It's Been Snowing -- Quilling Ornaments Again

We experienced a couple days of really cold and snowy weather this past week which caused the kids and I to do some creative art projects as well as me making some more quilling ornaments.

I decided to make up a supply of initial shapes and then decide on what shape or pattern to form from them afterward.

I ended up making 10 new creations and trying a few different accents. This has caused me to want to stock up on more shapes/colors to see what else I can image.

One bit of disappointment to me this week was my big beautiful victorian art framed piece arrived with the glass broken. Shopgoodwill.com has been notified and a claim form to UPS is in the works. Thank goodness the print itself was not badly scratched. Off to a frame shop I go to find out how much the glass replacement will set me back!

Glamour Halloween Witch

Actress/Dancer Peggy Ryan is the beautiful witch in this photograph. I thought it fitting to post her on the Halloween's Eve.

She was an American dancer who starred in a series of movie musicals at Universal Studios, tapping and clowning with Donald O'Connor.

Her parents were vaudevilleians, "The Merry Dancing Ryans", and Peggy joined them onstage before she was two years old. Her singing, acting, and dancing skills were noticed by George Murphy, who helped her get a role in 1937's Top of the Town. Her first pairing with Donald O'Connor was 1942's What's Cookin'?, and they appeared in films together throughout World War II. (Perhaps his most famous performance was as Gene Kelly's friend and colleague in Singin’ in the Rain (1952)).

She was brought back to the small screen to play a recurring role as secretary Jenny Sherman, in Hawaii Five-O from 1969 to 1976.

In later years she trained Las Vegas showgirls in tap dancing. Her last public performance, at her 80th birthday party, was a hilarious song-and-dance routine for her former Universal studio colleagues.

Peggy Ryan continued to teach tap until two days before her death at the age of 80 from the effects of two strokes.

Information from Wikipedia, a list of her film credits can be found there also)

One Flaw in Women

One Flaw In Women

Women have strengths that amaze men...

They bear hardships and they carry burdens,

but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.

They sing when they want to cry.

They cry when they are happy

and laugh when they are nervous.

They fight for what they believe in.

They stand up to injustice.

They don't take "no" for an answer

when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.

They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.

They love unconditionally.

They cry when their children excel

and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about

a birth or a wedding.

Their hearts break when a friend dies.

They grieve at the loss of a family member,

yet they are strong when they

think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss

can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you

to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what

makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love.

They have compassion and ideas.

They give moral support to their

family and friends.

Women have vital things to say

and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,

IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Please pass this along to all your women friends and relatives to remind them just how amazing they are.

H1N1 Proliferation

Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS,DRM,DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid specialist) having clinical experience of over 20 years. He has worked in institutions like Hinduja Hospital , Bombay Hospital , Saifee Hospital , Tata Memorial etc.. Presently, he is heading our Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and Critical Centre, Malad (W).

The following message given by him, I feel makes a lot of sense and is important for all to know.

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*


5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

Victorian Oomph!

A friend of mine in Kalispell, MT recently gave me this beautiful victorian pincushion. I don't know if I will be able to keep pins sticking in her or not. She is just so darling to look at.



Another victorian find at Salvation Army recently was a DVD of a movie I had never heard of called: The Lady and the Highwayman with Hugh Grant starring. This was one of his first acting performances for the screen. It is now added to my collection of Jane Austen, Jane Eyre, Cranston, and so many others I keep close at hand for repeat viewing.



I just simply love the hairstyles and costuming used in these pieces. Yet, I am so glad not be wearing them personally!

What is your style? Have you received or found something recently to bring that "IT" back to you? I just won an auction on shopgoodwill.com of a beautiful framed piece I can't wait to receive in the mail. Bet you can guess what flair it is from this blog.

Rainy Dreary Days - Time To Sew

Saturday was perfect! I even got out and played ball with my son a couple of times. The weather was right for cooking chicken on the grill.

Sunday rolled around and the wind got to kicking up. We were still able to get outside and play ball and have some laughs at our lack of graceful dance in trying to hit it.

Now Monday rolls around and it is cold, damp, and just plain blah . . . I understand some friends of mine in Tennessee have been experiencing this for quite some time now. I hope it is sunny and pleasant your way today.

I am in the mood for a big pot of soup. I think it is going to be a combination of creamy potato and cheesy broccoli with some corn and crumbled bacon thrown in. My family really enjoys soup on cooler days.



On my sewing side -- last week I completed another embroidery & applique' quilt block called Blue Nile. I decided to try using some batik fat quarters I picked up recently. I think it turned out splendid, except I did decide to give another sewing foot to my machine a try after completing this block. Also, I am going to start playing around with using different color threads in the future.




One good thing women are good at is changing their minds . . . I seem to be doing a lot of that lately.

Alice Wears Couture (My Kind of Wonderland)

Alice Wears Couture, originally uploaded by ClearJadeStudio.

From ClearJade Studio on flickr.com: Waiting the release of Tim Burton’s new film "Alice in Wonderland" – I was also motivated to reinterpret Alice into an edgier, modern version.

This Alice wears eyeliner, high heels and couture. Instead of tea, she will probably have a non-fat latte and there is always time to read Vogue. Inspired by the world of high fashion – from Gemma Ward to Alexander Mcqueen, elegant gothic darkness, and the richly textured fantasy world of Lewis Carroll.


Clear Jade Studio has this listed on Ebay from October 12 - 19th for sale if you would like to see the whole painting.

Hope you have a little "Alice" in your day today!

The Emerald Stare - OZ Halloween Flaire

The Emerald Stare, originally uploaded by ClearJadeStudio.

Inspired in part by The Wizard of Oz, Gemma Ward and Medusa, the goddess whose gaze turns every man to stone.

I just love finding talented people. This artist is no exception. I love the vision an artist has and then to be able to put it on paper or to use a brush to bring their visions to life is so amazing to me.

This artist is known as ClearJadeStudio on flickr.com and I am adding her as a contact to see what other new creations she comes up with.

I am going to be adding her Alice in Wonderland interpretation here shortly. Everyone knows I love finding unique and beautiful "Alice" items.

Really Good Advice

Someone sent this to me in an email today. I need to read this often and live it more closely.


ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO ... Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR . When you say, 'I love you ,' mean it.

FIVE. When you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye.

SIX ... Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN.. Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

NINE . Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

TEN. . In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?'

FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.


FIFTEEN. Say 'bless you' when you hear someone sneeze.


SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson !

SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN... Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship..

NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY.. Smile when picking up the phone.. The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.

Fall Fashion Show -- Me a Prize Winner?

A neighbor invited me to attend a Fall Fashion Show at Inge's Fashions last night. I haven't really explored clothes shopping since moving to Great Falls in April 2009.

This is an excerpt from the Great Falls Tribune about the owner, economy, and her store:

The proprietor, Inge Buchholz, said she has noticed more customers head straight for the clearance rack when they enter her store than browse the other areas.

"Since this thing set in, the recession, I do notice people are more price conscious," Buchholz said. "So I'm putting more things on sale and bringing in some products that are still a good quality, but are less expensive."

The bread and butter of Inge's Fashions continues to be the store's mainstays unique women's clothing items, including the only selection of the sizes 4X to 7X in town, and strong customer service, Buchholz said.

"I have a lot of repeat customers," she added.

It was a fun outing with ladies of all sizes and ages (one was 86) modeling very pretty fashionable clothing. I had already decided I would have to go back and do some exploring (and purchasing) when the crowds of women were gone. There was a very good turn out.

Door prizes were being called for floral arrangements and gift certificates. I had my name in the hat, but never even usually get my name called for anything. Well, last night was a first as I won the top prize -- a pair of "Not Your Daughter's Jeans". I don't know much about them and will be going back to Inge's on Saturday to find and fit into my new pair that retail for $100.

All I could hear the ladies at the fashion show talk about was how much Oprah recommended them.

Here are some other important selling points I have found online today:

"Created for real women with real curves"

"A unique criss-cross panel that flattens your tummy, lifts your rear, and makes you look and feel a size smaller" -- SOUNDS LIKE A MIRACLE TO ME!.

I will have to let you know how I feel when I get these babies on.

Except for the Mouse -- Christmas Creation

Here is the finished embroidery wallhanging I started a month ago. I just needed to get in front of the sewing machine and get the machine quilting and border completed.

I am getting more and more in the holiday spirit as the Halloween decorations are in full swing on the front picture window.



Also, I just spent 2 1/2 hours outside in the front yard working on the "swamp" of cottonwood tree leaves. A very nice elderly gentleman pulled up to work on a lawn across the street and came over and helped me. He has a wonderful machine called a Billy Goat that sucked up the leaves in a bag. He then dumped them onto my driveway for me to get into big heavy bags while he played with his machine on the lawn. It took 10 bags in all to complete the job.

This man was so sweet and would only take a cash donation from me. I hate that when people just say for a donation as I always want to give more. In the end I could only scrap up $8 in cash from around the house, but he was happy with that and worked very hard with me.

I think he was really "an angel" who came to help me with a very big task. Hope you have an angel to help you out today or when you need it most.

Petticoat Patty / Sunbonnet Sue Quilt Block

I have been in the "sewing" kind of mood since talking with a dear friend from Nashville over this past weekend.

"Tangent -- to go off suddenly in another direction or on a different line of thought, action etc."

That describes me or at least my creative personality at times. I have been in a "tangent" with embroidery ever since the beginning of 2009. I also purchased tons of very nice kitchen towels and keep an ever watchful eye out for cute patterns and designs to put on them. Just had to break down and purchase a new printer ink cartridge the other day.

So here is my very big Petticoat Patty or as some know her also as Sunbonnet Sue. She is from a 1992 publication called Favorite Applique Patterns from The Old Country Store with designs by Cheryl A. Benner.



I love the shape of the shoe in the pattern and decided to add a black button for an embellishment. Also, I put a miniature fabric yo-yo for the flower to add a little special touch.




The outcome is not quite decided as to whether the creation will turn into a big quilt or a wall hanging or a gift for a young girl as a blanket or doll blanket. I do know I will be playing with more fabrics and making more of these pretty Petticoat Patty / Sunbonnet Sue quilt blocks in the future.

Antique Presents -- Edison Toaster

I just received a very nice phone call from my sister-in-law, Trish, thanking us for finding a beautiful antique appliance -- an Edison Toaster.

It is from Edison Electric Appliance Co. Inc. Chicago ILL. - Ontario Calif. A General Electric Organization. It does have slight surface rust but I think it will clean up just fine. One feature of this toaster is that on the side it has a knob that opens and closes the two doors to access your toast.

A little research on the computer find a Wikipedia entry of the company information with some pictures of the toasters and the history. There is not one of such ornate design as shown above.

I did do a search on Ebay and found the toaster there someone has to offer. The person listing it is offering less than a dollar to start the bidding. His postage is slightly under $10 which might seem high to some, but having shipped one the other day, that postage is low as well.

Exploring and finding this gem for Trish has me interested in exploring the local antiques stores in Great Falls in the near future.

Natural Halloween Decorations

08-07-09 007, originally uploaded by chez60.

I spent a good part of my afternoon rummaging through unpacked boxes trying to find a cool vintage yard ornament (in other words -- my jack-o-lantern) to decorate for Halloween today. When all is said and done a wonderful treasure trove of things were unearthed from some boxes but no seasonal item found. I am hoping on a spur of the moment I gave him to a good friend or at least a new home to be enjoyed.

These spider webs remind me now that we have had frost in the morning the pesky flies, mosquitoes, and bees are gone till next summer. The visual of the webs also reminds me now we need to do something about a few spiders (big ones I might add) that have been spotted in the basement. I am not a big supporter of eight legged creatures even though the can weave some of the most beautiful pieces of art to behold.

Well, a skeleton is hanging from a branch on the big tree outside now and some really cool characters are displayed in the big picture window (a vampire, top hat skeleton, a mummy, and Frankenstein) so today was not a total disappointment in my decorating department!!!

I do love Fall. I do love the holidays that are just around the corner.

Also, I have been printing out some holiday inspired embroidery patterns off of flickr.com in the Vintage Hoop Love Transfer Pattern group. If you are a stitcher, do a little exploring here. You won't be disappointed.

The kids and I had some fun creating a "spooky" music list on playlist.com (free - no charge) and have been getting in the mood for the fun filled times to come. We came up with Monster Mash, Purple People Eater, Time Warp, Wild Thing, Addams Family theme music, and even found Batman and some Scooby Doo stuff to include on our music list.

Time to close for now -- Don't forget to take moments and enjoy the natural decorations around you. I know I am looking where I am planted these days.