The Lovely Daffodil

"Daffodils" (1804)

I WANDER'D lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the Milky Way,

They stretch'd in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

By William Wordsworth (1770-1850).

Butterflies Flutter By

I created this little mobile for one of the girls' bedrooms. It is very simple. It moves slowly with the any breeze. It's fun to lie underneath and watch it rotate.




Same butterflies, solarized. Cool effect.


If I had more time, I would love to try this. The bird mobile is AMAZING! Such talent.

Photo Day!

A beautiful canal in Brugges, Belgium. This is one of my favorite cities.




I took this photo in Speyer, Germany during a Weinachsfest (Christmas festival).



I enjoy decorating with birdhouses and birdcages. Twinkly lights also make me happy.




This little guy found the birdseed that I spilled from the feeder. He was kind enough to pose for a quick photo.

I was randomly scanning blogs and came across this cute questionnaire at Madrin Designs
and thought it would be fun to "reveal" a few fun things about myself.


1. What is my occupation right now? Stay at Home and Work Mom
2. What color are my socks right now? black
3. What am I listening to right now? Nothing - blissful silence
4. What was the last thing I ate? I AM eating Muesli as I type
5. Can I drive stick shift? Oh yeah! Fun, fun, fun
6. Last person I spoke to on the phone? My younger sister's answering machine
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Well, I "sent" this to myself, so, sure
8. How old are you today? Hmmm, to reveal or not? Let's say 40 something
9. What is your favorite sport to watch on tv? tennis
10. What is my fave drink? Fizzy Mineral water with tart bitter lemon - yummy
11. Have I ever colored my hair? Sure. It's fun to try different shades, but highlights look best
12. Favorite food? Just about anything Mexican, Italian, or Greek - oh, and ALL seafood
13. What was the last movie I watched? Bedtime Stories - super for adults and kids
14. Favorite day of the year? Christmas
15. How do I vent anger? deep breathing (and chocolate)
16. What was my favorite toy as a child? story books and crayons (not used together....)
17. What is my favorite season? at the end of the current season, it will always be the NEXT one
18. Cherries or blueberries? Blueberries
19. Living arrangements? Married with two wonderful daughters
20. When was the last time I cried? in the last two weeks
21. What is on the floor of my closet? Sweater boxes, shoes, carpeting
22. What did I do last night? House Hunters International, Larry King
23. What am I most afraid of? Something bad happening to my family
24. Plain,cheese,or spicy hamburgers? "I like mine w/lettuce and tomatoes, Heinz 57 and french fried potatoes..."
25. Favorite dog breed? We used to own a miniature dachsund
26. Favorite day of the week? Whichever is quiet and peaceful ( and somewhat productive)
27. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds
28. what is my fave flower? Daffodils - they smell heavenly

Have a great weekend!

Felted Wool Mittens

I have enjoyed making mittens this season from old wool sweaters. I came across the idea through some blogs. The feel and texture of working with felted wool is great! The process is fairly simple. One of my favorite pastimes is visiting thrift shops, so it is easy to find colorful and inexpensive wool sweaters. I wash them in warm soapy water and thenn put them in the dryer to felt. Afterward, I cut out the pattern that I want to use. The felted wool will not fray - so finished edges are optional. With mittens I generally just use a blanket stitch with some embroidery floss in a contrasting color. I like the homespun look this gives. If you want to try this, be sure and use sweaters that are 100% wool for the best results. Have fun!