items to Nicaragua and have grown to this! The stuff they do is absolutely amazing, from recycling and reusing, In house Manufacturing, Rainbow Paint Reblending Program, Education Shoeboxes. food processing center, and the list goes on!! It's primarily run by volunteers, and the best part is that more than 99% of the in kind cash and donations go towards their many programs. That's the kind of charity I like to support!! Thanks to Marcia and Bob for the introduction to this amazing charity.
CINTAS is a financial partner to Matthew 25 Ministries and has made a huge impact on the expansion of the ministry as well as the creation and expansion of Global Village.
Global Village is a life-size, three dimensional recreation of disaster scenes along with examples of poverty in the U.S. and other countries, and below is a picture of just one scenario scene you'll find there.
Here are a couple of videos I thought you'd find interesting. The first one gives you a tour of Global Village, and the second one tells how Matthew 25 Ministries got its start.
Hi Leslie!!!!
My name is Evelyn!
Grandma calls me 'Evie'.
So this cutie was staring at me when I opened the blog to write today. I know I didn't send this to Judy to put in here but it does make me ready for grandchildren... and Judy just wanted to share one of hers and make me smile!!
Off to Florida to help Natalie and Brent with a moving sale and getting ready to help stage their house. They are packing up and moving to Summerville, SC... just because they can!!
How fun is that?!?
0 Comments
Scrounging Around!!
8/9/2017
After spending a week of peaceful time in the mountains at Montreat Youth Conferences - not sure teenagers and peaceful always go in the same sentence, but this year they did - LOL, I decided to shop around Asheville on the way home. I headed back to my favorite places to check out what treasures I could find, and Scroungers Paradise did not disappoint!
The pigs are coming together! I found old ceiling tins and decided that they would make wonderful wings for my flying pigs. I now have no excuse but time to get my When Pigs Fly chandelier finished for my Great Room! The pieces and parts are in place. Exciting and scary at the same time!
I also bought some of these tins for backdrops to mount some of my fiber artwork. I really like the one on the right and can see some fibers or weavings mounted on it to take to Crescent Hill TRADING COMPANY. But before i start on this rusted tin I think I need a tetanus shot since I have not had one in a bazillion years! Does anyone know where I go to get one??
I also found this cabinet shelving that I have visions of putting some fun stuff around the outside edges.
Maybe this would be a good base to put the fun Moroccan rope edging that I found on my last scrounging trip (middle of picture below). Don't you think that would be pretty?
I also found these great door frames that will make a one of a kind screen with artwork inserted in the openings.
So many projects.... so little time.
The next stop was the Screen Door in Asheville.
This sign was the find of the day.... And though it didn't come home with me, I did think hard about it...
Don't you think this would be great outside the studio??
I'm very excited to have been commissioned to do several custom furniture orders.
This chair will be a memory chair in honor of my customer's son, husband and grandfather. She gave me memories and quotes, and I have incorporated them into a fun patchwork style to match her home décor that she's redoing.
I can't wait to see it finished with its coordinating ottoman, lamp and pillows that I'm also working on!
As soon as this one is done I will move on to a chair and ottoman with a bird theme, and then an ottoman with elephants!! Busy Busy!... just the way I like it!
Check out this chandelier in progress!
You're seeing the under side where I'm attaching one of my pieces of Acrylic Pouring art.
Progress is slow but sure....
It definitely looks better than it did when I started on it! ... but of course, I forgot to take a before picture for you...
I have got to get busy!!
Don't forget to join us as w make pillowcases on the 17th for the Women's Renaissance Center in Shelbyville. Let me know if you are available to help. Bring your sewing machine and all supplies will be provided! It will end promptly at 2pm, since I have to catch a flight to Florida that same afternoon! We will sew fast!!
1 Comment
Jo Price - You can get a tetanus shot at Kroger Pharmacy. Call to make sure but I got mine there.
Turquoise.. Need I Say More?
8/2/2017
No... I haven't painted a picnic table to match my front door.
But I did feel like I was at home when I got to Montreat with all the Turquoise Tables on the lawn in front of Anderson Auditorium!
There is nothing like a picnic table to think of fun times like family reunions and camping with the family. The table is also a sign of hospitality and, WOW!... make that table turquoise and it sends hospitality over the top!!
This concept is Front Yard Hospitality - ordinary everyday people who want to create community right where they live.
It was started by Kristin Schell from Austin Texas in an effort to meet her neighbors, share a cup of coffee or a glass of lemonade, and has spread all over the country from California to Maine and in 6 other countries!
How about this, Shelbyville KY?.
The tables at the Anderson Auditorium have signs on top that tell Kristin's story and invites folks to sit and visit, ask questions and build community. Sophie and I were able to sit for awhile on our free afternoon and share answers to topics like 'Share a childhood memory', 'Describe what it is like to be you in five adjectives' (That is not an easy task to describe yourself!), 'Name three things that you and I have in common', 'What brings you to Montreat?', and something as simple as, 'tell me about your mama's mama'.
Sophie and I have been friends for years and she's the reason I'm at Montreat this week. But by having this prompted conversation and the little bit of time that we were able to spend just sitting on Anderson Lawn, we found out things about each other that we didn't previously know. What a great way to build community and show hospitality between friends and strangers. A great way to cross boundaries in a broken and divided world.
Look at the beautiful view as I sit on the porch of Assembly Inn during small group time for the conferees.
It was so peaceful and relaxing as I chose to work on my journal yet still keep my eyes on what is happening around the conference center.
My art group and I started a journaling adventure during one of our meetings.
We started with Praying in Color and now have moved on to journaling based on a great word set that Greta had available. We each draw a word every time we meet, and our goal is to complete a journal page between meetings.... NOT EVEN... Total fail on my part!
I brought my journal to Montreat with the intentions of catching up. I have now completed 3 pages of my 6 words that I chose - or at least the ones I could gather up - and I hope to do more before I come home. Journaling is so relaxing and, what is nice, is that you don't have to be an artist to make it happen.
All this journaling has had me thinking about my friends at Art Unraveled, enjoying a week of art adventures and the warm weather of Phoenix, AZ.
Several things kept me from attending this year but I want you all to know that Art Unraveled is the most wonderful art retreat, and if you ever get a chance to go - GO!
You can expect awesome teachers teaching creative techniques and forms of art, and the event is so well run by Linda and Chuck. Best luck to you all for a great week! Maybe next year!!
Have you heard about the rock painting fad that is happening all over everywhere?
Or perhaps you have found a painted rock out and about? People decorate them and hide them for others to find...
Well, the youth conferences jumped in on the painting this year. I love the pile of rocks and their bright colors and messages. BUT...
...during a week of great messages, worship, recreation, and deep discussion with all these senior high youth at the Montreat Youth Conference, "A Missing Peace", this plain rock below with its sincere sentiment really stood out to me.
Rock Quote: "I pray for the people and leaders of opposing nations to find common ground & peace."
I'm off and running! As the Community Life Coordinator, I need to check and make sure all these young people are safe and having a good week. No matter how old I get, I will never tire of the wonder of watching senior high youth as they figure out life!
2 Comments
Jayn Lando - Your art journal pages are beautiful! I always admire art journals but never know where or how to start.
Leslie - Jayn... come on down. We will make a journal and spend some time creating journal pages of all kinds!!
8/29/2017
Yard sale finished... house is staged.... phone calls being answered! Florida Real Estate is a little different than in Kentucky.
I'm receiving and fielding the calls on the house since both the kids work full time. My mouth dropped open when I got a call last night with a large cash offer, sight unseen, and solely based on our online photos. HMMMM... would you trust that, or not? From all that I'm hearing, it seems to be the normal for that area but not trusting this one!
Here's hoping for a fast sale and that we are blessed to find something as we head to South Carolina this weekend!
Just a few final pictures as the house is staged and ready to go
It's amazing to look around this house and realize how much of the design and work the kids did themselves.
The concrete counter tops, the table, the built in bench in the breakfast nook, the porch swing, the headboard and bed. Lots of heart and soul poured into this place.
Definitely his mothers son.... fix it up and move on to something else.
I'm sorry, Brent and Natalie!!
Definitely looking good!
I'm back home and in the studio again.
I'm finishing up some custom orders with lots of pillows to work on and final details on several of pieces.
Have you checked out my Basic Pillow pattern online?
It definitely makes pillow making easy!
Just a little work being done on the exterior at home.
After I took the shutters off I noticed a large crack at the corner of the house. I immediately called my builder - not the one that built this house- and asked him to check it out.
After inspecting the attic and taking bricks off the corner of the house he determined that it's not structural, just the way the brick was laid. THANK GOODNESS!!
Repair work has been done and all is good! Just a little hiccup in the day!!
Thanks Terry and Lee... great work as usual!
I'm using these fun blue, navy and white fabrics and trims to design a 34" round custom poof ottoman. I woke up first thing this morning with an idea of just what I wanted to do and how to start and, of course, it's not an easy idea!! But it'll be great when it's done.... and I have all day today to work on it!!
I have a lot of furniture that I'm excited to show you... as soon as it gets back from the upholsterer. I'll be glad to have the finished pieces back and to get them to the customers. I'm both excited and nervous to find out if they'll be happy with their new pieces.
You know all those odd pieces of silverware from all different directions of the family? Well, I sent them home with Deb while she was here to start on Christmas gifts... but I couldn't wait. Some are already on the way to you and Tracy. I was so excited to see the beautiful jewelry that she turned them into and wasn't at all disappointed!!
Start thinking about Christmas shopping and give Deb a shout for a custom piece or buy some of her goodies online! Check her out at soul whispers art. LOVE my pieces!!
The blog is short and sweet this week.... headed back out of town to SC, FL and then back home again. Have a great week!! I'm going house hunting with the kids!!
0 Comments
A Seamstress' Secret...
8/22/2017
Another batch of pillows were delivered to the Studio for AWAKE Ministries. I love that we have people who take it upon theirselves to make and do when a project strikes them. Thanks, Jo, for such beautiful pillows ready to be shared!
A SEAMSTRESS' SECRET!
I love to learn new things. Especially when they are inexpensive and so...
"Why didn't I think of that?"
While we were making pillowcases, I looked by Jo's machine and saw this little pile of fabric circles that looked like giant colored Cherrios.
Now, not having girls, I was not familiar with these bright colored hair bands, and was definitely intrigued with them.
BUT... I was more intrigued to see what was being done with them! Jo puts them around her bobbins to keep the threads tucked in. WOW! I really dislike the threads that dangle all over no matter how many times you wind them up. PERFECT solution. Dollar Tree, here I come!
Look at the pretty pillow cases all finished and ready for the Women's Renaissance Center.
Thanks to the ladies who came and visited and sewed and snacked on these good color co-ordinated cookies from Plehn's Bakery in St. Matthews. We had the Thumbprint cookies and Icebox cookies. Both were excellent, but I LOVED the Thumbprints... YUM! Thanks to Patty for the treats.
I thought we had this mess cleaned up the last time I left Florida! The kids were getting ready for a yard sale, before their big move and you know that saying that I always had outside of Making Ends Meet on the stepping stone...."To make a great omelette, you have to first break the eggs!" We are breaking eggs!
Loved this box I found.... not sure who wrote it, Brent or Natalie, but I can guess.
Just like me, my art things are the treasures, even if it's everyone else's trash, and everything else is fluff!
I wonder what the dust collectors are that are tucked away in this box? HMMMM.....
Saturday was such a beautiful day and the yard sale was a huge success.
One hour in and it started to rain, and rain and rain. That sure didn't stop my new friend here from using the plastic bowl she just bought for a rain bonnet.
The best part about this yard sale was that they got rid of most of the big stuff that they wanted to see gone.....
AND someone came in the pouring rain and cleaned up and took all that was left!
That's the way to have a yard sale!
I extended my visit just a few extra days, just because. Love that the kids let me come and help them out and to be a part of their lives. The trip is always so much fun and we never know what we're going to do next! Now on to South Carolina to help them house hunt!
0 Comments
Just Because They Can...
8/16/2017
Checking off the list!
This little guy will sit on the banding that goes under the cushion. I know there's a name for that part of the chair, and my upholsterer, Bobby Allen keeps telling me what it is, but for some reason it doesn't sink in!! The plaid is going away and the neutral and teal colors will be the replacement.
My photo taking needs to get better....
This wrinkled picture of the back of this chair does not do it justice.
I will definitely have to share the finished piece!!
This chair is going to go in the Birds & Botanical Collection of furniture.
My customer saw the original Sweet Tweet chair and said, "That's what I want". In her colors of course.
I think the ottoman being designed to go with it is my favorite... pictures to follow.
My plants have stayed alive and actually thrived!
Usually, by this time of the year, after several traveling trips, they're looking a little bedraggled. Thanks Jeff for keeping them alive while I was gone. Now to do it just one more week!
There's Potato Vine, Rosemary, Boston Fern, and two kinds of Coleus. The Potato Vine in the front is almost covering my door because it's growing so wild.
I just go to the garden center and pick out what I like and hope it grows.
The warehouse at the old MEM building is cleaned out... FINALLY... and you can benefit from that!
Crescent Hill TRADING COMPANY now has all the wonderful silks that were in the store and, get this.... THEY ARE JUST $10.00 per yard!! That's at least 50% off, since these silks ran from $20 - $100 per yard!!
Check it out for yourself and get some bargains in time for holiday sewing!! They won't last long!
They also have a great selection of tassels (not displayed in this photo) available at great prices!!
Mark and his crew have been busy at the TRADING COMPANY painting, rearranging, moving out old inventory, moving in new, and working on the 'Rabbit Hole' - where the great bargains are downstairs. Changes are happening! Stop by to shop and say, "hello."
"WOW!", is all I had to say. I went to Blue Ash, Ohio - near Cincinnati - the other day to visit Marcia and Bob, my long time friends who are my family by choice. We had a wonderful visit and as I was talking about AWAKE Ministries and the good things that I see them doing, Bob got so excited and said, "Let's take a ride... I want to share something with you".
Off we went to this treasure of a place called Matthew 25 Ministries.
This massive building and volunteer center is located in a 168,000 square foot building - to put into perspective, MEM was about 6000 square feet. They started by taking suitcases of items to Nicaragua and have grown to this! The stuff they do is absolutely amazing, from recycling and reusing, In house Manufacturing, Rainbow Paint Reblending Program, Education Shoeboxes. food processing center, and the list goes on!! It's primarily run by volunteers, and the best part is that more than 99% of the in kind cash and donations go towards their many programs. That's the kind of charity I like to support!! Thanks to Marcia and Bob for the introduction to this amazing charity.
CINTAS is a financial partner to Matthew 25 Ministries and has made a huge impact on the expansion of the ministry as well as the creation and expansion of Global Village.
Global Village is a life-size, three dimensional recreation of disaster scenes along with examples of poverty in the U.S. and other countries, and below is a picture of just one scenario scene you'll find there.
Where was this when I was leading the senior high youth for 15 years? I would love to go, take a group and volunteer for a day. All you grandparents... this would be a GREAT outing for your young ones!!
Here are a couple of videos I thought you'd find interesting. The first one gives you a tour of Global Village, and the second one tells how Matthew 25 Ministries got its start.
Hi Leslie!!!!
My name is Evelyn!
Grandma calls me 'Evie'.
So this cutie was staring at me when I opened the blog to write today. I know I didn't send this to Judy to put in here but it does make me ready for grandchildren... and Judy just wanted to share one of hers and make me smile!!
Off to Florida to help Natalie and Brent with a moving sale and getting ready to help stage their house. They are packing up and moving to Summerville, SC... just because they can!!
How fun is that?!?
0 Comments
Scrounging Around!!
8/9/2017
After spending a week of peaceful time in the mountains at Montreat Youth Conferences - not sure teenagers and peaceful always go in the same sentence, but this year they did - LOL, I decided to shop around Asheville on the way home. I headed back to my favorite places to check out what treasures I could find, and Scroungers Paradise did not disappoint!
The pigs are coming together! I found old ceiling tins and decided that they would make wonderful wings for my flying pigs. I now have no excuse but time to get my When Pigs Fly chandelier finished for my Great Room! The pieces and parts are in place. Exciting and scary at the same time!
I also bought some of these tins for backdrops to mount some of my fiber artwork. I really like the one on the right and can see some fibers or weavings mounted on it to take to Crescent Hill TRADING COMPANY. But before i start on this rusted tin I think I need a tetanus shot since I have not had one in a bazillion years! Does anyone know where I go to get one??
Maybe this would be a good base to put the fun Moroccan rope edging that I found on my last scrounging trip (middle of picture below). Don't you think that would be pretty?
I also found these great door frames that will make a one of a kind screen with artwork inserted in the openings.
So many projects.... so little time.
The next stop was the Screen Door in Asheville.
This sign was the find of the day.... And though it didn't come home with me, I did think hard about it...
Don't you think this would be great outside the studio??
I'm very excited to have been commissioned to do several custom furniture orders.
This chair will be a memory chair in honor of my customer's son, husband and grandfather. She gave me memories and quotes, and I have incorporated them into a fun patchwork style to match her home décor that she's redoing.
I can't wait to see it finished with its coordinating ottoman, lamp and pillows that I'm also working on!
As soon as this one is done I will move on to a chair and ottoman with a bird theme, and then an ottoman with elephants!! Busy Busy!... just the way I like it!
You're seeing the under side where I'm attaching one of my pieces of Acrylic Pouring art.
Progress is slow but sure....
It definitely looks better than it did when I started on it! ... but of course, I forgot to take a before picture for you...
I have got to get busy!!
Don't forget to join us as w make pillowcases on the 17th for the Women's Renaissance Center in Shelbyville. Let me know if you are available to help. Bring your sewing machine and all supplies will be provided! It will end promptly at 2pm, since I have to catch a flight to Florida that same afternoon! We will sew fast!!
1 Comment
Jo Price - You can get a tetanus shot at Kroger Pharmacy. Call to make sure but I got mine there.
Turquoise.. Need I Say More?
8/2/2017
No... I haven't painted a picnic table to match my front door.
But I did feel like I was at home when I got to Montreat with all the Turquoise Tables on the lawn in front of Anderson Auditorium!
There is nothing like a picnic table to think of fun times like family reunions and camping with the family. The table is also a sign of hospitality and, WOW!... make that table turquoise and it sends hospitality over the top!!
This concept is Front Yard Hospitality - ordinary everyday people who want to create community right where they live.
It was started by Kristin Schell from Austin Texas in an effort to meet her neighbors, share a cup of coffee or a glass of lemonade, and has spread all over the country from California to Maine and in 6 other countries!
How about this, Shelbyville KY?.
The tables at the Anderson Auditorium have signs on top that tell Kristin's story and invites folks to sit and visit, ask questions and build community. Sophie and I were able to sit for awhile on our free afternoon and share answers to topics like 'Share a childhood memory', 'Describe what it is like to be you in five adjectives' (That is not an easy task to describe yourself!), 'Name three things that you and I have in common', 'What brings you to Montreat?', and something as simple as, 'tell me about your mama's mama'.
Sophie and I have been friends for years and she's the reason I'm at Montreat this week. But by having this prompted conversation and the little bit of time that we were able to spend just sitting on Anderson Lawn, we found out things about each other that we didn't previously know. What a great way to build community and show hospitality between friends and strangers. A great way to cross boundaries in a broken and divided world.
Look at the beautiful view as I sit on the porch of Assembly Inn during small group time for the conferees.
It was so peaceful and relaxing as I chose to work on my journal yet still keep my eyes on what is happening around the conference center.
We started with Praying in Color and now have moved on to journaling based on a great word set that Greta had available. We each draw a word every time we meet, and our goal is to complete a journal page between meetings.... NOT EVEN... Total fail on my part!
I brought my journal to Montreat with the intentions of catching up. I have now completed 3 pages of my 6 words that I chose - or at least the ones I could gather up - and I hope to do more before I come home. Journaling is so relaxing and, what is nice, is that you don't have to be an artist to make it happen.
All this journaling has had me thinking about my friends at Art Unraveled, enjoying a week of art adventures and the warm weather of Phoenix, AZ.
Several things kept me from attending this year but I want you all to know that Art Unraveled is the most wonderful art retreat, and if you ever get a chance to go - GO!
You can expect awesome teachers teaching creative techniques and forms of art, and the event is so well run by Linda and Chuck. Best luck to you all for a great week! Maybe next year!!
Or perhaps you have found a painted rock out and about? People decorate them and hide them for others to find...
Well, the youth conferences jumped in on the painting this year. I love the pile of rocks and their bright colors and messages. BUT...
...during a week of great messages, worship, recreation, and deep discussion with all these senior high youth at the Montreat Youth Conference, "A Missing Peace", this plain rock below with its sincere sentiment really stood out to me.
Rock Quote: "I pray for the people and leaders of opposing nations to find common ground & peace."
I'm off and running! As the Community Life Coordinator, I need to check and make sure all these young people are safe and having a good week. No matter how old I get, I will never tire of the wonder of watching senior high youth as they figure out life!
2 Comments
Jayn Lando - Your art journal pages are beautiful! I always admire art journals but never know where or how to start.
Leslie - Jayn... come on down. We will make a journal and spend some time creating journal pages of all kinds!!
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