MY PHILOSOPHY

MY PHILOSOPHY
When we show our respect for the other living things, they respond with respect for us.----Arapaho Proverb

Friday, September 3, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DARLING DAUGHTER!!!

WOW!!!  It seems like only yesterday we were celebrating your 39th birthday!  How time does fly!!


And today, you turn 40!!! (now how did you get older than me?)  Ah, but that's alright, you still look like a young kid!

We've shared some fun times this year, like the Bacchanalia and Wineopoly.



And we have certainly enjoyed our share of tea times together too, like The Tea Hive........


....and Sheryl Ann's Victorian Tea House....

....as well as those we have enjoyed at home.


      






And remember the day we stopped at Buttermilk Falls?  It was before this drought when the water was wild and wonderful!!  Do you recall what a hard time you two had dragging me away?




Here's looking forward to many more fun times ahead. 


 
NOW EVERYBODY SING....


 
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday, dear Julie,
Happy Birthday to you!!!


 I hope you enjoy your day!!!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

SUMMER'S END DOILY ROUNDUP

As Summer slowly winds down, it's time for me to look back upon those crochet projects that helped me to express the season in my home decor.  The list is more lengthy than I had expected.  I suppose with it being so terribly hot for so much of the Summer, I accomplished more than usual. (It was just too hot to do much else). Most of them speak to me of the hot weather, although there are a few that I just happened to like a lot.

Ah, where to begin!  I guess a good place to start would be the centerpiece doily that has accentuated my tiny kitchen table all Summer long.  I removed the tall container of sea glass, etc., that usually sits upon it, in order for you to better see all the lovely detail of the pattern.  It's a vintage one that called for either white or ecru thread, but I decided upon something a little brighter.


I adore color as you will no doubt  notice as we go along.  But Summer SHOULD be filled with lots of vivid colors, just like out in Nature, don't you agree?  Another large doily that sometimes resides on my coffee table is called Forget-Me-Not; another vintage pattern.



Not all of my Summer doilies are colorful.  Some are quite demure.  Like these two; the first is called Lady's Pleasure and the second one is a Dollies Doily. I just love all those tiny little dancing feet!





This one is called Flirty Fans.  I really like the way the flowers stand up so puffy and realistic looking.



One of my on-line crochet groups has this fun game they play called the Mystery CAL (Crochet-A-Long).  Every few days you are given another set of directions for a doily.  You have no idea of the name of it or what it is supposed to look like. So you are sort of flying blind as you make it up. These are the two I have made with the group so far. The first one was the June Mystery CAL and the second was the August one.  Luckily, they did come out looking like everyone else's.






But my all time favorite Summer doilies to create are reminiscent of  my beloved Ocean Grandmother. The shades of blue with the white of this next one just feels like icy cold ocean water to me. And it even looks like sea water swirling around.


The thread used for the water here is called 'Ocean' and to me it looks like an aerial view of the sea with all the deep spots, shallow shoals and sand bars. It looks as if the sailboats are circumnavigating the globe.


And this Sea Shell Ruffles Doily does remind me of seashells.  I chose turquoise thread not only because it is a classic beach color but also because it is my favorite color.


They named this last one Sand Castles, and the final row especially was comprised of almost ALL the very difficult bullion stitch; what a horrendous task!  I think next time I will just take my creativity to the sand on the beach if I want sand castles. But now that it is finally finished, I DO love the end result!  So I guess I would have to say in the end, it was worth all the effort.
 

BUT, doilies aren't the only Summer crochet projects I have enjoyed. Once again I have been inspired by my mentor, Margaret Oomen of Resurrection Fern (see her link in the blogs that inspire me).  She is a marvelous artist, photographer, and crafter who comes up with the most delightful ideas!  I really enjoyed making this one and have plans (and the perfect pieces of wood) for a few more.




Which has currently found a home on my crowded mantel.




So, as you can see, it has been a very busy crochet Summer season for me this year.  I hope you have enjoyed seeing some of my work.  And now, as the leaves are just beginning to change color and the official start of Autumn is only a few weeks away, I find myself searching through my patterns for doilies with a Fall flavor to them.  There is quite a stack already!!!!