Farewell, Sweet Wallpaper...

In case you haven't noticed, I'm a sucker for sentimentality. When I eventually hit the dirt, my kids will have a terrible time hauling to the dump boxes of precious items like my first grade change purse, and the door knob to the bedroom I had growing up.

So when we were house shopping, I absolutely fell in love with this room. It was the vintage wallaper, the french doors with small pull-down shades, the curved ceiling, the old fashioned lighting. I loved moving my daughter into this room. Now, she says the wallpaper keeps her awake at night and upsets her stomach. Huh. And, in truth, behind her bed it's a mess...peeling, etc. So I finally agreed that it was time to go. Still, I need time to mourn.

When I found this poem - 'If for Girls' at a a flea market, I knew it had to come home with me. You may be familiar with the origional "If" poem by Kipling. This one is just as wonderful. Share it with a young girl you love.

"If" For Girls

If you can trust yourself though others doubt you

And conquer fears that limit what you dare

So you can freely give to those about you

The skills and talents that rare yours to share;
If you can live, not for your pleasure only,

But gladly lend your gentleness and grace

To warm the hearts of those whose lives are lonely

And help to make their world a better place;
If you can balance dreams with practicality

And deal in facts, but never lose ideals,

If you can face the harshness of reality

And find the truths that prejudice conceals;
If you can be courageous when defeated

And humble in the face of victory,

Or give your best until a task's completed,

However difficult that task may be;
If you can temper facts with understanding

And seek to gently guide, not to control,

And neither be too lax nor too demanding,

But keep in mind the worth of every soul...
If you can strive, not caring who gets credit,

And work at building bridges, and not walls

,Or hearing idle slander, just forget it

And never fail to help someone who falls;
If you can give your help without begrudging

The patience, time and effort you impart,

Or look at others' weakness without judging

And see, not with your eyes, but with your heart;
If you can take resources that surround you

And use them in the way you feel you should,

You'll be a woman...and all those around you

Will be the richer for your womanhood

Gale Baker Stanton

One Lovely Lady

Ok..check this out. If you are a lover of old photos, as I am...whether they are your relatives or just 'instant kin', then you will fall in love with this website. I got it from the lovely Terra-Cottage. I got this photo by typing in my husband's surname. I have no idea if she is an actual relative or not, but she looks like one snazzy lady, huh? You can use it for fun, or for actual geneological inquiries. You get lost for hours in there! Enjoy!

Flickr Fun!

How cute is this? I am still finding my way around the Flickr site and have not yet figured out how to manage it exactly, but this pink and white montage was just too cute to pass up! If you haven't checked it out yet - you must! Go to flickr.com

Have fun!

Sunday..or...the One About the Scrapbook

Ahh...Sunday. Even better - Sunday with the kids at the Grandma's! Has a relaxing day catching up on things and running around, despite the still broken air conditioner and blistering temps. I collected these cute linen napkins and silver spoons over the summer - thinking ahead to trying to spice up some of those boring lunch box meals. Boring because has a somewhat limited amount of ideas of things she'd like for lunch! But you don't want to hear about that - you want to hear about the scrapbook I found, right? As promised, here are a few pics. I spotted the cover first...hmmm...what could this be?

Upon closer investigation, it was completely full of someone's magazine cut-outs; cute as can be. Here are a few. Of course, I snapped it up.

So sweet. Can't you just imagine her patiently cutting thse out and gluing them into the book? Some are Christmas themed, a page or two has a religious theme. Really cute. Probably paid too much for it, but I thought it was one of those things that I'd kick myself for later, try to go back, and it would be gone.

Wishing you a joyful week...

T.G.I.S.

Well thank God it's Saturday is all I have to say! Whew, what a week! Luckily, I was able to get a jump start on my Saturday chores on Thursday and Friday nights, which left me with a teeny, tiny bit of extra time to check into one of my favorite antique malls. Of course, I'm glad I did!

I found this adorable baby doll that just had to come home with me. Even though her dress is a little more orange than I would really like, I thought she was too cute...and...a little abused. Aren't we all?

I found some more cute plates (like I need any more of those) more doilies (ditto!) but the most interesting thing of all was a vintage scrapbook that someone had kept for quite some time! More pics of that tomorrow - promise!

This particular antique mall is out by my mom's. We swung by there on my way to drop the kids off for a 'spend the night' with their little cousin; first time ever for the three of them. As I was pulling up the driveway I thought of this poem, and how we all (no matter what age) need to know that someone is waiting for us. Someone misses us. Whether it's a parent, a spouse, a lover, a child.

Waiting

by Raymond Carver

Left off the highway and

down the hill. At the

bottom, hang another left.

Keep bearing left. The road

will make a Y. Left again.

There's a creek on the left.

Keep going. Just before

the road ends, there'll be

another road. Take it

and no other. Otherwise,

your life will be ruined

forever. There's a log house

with a shake roof, on the left.

It's not that house. It's

the next house, just over

the rise. The house

where trees are laden with

fruit. whre phlox, forsythia

and marigold grow. It's

the house where the woman

stands in the doorway

wearing sun in her hair. The one

who's been waiting

all this time.

The woman who loves you.

The one who can say,

"What's kept you?"

Monday...Monday...

We are picking up our neighbor's mail while they are on vacation. I find other people's mail so much more interesting than my own, don't you? I've had this poem for a while, thought I'd share it with you.

Undelivered Mail

by Rhina P. Espaillat

Dear Daughter,

Your father and I wish to commend youon the wisdom of your choices and the flawless conduct of your life.

Dear Poet!

Where is the full-length manuscript you promised us? Your check is waiting. The presses are ready and the bookstores are clamoring for delivery.

Darling,

This convention is tedious beyond belief: the hotel is swarming with disgustingly overexposed women far too young to have dignity or any minds at all.

Dear Patient:

The results of your blood tests reveal that your problem stems from a diet dangerously low in pizza and chocolate.

Dear Mom,

You were right about everything and I was an idiot not to listen.

Does it make you think of any letters that you need to write?

Thanks for your well-wishes for today. All went well, although by 6 pm I was in my pjs with a drink... Tomorrow is another day...

Summer's Swan Song

Well, dear reader, as I have mentioned before, tomorrow morning marks the end of my lazy summer days, and my return to the rat race of full-time employment. No more doing whatever I want to do ((sigh)). On the other hand, a pay check ((yeah!)) But fear not! I will still be blogging - just not every day.

Today's flea market was rained out, but I did get to spend a little time at my favorite paper crafts store. I got to work on a cute little something...

Can you tell - I colorized the little guy just a bit - using only colored pencil. What a cutie! I tried him with a little crown, but it seemed too much somehow... for my taste, anyway. Plus, I only have so many of those little crowns before I have to head back up to Tinsel Trading! The tip I heard on DIY a few days ago worked great - putting the copies of the photos on watercolor paper. Great idea!

Wishing you a pleasant Sunday summer evening - - -

Saturday Travels and Beautiful Words

Found some cuties on my rounds today...



...wouldn't this look gorgeous on the cover of a journal?

Do you know what this is? A lipstick holder! How adorable is that?

This morning while running my weekly (at least) errand to Target, I found this magazine. I picked it up and threw it in the cart; it was just a couple of dollars.

It turned out to be adorable! Check it out if you should happen to stumble across it on your travels.

From Courage by Anne Sexton

Later,

if you have endured a great despair,

then you did it alone,

getting a transfusion from the fire,

picking the scabs off your heart,

then wringing it out like a sock.

Next, my kinsman, you powdered your sorrow,

you gave it a back rub

and then you covered it with a blanket

and after it had slept a while

it woke to the wings of roses

and was transformed.

Bebe

What could be better than vintage baby? To me, there is nothing better!

Thursday

Well, today the air conditioner officially conked out...just in time for a really hot and humid day...of course. I'd tell you the temperature, but I always find that makes things worse, don't you? The good side of the situation (which there always is one) is that with all the windows and screened door open, and the fans on, it really felt like summer. The down-side of air conditioning is that you can't hear the crickets, the sound of the lawn sprinkler, the dog lapping up the water bowl.

Here is the book I made today -

Another fun project I'm working on involves those photo boxes of unscrapped photos. Remember the days of getting your roll of film developed? In looking through those, I realized that what I may once have deemed 'unscrapworthy' is actually a precious photo of a day that I lovingly remember. The funny face that 'ruined' the picture makes my heart warm. So I decided to do a really simple album of those - 8x8 so the pressure was off - no need for a big theme related page - and you can buy just the 8x8 squares and cut down on the scraps! It's also completely unchronological - whew! You wouldn't believe how much that just lets you focus on the photo that you love! I'll have to share some later this weekend.

I'm going to catch up with a girlfriend over crabs. Yum!

Have a great night.

A Poem

by Emily Dickinson

It's all I have to bring today –This, and my heart beside –This, and my heart, and all the fields –And all the meadows wide –Be sure you count – should I forget Some one the sum could tell –This, and my heart, and all the Bees Which in the Clover dwell.

Tuesday -- On Which Sarah Goes Junkin'

Well, knowing that Monday morning will throw me back into the world of full-time employment, I decided that Today needed to be devoted to a little junkin'. Having been in a junkin' funk lately, I decided to head off to this little town where I knew I could find some treasure.

Sure enough, I was right! Before to long I had found these cute spoons and napkins - perfect for my daughters lunches at school. (Sorry, 'Sonny' doesn't get items that can't be accidently heaved into the school trash bin!)

But my best finds of the day were these three gorgeous paperweights. As if they weren't treasure enough, I even managed to talk the gentleman down in price. They are price-less!

It's actually hard to photograph a paperweight! Hope you found some beauty along your journey today.

Something New...

I was working on some other family scrapbook projects this afternoon and got distracted by this! Going in the Etsy shop tonight. Check her out!

Women and Stories

Over the past few days, I have been blessed with hearing the stories of two of my friends. By stories, I don't mean the ha-ha moments of tripping in the grocery store, or coming out the ladies room with toilet paper on your shoe. Rather, I mean the raw and unguarded secrets of the heart. In return, I shared some of my own struggles and secret stony places in my heart.

As a counselor, I am often the privileged recipient of someone's unburdening, and I never cease to be grateful to be found worthy of that blessing. And so I began to think of the power of women's stories, and what they mean in our lives. Women's stories can be, are meant to be, a source of strength, a lesson learned, a poignant memory that unlocks one in our own heart. Something to take forward with us on our own journey - the idea that you are not alone. That other women have gone before you, and with you, and will follow you. It is important to mark the way.

There is no better author to advocate for the power of the untold story then Clarissa Pinkola Estes. She writes, " I hope you will go out and let stories, that is life, happen to you, and that you will work with these stories from your own life - your life- not someone else's life- water them with your blood and tears and your laughter till they bloom, till you yourself burst into bloom. That is the work. The only work."

I do believe we have to help each other with that work. Sometimes we do it by listening, sometimes through sharing our writing, or paper crafts. Telling our story. All this reflecting made me leave my craft table for a while...I muled a round the bookstore, and picked up two books that had never really struck a chord with me before, but did yesterday.

Collage Lost and Found by Giuseppina Cirincione and Pretty Little Things by Sally Jean Alexander (she has a delicious website!) Both have lots of beautiful photos as well as step-by-step instructions and ideas for adding to your art.

Everyone has a story to tell. Maya Angelou once said there is nothing more painful then having an untold story inside you. Again, Clrissa Estes tells us, "Don't be a fool. Go back and stand under that one red flower and walk straight ahead for that last hard mile. Go up and knock on the old weathered door. Climb up to the cave. Crawl through the window of a dream. Sift the desert and see what you will find. It is the only work we have to do."

Find a worthy person. Tell your story.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

Wow! That was loads of fun browsing around Arsty Mama's yesterday! Many thanks to everyone who stopped by and said 'hello'! It was exciting to put some things in Etsy yesterday for the first time, and I promise there is more to come! It was a little bit of a struggle, as I am not a techy person, as I've mentioned! I'm going to try and put more in today, so please stop by! Anyway...last night I knew I was going to make a special journal for the winner of the drawing. I got out some inspirations...


...and was ready to roll!
Here is what I came up with...I really hope you like it!




And now..the big drawing! Drum roll, please....

And the winner is...

Congratulations, Rose Trellis!! Please send your mailing address to me at listensister@hotmail.com, and I will get it out to you asap! Thanks for stopping by!

Just wanted to add that I put a journal just like the one I made Rose Trellis in my ETSY Shop! Make sure you check it out!

Some thoughts for today...

A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever from Book 1 of Endymion
by John Keats

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:

Its loveliness increases; it will never

Pass into nothingness; but still will keep

A bower quiet for us, and a sleep

Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing

A flowery band to bind us to the earth,

Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth

Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,

Of all the unhealthy and o'er-darkened ways

Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,

Some shape of beauty moves away the pall

From our dark spirits.

It's Party Day at Artsy Mama's...and...exciting news!

Hi, friends! Today is the day of Artsy Mama's party! I am so excited that I finally get to be a part of one! Sadly, despite hours of puttering around muttering to myself, I could not think of any crafty lessons. I'm a little intimidated, truth be told. As a friend is fond of saying, "Well don't I feel like the hill billy that just wandered into town!" So, I decided to bring some music to the party! This is an artist I have been really into lately, Colbie Caillet. And have found that she is fabulous to scrapbook to! In this link, you can play one of her songs. You can listen while you marvel at the artistic talents of Artsy Mama's friends! Click here or here !

There is one thing I thought of to share - using a blank calendar from an office supply store - I decorated the outside...and came up with this! Cute, huh?

I was, however, inspired to share what is probably my most favorite crafty thing right now - my journals. They are near and dear to my heart; made of old photos and lots of great paper and ribbon. See what you think!

Now for the exciting news! I finally decided to take the plunge and put a couple of my journals in the ETSY shop!! Today is the day! They will be there this afternoon - promise! And ...in honor of this grand occasion...a drawing and free give away! Leave a comment today, and I will put your name in a lottery style drawing for a free journal! Fun, fun, fun! Talk to you soon, and enjoy the party!