Can't Help Feeling Bleu....Bleu-gris, Blue-vert

Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future...

I want to fly like an eagle
To the sea...
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me...
I want to fly like an eagle
Till I'm free...
Oh, Lord, through the revolution
(lyrics by Steve Miller)

Feeling a bit melancholy tonight....can you tell?

The good news is that I will be flying soon...next week,
... in fact I will be flying to the sea!

And while I'm there I will be visiting my parents and in-laws and sweet sister Lynn.
It is just for a week but it will be a nice transition period...
...a time to think about my plan of action...

I'm looking forward to some warm weather... walks on the beach...late night chats with my sister...early morning coffee with my mom and dad...
...Why am I melancholy? Gee, I just cheered myself up!

Too bad Starla and Mr. Flea are staying behind...
...but somebody has to hold down the fort!
:)

Don't you just love blue-gray...blue-green?
The colors of the sea.....

No?

If you could only see one color....which color would it be?

Knapsack Matches

In the same display case at Gather where I found the sweet silver perfume vial that I showed you yesterday...I saw this tiny brass colored metal matchbox. When I asked Deanna the cost... she gave me a look and then put it in the bag with my other treasures. Deanna's that kind of gal.
I knew just what I would do with it...



This tiny ceramic mouse has been kicking around since Kate, now 23, was just a little girl. She used to tag along with me on my flea marketing adventures and, as a born animal lover, had a penchant for all sorts of little animal figurines...
Over the years she collected an entire menagerie of tiny ceramic treasures...
This little mouse looks right at home!



Tomorrow night, I hope to fix a nice dinner, share a glass of wine...



...and then perhaps snuggle up on the sofa with Santa Baby and a good movie...
...I would like to watch a nice romantic comedy or a Jane Austen favorite...
Him? not so much...



I am sure we will be able to come to an agreement! :)

Hoping my replacement power adapter arrives before my laptop and battery fails...
...it's a bit of a race against time!
If I should disappear for a day or two...that will be why!

Happy New Year!

Playing with pretties

With Christmas behind us and the New Year full of promise...
inspiration crept in and I started playing with some little pretties...





I never used to appreciate glass or sparkle as much as I do now...



...some old glass inkwells and a knife rest I picked up at the flea market for a song...
...well, maybe it was a dollar....afraid my singing wouldn't buy anything...





I really hate to put away my vintage Christmas ornaments...
I didn't even have time to get most of them out!
It looks like next year I will have more time to decorate and bake...maybe even write and send Christmas cards!
Having time...that will be heaven!



Bits and pieces...



In 2010 there will be more time for my bits and pieces and playing with pretties...



Will I use my time wisely?



will I waste time?



Leaving the corporate world will mean...



less security...
... but more time for reflection, for spiritual and creative nurturing and artistic pursuits...



...what was that saying?

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams..."

baby steps...



...another pretty...
...a tiny silver perfume vial found at Gather in Ivoryton, Connecticut when visiting with the girls a few weeks ago...
...we all loved this little treasure when we spied it in the glass display case...
(these girls are so good to me...they let me take it home...I really love it!)



...and another collage created by layering one of my photographs with a scanned antique document...
I printed it out and used it as a background to take pictures of these pretties...
...it's fun to play with my photographs and pretty little bits and pieces...

One more day to this short work week and then a long weekend with plans to spend quality time and shop a little with my sister and niece...
... a quiet New Year's Eve at home with Santa Baby...
and then a luncheon on New Year's Day with special friends...

How will you celebrate the beginning of the new year?

This is a nearly white post so perhaps it qualifies for White Wednesday...to view other participants visit Kathleen at Faded Charm...

Feelin a Bit Wired Before the Holidays?

This is a strange Christmas post....I'm not sure where it's going...



Several years ago, I inherited a sizable collection of vintage Christmas ornaments from a family friend...
most of which were pink...
...and then there was this spider ornament...



I've never seen a spider Christmas ornament before...
...it seemed to want to make a home on my Swedish wire trivet...
...I decided to "google" a Christmas spider....
...it turns out that there is a German Ukraine folk legend called "The Legend of the Christmas Spider"...

Once upon a time, long ago, a gentle mother was busily cleaning the house for the most wonderful day of the year.... The day on which the Christ child came to bless the house. Not a speck of dust was left. Even the spiders had been banished from their cozy corner in the ceiling to avoid the housewife's busy cleaning. They finally fled to the farthest corner of the attic. T'was the Christmas eve at last! The tree was decorated and waiting for the children to see it. But the poor spiders were frantic, for they could not see the tree, nor be present for the Christ child's visit. But the oldest and wisest spider suggested that perhaps they could peep through the crack in the door to see him. Silently they crept out of their attic, down the stairs, and across the floor to wait in the crack in the threshold. Suddenly, the door opened a wee bit and quickly the spiders scurried into the room. They must see the tree closely, since their eyes weren't accustomed to the brightness of the room... so the crept all over the tree, up and down, over every branch and twig and saw every one of the pretty things. At last they satisfied themselves completely of the Christmas tree beauty. But alas!! Everywhere they went they had left their webs, and when the little Christ child came to bless the house he was dismayed. He loved the little spiders, for they were God's creatures too, but he knew the mother, who had trimmed the tree for the little children, wouldn't feel the same, so He touched the webs and they all turned to sparkling, shimmering, silver and gold! Ever since that time, we have hung tinsel on our christmas trees, and according to the legend, it has been a custom to include a spider among the decorations on the tree.

...and not only that but I found instructions on how to make a beaded spider ornament...
Who knew?



These pretty little blue ornaments came from Anthropologie...



...I have to find a new route to work so I don't drive past that darn store...



I really like the way the shiny blue ornaments look in this antique wire basket which I found at an estate sale many years ago...



I really like how the wire basket stands out against the stark white snow...
...contrast and texture...



I told you I wasn't sure where this post was going!

If you haven't signed up yet for my 300th post Give-Back you may do so here!
The 3 lucky winners will benefit from this obsession with Anthropologie...
You have until noon on December 26th to sign up. Good luck!

For those of you who have asked...it appears that the 2010 winter edition of Somerset Life is due out on January 1st... unless you have a subscription in which case you may have already received your copy!

Enjoy these last few days before the holidays!
Dan comes home from school tomorrow!
Then the fun begins!
:)

The Open House and The Treasure To Be Found At Stony Creek

Last Friday evening we had the pleasure of attending Cathy Pendleton's Christmas Open House where she displayed and sold her whimsical creations...



Her darling owls are on display at the Folk Art Museum in NYC...



The lion lays down with the lamb on a bed of snow under a glass cloche...



Look at this sweet little guy peeking out from the sugar bowl!...
You can contact Cathy or see more of her creations at The Cheswick Company...



On Saturday afternoon after the house tour we took a drive out to Stony Creek...a quaint village on Long Island Sound...it looks out over the Thimble Islands...
We ate lunch at the sandwich shop and visited the local antique store...
Click for a closer look at the beautiful coastline...



It is also home to a wonderful shop called Taken For Granite ...
The picture above and the ones below were taken inside the store to give you a peek at the treasure to be found there....
This place is truly a wonderland of fabulous unique clothes, jewelry, gift items and unusual antiques...
Everything is beautifully displayed and wonderfully gift wrapped...























If you are ever in the area....you must not miss this shop!
Truly Inspirational!

...and that's it for my wonderful weekend with the girls...
I hope you have enjoyed coming along with us!

There are many reasons to celebrate this holiday season and I have two more!

No. 1... This coming Monday will be my 300th post! ... and so, in honor of all that I have been given in the way of friendship, support and encouragement through my friends here in bloglandia...we will celebrate with a Give Back! Details to follow...

No. 2... A wonderful opportunity came into my LIFE...I look forward to sharing this with you tomorrow!

Have a good night! :)