A Little Egg

Always fascinated with nests and eggs, I finally got this piece finished.  I am lucky enough to be surrounded by immense, grand old trees, which house several birds come spring.  I've been seeing them flitting about with bits of straw in their beaks, preparing nests for the young ones. 

There really is something so gratifying, so magical in watching nature shake off her austere winter clothing, adorning herself in blossoms, catkins and greening leaves.  So, in honor of our awakening landscape, I think I'll follow suit.   I'll put away my grey shirts and yoga pants and wear a brightly colored blouse, and may just tuck a flower in my hair.  Happy Spring, everyone!

New Sparklies!

I thought a little sparkling eye candy would be appropriate to welcome spring!

Crocuses, snowdrops and sun, Oh My!

When I see the snowdrops and crocuses bravely breaking through the semi-frozen ground, I smile, heave a deep sigh and rest in the comfort of knowing the long winter is soon to be over.  Very soon, indeed.   I heard the mourning doves cooing yesterday morning, which is another harbinger of spring.  Hmm....think I'll dig out those seed catalogs today! 

Spring!

Yesterday I was moping about, freezing in the cold wind outside and longing for spring so hard, I could feel it in my bones.  This is the hardest time of year for me...when winter seems to grip just a little bit tighter before letting go of the earth, and my creativity has all but slowed to a frozen trickle.  Walking back to the house after seeing my son off on the school bus, I happened to look down and what did I see, but a brave little clump of snow drops!  I lingered a bit, grinning wildly, feeling some of the frost in my spirit thaw, knowing that spring is indeed on its way. 

Curiouser and curiouser...

I love to infuse my home with unusual objects: bits of nature displayed under cloches, antique candle holders in the shape of animals, unique mineral specimens, black and white photographs of faraway places.   Things with a sense of history and curiosity pique my imagination and creativity, gently guiding me to see this amazing world of ours in different ways.  I happened upon a great website which sells objects like I've described and just had to share it with you - check it out!  http://www.mothology.com/default.asp

Treasure!

One of my favorite things to do is to combine vintage and antique elements with more contemporary bits and pieces.  For me, the synergy of old and new creates a piece that feels fresh, but with the added character of history.   The end result is in sync with my philosophy of "one-of-a-kind", since I never re-create a piece.   To that end, I often attend auctions and estate sales, where some amazing vintage and antique pieces may be found. 

Yesterday morning, bright and early, coffee in hand, I drove to a local auction where trays and trays of vintage jewels were up for bid.  If you've never been to an auction, you must try one!  The atmosphere is exciting and sometimes, just sometimes, you can get the most amazing deals. 

 I wanted to share a bit of sparkly eye-candy of some of my wins.  Take a close look, because you will definitely see some of these baubles in future designs! 

Magic

Typically, I'm a sunshine sort of gal.  You summer types know what I'm talking about...the scent of fresh-cut grass, plucking ripe tomatoes from my garden, watching dandelion clocks float on the warm breezes, and walks to the snowball stand with my son.  However, living in Pennsylvania one must come to terms that there will be, in fact, a nice, long winter.   Luckily, I get the opportunity to see this season from a different viewpoint.  My son does not see an endless driveway that must be shoveled.  He does not worry about mopping up wet footprints on the wood floors.  He does not wistfully page through seed catalogs, hoping winter speeds on by.  He does not roll his eyes at the steel-grey skies and think, "Where's the sun already?!?"     He sees the potential for icy forts, flying down the snow-packed hill on his sled, pelting mom and dad with snowballs, drawing pictures in the snow with a stick.  He sees the magic that I, somehow, have forgotten. 


So today I shall not worry about footprints on the floor, nor shoveling us out.   I will not gaze longingly at my seed catalogs, nor will I curse the twelve inches of snow blanketing the land.  I will work on building up our fort (we must keep out the ice minions, you know), and stockpiling a massive collection of snowballs.  I will make snow angels with my boy and look at that grey sky and smile.  I will remind myself that seeing the magic is like riding a bike - you never really forget if you take the time to notice.