Everyday Beauty

New Necklaces

 
Well, finally, finally, finally I have the necklaces I made all photographed and ready to be listed in my shop. A couple of them are still out in the hands of an editor, but I thought I could at least sell the ones I do have here.

 
This will be the last of them for quite a while, I imagine. I don't see myself chasing a 2-year-old, nursing an infant and teaching a 5-year-old to read....all while making jewelry. :) I could be wrong, but I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon!

 
If you want to take a peek, you can find them by clicking this link tomorrow, Tuesday, May 4th at 8:00 pm. EST.
Happy Day everyone!

xo

Naming Baby

 
I've been getting emails from inquiring minds who want to know what we're planning to name the baby. It was never meant to be a secret at all, and I didn't even give it a thought that I hadn't mentioned it before.

Funny enough, we've had our "girl" name chosen since before we got married, almost 7 years ago. It's always been Sofia.

 
Upon George's absolute insistence, it is spelled the Italian way, with an "f" rather than a "ph". He doesn't insist on too many things, but the spelling of her name was one of those things. And since the "f" version is a lot less common, I was happy with that. It's a name I have always adored.

Angelina will be her middle name, after George's late mother.

Sofia Angelina Singarella.....not too Italian......and I do hope she'll forgive us for giving her an eleven-syllable name!

{The beautiful painting was a gift from Holly. Isn't it wonderful?}

In Full Bloom

 
Hello Friends!
I want to say thank you for all of the heartfelt comments you left about my Grandfather's passing. As so many of you said, his memory will live on forever. What a gift to have known someone special for 34 years, and to be able to remember him fondly for the rest of my life. I'm grateful for that.

 
So, are your Azaleas blooming now? Here in Virginia it's Azalea time for sure. Seems like nearly every house has one. Ours are in full bloom and they cover the front flower beds with a sea of hot pink blossoms.

 
You can't miss our house as you drive down the street!

 
And then, just like that, the blooms will wilt and fade away all too soon. But there are plenty of other flowers to admire.

 
Dianthus {above} and Jacob's Ladder {below}.

 
The Lily of the Valley are ready to be plucked form the garden and brought in to fill vases.

 
My Peonies and Roses are ready to open soon, as well as the Clematis and Coral Bells. Everyday I step outside to be greeted by brand new buds. Now matter how many years I have a garden, I am continually amazed at nature and all the beauty that it brings. 
The essence of Everyday Beauty.

Grandpa

My beloved Grandfather passed away and I've been sad. I will miss him so much, and really wish I could be in Ohio with my family right now, but there's no way I could make the trip.

He was a gentle giant. The child of Slovak immigrants, he's the reason I'm tall. My other 3 grandparents are Italian, and on the shorter side.

He served in the U.S. Navy during WWII, and was part of what has come to be known as The Greatest Generation. And I believe it was.

He was an entrepreneur, and had his own television repair shop back in the day when you actually took your TV to get it repaired instead of throwing it away and buying a new one.

Eventually he started fixing TV's on his own. He had some clients who couldn't afford to pay him, so they made quilts in exchange for the TV repair. Everyone in the family had one of those quilts.

His love for electronics never ceased. He became an Internet junkie in his late 70's and always kept up to date on my blog. I can't imagine what could have possibly interested him on this blog, except the fact that I was the author. He thought that was neat.

He computer-made all of the greeting cards he and Grandma sent out, and they went through crazy amounts of printer ink. They never missed a holiday.

He was sincere as sunshine.

He loved to chew Big Red gum.

He played golf until  he was 80 years old.

Sometimes when I'd say goodbye, he would hug me so tight I couldn't breathe.

When he talked to you, you felt like you were the only person in the world.

The last time I saw him, I thought it might be the last time forever. I was right. I made sure to hug him extra long and walked away with tears in my eyes that he didn't see.

He called me Pootz.

He would've given you his last $20 and the shirt off his back if you needed it.

He had suffered long enough, and although we never wanted to say goodbye, we know he is at peace now.

Like many grandfathers, he was special. And I miss him.

Paper Cuts

 
I don't think I need anymore scissors. Nope. I think I'm all set. Although it's worth noting that every time I'm looking for a pair, I can't seem to find one. Tell me I'm not the only one. And I try to be so organized....really, I do.

Well, anyway, I was doing some cutting today and realized how many different kinds of cutting elements I have here in my craft room. And that inspired this silly post.

This contraption here is one of my favorites. I found this antique pinking machine at a local antique shop maybe 5 years ago. I was actually out that day looking for one, if you can believe that. It was absolute serendipity. $25 out the door....and I've never seen one since, except on ebay. I first saw one in an old issue of Country Living where they had featured Barbara Schriber's designs. She had one, and I thought it was just about the coolest thing ever.....thus began my search.

 
You simply crank the handle, the gears turn, and the little fluted blade cuts a decorative edge.

 
I'd be remiss not to mention these fun multi-blade scissors. I found them about 3 years ago at my local A.C. Moore. In one clip, they make 5 cuts and create fabulous fringes in no time. These would be great for making party festooning and even party horns & hats. I recently saw similar ones featured in a newsletter from Bell'occhio.com. And now that I think of it, doesn't Martha have these in her line now too?

 
Not long ago, I used them to make some fringey flowers like this one, but now I want to make a whole bouquet in different colors. Let's add that to the list of things to do....

 
With all those blades, they take about 1 minute to make, no kidding.

 
And then of course, there are rotary cutters, circle cuttters, paper trimmers, hole punches, straight-edge blades, guillotines, all manner of decorative punches and everything in between. Did I miss anything? Are there any new fandangled cutting implements I don't know about yet? Tell me please!

And now, back to my cutting....

Little Prince

 
My good friend Holly is having a precious baby boy {very, very soon!} and I wanted to make him something to celebrate his arrival into the world. You may have seen the beautiful painting Holly did for my baby's nursery last month. Sadly, I cannot paint, so I had to to stick with sewing!

 
Every little prince needs a crown, don't you think? I made this one from wool felt. A covered elastic band in the back makes it adjustable in case the little guy wants to play dressup and be a "king" and wear it throughout toddlerhood and childhood. There is interfacing sandwiched in between the felt layers, for added stiffness, and I just used perle cotton to stitch in all together.

 
My kids are already asking when I'm making theirs. I'll get on that soon, as I really enjoyed making this one for Holly's baby. I plan to make one for my niece and new baby nephew too.

 
She told me what they are plannning to name him, a name that begins with "J". I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the chosen name hasn't changed, as I know that sometimes happens!

I also made a baby blue fabric bunting for the nursery. I've always had buntings in my childrens' nurseries, bedrooms, and in the playroom. They add an element of fun and whimsy that is especially sweet for a child's room. Or, if she prefers, it can always be hung as a decoration for birthday parties and other celebrations.
 
Super simple triangles stiched together and cut with pinking shears, then all stitched together with hem tape folded over the top.
 
I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of the little guy soon. There is nothing in the world as wonderful as a new baby!

Monday in the Kitchen

 
Well, hello! I've been busy doing a little of this and a little of that, and didn't even realize I haven't been around for a week or so. As usual, it seems most of my time is spent in the kitchen, and once in a while I'll reach over and grab the camera and start shooting things that inspire me. This scrumptious pile of fabrics is sitting on the table, waiting to be stitched into various projects. Love the pop of yellow in there. The sewing machine has been humming quite a lot lately, and I generally sit and sew at the end of the kitchen table where there's plenty of room to work.

This is just an old rose, a religious medal and some lace tied to a candlestick. Simple but pretty I think.

 
Fresh baked Strawberry-Banana Muffins on the table. Yum. 
 
Some rosey knobs I just painted for the dresser in the nursery.
 
And a little dish of Italian chocolates. I'm loving the colors so much.
 
Well, Spring Break is officially over, so I guess I need to stop being a lazy daisy and go upstairs to find a shirt that will fit over my belly {nearly impossible these days} and swipe some blush on my cheeks and mascara on my lashes before I take Mario to preschool......so as not to scare the teachers!

See you soon, girls!

Happy Easter!

 
Hello Friends! I can't stay and chat too long, as there is Cavatelli to make and meatballs and sauce to finish up. The bunny cake is complete, and George is out hiding eggs all over the yard for the children to find and fill their baskets with. Happy Easter wishes to you!

A Feathered Feast

 
This Easter we're staying home and having our traditional Easter dinner as a little family of 4. Although there are no guests to impress, I still try and make the meal and table memorable and special in some way. Otherwise, it just sort of feels like any other day. Holidays should feel special no matter how intimate or elaborate the gathering may be.

I decided to create a "Feathered Feast" for our Easter dinner this year, and it does take a little planning so I've begun gathering the dishes I want to use {my great-great-grandmother's}

 
and a set of vintage monogrammed napkins.

 
I quickly made these little nest-like table decorations from artificial Peonies and malted milk chocolate eggs.

 
Then I got out my hatbox of feathers. Feathery fluff was flying everywhere!

 
Nestled inside are all sorts of feathers and plumes, both new and old.

 
I so love these pretty plumes from an old hat.

 
On Saturday, Chef Mario and I will bake a bunny cake and decorate it with way too many candies, I'm sure. And we still have to dye our eggs and get a few other Easter tasks finished before Sunday. I love all the planning and pastel prettiness this time of year brings.

Savoring Simple Spring

 

Mario & I went out back and clipped dozens of cheerful Daffodils from the cutting garden. It's magical to see the little twinkle in his eyes when he realizes that these flowers were closed up a week ago, and now they've opened to show their beauty. He went outside to check their progress daily, and came in with a report for me. We placed some in a in a pitcher in the foyer and more in a vase on the kitchen table.

 

Then we headed back outside to decorate the annual Easter Egg Tree. Another simple tradition that costs nothing, but brings lots of smiles to my kids' faces.

 

I love those little hands to pieces.

 

We blew bubbles, I pushed them on the swings and everyone was just so glad to have this wonderful weather. A perfect day spent with my boys, enjoying Spring's simple gifts.