make new friends

Emerson Tray from number 411

Have you ever thought of your friends as "ornaments" ...or... "characters"

Helen Keller - Quote on a tray from here.

to create the story of your life.

Well think again.

I do think friends make our life sparkle like ornaments and provide for stories full of plots and twists and turns.

I am thankful for each of my friends.

I may not show it often enough.

"A friend in need is a friend indeed."

"Make new friends"

This week I encourage each of you to help a friend in need or make a new friend!

I dedicate this week to old and new friends!

Thanks to this new friend "moderne mama" for a fab lunch with a bevy of lovely bloggers!

(Chic trays can be found an purchased here!)

Sprinkles on Sunday

Imagine a mobile van delivering haute-cupcakes to your door or driving to a local park like the ice cream truck.   I bet I would be first on line to sample a "Sprinkles" cupcake.Have you been to "Sprinkles" - a business that creates wonderful cupcakes and delivers them!  Sprinkles anyone?  I just love that they are so committed to being created artfully!

sugar-baby

sugar-baby - photography of meg duerksen

Will you look at this little sugar snap, the amazing photography of this gal Meg over here.

Whatever she snaps, or makes seems to make my life as well as countless others a bit more sugar-coated.

"whatever...the shop, linked to whatever...the blog"

There are certain things in life that surely bring out the kid in me, as well as fond memories of making things and riding my bike to the store for licorice or a bar of chocolate (days before helmets and other unfathomable dangers!)  

the sweet stitched flower power shirt - worn by my daughter!

I learned to sew at a young age and loved it so much.  Meg makes thing too.  She made this fun flower shirt from (whatever "the shop") which I ordered for my daughter and she is constantly asking, "Where is that shirt" as she loves it so much.  I know that once the kids are back to school, Meg will be filling up her shop again and I will be like a kid in a candy store, looking for more sugar babies and sweetness.  

 Have a sweet weekend.  We are off to the beach!

punch-drunk love

photo by joanna henderson

I am in love.  The swagger of that drape.  The way that tassel hangs and holds that swath. The smile of that table, in the legs.  The pear shape of that light.  Then there is that shiny punch bowl.  I am punch-drunk in love with this little corner.  The abstract art.  I like a bit of mystery and I want to know more (about this room) The wallpaper adds just the right amount of texture and pattern.

Ladle me this room.  I can just taste it.  Smooth, a little sweet and a hint of lime.

the thick of it

Last week, while taking the dog on a walk, I happened upon these glorious thistles.

I truly cannot imagine designing something so positively perfect!

Just look at this thistle, reminds me of fireworks and a pathetic creature, near and dear to my heart.....

Eeyore loved thistles. This is one of my favorite sketches from Winnie-the-Pooh. I love the way Pooh remained so positive and sunny whilst Eeyore just could not be bothered. I think these tasty thistles would keep Eeyore going. Are you Pooh or Eeyore?

How do you remain sunny-side up in the thick of life!

(I added this book, "The Tao of Pooh" after a comment told me about this book!)

paint by number

Thank-you to Style Court for including me and my palette in your series.  I feel akin to the fine host and her bevy of palettes.  

I am contemplating a show of work with a small local gallery.

I would love to know what sorts of art you would love to see.  I am trying to focus on one subject for this show.  I want my work to be uplifting, happy and something to bring people out for an evening.  I am considering a cause, connecting to one that needs a little paint to add some funds.  

Tell me, one "subject" you would love to see in my pve design style and what is a good "number" of pieces for a show?  

swimmy

Summer time means tons of swim practice and time to be in the pool for my youngest.

I really think she is one part fish.  

She never seems to tire of the water or swimming.

This week, she will be competing in the Westchester Swim Counties Meet at Rye Playland.

She swims, breast-stroke, butterfly, free-style, and the relay.  

I applaud all the athletes for their dedication to swim.

Daily practice surely prepares one for swimming as well as making one strong.

Are you a swimmer?

win over

....and the winner is "A Gift Wrapped Life"

Firstly, the "potager garden artwork" that I posted yesterday goes to the randomly selected winner- "A gift wrapped life" - most deservedly so, since this summer, her garden has been demolished by a street wide debacle, otherwise known as construction.  

pve design illustration of an amusing garden for a fellow blogger and designer

 Secondly, what would it take to win you over?  

A lush garden of earthly delights?

(The above illustration belongs to a gentleman with a green thumb for the garden and home.

Win me over and tell me who?  His heavenly garden transformation has been the envy of many.)

photo by Joanna Henderson 

Perhaps a wheelbarrow of freshly laundered faded florals to lay down in the grass with the one you love.  A picnic basket of some fresh strawberries, fromage, a crusty bit of bread and a little wine....

photo by joanna henderson

and then after you wake up from an afternoon dream, you could skinny dip here...

or you could just unwrap all those glorious boxes that Sande tempts us with!

Congrats to Sande and I now have the challenge of wrapping my framed work of art to send to a wrapper extraordinaire!

Thanks to each of you for your comments!

You have no idea as to how they win me over and how full of gratitude I am to each of you!

potager garden-giveaway

pve design artwork-cottage with potager garden

A "potager garden" is one that is traditionally located outside the kitchen full of non-edible and edible flowers and herbs.  This lovely cottage has a small but plentiful garden, full of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Do you have an herb garden? What "herb" or "spice" do you find yourself using "thyme" and again?  (sorry, I could not resist the play on words)

Leave me a comment by mid-nite tonight and I shall randomly select a winner and send this little work of art, matted and framed to you.  Surely this will add a bit of spice to your wall!

posh paper

If you have a fetish for posh paper then allow me to invite  you to Real Card Studio.  She also has an Exceptionally Inviting blog. 

I love really nice paper letter-press and love sending notes and packages.  Heather was wonderful to work with, and I could not choose one, so I have a nice wardrobe of personal note cards.

Did I mention that as much as I love clean fonts, I also love frilly elegant script.

I think there is room for both and Heather made it easy for me to fall in love with these real cards, real fast!  Do you have a penchant for personalized paper.  If you do, then Heather is your go-to-gal right here.