Flower Child

As regular readers to this blog may know, I belong to a very unique and creative group of ladies who get together twice a month for mah jongg and red hat fun. This is the next in a series of posts about those ladies, and I hope this very special gal will forgive the silly title to this post. She excels at flower arranging, to needlepoint, quilting and more. Delicate stencils are featured in her home including this whimsical basket of flowers which escape the frame. The intricate Christmas stocking was lovingly done for her first grandson, and the quilted pillows were gifts for her daughter. An avid gardener, she delights in arranging flowers, such as the sunflower bouquet, and delights each of us on our birthdays with an arrangement especially for us. A couple months ago, she presented me with a selection in a tea cup (did I mention she also gives fabulous teas?) which she called "Herbs and Edibles" because the whole arrangement could have been eaten! I chose to photo graph it instead, and enjoyed it for the longest time.

Meet TulipsTreasureBox!

One of my super Etsy teams, etsy bloggers, is featuring this fantastic shop this month. From fabulous jewelry to practical t-shirt recycled totes, this will be a fascinating visit for you. I was first attracted to her shop from her name because tulips are my favorite flower, but I've chosen a pendant with an iris to feature. At any rate, they bloom in the same season, and I just love this piece. To see all her beautiful items, just click on the link below!

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5508373

Camille and Oscar play fantasty football!

Last Sunday, Oscar and Camille travelled to Oconomowoc to choose their fantasy football team in the annual draft. they brought plenty of iced tea to keep them cool and relaxed against the mini-cooler as they watched the set up in David's son and daughter-in-law's garage. They watched as everyone planned strategy, and then Oscar just had to see what was gong on on the commissioner's computer. 12 teams completed the draft in just three hours. They're pleased with their "team" and will keep you posted how they do in the league!

H.........appy Holidays!

It's not hard to guess this lady's favorite holiday! As she and her husband, a physician, raised four children, she found time to work an endless amount of Christmas items and continues to do so today! Currently she's making Christmas stockings for her church bazaar in November. She's also made many tree skirts. You can see a close up of the one she did for the family of one of her sons who is a clergyman. The ceramic nativity set is finished to look like pewter, and the Christmas trees light up! I couldn't resist including a non holiday item, the beautiful afghan in shades of blue and white that she completed several years ago and treasures today. Hope this inspires all of us to "keep" Christmas with us all year long!

A.........quintet of exquisite quilts!

When I was introduced to this dear lady more than 18 years ago, I remember being very impressed with her personality and talents. That admiration has grown so much! Her quilting skills are extraordinary and she allowed me to photograph some of her quilted wall hangings, only a few of the many full size and lap size projects she has made and designed. You will notice the wide variety of techniques in these few examples and I hope you enjoy her color palette as much a I do! These are true pieces of fabric art. What a glorious collection!

A.........mazing talent!

This is the third in a series of amazing craft work from fabulous friends. Quilting and sewing are just two of her talents. The quilted jacket is actually done right on top of a sweat shirt, making it warm enough to wear on chilly nights and even sometimes on winter days in Wisconsin. She has made many of these as well as the darling, almost full sized sheep! The sheep is sporting one of her scarf designs. These scarves have a scrunchie type tie, that make it easy for us scarf-tying-challenged folks. I love mine! I'm also in possession of a couple of her colorful kleenex holders. They're perfect for carrying in a purse. I must admit I was very impressed with her eggplant picture which she did in pastels and cleverly titled, "Before Parmesan". Now don't tell anyone else, but she also makes the best angel food cake in the world!

F.........un at slow pitch softball!

Our son-in-law and daughter invited us to watch his team play slow pitch softball on Saturday and we snapped some photos. He's the pitcher for his team. He's in the big guy in the red shirt. The little guy was there to cheer on his dad who also plays on the team. His t-shirt matches one of his dad's and has his number as well! The last shot is one of the playing field. After today, I have a new appreciation for sports photographers. Thanks for the invite, M&T! It was a delightful way to spend a gorgeous summer afternoon!