Did I meet you in that shop

where the book of love is kept behind the counter?

Impossible, except our names are there

in golden script upon the luminary page.

Who would have thought the string bean boy,

the girl who hops and squats like garden toads

would find each other in the deep immensity

but there you are, my fingers trace your name.

I see mine linked with your by radiant hearts

the shops' proprietor, his quiet smile,

before the book is closed, takes up the feather pen

turns the page, and writes our names again.

~Fred Andrele

~ For Lucy ~

Slightly crooked pics today of a card I made for a friend.
My favorite part of the 'poem' Imagine A Woman.
Imagine a woman who values the women in her life.
Imagine a woman who sits within circles of women.
Who is reminded of the truth about herself when she forgets.


So true.
So lucky to be within the circle.
Sometimes in the circle, sometimes in the center.
Sometimes we all need to be reminded.

I made this tin for a fellow Nancy Drew fan.
Therapeutic...

...to give...

...and to receive.

There are plenty of summer mysteries out there to be solved!

Still keeping my determination to get more crafting done this summer.

Also enjoyed time yesterday with my niece, Vivian.

With the exception of a nasty hot pink hoola-hoop incident

with the neightbor girl, all went swimmingly.

~ Album Fun ~

I know! I'm such a bad blogger. Is anyone even still out there?

But I at least do have an excuse...I've been crafting! In between trying to get all the minutia of my life settled out since the school year ended (all the things I've been putting off getting done...) I was mulling over how to do this project! Friends of the family celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary...

But not just any friends, they also were our next door neighbors

and babysat us...forever. All my brothers and I.

So it needed to be a mixture of wedding, and our own fond family memories.

Hopefully, I accomplished the task! Now I'm off to work on a journal page.

Stop by and let me know what you've been up to!

Seriously. How long do you think it took me to grab up this little beauty at the antique mall a few weekends back? Yeah, about that long. Love her!

I made this card for one of my children's teachers for the end of the year. Don't forget to thank a teacher in your life! It's never too late.

~ Prongs ~

Well? Do you have your prongs? I know, I know - you're probably thinking 'What the heck does that even mean?' "Prongs" are a euphamism that my girlfriend and I use to encompass the idea of inspiring self improvement plans. Dongs are things that distract and mislead you away from...well, your prongs. Several summers ago I realized that I needed a plan in the summer months for what I wanted to accomplish, so that Labor Day didn't roll around with big disappointment. So I began making plans each spring for what needed to get accomplished, and madly sticking with it. Sometimes it's things like reading all of the books by an author, or learning a new skill. Last summer I did volunteer work for two causes I believed in. You'll have to trust me, in the fall it feels good that you did it. It helps to have someone checking in on your progress and making sure you don't get distracted from your plan. So today my girlfriend and I are meeting for lunch to do a prong check, and make sure we're starting the summer right! Do you have your prongs in line?

~ Monday ~

Whew! That extra Sunday nap-time gave me an extra buzz of energy last night! Wisely, I turned off the tube and got crafting. I used a quote that I had found on another card, and adapted it to a more 'vintage' style.

I stamped a jar to go with the idea of the quote - a Sanity Relief Fund - and attached a note to the inside. It was enjoyed by the recipient! I need to turn off the tv more often...

~Sunday~

Ahh, another weekend. Made sweeter by knowing that before we can blink an eye, summer will be here. Next weekend, the pool will open, and it will seem like an eternal summer lies ahead. I am determined not to squander it. Lots of goals I plan to accomplish, including lots of crafting, of course. Saturday I got to sneak out to the antique mall. (yeah!) Found these great charms. The wedding bell actually moves! They are larger than the rest of my charms, but I could not resist.

Went to the gardening store; pure heaven for the hubby. While I can appreciate plants; he can actually see in his mind's eye what to do with them. What a gift! Though our yard is not the best for roses, I couldn't leave without two of these dreaming pale pink Heritage rose bushes. Here's hoping they can survive! So beautiful and delicate; what a gift.

Have a good week!

"Learn to pause...or nothing worthwhile will catch up to you."

~Doug King

"Hats prevent the growth of new brain cells," he said sternly.

She nodded and vowed to buy herself an elegant hat

with flowers, organza and a veil the very next day.

~ Happy Mothers Day~

To Make You Laugh...And Wonder

"This is the best thing to wear for today, you understand. Becaue I don't like women in skirts and the best thing to wear is some pantyhose or some pants under a short skirt, I think. Then, you have pants under the skirt and then you can pull the stockings up over the pants underneath the skirt. And you can always take off the skirt and use it as a cape. So I think this is the best costume for today."

~ Edith 'Little Edie' Bouvier Beale

Though the Beales are not pictured above, I think this photo is a great background for this quote! Who can watch GreyGardens and not feel like you are witnessing an amazing and curious disaster unfold, only to realize it may not be a disaster afterall. Though at first seeming to be completely nonsensical, this mother and daughter team may make more sense than we realize. They became a national attraction for their reclusive and often downright bizarre and hygiene-challenged lifestyle, it makes one wonder what the world might think if they followed us around for a year or two. Here's to you, Beales!

Big Edie: The cat's going to the bathroom right on the back of my portrait.

Little Edie: God, isn't that awful?

Big Edie: No, I'm glad he is. I'm glad somebody's doing something he wanted to do.

"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not;

remember that what you have now was once

among the things you only hoped for."

~ Epicurius

Book...Continued

Still putting the finishing touches on my son's First Communion Book...you may recall from a few posts back?

I put small envolopes inside to hold notes from family members about his big day. Hopefully he will appreciate it one day...

I just hope he has a girlfriend who won't let him throw it out! (lol)