There is that quiet moment, when there is no more time for rushing about, the presents have all been opened and the rubble is cleared away, an abundant feast was happily consumed, and all the family now trundled off to their own homes, sleepy babies in tow. 

I lit a fire, and turned down the lights, and sat back in my big chair, content for that moment.  Glancing over at the twinkling lights of my little tree, a deep sigh escaped.  Christmas had arrived, and despite the world's attempt to steal the peace of the season away from me, it had been perfect after all. 

It was perfect in small moments.

If I had hurried too much they would have been lost, and I had been so determined not to let that happen.  I desired more than anything to be able to retain that deep joy despite the traffic, the greed and excess of the season, and the family squabbles (oh yes, there are those in even the most loving clan), and the fragile health of Mr. Wonderful. 

I wanted to shout it from the highest building, that the grace of the Season was within me, despite it all, and I wouldn't be lying, or faking it, or pretending to have it all together (I didn't, believe me), but somehow I had stayed calm and so could hear when the season spoke to me in unexpected ways, and in quiet moments. 

I shopped a bit (no excess, we like Christmas simple at our house), I wrapped presents, I planned the family gathering, I spent oodles of time with Mr. Wonderful while he was recovering from kidney surgery (complications, 3 surgeries, a much longer stay than expected, and one return trip to the ER), I hugged on purring kitties, snuggled my nose in my horse's soft mane and breathed in his sweet scent, I knitted, and I made time for a few craft projects. 

Like this trumpet. 

You've learned by now that I love my silver, and so it follows that I am not a fan of gold tones.  I had been packing about this lovely Christmas trumpet for years and somehow had never applied the magic of paint to redeem its brassy hues.  Clearly, it needed the Silvergirl treatment, like the candlestick I blogged about here. 

It only took a few minutes to get it right, silvery, a dark pewter metallic glaze rubbed in all the crevices and hollows of the horn, a bit of fake snow and a dusting of sparkly glitter.  The trumpet was perfect, and only needed a few rich appointments for it to become just as I always imagined it. 

As ravens do, I gathered sparkly remnants for my nest, black glittered stick-on letters, an old cabinet photo of the most lovely sanguine maiden, a champagne colored glass bell, a bit of pearl necklace and chain, and an embossed card, a couple chipboard swirly thingys, an elderly ruby glass button.  Hmmm... now what can I make with this?

Oh, she's lovely, isn't she?  I bet her name was Annabelle. 

I added a length of tasseled trim, a twist of tarnished silver tinsel garland, a bit of antique gold braided cording for hanging, and while it would rest atop the chine cupboard for the season, I took it outside in the morning light and shot these pictures against my old wicker chair and a few yards of antique velvet on the front porch.

The silver took on a blue cast in the winter's morning light.

I hope your Christmas was joyful, and that, in those quiet moments after the hubbub you were able to take in the meaning of it all.  I sat back and remembered how clearly I could see it in the eyes of my 83 year-old father-in-law, the delight at having the family together, and mom's bustling about taking care of her children... and grandchildren, even though we are all grown up now.  I heard it in the prayer at mealtime as Dad returned thanks for all that we have been blessed with, and for the Greatest Gift we have been given. 

As for me?  Well, I was pretty happy to have Mr. Wonderful home, nestled in his big chair with a plate heaping with the day's feast, two pieces of pie waiting next to him.  He was still pretty fragile after his ordeal, but delighted to be home and on the mend. 

Thank you so, for all for your emails, thoughts and prayers while the doctors took care of my hubby, and for me too. 

Peace and Love to you all. 

Eileen

I have been thinking a lot about light, sparkly, shining, beautiful light. 

Colorful Christmas lights are everywhere this time of year, and they are such a cheerful sight in these dark winter months. My own petite Christmas tree sparkles in one corner of the great room and I so love its merry presence.  An elderly mirror stands behind it, an early gift from Santa, and it magnifies all the tiny reflections from the vintage glass balls.

Here in Alaska, we've had several weeks of ice fog followed by another 10 inches of snow, and all the trees in our lovely city are heavily flocked with beautiful frost and snow crystals.  The scenery is a study in sharp contrast, dark branches of bare trees or evergreens against pristine snow and ice.  When the sun comes out this golden light touches everything, so perfect that my spirit can barely take it in.  It is as though my mortal form is insufficient to see its magic completely.

It was a blue moon month too, and the reflected light of night's orb made the snow shine so, highlighting the frosty trees, transforming winter's dark into this ethereal, peaceful scene.  When it is clear at night the stars are so vivid, close enough to almost touch, and they shine gloriously against the dark, inky blue sky. 

What a gift, this beauty.

Last night, walking to my car from the warmth of the hospital building, it began to snow, and since it was about 5 degrees, the flakes were those incredible, no two alike, geometric perfection, and they glistened in the glow of the moon and the lights in the parking lot.  Silvery, like the most wonderful shower of tiny flakes of glitter. 

Reflected light. Just for me.

"You are the light of the world.  A city on the hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven."  Matthew 5:14-16

I've been absent this week, and I should let you know that the Dear Husband is under the weather.  He had rather difficult kidney surgery Wednesday and some pretty tough complications have kept him in the care of our local hospital much longer than expected.  This morning he goes into the operating room again, to fix what's not working. Doctors and nurses are incredibly wonderful, aren't they? 

He will be fine in a few days, he's a tough old bird and in such good care, and, God willing, he will be home before Christmas.  Despite this unexpected series of events, I am remembering that during these times of testing I am reflecting light also, the Light that is within me, that gives me grace, and peace, and hope, and thankfulness.....no matter what. 

Merry Christmas dear ones. 

Eileen
 

Look out....There's a bit of paint flying about for Metamorphosis Monday. 

Don't you just adore old transferware? Me too.  I have lately indulged my love of brown, or black, and ivory pieces.  I have a very small collection. Nothing fancy, humble even. But so beautiful.  Perfect to display with my ivory, rusty, chippy, silver Christmas items.  These two are favorites. 

You've seen the big corner unit in my great room, with the slate fireplace, TV bay, lovely display shelves on either side?  Well, for the holidays, I've changed out the darker items for a lot of silver and ivory stuff... er, nice, crusty things. 

I had about 6 different things I'd been wanting to paint chippy white (more bloggy posts on that coming soon!) and the holiday decorating theme was the perfect excuse to get all painty and make a big mess. 

I had these two plate stands, very nice, but really the wrong color - a bit too orange-y for me, you know?  They'd been hiding away in the closet begging for a new paint treatment. 

Ta-da!

(Okay, I know I let the cat out of the bag in the pictures above. Oh, "cat" being a figurative term....)

The plate on the left is brown and ivory with this incredible gilded edge, soft gold that still glitters after all these years.  The one on the right has this pretty oriental theme with a scalloped edge. It is black and white... well, ivory now.  I love how things age.

Hmmm.... maybe that's what I should call my wrinkles... "patina"?

Your thoughts?

Anyway.... I used three, no four colors in all on these plate stands, dabbing on a platinum first, then ivory, a bit of pale gray and finally a smidge of white to hit the high spots. I am loving how these turned out.  All total, I painted these plate stands, a set of lovely wooden finials, a Rococo urn and a trumpet, all of which ended up in the great room shelves.   

More pictures to come ~

Eileen

I am a firm believer in the "Trash is Pretty" theory.  A bit of lace, or tulle, or velvet, and the most humble objects are transformed into tattered riches.  I prefer my trash in clusters that are piled in deceptively haphazard arrangements, but of course, are actually artfully and carefully constructed, placed about the house so that I may enjoy a bit of trash in every room. 

Can you believe that I am actually a neat freak too?  I can't quite reconcile the old trash + type A personality, but it works for me.  My friends keep telling me there are medications for what ails me. 

I'm not particularly interested in a cure. 

What I am interested in this week is my Christmas gift list.  I have just realized that I have almost no shopping done.  This is what happens when you pay too much attention to riding a handsome Tennessee Walker, knitting with nubbly yarn, home decorating, petting sweet kitties, working in corporate America, addictive craft projects and taking care of Mr. Wonderful. 

You know what I'll be doing this weekend, right? 

Oh dear, the malls..... [sigh]

Eileen

That first morning after the snow fell the kitties came downstairs as usual, and following a tasty breakfast of dead fishy stuff, decided it was time to go out into the fenced backyard and check out their territory.  The night before the back yard was still all crispy grass and cool leaves and damp earth.  It smelled so good to the kitties, and they loved to spend hours exploring the safe confines of their fenced universe.  Imagine their surprise when they discovered everything had turned white... and so cold to their little paws.  Bitty always shakes her furry feet in the snow, one at a time, until all four are absent as much of that frosty, white stuff as she can cast off, a grumpy look on her little cat face. 

Then it snowed a lot more....

... and guess who came out to play?  Itty Bitty loves to hunt the fence line where all the mousies get fat on the cast off bird seed from the feeder above. 

I mean, she really loves to hunt. 

Really a whole lot.  Like, every... single... day....

He loves animals, and is patient with my kitties. Did you notice?  He's darn good with a shovel too.

Just ask my horse.  

As far as the kitties are concerned, he's got the best lap in the house.  Paws down.

Bitty refuses to go out when the snow is too high.  Apparently she draws the line when it could possibly touch her belly fur.  This new trail is just to her liking.  

Dad did a good job didn't he? 

Eileen
 

No really, it's true.  Right out of school I took a position for 4 lovely years as librarian for our small town school - grades K through 12 all in one building.  I've always loved books, the smell of the paper, old dusty covers, finding that one novel that no one had ever checked out before.  In those days I NEVER would have considered tearing an old book apart.  

How I've changed.

I should start off by saying that my project today was not my idea, but rather my interpretation of a completely divine creation I saw over at Living With Lindsay.  Please go see, and leave a nice comment for her.  Because Lindsay did such a super job with her tutorial, I won't duplicate her telling of the how-to's.  I was a bit more method in my making, and (you knew this, right?) I added glitter. 

The book above was a NEW book from the local book store, $4.99 on the discount table, Dickens Great Expectations.  Perfect.  In addition to cheap, I needed a thick book (lots of pages) and creamy sheets with good print, substantial paper, with a deckle edge.  You know what that is, right?  The raggedy edge you get from paper making is not cut off, but instead left uncut for effect.  I think it looks richer somehow. 

I painted the edges with a mixture of espresso, vanilla and cinnamon. Not only did this smell heavenly, but it left a pretty grungy edge.  Perfect. 

Then I used my handy cutter and sliced off pages.  All total, I used just under 400 pages for my project. 

I folded the stacks of paper into a "W" shape, doing several at a time.  

Then put little dots of white glue at the bottom.  This is my feeble version of an assembly line...

Now, Lindsay just crunched the ends of her's up, which left a rounder shape to her papers that is really nice.  I would like to tell you that the reason I did mine a bit different was that I wanted a bit more structure, but really, I just think I was too clumsy and fumble fingered to crumple them as artistically as she did. 

So I folded and glued, and folded and glued and... folded... and glued... until (eesh...) I had a big stack of these strips.  I took some of my glitter pins and clipped four or five folded strips together, just to hold the ends until they dried. 

At this point I kind of looked around and realized I had not made a big enough mess with the rustic stain, paper, hot glue and white glue.  As you know, when you really want to make a very satisfying disaster out of your kitchen counter... well, actually the whole kitchen, you've just got to get out the glitter, right?

So I did. 

Glue and glitter, glue and glitter.... glue... and... glitter, and I just made stacks of these incredibly pretty folded paper pieces. 

It was fun..! I kept saying this to Mr.Wonderful, who had "assumed the position" in his favorite chair with the blankie and Star on his lap, watching TV and reading some tool catalog (his version of multi-tasking), until he gently inquired as to "what was I doing?"

My stock answer?  "Making something"

..."pretty."

Don't you just love old books?

Eileen

Ballard Designs is bad, just bad, bad, bad...  I should never had waded into their web site this week, as now it seems that I have developed a hideous crush this a humble scrap of lumber, a smidge of crown molding, words in a language I do not speak, and all tied up with a bit of patina and a curvy, funky shape. 

How can it be wrong when it feels so right?  ... and where would I put it if I caved in to temptation?  I imagine this would look REALLY good on that nice wall on the big front porch. It just has that certain "something"...

You know? 

Eileen

Moments before pandemonium ensues and the dear family arrives, I snapped these shots of our Thanksgiving table.  We are waiting for Mom and Dad, Tim's brother David, his lovely wife Lisa, and nieces Hannah and Mary Grace. 

Our home is great room concept, so the "dining room" is really just a space between the living area and the kitchen area.  Beautiful French doors lead out onto the stone patio and pergola.  A rustic chandelier hangs overhead, draped with crusty bits of junk, ancient black glass buttons strung on wire, vintage crystal beads, rusty whatnots.  Tim put the ceiling medallion above the lighting only a few weeks ago.  Perfect finishing touch. 

I love it. 
 

The two upholstered chairs on each end are planned for Mom and Dad.  Soft, cushy, perfect for the guests of honor.  The place mats, a nice damask silkscreen on grass mats, were only $4 each from Pier1.  Just beyond the big table you can get a glimpse of the little table set especially for Hannah and Mary Grace.   

Binx is inspecting.  See her stripey back at the bottom of the photo above?

Two vintage lace tablecloths are layered one over the other for extra luxury and delicious texture.... and just because they were pretty and I couldn't decide which one(s) to use.   Irish linen napkins with a generous section of bobbin lace in each corner are at every place setting.

Two princesses will be eating here, dressed in their lovely hat/crowns, loyal (bear and rabbit) subjects standing patiently by to serve their every need.  The banner from last summer is restrung above their heads.  I'm going to age and stain this banner later in the week, edging the rosettes in silver glitter just for a bit of Christmas fun.

I love my old bunny Aubrey Rose. She is the queen of our vintage stuffed animal collection.  Mostly, we have bears at the Terwilliger house, and these four are special favorites.  Each wears a sparkly necklace, as this is a dress up event, and Aubrey holds a children's fairy tale book.  Hannah was much impressed that the book was over 100 years old. 

The stag's head and horse show ribbon joined the newly refinished candlestick and a few bits of old junk clustered together.  Later, I lit the candles and we ate by candlelight and the soft glow from the chandelier above. 

Many, many years ago, when Mom and Dad took over a new church, there was a bunch of dishes in the trash bin, waiting to be hauled away.  Missionaries, generally speaking, are very frugal, and so Mom dug out the old dishes, only to discover a complete set of 24 Johnson Brothers apple pattern, including a huge platter and all variety of serving dishes, teapots and even a coffee pot.  The family used this dinnerware every day for the next 15 years or so, then gave it to me, and I have used it every day for the last 16 years.  I have been collecting brown transfer ware in a variety of mismatched designs, and pondered passing the colorful apple pattern along to one my newly married nieces to care for next.  I mentioned this to Dad, and his gentle eyes and soft voice commented that the china needed to stay in the family, as many meals and memories have centered around the Terwilliger dinner table.    

Precious memories.   

Each place setting has another plate nested on top of the apple pattern.  This is for salads, or breads, or all the goodies on the relish trays.  One must have extra room for deviled eggs, no?  The brown transfer ware plate at Dad's setting is so beautiful and from the mid-1800's, its gold edging still glimmers after all these years.

The gray Christmas stocking hanging over Dad's chair was an impulse purchase at Pier1.  I couldn't resist the heavy gray wool felt and the silvery beaded snowflakes.  I bought only one, since I already have all the stockings I need!

I even dressed up, a vintage lace top layered under the prettiest dress and wintry cardigan.  Layers of old rosary beads and a favorite old pin are added.  I am like one of those silly ravens that are so plentiful in Alaska, I love sparkly things. 

I'd forgotten what my legs looked like, it's been so long since I wore a dress, maybe last year at this time.  I don't have many, as most of my clothing is business wear, but today it felt good to be a girly girl. My shoes are over the top, but they're silver, my favorite color, and I'm happy in them.  

The doorbell rang after this last shot, and the family arrived, arms laden with their food offerings, coats, hats and boots everywhere in the entry, children asking where the kitties were. 

I just smiled happily.  It was good to have family in my home. 

Eileen
 
 

This table scape post is included as a link on Between Naps on the Porch.

Sometimes when all is quiet and I pause, alone, in humble prayer, I can not put voice to the fullness of my thoughts and the words do not flow.  It is during those times that my heart must do the speaking, as there are no phrases to utter that would even begin to touch what I am feeling inside. 

I cover my face with my hands and bow my head in silence and let God search my heart and hear my prayers.  Today is one of those days, and at this peaceful hour before the family arrives I realize that I could never begin to list those things I am thankful for, yes, even the difficulties God allows into our lives. 

He is in control, of that much I am certain. 

And so this day, as you celebrate with your family and give thanks for all that is dear to you, pause, and let your heart quietly speak those things words are unable to tell, but above all, be thankful for it all. 

Blessings ~

Eileen

I was completely transfixed by the sparkly site before me, and paused as I entered the doorway.  My eyes worked hard to take it all in, it was so beautiful.  The annual Holiday Open House at Ozarks Americana is a favorite event and I arrived with plans to bring home the loveliest of their Christmas Treasures.  I generously asked if the DH wanted to come with, just in case he was concerned about my packing home too many crusty bits, but he looked at me as though I'd sprouted antlers and shook his head emphatically. 

Coward. 

Each year I add to my collection of vintage Christmas ornaments, or, at least, ornaments that have that lovely old quality about them.  If it's faded silver or cream, or ivory white, I'm there, willpower abandoned in favor of patina and glitter.  This stag's head on a heavy wooden pedestal was the first thing that caught my eye.  Rich pewter at the base, and frosty white on the stag, it would quickly become the inspiration for my next Do It Yourself project.

He's pretty handsome, isn't he?  I just love the acorns and oak leaves around his neck.  Perfect touch.  I think I'm going to keep my eyes open for some silk oak leaves and acorns, because it might be nice to give them a bit of the frosty treatment and add them to the Christmas collection also.   

It's Metamorphosis Monday. I'm late again, and I have several excuses, most distracting was the trip to the ER with the DH (kidney stones, need I say more?). So, crisis averted and back in the art nest, I had this idea from my latest hunting expedition, and dug out an old chippy green candlestick as my next victim... er, project.   

There's not a thing wrong with this guy.  It's a sturdy, extra tall, turned candlestick, but that green color, which was part of an older decorating scheme, had kept it in the storage closet for the last 5 or so years.  It was just too nice to hide away... and besides, I. Have. Paint. 

A few happy hours later and several layers of white, silver pearl, and pewter paint, various waxes, metallics and stains, a fluffy fake snow medium and, you know ... GLITTER. 

After all the painting and spackling was done, I embellished the candlestick with an old child's rosary made out of olive seeds, such a nice creamy, taupey color, a little silver circle charm at the end, a faded mercury glass bell and another bell in a different shape, this one a nice platinum, tied to the candlestick with a bit of grey tulle and a slip of silken brown seam binding. Apparently, I have this bell issue.. because I have a LOT of them in my Christmas stuff.  A lot. 

I think the finish is pretty close the stag's head patina, not perfect, but, as they say... "it doesn't match, but it goes..."

A girl and her tulle...... happy.

These pink poinsettias made out of bump chenille also came home with me from Ozarks, along with a few more old silver-ish Shiny Brite ornaments. 

These stockings... perfect.  I'd seen them in a magazine somewhere and cut out the photo to make my own, then discovered them at Ozarks and Kathy, who is the kindest of souls, helped me nab three.  They are this really thick felt, with a sprinkling of silver sequins, and I just love the elfish trim at the top and heavy poms.  I need to embroider them with our names, but otherwise, they are exactly what I was looking for. 

More bells, no? ... and a nice wooden dove.  I think she needs some glitter and a bit of something around her neck.  Maybe a bitty birdy crown too?

I snagged the horse show ribbon from Painted White.  Love Alice's wonderful things.  Irresistible.  Totally.  The four Wallace hand engraved silver spoons are slated for my next project.  I have the best idea for these. 

Love the little paper rosette thingy in the lower right of the photo below.  I think I'm going to make more of these myself and use them for our family scrapbook page exchange this year. 

With the family coming over Thursday, I"ve been decorating the house for the holidays.  I want everything to be sooooo special for them.  I've got all the supplies for the kids to make gingerbread houses, and aprons for all the ladies, and all the nice old china and tarnished silver and vintage linens ready to put out. 

And tomorrow I make pecan pies ~ my holiday favorite.

Eileen

I have the most wonderful family.  I married into the Terwilliger clan in 1974, welcomed as a daughter of the house, introduced to Jesus by my father-in-law, the dearest of pastors.  The DH is the eldest of 7 siblings, three boys and four girls, 18 years between the first and last.  Each is grown now and has their own sweet family, children, even grandchildren.... which for Mom and Dad Terwilliger means great-grand babies.  Best of all, we all live within a few miles of each other. 

Holidays all together have been a tradition, and the wonderful chaos that has been each get-together is priceless, full of laughter, memories, waaaaaay too much food, and completely exhausting.  I quit having events over at my home, because with, oh, I don't know, seems like 40+ people in the house, it's a little tight.  It scares the kitties. 

Something is weighing on my heart.

This year every sibling but one has other plans with their immediate family - and I understand COMPLETELY, I love these guys soooo much and their families are wonderful people and need special times together themselves.... but I could hear the disappointment in mom's voice when we talked last night.  Since we're a small group this year, we'll be in my home, and I'm going to go all out, make it extra special, flowers from the florist, candles in sconces, all the best dishes and linens, holiday music, sparkly decorations.

Dad is going to be 83 this year, and while there is great longevity in the family, I feel like the holidays all together are even more precious to them than before. Next year, I suggested to mom, we're going to have to do the family event a week before, then everyone can do whatever they want on the day itself.  

We have so much to be thankful for.  God has been so good to us all. 

Beloved, cherish your elders, they are priceless treasures. 

Eileen

It's Metamorphosis Monday, I'm in big trouble again.  Sometimes I just can't help it, and my reluctance to upset the marital apple cart is occasionally hideously overcome by my stubborn desire to decorate something MY way.... and I was itching to work with this lovely tulle I'd been hoarding.   

Of course, it all began innocently enough, and I really don't set out to offend his manly sensibilities.  The last week I'd been cleaning like a maniac for an appraisal inspection and I wanted my home to be perfect so that the appraisal would come in as high as possible. Like everywhere else in the country, home values have slumped here in Alaska a bit, and while we're not planning on selling for several more years, we are taking advantage of our bank's 4.25% interest rate to refinance.  So, with the appraisal complete (Value increased!  Yea!) and the hormonal surge not yet dissipated I figured a project was in order. 

I get distracted... where was I?  Oh, the tulle....Tulle is seriously girly, and, generally speaking, I do try to avoid anything overly feminine in my nesting - the DH frowns. But there was this silvery-gray yardage in the art nest that I uncovered earlier this week, and I had these lovely lamps in the bedroom that had the most boring shades. 

You know the drill... first, I gather all the "stuff" I just might use for my project and place it in a big pile somewhere close by my workspace.  I love everything here except the pink....definitely too girly, so that went back in the box of flowers for another project. 

I love the art nest, such good light and delicious things all around me.  The glittery stag next to the lamp is a recent Christmas purchase from my favorite antiques store, Ozarks Americana.  In fact, the inspiration for today's transformation came straight from this lovely shop, where one of their most creative stylists made one very similar that stole my heart away.   

First, I used a basting stitch on my sewing machine to sew a big tube of tulle with the seam set in about 3 inches.  Turning it inside out and gathering the tulle along the seam left this nice ruffle.  I hot glued the ruffled seam to the seam on the shade, putting an old button at the top and bottom to keep the ruffle in place. 

I used several vintage trims, including an aged sequin tape for the bottom and top of the shade, gluing on vintage millinery flowers and some old hat netting. 

I gathered up a few areas were the tulle was too full and twisted it into little rosettes, tied in place with hand dyed silk ribbon.  I used a two embellished clothes pins to clip vintage cabinet photos on each lampshade. 

I was hoping that the photos would cut down the sweetness of the tulle a bit.  What do you think?  Did it work, or am I just fooling myself?

I used the prettier flowers on mine, and a bigger piece of the hat netting.  These were a deep green originally, because you could see remnants of that color in the recesses of the petals, however, they had long ago faded to this rich cream, with just a touch of green at the center.  They were made of this really heavy, rich silk.  So beautiful. 

Here's his lamp, all lit up.  Hopefully, it's not too, too girly? [sigh] Okay, you're right, it's over the top, I know.  Maybe he won't notice. 

... and mine, with the old millinery flowers glowing. 

The light is perfect in here now, and the shades make the lamps softer, the space a bit more restful.  This morning I slept in until 9:30am.  This is some kind of record for me, but perhaps its because I have been flu-ish and my body needed the extra rest. 

Star stayed close to me all morning, snuggling happily, her little kitty form sleeping beside me, purring in my ear.  I could wrap my arms around her and rub her silky tummy, and she would reach up and lick my tangled hair.  We were lost in a sea of warm flannel sheets and fluffy pillows dressed in our homemade pillowcases, soft blankets and morning light.

A sleepy Sunday indeed.

Blessings ~

Eileen

I haven't made an altered book in a long time.  The practical side of me argues with the artist girl.  We talk to each other in snarky tones... "This is junk" says the practical Eileen.  "No one will want this when you die, and it will land in the trash." 

The artist girl replies, heart on her sleeve... "No, this is me all over these pages, and my son will cherish them forever.  When I am long gone, these books will reach through time and tell him about his mama's heart and soul."

I let them argue, and continue painting, cutting, gluing and writing, peacefully, passionately.  I can't help it, it's all inside me and must come out. 

I pray you are safe and well today, and that you take time to create art ~ Blessings.

Eileen