Accidental Dried Roses

I received these when they were beautiful fresh roses a few years ago. Through sheer neglect I ended up with these lovely dried roses! They sat in the vase, water evaporated and voila! Lovely dried roses and I think the few years of dust add an interesting shade of red :) So there you have it, the accidental dried roses!  The sweet dish was a fun flea market find!

Blizzard Book

 

This Blizzard Book was created using a single sheet of paper that is folded in such a way
that each page becomes a pocket.  Neither sewing nor adhesives are required. Hedi Kyle a book artist, designed the Blizzard Book on an unexpected day off from work due to a blizzard, hence the name! The card carrying size featured in her book The Art Of The Fold conveniently holds a business card 2” x 3.5”.  I constructed this one slightly larger and finished dimensions are 4” x 6”.

 The handmade Lokta papers I used are screen printed with beautiful life size golden ginkgo leaves on black background creating a serene simplicity. 

 I have added pages onto the spine of the book. The tabs on the tops and bottom of the Blizzard Book neatly hold folded handmade deckled edge papers suitable for pen and ink and watercolor. A simple slipcase encloses the book.

Mexican Aster Flowers

Also known as the Sulphur Cosmos, another daisy-like flower. Leaves are feathery and thread-like.

Sulphur cosmos. “The story of this name is that Spanish priests grew the flower in their missionary gardens in South and Central America. Native to this region they appreciated the perfect placement of the petals on the flowers. They named them the Greek word cosmos, which refers to an ordered universe or universal harmony.” According to Gardening Know How.

 

  Another easy to grow plant even in poor soil and thrives on sun and heat, offering glorious color in return!

A Single Flower ...

“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly our whole life would change.” ~ Buddha

Greek Penne Pasta Salad

Quick and Easy

     Greek Penne Pasta Salad!

Cook Pasta - Drain, rinse with cold water
Slice: Cherry Tomatoes, Black Olives
Chop: Romaine Lettuce
Crumble: Feta Cheese
2/3 Bottle of Greek Salad Dressing
(add remainder when serving)
Toss Together! Easy Peasy!

 

 ...or add other ingredients of your choice!

Every Apron Tells A Story

Well, maybe these don’t have a story to tell just yet...

I used a McCalls Pattern when sewing the BBQ apron and used a cotton canvas and made it reversible

The cute black apron is a trendy retro style by Butterick. I used a black cotton batik fabric for this and added white trim.

 

 

 

 I’ve had a soft spot for aprons ever since I inherited my husband’s grandmother’s apron. Here is a photo of me 25 years ago wearing one of her handmade aprons preparing Thanksgiving dinner (thank you Mrs Smith for lending a hand!) It was already thin and a bit threadbare and I wore it out till it was in tatters and no amount of repair would salvage it but I still keep it safely stored away in the drawer. I love a bit of nostalgia :)

 

I found this delightful and engaging book about aprons titled The Apron Book by EllynAnne Geisel. It’s loaded with fabulous photos of the author’s vintage apron collection.

 

Cafe Aprons

A few years back I made these Cafe Aprons using Amy Butler's Reversible Cafe Apron Pattern. For the two on the left I chose cotton fabrics.

The one below I used a light cotton canvas and one of Amy Butler's fabrics. The aprons are reversible.

(excuse the poor quality of the images...made these few years ago so resolution wasn't as sharp)

 

 

 

 The Amy Butler fabric I used was from her line called "Charm" for Free Spirit Fabrics which is now discontinued.