Nessy Designs

Tropical Plants

2012-01-23T22:41:00.003-05:00

Heliconia pogonantha

In addition to the great birds at Bijagual, I am always impressed with the diversity and abundance of the plants we see. It was great to have Paul Foster, botanist extraordinaire and director of Bijagual, at hand to teach us about the plant families and to help me identify the subjects of all of these photos.

If you haven't noticed yet, I love repetition in my photos. Repetition that changes slightly over a series is everywhere in nature (think of your backbone) and I find it both eye-catching and beautiful. The photo below shows a fruit stalk extending from the center of this bromeliad. When I saw this photo it reminded me of a fat, green caterpillar with its legs peaking out underneath.

OK, I know what you are thinking... "Not another dried up plant photo!", but I couldn't resist. Just look at the amazing repetition of the bracts on this old bromeliad inflorescence (thanks for the correction Paul!)

And the next two photos might be my favorites. The immature fruits of this bromeliad not only repeat, but they change color and twist at the same time! It takes my breath away!

And speaking of breath, does this last photo not remind you of a lung? It is actually a philodendron leaf that has not yet unfurled and I find it lovely and a little revolting at the same time.

Philodendron radiatum

Bird-banding at Bijagual

2012-01-18T20:47:00.000-05:00

Birding in the tropics is always a great experience, but getting to see birds in-hand is amazing. This year we had a special treat on our trip to Bijagual. Susan Shriner (Wildlife Epidemiologist & BFF) and George Farnsworth (Xavier Professor & hubby) put up mist-nets on the property for three days and caught 41 birds and 16 species. In addition to taking measurements and placing a band on the birds' legs, they will test the birds' for blood parasites.

Below you can see a Green Honeycreeper (Chlorophanes spiza) getting his culmen measured.

This photo shows a female White-collared Manakin (Manacus candei) having a band place on her leg...

and then getting ready to be released.

Below are a few more photos with the species name above each photo.

Bronzy Hermit (Glaucis aeneus)

Chestnut-sided Warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica)

Green Honeycreeper (Chlorophanes spiza)

Ochre-bellied Flycatcher (Mionectes oleagineus)

Passerini's Tanager (Ramphocelus passerinii)

Female White-ruffed Manakin (Corapipo altera)

Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla)

Monkey Ladder Vine

2012-01-17T13:55:00.001-05:00

Another awesome find at Bijagual was this monkey ladder vine. This vine was down by the river and it was about as big as my arm. I love its twisting, aged curves. Just imaging if you set out to carve such an object...it would be impossible!

I also have to mention that the monkey ladder vine is a liana. What is a liana you might ask? It is "any of various long-stemmed, woody vines that are rooted in the soil at ground level and use trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy to get access to well-lit areas of the forest" (Wikipedia).

The point of mentioning this is that the word for liana in Spanish is "bejuco" (pronounced [bay-hoo’-co]) and "bejuco" in my opinion ranks as possibly one of the cutest Spanish words I know. ¡Qué chiquitico!

White-tipped Cycadians

2012-01-15T16:11:00.000-05:00

We stayed at Bijagual Ecological Reserve in Sarapiquí for the first half of our Costa Rica trip. On our first day at the reserve we were lucky enough to see these White-tipped Cycadians (Eumaeus godartii) coming out of their cocoons. It was amazing to see them all come out at the same time, not to mention the colors and the incredible way the wings were folded.

You can see in the photo below how the wings looked when they first came out...like perfectly flat origami pieces with a hidden surprise.

Below you can see the wings are starting to unfurl. I don't think I can properly describe in words how beautiful the unfolding process was. I suppose it is like watching a flower bloom.

Here you can see the wings are completely unfolded.

It wasn't long before their sun-dried wings took them away and all we were left with were dried cocoons.

When I googled this butterfly I came across the Butterflies of America website where there are some great photos of the caterpillars. Oh, and if you are curious the host plant is Zamia neurophyllidia - a cycad of course! (Many thanks to Paul Foster, reserve director, for the IDs)

Dried Cecropia Leaves

2012-01-10T14:58:00.004-05:00

I haven't posted in a while because after Christmas we (and 20 Xavier University students and faculty) went to Costa Rica! Every year while everyone else is off looking for monkeys, jaguars, snakes, and toucans I find myself drawn to the ground in search of what I consider to be one of the most beautiful things in Costa Rica - dried Cecropia leaves.

I absolutely love their curvy repetitious arms and the way they decay. Some of them are nothing more than a skeleton by the time I find them, but the vein structure is incredibly beautiful and delicate, like the one below.

This bottom photo might be my favorite. When I look at it I can't help but think that the lobes are huddled together whispering rainforest secrets known only to wise old Cecropia elders.

So next time you are hiking in the Neotropics, watch your step for snakes and these aging treasures resting right at your feet.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T12:27:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays!

& Happy New Year!

Mercury Glass

2011-12-20T14:11:00.000-05:00

For some unknown reason I am always drawn to things with a vintage feel and mercury glass is certainly no exception. I love the way you can almost see through it if you hold it up to the light. Apparently true vintage mercury glass had double walls with silver nitrate sealed between the walls to give the silver appearance. Although mine are not double-walled, they have now become one of my favorite Christmas decorations. I usually line them up on our marble mantle and I decorate the whole fireplace with silver ornaments. Hopefully Santa won't knock them over when he comes down the chimney this year!

Elephant Wrapping Paper

2011-12-15T10:08:00.009-05:00

The other night I asked George if he could wrap my sister's birthday present. He asked me what paper he should use. I sometimes have a hard time using paper that I love, love, love. You know the kind that is almost too beautiful to use that you don't want to even take it out of the package? (Yes I know you are thinking I am a crazy hoarder). But when I saw this roll in the closet I thought it was perfect occasion to finally use it. When George finished wrapping and came over to show me my jaw dropped and I thought, "this could quite possible be the cutest wrapping paper in the world!"

So as the author of this blog I try and anticipate my readers' questions so I know you are just dying to know two things. 1) Where did I get this awesome paper? and 2) What is inside? I won't hold you in suspense because I am terrible at that. The answers are that I bought this paper at World Market in Columbus (boo hoo we don't have one here in Cincinnati anymore). And the gift is a most wonderful book I just read entitled, "Love Walked In" by Marisa de los Santos. I highly recommend it if you want an enjoyable read this holiday.

And last but not least I would like say "Happy Birthday Girlda! Lots of hugs and love!"

Christmas Flowers

2011-12-13T13:57:00.000-05:00

Yesterday the doorbell rang and as I ran downstairs I was surprised to find this beautiful flower arrangement on the porch. At first I thought maybe they were for my neighbor, but then I read the card and they were from my friend Erika and they were for me! It is such a lovely thing to receive unexpected flowers.

Of course I immediately started fussing over where I would put them. I usually have candles in the center of this berry wreath, but I have done that for years. When I took the candles out and put the flowers in, it took my breath away. I think I actually let out a little squeal of delight. It was so perfect there and it totally made my day. Thanks again Erika!

Vintage Metal Bird Trays

2011-12-07T16:00:00.000-05:00

This year when I opened up the big chest where I keep my Christmas decorations these two vintage bird trays were on top. I remember when I bought these at the flea market I was so pleased with the stylized bird design. I'm no art historian, but they are so 60's to me while at the same time having a Scandinavian (top one) and Asian (bottom one) flair. They remind me of the birds from one of my favorite books of all time Designs of Chinese Indigo Batik (this book is a must-have if you like this style!). Regardless, they couldn't be more me and they are a wonderful addition to my vintage metal tray collection. And if you come visit me this month it is very likely I will even serve you tea and scones on one of them!

Osage Orange #2

2011-11-21T20:27:00.000-05:00

OK. I hardly ever do this. In fact I've never let myself do it before. But I just had to post my second favorite osage orange photo (as compared to the one posted below). I am a firm believer in choosing the absolute best photo and going with it. But this time I just couldn't choose so I decided this is my own dang blog and I can do whatever I want! So there! If you have a preference either leave a comment, email or facebook me your choice. I'll post the results so check back soon!

Osage Orange

2011-11-20T16:03:00.001-05:00

O' sage orange

Your wrinkled green orb

Stores the wisdom of summer days

Of moving wind

Soaking sun and rain

Swelling to great heights

Fall arrives

Your tiny umbilical cord

Bears great weight

Textured, bulging cerebrum

A strong wind

Crack!

You're off

Gravity pulls

For three brief seconds, a lifetime

You fly

Now ants stroll down your twisting, verdant pathways

Spreading your stories and seeds

-Vanessa Sorensen

November Berries

2011-11-11T17:06:00.000-05:00

The colors have been so beautiful this year that I couldn't resist popping outside for a little photo shoot. These berries are from the burning bushes that line our driveway and they are in full flame right now! I also want to wish everyone a happy 11-11-11!

Everyday Joy

2011-11-01T13:47:00.000-04:00

The other day someone asked me what the theme of my blog was and it made me really pause and think. After grappling with 10,000 things that came to mind, it became clear to me that this blog is about finding beauty and joy in the everyday things that surround us all the time. It's about stopping to take note and soaking it all in.

So that's why today I took a picture of something that I look at everyday that gives me joy. I have this Highland Florals plate sitting on the table where I dry my hair. I found this plate at a thrift store in Dayton and I am totally gaga over this pattern (so much so that I have been obsessed with finding more of it on ebay, but that's another story). I also love how the earrings perfectly go with this plate and that every time I see them I think of my friend Libby who made them for me. (BTW, Libby just started a wonderful blog you should check out here). Oh, and I forgot to mention that I really like the pattern on the hand towel you see here... I think I got it at World Market a few years back. Hope you enjoy this little scene as much as I do...and if you ever see this Highland Blue pattern around at a thrift store let me know!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T13:50:00.000-04:00

Capturing Nature Logo

2011-10-22T12:35:00.000-04:00

I was recently asked to give a talk and create the logo for the "Capturing Nature through Art and Photography Festival" at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge that takes place May 12-15. The festival opens on International Migratory Bird Day and will offer photography workshops, field sketching classes, travel lectures, etc. It sounds like it will be a great event. If anyone is interested let me know and I can send you more info.

But back to the point of this post. I worked on the logo this week and have narrowed it down to three concepts. I struggled a lot with this logo because it had to incorporate three different ideas - nature, photography, and art. No small feat I tell you! You can see what I came up with below. There are several options within each concept. Right now I haven't worked on the font at all and they all need a little further tweaking, but I didn't want to go any further without deciding on the direction. So let me know your favorite. Any comments would be greatly appreciated!

Concept 1 - 3D Circles

Concept 2 - Shutter Palette

Concept 3 - Tripod Easel

Late Summer Tomatoes

2011-10-13T10:19:00.000-04:00

I guess that pumpkin stack got into my brain and is now affecting me (reminds me of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and potato mounds...OK that's showing my age). Anyway, we got these tomatoes a couple weeks ago and I thought their shape and color was so nice I had to take their picture. Someone told me the orange tomatoes are less acidic than the red. All I know it that they were quite tasty sliced up and salted with a little Tony Chachere's with hummus on George's homemade bread. Mmmmm...delicious!

Clothesline

2011-10-11T13:17:00.000-04:00

At the beginning of summer George surprised me by hanging a clothesline under out new screen porch. At first I was less than thrilled and made a snarky comment about looking like the Beverly Hillbillies. But I have to say I am now totally hooked!

We have now gone through a whole summer not using the dryer. Well, we do use it, but just on air fluff to take away the stiffness (or as I like to call it the crustiness).

But besides the energy savings there is something wonderfully magical about it. The other day I was outside hanging these sheets. The sun was out and there was a slight breeze and it just felt good on so many levels. It's green, it gets me outside on a beautiful day, the laundry smells fresh and clean, and it forces me to slow down. Normally I dread doing the laundry and I try and do as many loads as I can in one day. But with this method you can only do one load a day. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it made me crazy happy to be out there at that moment. So if you have the space I highly recommend it. Bring it on Granny Moses!

Pumpkin Stack

2011-10-02T20:35:00.000-04:00

I just love October! I couldn't wait for this month so I could post a photo of the pumpkins I bought this year at the Springfield Antique Show. This is the second time I bought my pumpkins from the same vendor there. They always have these wonderfully shaped pumpkins with such wonderful colors. Last time I went with pale, dreamy pumpkins, but this year I was drawn to the intense orange ones. They were selling them by the stack and so I bought the whole thing. I don't believe I have ever bought this many at one time, but how could I resist?

Today we also cleaned the shed, re-potted plants, swept the porch, and hung the skeleton lights. All-in-all a perfect fall day.

Apple Centerpiece

2011-09-27T20:20:00.001-04:00

The other day I finally thew away the wilted sunflowers on the dining room table and I was trying to think of something to put there when I saw these apples in the kitchen. I then opened up my overflowing cabinet of table linens and this red, white and blue beauty was right on top. On our recent trip to Michigan we stopped at a crazy, wonderful store called Punzels where I bought this runner. (If you have any interest in Scandinavian linens, this is the store for you! It was huge and amazing and awesome.) But back to the apples... I ended up loving the combination of the green apples on the red and blue runner. It's so nice when you can find things you already have in the house that when combined make something novel and beautiful (kind of like when you make a great outfit you love out of the old clothes in your closet you've been staring at all season). So open up the cupboards and dig around because you never know what will inspire you...the possibilities are endless!

Pyrex Joy

2011-09-22T13:39:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I went to the Springfield Antique Extravaganza with my mom and we had a great time. My first purchase of the day was the beautiful blue Pyrex bowl above. I was immediately drawn to the happy blue color and I really like the low, squat shape. When I got it home and put it next to my other Pyrex bowls I just couldn't stop looking at the way the colors work together! Pure Pyrex joy!

Bird Fabric

2011-09-13T16:22:00.001-04:00

This week Spoonflower's fabric design contest theme is birds! The rules were you had to use black, white, "spoonflower blue" and one other color of your choice. As you can see I chose red.

If you would like to vote for my fabric (and you have the patience to wade through 22 pages of designs) then click here. Even if you don't want to vote for my fabric you should still take a peak at all the entries. It is always so much fun to see what people come up with.

Homemade Duvet Covers

2011-09-12T17:21:00.003-04:00

I have been working on this yellow room project now for over six months and I am finally glad to finish it! This room is fairly small but has just enough room for two twin beds. For the past eight years it has had two mismatched quilts on it that, although cute, were not my vision for the room. I really wanted the room's color scheme to be yellow, red and white.

So one day when I was at Calico Corner's I found two fabrics that I loved - one with yellow stripes and one with red. I just couldn't decide. The red-striped fabric is part of Calico's French Stripes Collection and has a wonderful texture and as they describe it a "French laundry look." And the yellow fabric has a beautiful, textural stripe and was on clearance for only $8/yard! So in typical Nessy fashion I decided in that moment to make four duvet covers! (I knew it was insane at the time, but I just couldn't let either fabric go!) So six months (and many, many curse words) later I have four new duvet covers - two for summer and two for winter!

Originally I thought, "How hard can it be?" All you have to do is sew two rectangles together that are the same size as your duvet." So I headed over to IKEA's website and designed the whole duvet cover around their 64'' wide by 86'' long duvet. Theoretically all you have to do is add 2 inches to the width and 5 inches to the length which gives you a 1 inch seam allowance and enough fabric for a roll over button hole area. But it did become a bit more complicated because I had to piece together three pieces for each duvet. If anyone is really interested, send me an email and I will send you the exact dimensions I used.

Looking back, I probably bit off a bit more than I could chew, but that is just my nature. I did learn a ton from this project. I now know how to sew button holes like a champ and I learned how to sew buttons on with the sewing machine. (If you have never done this it is totally amazing! I will never sew another button by hand.) I also learned that one really should change out the needle in one's sewing machine fairly often. I also had to pace myself on this project which I hate to do. But in the end it was worth it. Now all I need are some guests who are willing to sleep on twin beds!

Hand-stamped Headboard

2011-09-07T13:13:00.001-04:00

The headboard project is finally done! This past Saturday I spent the entire day stamping this project out. It took me longer than I expected to figure out all the spacing and it was a little nerve wracking to actually stamp on the headboard, but in the end it all worked out.

As you can see below I started with blank headboards I bought at Ballard Designs. At first my plan was to buy the headboard slipcovers that they sell just in case I messed it up. But in usual Nessy fashion I impetuously decided to stamp directly on the headboard itself. I did however, mock up several design options in Photoshop just to help me get the spacing and design just how I wanted it. If you don't have Photoshop I would recommend stamping a sample out on to craft paper first.

The other issue I had was that the stamp turned out much lighter than my test fabric. I was OK with the faded look because it gave it a vintage appearance. If you don't want that look I would recommend giving the area you are going to stamp a gentle cleaning with a damp cloth. (I had a small spot where my dirty fingers smudged the fabric so I spot cleaned it with Spray-N-wash and a damp towel and the ink appeared to take better in that spot.)

Another thing I learned is that stamping is not a project for perfectionists. Inevitably your dots won't line up perfectly or your stamp might be a little crooked. (Another tip - because of the irregular shape of the bunta blocks it is helpful to put a piece of tape on the back to help you line up North and South) But these little imperfections truly give it that hand-stamped appearance and from far away no one will even notice!

Overall I am very happy with the final result and now I can't stop thinking of the possibilities; I see hand stamped roman shades and curtains in my future! So get out there everyone and leave your stamp on this world! (OK, OK, I know but I couldn't resist.)

Custom Rubber Stamp

2011-09-05T13:45:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned in the last post, I bought the bunta blocks for a project. I have been wanting to make headboards for the two twin beds in our yellow guest room for a while. Originally I wanted to cover them in a Les Indiennes fabric, but they only sell to the trade (and are a bit above my price range). So when I saw the bunta blocks I thought, "I can make my own hand stamped fabric!"

When I sat down to mock up the design in Photoshop I realized I needed a larger stamp like one I had seen at Jackalope but didn't buy. So being the crazy perfectionist that I am, I called Jackalope to see if somehow they might be able to find the one block I had seen in the two giant bowls they had filled with blocks. Amazingly, a very nice person named Ray answered the phone who actually agreed to send me some photos of the blocks in hopes of finding the one I had in my head. I couldn't believe that anyone would take the time to try and look through all those blocks - incredible customer service! Unfortunately none of the photos Ray sent me were the right one. (Thanks again Ray!)

So that got me started thinking about making my own stamp and finally to the subject of this blog! I wanted to try and match the small flower stamp I bought at Jackalope so I could use both for my headboard project. As you can see below I started with a rough pencil sketch that pulled elements from the bunta block.

I then traced and perfected the design in Illustrator.

I then uploaded the design to Simon's Stamps. I couldn't believe how easy it was and the stamp arrived three days after I uploaded the file! I also designed and ordered a matching dot line stamp.

Below you can see my first stamp test.

I was very excited by how it turned out but I felt it was too perfect to match the bunta block print. So I ended up taking an exacto knife to the brand new rubber stamp! I was scared to ruin it, but it turned out I had to work pretty hard to rough it up. If I had to do it over again I would have roughed it up in Illustrator first- lesson learned!

As you can see above it now has a more "aged" look that matches my bunta block.

In my next entry I will post photos of the headboards so check back soon!

Indian Block Print Stamps - Bunta

2011-08-31T11:08:00.000-04:00

Every time I go to Santa Fe there is one store that I just can't wait to visit. The whole time I am there I feel unsettled until we visit Jackalope. They have all sorts of goodies from inexpensive chotchkies to extremely expensive antique furniture from all over the world.

During this past trip I came across two giant bowls of Indian block printing stamps. From what I can gather they are called Bunta and are traditionally used to hand stamp patterns on fabric. As soon as I saw them I was drawn to their beautiful worn wood. I would love them just to have around the house, but the idea that I could actually use them was extra exciting to me. The sales woman must have thought I was crazy because I had to look at each and every block. She even offered me a pair of gloves, but by that time my hands were stained black from handling all of them.

After much internal debate I came home with the three stamps you see above. I often buy items such as this and they sit in my craft room for years collecting dust or shoved away in a closet or trunk. I also had my doubts as to whether these things would even work. But I finally made my way over to Michael's a couple weeks ago and bought a large stamp pad. I then procrastinated a couple more weeks because it's always hard to start a brand new project that has a high likelihood of failure. But one day last week I spread out some newspaper, found some fabric scraps and opened my new stamp pad and lo and behold look what happened!

I was super surprised by how easy it was and how great it turned out! Nothing is ever that easy! As usual my euphoria lasted about 10 minutes until I realized that I needed a larger stamp for the project I had in mind for these. I can't wait to blog about it, but it's not quite ready yet. So check back soon because I have become a BuntaBlockaholic!

Sunflower Bud

2011-08-29T21:48:00.002-04:00

Today I was sitting on the porch and noticed how striking the colors looked in the flowers we get each week from our CSA. In addition to vegetables we get a small bouquet of flowers each week.

Today, the zinnias and sunflower were starting to wilt, but I noticed this amazing bud. If you look at it close up (click the image to enlarge) you can see all the little hairs on the sepals surrounding the center. And just look at how each petal appears to be bending over to tend to the precious seed cargo inside! Pure joy! I am constantly amazed at the marvelous things we can see all around us if we only take the time to look.

Man of La Mancha Logos

2011-08-23T15:50:00.001-04:00

My in-laws are members of the Mclean Players and they asked me to work on a logo for Man of La Mancha. These are a few of my first round ideas for the logo.

Chicory

2011-08-15T16:48:00.001-04:00

Last week I stayed with my Dad and there is a vacant lot next to his house that is chock full of chicory so I wandered over to take a few photos. Whenever I see this flower I think "cornflower blue" - is it purple or is it blue? Either way I love seeing this beauty on the roadside in the summer.

According to Wikipedia it is toxic to internal parasites and is often used as a coffee substitute. I remember my advisor in graduate school used to drink chicory coffee and it tasted bitter and awful! No doubt his worm burden was extremely low. I think I much prefer admiring its beauty externally!

Guitar Bandanas

2011-08-03T16:02:00.000-04:00

I recently decided to make bandanas for my two favorite guitar-loving boys. I wanted to make them something for their birthdays and then I received the July issue of Martha Stewart and was inspired by their bandana article (you can see some of it here.)

I designed the bandanas to fit two across on Spoonflower's quilting weight cotton which is 42'' wide.

I got a lot of practice using my rolled hem foot. Again, they weren't perfect, but I have learned to let that go.

I couldn't resist printing these labels for their bags. I can't wait to give them their gifts. Happy Birthday to my Guitar Boys!

Happy 10th Anniversary!

2011-07-21T21:28:00.001-04:00

I made this card for my hubby for our anniversary today. We got married 10 years ago in Raleigh, NC on a beautiful summer day. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have spent 10 years with George and I hope for many, many more! Happy Anniversary G!

Bird Handkerchiefs

2011-07-21T21:27:00.000-04:00

For our anniversary I made George these adorable bird handkerchiefs. I chose the Woodthrush and Mockingbird because George studies both of them. Each handkerchief has two of the same birds printed in opposite corners (see below) and I printed them on quilting weight cotton at Spoonflower.com. I just love the idea of printing some of my Zen Birds onto fabric. Oh the possibilities!

I had to learn how to use my handkerchief foot (or rolled hem foot) on my sewing machine for this project. These videos (SewEtcetera and BrianSews) on youtube were very helpful. I ended up using a combination of both their techniques. First I sewed 2 opposite sides using the technique on BrianSews where you roll the fabric through the foot to begin. Because the fabric won't roll well after one side has been hemmed I used the technique on SewEtcetera where you hand press a thin hem and then complete a few stitches before rolling the fabric into the foot. This allowed me to do the two remaining sides. I do have to say they weren't perfect and it takes some time to get it right, but it is a pretty amazing foot to learn if you have the need.

Adobe House Illustration

2011-07-13T13:09:00.001-04:00

When I got home from Santa Fe I thought, "How can I ever thank our hosts Nancy and Bruce for their hospitality?" So I decided I would do an illustration of their beautiful house.

I love the way the adobe houses in Santa Fe blend perfectly into the landscape. Everything seems covered in a layer of dust that mutes all the colors and yet this allows any color that is not earthy to really pop and feel even more saturated. And speaking of adobe houses, check out those incredible beams and posts (not to mention the wrought iron light fixture!).

I just sent the illustration off today. Thanks again Nancy and Bruce! We had a wonderful visit.

(And for anyone out there looking for a good archival printer, I used my new Epson Stylus Photo R1900 and had great success. I used their Epson Cold Press Bright paper and the colors were spot on. I would recommend this printer for anyone doing fine art prints. The only drawback is the colors are faded on regular paper so you need another printer for regular printing purposes.)

Hand Embroidered Necklace

2011-07-05T11:59:00.000-04:00

Lately I have been obsessed by all things embroidered so when I came across this necklace I fell in love with it. The necklace is hand embroidered by Natalya Pavlysh from the Ukraine and she sells them here on etsy. It was hard to decide which one to choose because there were so many wonderful designs. Thank you Natalya - I love it!

This necklace also has extra special significance because George gave it to me for our ten year anniversary. Thank you for the necklace and for ten incredible years!

Roxanne Swentzell

2011-06-29T23:49:00.000-04:00

I can't even think about going to Santa Fe without visiting the Tower Gallery which houses the work of my favorite Santa Fe sculptor - Roxanne Swentzell. I remember the first time I saw her work it really struck me. I immediately loved the curved, rounded feminine figures and their beautiful, smooth bronze and clay colored skin. And just look at the toes - talk about expressive! Although I couldn't afford a bronze, I did purchase her book the first time we visited (you can buy one on her website here or a bronze if you'd like!).

If you ever visit Santa Fe it is worth going to the Tower Gallery which is about 20-25 minutes north of Santa Fe. Don't miss the great movie about Roxanne in the bottom room of the tower. It talks about her life, how she became an artist, and her current work( and she is even a collector of heirloom seeds! - you just end up really liking her by the end). In addition to her gallery, there is a wonderful museum with local artists work and an exhibit about life in the pueblo that Roxanne did all of the figures for. I really can't say enough about how much I love her work - so inspiring! Love it, love it, love it!

Bandelier National Monument

2011-06-26T18:50:00.000-04:00

On our trip to Santa Fe we got a chance to visit Bandelier National Monument to see the cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Pueblo people (formerly known as Anasazi). I highly recommend it if you get a chance to go. It is so much fun to climb the ladders and crawl around in the caves. The main loop trail is an easy trail to take even with children.

We also took the Alcove Trail which led to a high cliff dwelling. As you can see below, I don't recommend this trail for those with small children or people who are scared of heights.

Once you get to the top this is the view.

Then you can climb down into the man-made structure and it looks like this.

As you can see from George's face, we had a lot of fun.

Taos Pueblo

2011-06-21T23:51:00.000-04:00

We also visited the Taos Pueblo on our visit to New Mexico. The pueblo is nestled at the base of a beautiful mountain with a clear stream running through the middle. I love the adobe architecture and the blue paint on the doors and moulding. We took the guided tour and it was interesting the way the guide described the way the houses were in various states of weathering. It seemed to me that without care these houses would return to the dirt they were made from in no time at all.

Santa Fe Trip - Peter Woytuk Sculptures

2011-06-16T13:21:00.001-04:00

I haven't been posting lately because we took a trip to one of my favorite places - Santa Fe, NM. There is something magical about Santa Fe. I love the rounded adobe architecture of the buildings, the beautiful, sunny, low-humidity weather, and the abundance of art that never ceases to amaze at every turn. And that is what brings me to these incredible sculptures.

While driving into town I spotted these bovine beauties in the Ghost Ranch sculpture garden off Paseo de Peralta. I love the way their soft curves suggest the gentle nature of the cows. And just look at the way their front legs are tucked under their bodies - so cute! (I know I use that adjective too often, but c'mon you gotta admit they are so dang cute!) The artist is Peter Woytuk and when I got home I really enjoyed visiting his website where you can view more of his wonderful work.

And of course I loooooooove, the bird scuptures!

Vintage Embroidery Tablecloth

2011-06-06T12:32:00.000-04:00

Last month I went with my mom to the Springfield Antique Show Extravaganza where I found this amazing tablecloth. When I spotted it from across the booth I was immediately drawn to it. I love the contrast between the cornflower blue and orange and the yellow makes the whole tablecloth so cheery.

And did you get a look at those gorgeous butterflies dropping in for a sip of nectar? They are interesting because the maker purposefully left the top of the butterflies open to form a pocket. At first I thought it was for a little weight to prevent it from blowing in the wind, but the tablecloth is only a 34'' square and so the butterflies lay on top of the table. Then I thought maybe the butterfly pockets were to hold playing cards...and then I thought wouldn't it be so cute if you had friends over to play cards and you had a little card with their names sticking out of the butterflies! Whatever the case it makes it all the more charming and I hope it brightens your day like it did mine.

Bear's Breeches

2011-06-02T23:20:00.002-04:00

While I was weeding my back yard today I noticed my Bear's Breeches are blooming right now. I love the spiky bloom with it's dusty purple and green color. As a former bear biologist I had to do a little research about the name. I found a nice article on JSTOR from Garden History, Vol. 24, No. 1, Summer 1996, titled "The Tortuous Tale of 'Bear's Breech' the Puzzling Name for Acanthus mollis." The article gives a very in depth theory that essentially says the name came from it's medieval name, "branca ursina." They hypothesized that the bracts look like bear's claws - hence "ursina" and that "branca" morphed into breech over time. Whatever the case, I think the name quite cute and the flower is lovely.

I also found out that it can be invasive in areas. Although mine has gotten bigger over the years, it doesn't spread too much. And I love that I don't have to water it - it even survived last year's drought. Apparently it is recommended for xeriscaping because of that quality. Another perk is that you can dry these for flower arrangements! I haven't tried it yet but will definitely post later if that works out.

Peonies!

2011-05-25T21:32:00.001-04:00

My favorite flower is most definitely the peony. Aside from their unabashedly beefy beauty, I love the distinct aroma of peonies. I just ran downstairs to smell it so I could describe the smell, but there is no way to say it except that it is just very "peony-esque". The light pink ones in my photo smelled especially wonderful.

Every year I like to make one really nice flower arrangement from the yard when the peonies are blooming. This year I included lots of different things including iris, yarrow, anemone, Russian sage, ferns, hosta, Soloman's seal, and of course peonies. If I have the time I find that I can totally lose myself when making an arrangement. I love trying to find just the right balance - a little green here, a little pink here, a little yellow there. I encourage everyone to get out there and cut some flowers for an arrangement - even if it's dandelions in a drinking cup!

Hansel Gretel Fabric

2011-05-20T18:14:00.001-04:00

The theme of this week's Spoonflower fabric design contest is Folk Tales so of course I couldn't resist participating. My design is based on Hansel and Gretel. If you would like to vote click here and click on "Folk Tales" in the upper right-hand corner.

I am thinking I might have to make them into a Christmas tablecloth, or hand towels, or both!

Guess Who?

2011-05-18T15:01:00.000-04:00

My fellow Blogger Jill organized this blog event and I am participating. Have fun!

What a diverse and beautiful mosaic of images, no?

It just so happens that each of the above images came from a different photo-blogger.

Can you pin the photo to the blogger based on their individual photographic style and/or content?

Let's have a little fun and see if anyone can guess them all correctly!

Here is the list of bloggers who contributed one of the above photos

Even if you are not familiar with a particular photographer

please take a few minutes to browse through their blog, say hi, then come back here and leave your guesses below

On Blogger blogs, the "dynamic" view has been linked for easy browsing.

To leave a comment on their blog, just delete /view/mosaic in the URL window to get to their homepage

Amy @ Tilting Windmills

Kamana @ Journalling Through Photos

Lissa @ A Chance of Sunshine

Beth @ Be Yourself

Barbara @ Long Hollow Photography

Gail @ Louisiana Belle

Vanessa @ Nessy Designs

Fiona @ Lady Fi

Christine @ Creating A Life of Beauty

Jill @ Jillsy Girl Studio

Now...off you go

and enjoy the photoblog tour while you're at it!

It's guaranteed you'll see some excellent photography!

Who's who will be posted tomorrow!

Folk Design Tablecloth

2011-05-16T10:26:00.002-04:00

This is the last of the three tablecloth and hand towel designs I printed at Spoonflower this month. When the package arrived in the mail I originally thought the background color was too green-gold, but it has now grown on me. I had been shooting for a nice tan-yellow gold but I think this color adds a layer of funkiness - so for now I am keeping it this color. The tablecloth is designed to fit a 33-34'' square card table. Again, because you have to buy by the yard at Spoonflower, I was able to fit in two matching hand towels for a total of two yards.

If you would like to purchase this tablecloth go to Spoonflower.com and search for "Sorensen" (or click here.) Then choose "Folk Tablecloth," cotton twill, and 2 yards. Spoonflower will mail the fabric to you and then you will have to cut the fabric, hem the edges, and add a trim if you'd like. (Please see my previous post about washing instructions!)

I really lucked out because my poppies were blooming the day I photographed this tablecloth. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect orange flower that day. But I had to shoot really quickly because this kind of poppy doesn't last more than about half an hour after it's cut. Luckily it held out just long enough!

Card Table Tablecloth

2011-05-13T17:04:00.001-04:00

This tablecloth was also designed around Valentine's Day. It is similar to the round tablecloth I posted yesterday, but it has a pink heart border. I also added a nice mini white fringe around the edge. The tablecloth is designed to fit a 33-34'' square table. Again, because you have to buy by the yard at Spoonflower, I was able to fit in two matching hand towels for a total of two yards.

If you would like to purchase this tablecloth go to Spoonflower.com and search for "Sorensen." Then choose "Pink Tablecloth," cotton twill, and 2 yards (or click here). Spoonflower will mail the fabric to you and then you will have to cut the fabric, hem the edges, and add a trim if you'd like. (Please see my previous post about washing instructions!)

Check back soon for another card table design!

Tablecloth Fabric Design

2011-05-11T14:06:00.000-04:00

I am so excited to announce that my new tablecloth designs are now available at Spoonflower. Today I am showing you the first of three designs. The tablecloth above is a 58'' round tablecloth with red on white folk designs composed of hearts and birds. Because you have to buy by the yard at Spoonflower I filled the extra space with matching handtowels that you see below. Two are red and white and two are pink.

If you would like to purchase this tablecloth just go to Spoonflower.com and search for "Sorensen." Click on the "Round Folk Tablecloth" (or click here). You have to select the fabric type ( I recommend the cotton twill) and order 3 yards. Your fabric will be printed by Spoonflower and will arrive at your door. You will then have to cut the fabric and hem the edges. This way it is handmade by you and designed by me! So break out your sewing machines and get busy! (BTW, you don't have to be a sewing guru to do this - I learned to sew by watching the video that came with my $100 sewing machine I bought at JoAnn's). You can also customize your tablecloth by sewing on a trim. I chose giant red ric rac for the tablecloth, but a nice ball fringe might be nice too. I did a mini white ball fringe on the pink hand towels.

If you can't tell I designed this for Valentines Day but for a variety of reasons it has taken me a while to get here. I received my first round of printed fabric about a month ago. For this design I wanted to sew ric rac around the edge so I washed and dried the fabric so that it would shrink before sewing on the trim. Big mistake! The fabric shrank so much it didn't fit my table anymore. Not only did it shrink, but it shrank more in one direction so I ended up with an ellipse instead of a circle! So I re-ordered and this time I just sewed the ric rac on right away. So I'm sure that drying this tablecloth is not a good idea. I'm not sure yet about hand-washing, but needless to say a little spot cleaning is the safest way to go.

I will post the other designs soon so check back!

Hooray for giant red ric rac!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T14:22:00.002-04:00

My mom came down yesterday and we celebrated Mother's Day. I surprised her with the above cake from the BonBonerie. (Just look at those yummy decorations!) We also went to the Cincinnati Preservation Society's Historic Home Tour in Pleasant Ridge and saw five beautiful houses. I just love looking at the incredible craftsmanship in those homes. It was such a nice day with my mum. Happy Mother's Day Mom!

I also made my mom the banner you see below. You may have to click on the image to see it better. You can also get a sneak peak at my new tablecloth I printed at Spoonflower. I have been a busy bee and can't wait to finally show all my tablecloths to you. Hopefully I will have everything hemmed and photographed this week.

Shade Coffee is for the Birds

2011-05-05T12:15:00.001-04:00

(Click on image to enlarge)

George recently began purchasing his coffee from a great company called Grounds for Change. He had been looking for a company that sells shade grown coffee and almost all of this company's coffee is shade grown. Why is shade grown important you might ask? Well, the short answer is that shade grown coffee provides a "forest-like" environment that is great for not only birds, but the whole ecosystem. Coffee was traditionally a shade grown crop but through the centuries we have converted it to a sun crop that is grown in large monocultures which are essentially deserts for wildlife (imagine acres and acres of corn fields - except that it is coffee). So if everyone decided to purchase shade coffee instead of sun coffee we would have a lot more forest and a lot less monoculture desert. (Read more about it here.)

Grounds for Change is also organic and uses 100% renewable energy and composts all of their waste. You can learn more about their sustainable business practices here. And don't worry they sell everything from regular to decaf. George has been buying Cafe Femenino which helps women coffee producers in Peru. (FYI - George and I are not affiliated in any way with this company).

Whether or not you choose this company or another, I encourage every coffee drinker out there to try and choose organic, shade grown coffee. This is such a small, easy change: just imagine if we all switched what a difference it would make!

"Be the change you want to see in the world." - Ghandi

(I made those coffee mugs for George for Christmas by using some of the Zen Birds images and uploading them to Snapfish. It makes me happy to see him using them everyday.)

Mushrooms

2011-04-30T22:13:00.000-04:00

Today I was happily weeding in my front yard when I saw these cute mushrooms. I don't think they would normally have caught my eye except for their golden color. All day I have been looking for something gold to submit to Jillsy Girl's Color My World Challenge and these little beauties were perfect.

Below is a close up of part of that mushroom family. And I love how that little pine cone was just perfectly positioned there as if it wanted to be shaded under the mushroom umbrella too.

Blue flower

2011-04-28T16:28:00.001-04:00

I noticed these incredible flowers in my backyard but I don't know what they are. I love the way the buds are pink before they bloom. I took these photos April 6th so they are a fairly early bloomer. If anyone out there knows what they are please let me know! (To look at them closer click on the image.)

(It also just so happens that Jillsy Girl's Color My World Challenge is now accepting blue.)

Bunny Platter

2011-04-18T13:57:00.000-04:00

A couple weeks ago my dad and I went shopping at Pottery Barn and I spotted this super cute bunny platter. I'm not sure if you can tell from the photo, but they are holding up an egg-shaped platter. You can't get much cuter than egg-shaped servingware at Easter and just look at those bunnies! Thanks to my dad this cute platter came home with me that day and now greets me every time I walk in the house.

Pale Pink Blossoms

2011-04-16T21:02:00.003-04:00

If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly,
our whole life would change.

-Buddha's Little Instruction Book by Jack Kornfield

Plants for Bees

2011-04-13T11:43:00.000-04:00

Last week George and I went to see a movie called Queen of the Sun. The movie is about the recent population decline of bees. Many bees around the world have been suffering from colony collapse disorder and scientists are struggling to understand the causes. Some suggest a combination of factors might be causing the collapse of many colonies including mites, disease (often spread by commercial bees), pesticides, and habitat loss due to large monocultures.

You might ask, "But how does this affect me?" Did you know that 4 of 10 bites of food you eat were pollinated by bees? It does not bode well for us if the bees die. As Einstein put it, "If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live....No more bees, no more pollination, ...no more men!"

I almost didn't want to see the movie because sometimes I feel overwhelmed by these kinds of movies. I have a tendency to want to bury my head in the sand and hope that it goes away. But the movie had a message of hope and I highly suggest you see it if you get the chance.

"But what can we do to help?" you might be thinking. Well, if you are interesting in bee-keeping I encourage you to look into it. There are many resources available for those interested in raising both honeybees and native bees. For those of us who aren't quite ready for that I suggest planting plants in your yard that are good nectar or pollen sources for bees. I came up with the list below as a starter (the list is not exhaustive!). This list includes plants that are good for bees and native to Ohio (except for Mahonia which is native to the northwest).

Native Ohio Plants Beneficial to Bees

American Basswood - Tilia americana

American Elderberry - Sambucus canadensis

Beard-tongue - Penstemon

Beebalm - Monarda

Black Huckleberry - Gaylussacia baccata

Black Locust - Robinia pseudoacacia

Black-eyed Susan - Rudbeckia hirta

Bladdernut - Staphylea trifolia

Blazing Star - Liatris

Blue Wild Indigo - Baptisia australis

Butterfly Weed - Asclepias

Crabapple - Malus

Cup Plant - Silphium

Giant Hyssop - Agastache

Goldenrod - Solidago

Honeylocust - Gleditsia tracantus

Ironweed - Veronia altissima

Joe-pye weed - Eupatorium

Lobelia - Lobelia

Lupine - Lupine perennis

Milkweed - Asclepias

New England Aster - Aster novae-angliae

New Jersey Tea - Ceanothus americanus

Obedient Plant - Physostegia

Oregon grape (native to northwest) - Mahonia aquifolium

Purple coneflower - Echinacea

Rattlesnake Master - Eryngium

Redbud - Cercis canadensis

Rhododendron - Rhododendron

Sage - Salvia lyrata

Spiderwort - Trandescantia

Steeplebush - Spiraea tomentosa

Stonecrop - Sedum

Sunflower - Helianthus

Tulip Tree - Liriodendron tulipifera

Willow - Salix

If you don't live in Ohio I suggest googling native plants to your area. The following websites are great resources:

Northern Nectar Sources for Honeybees

Upper Midwest Plants for Native Bees

Attracting Beneficial Insects with Native Flowering Plants

Attracting More Bees and Pollinators to Your Garden

Native Landscaping for Birds, Bees, Butterflies and Other Wildlife

Ohio Native Plants

Native Ohio Plants

Wildflowers Native to Ohio

Selecting Plants for Pollinators

The Xerxes Society: Red List of Bees

Grape Hyacinth

2011-04-12T00:35:00.004-04:00

One of my favorite spring bulbs is grape hyacinth. Technically speaking they are not a hyacinth but are in the genus Muscari. I love to make mini flower arrangements of these and my tiny daffodils. The yellow and purple looks great together. I also love the way the flower turns white and flairs out at the bottom of each "grape." You can't get much cuter than that!

Submitted to Jillsy Girl's Color My World Board.

Spring Blossoms

2011-04-08T13:07:00.001-04:00

I walk almost every day and I always see things that I want to return and photograph but almost never do. But these pale pink beauties actually made me return. I took quite a few I want to share but I decided I will sprinkle them here and there throughout the month. You can click on the images to see them larger.

For those interested, the font is Legendaria and you can see more of it here.

Octopus Fabric Design

2011-04-03T17:50:00.001-04:00

I came up with the above sketch for a fabric competition at Spoonflower called Project Selvage. The competition called for a baby boy fabric and I ended up entering the design below. Only the top 75 designs were able to compete and I didn't make it to the voting round, but you should check out the wonderful designs that did here.

The design below was called "Suckers" and was my second favorite option.

Lenten Rose

2011-04-01T14:00:00.002-04:00

Another sure sign of spring is Lenten Rose. The flowers on these are beautiful but you don't often get a good look at them because their heads hang down. I had to mush my head agains the ground to take the photo above.

I also love the variation in color. In my yard they vary from dark pinky purple to rose to white. They are actually hellebores (not roses) and there is a very nice description of them over on the Birds and Blooms blog.

Again, I have to credit Jillsy girl's blog for getting me out there to take some photos. The above photo was inspired by Jill's April Challenge - Color My World.

Grackle on Fountain

2011-03-31T17:38:00.001-04:00

So I just took this photo of a grackle on our fountain so I could enter it in Jillsy Girl's Tweeter board. You should check out her blog. She has such nice photography and fun things to participate in. It made me go out and watch my fountain for half an hour which I wouldn't have done otherwise. Thanks Jill!

I know most people (especially birders) don't like grackles. But just look at the beautiful iridescence on the head and neck and how the yellow eye stands out against the dark bluish purple. This one enjoyed quite a nice long bath on the fountain.

Bloodroot

2011-03-24T11:51:00.001-04:00

Bloodroot flowers are one of my favorite signs of spring. I am delighted every year when I see their white flowers and leafy arms wrapped around them like a warm winter coat. (Click on images to get a closer look at their "veiny" coats)

I couldn't resist snapping a photo of the family of three below.

And this little guy below would not be deterred by the rotting contorted filbert log that fell on him.

Fish Soup Tureen

2011-03-21T23:19:00.001-04:00

The other day I needed the plate stand behind my oval platter so I put the platter down on the dining room table. Then I realized, "OMG! The oval platter fits perfectly on my tablecloth!" And then I spied my fish soup tureen sitting on top of the buffet and I got chills down my spine. It dawned on me that my chubby fish friend with his beautiful ceramic curves would fit perfectly on the oval platter! I just love it when you are not even trying and things fall in to place.

And just look how incredible the spoon is!

Squid Fabric!

2011-03-17T22:54:00.000-04:00

When I found out that the theme of Spoonflower's fabric contest this week was squid I had to enter. What a great subject! You can see all the beautiful squid fabrics and vote by clicking here. Have a squidtastic day!

Snowdrops!

2011-03-13T20:24:00.000-04:00

OK, I know they're not native, but I do love snowdrops! Look at the way their beautiful, tripod heads hang down from their pedicels - amazing grace!

Crocus are here!

2011-03-08T22:43:00.000-05:00

This winter has been long and cold so you can imagine how excited I was to see these beauties popping up in my front yard. The people who lived in our house before us planted crocus bulbs all over our front yard...and not just in the beds, but everywhere! They are always a welcome sign that spring is on the way!

New Website!

2011-02-27T11:32:00.001-05:00

I have been working like crazy this week to redesign my website and it is finally done! You can visit me at www.vanessasorensen.com. I did a lot of testing to try and find any errors, but let me know if you notice anything that doesn't work correctly. Happy browsing!

Fish Cutting Board

2011-02-27T11:21:00.000-05:00

When I saw this fish cutting board at the Duck Creek Antique Mall I knew he was coming home with me. I just love the way the board has started to split to form a slight smile (you might have to click on it to see it better). I also love that he has been used and has a nice worn patina. Keeping him company are three cast iron hens my mom bought me at the Springfield Antique Show last summer. This is making me excited to go antiquing this spring...oh the treasures that await me!

Birding Journal: Through the Seasons

2011-02-21T16:06:00.000-05:00

I am very excited to announce my new book Birding Journal: Through the Seasons is officially available! You can buy it directly from the publisher, Adventure Publications, or Amazon or Barnes and Noble. For those of you unfamiliar with the book it is a birding journal for people to record what birds they see throughout the year. It is filled with illustrations and various ways to record your bird sightings, plus lots of extra tidbits like suet recipes, birding hotspots, and tips to attract birds to your yard.

Below are a few sample pages from the book.

Spring is upon us so if you know any bird lovers out there let them know about the book! Happy birding!

Quiche Crust

2011-02-18T00:10:00.002-05:00

Tonight when I made this spinach mushroom quiche I had enough extra dough to make this nice beaded border for the crust. It looks impressive but is very easy to do. After I rolled out the dough the first time I turned the pie plate upside down and cut around it to make a perfect circle. I then rolled the dough out a little bit more to make it wide enough to compensate for the vertical side of the pie plate. When I placed the circle of dough into the pie plate I had about 1/2 inch of space between the top of the dough and the top of the pie plate. This provided a nice little "ledge" for the dough balls.

To make the dough balls I squeezed and rolled the dough into a snake shape about 1/2 inch thick and then squeezed off pieces of dough roughly every 1/2 inch or so. I just rolled the dough between my hand to make dough balls and then placed them on the ledge. They had a tendency to fall off so I pushed them down and out against the side of the dish.

The recipe for the crust is from Molly Katzen's Sunlight Cafe.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter
up to 3 tablespoons of cold water, milk, or buttermilk

Instructions:
Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Cut the butter into slices, add to the processor, and buzz several times, until the mixture is uniform and resembles coarse meal. Continue to process in quick spurts as you add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time. As soon as the dough adheres to itself when pinched, stop adding water and turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Gather it gently into a ball. Roll the dough into a circle 11 inches or so in diameter. Lift the dough and ease it into a 9-inch pie pan or 10-inch springform tart pan. If you're not going to use the crust right away, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze until use.

I substituted Earth Balance for the butter and it was delicious!

(The recipe for the quiche is here.)

Valetine's Day Cards

2011-02-14T11:33:00.001-05:00

I hardly ever do two posts in one day, but I wanted to post the cards I made this year. For those fontophiles out there the "O" is Poster Bodoni and the "M" is Americana. Same for below except the "R" is Bodoni MT.

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!

Vintage Valentines Tablecloth and Bottles

2011-02-14T11:25:00.000-05:00

When I saw this tablecloth at Duck Creek Antique Mall I tried to resist it. I even went home and tried to forget about it. But how could I forget about that cute Pennsylvania Dutch design? Just look at the cute Dutch girl! And the quality was really, good! When I went back to buy it a couple days later I was nervous that it would be gone and when I got to the booth I was so disappointed because I couldn't find it. My heart sank...I knew that it was too cute to last even a couple days near Valentines's day. So I decided to console myself by looking through the stack of tablecloths and there it was! Oh joy...Valentine's Day was saved this year!

And to top it all off George got me white tulips which looked great in my vintage bottle collection. I love the curvy shape of this bottle. I hope everyone has a very Happy Valentine's Day!

Rabbit Fabric

2011-02-10T16:43:00.001-05:00

For about a year now I have been voting in Spoonflower's fabric design contest. For those of you not familiar with Spoonflower it is a company that you can send a design to and they will print it on fabric. So lately I have been toying with the idea of getting more into fabric design and I decided it was finally time to start submitting some designs for their weekly contests. Each week they have a different theme and this week it was the Chinese Year of the Rabbit. I decided to draw up a bunny under the moonlight. You can vote in the contest here and you can vote for as many as you like. This week there were an abnormally high number of entries so there were 16 pages to get through, but I really enjoy seeing everyone's creative designs. Have fun!

Kitchen Cabinet Chotskies

2011-01-30T16:15:00.001-05:00

One of the reasons I do this blog is to document the small things that make me happy. So the other day I realized that this little arrangement of chotskies on top of my kitchen cabinet makes me happy every time I look at it. I happened to love wire baskets and little glass containers that look like they could have come from a 1920's science lab. And I was super excited when I found that pear painting at Home Emporium a few years ago - it just works so perfectly with the dried gourd.

One of the other nice things about this little arrangement is that it happened over a period of about 6 years. I started off with just the pitcher and just this past summer I couldn't bear to throw the dried pods away and I looked up and found the perfect spot. I often find myself in such a hurry to "finish" a room, but I think the best things happen slowly and organically over time. So I hope this inspires you to slow down and appreciate the little things that make your house a home.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

2010-12-22T12:15:00.000-05:00

This year I wasn't going to send out Christmas cards because I was tired and sick (and a little grouchy), but I couldn't help myself because I had this nice acorn drawing already done. I drew the acorn for the September calendar drawing. My goal had been to finish the calendar for Christmas presents. I only had October, November, and December left to do - but alas, I ran out of time. However, I was happy that I got to use the drawing for my Christmas cards.

Below was a second color option for the cards. George chose the red so that's what I printed, but I still loved the green and brown option.

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & Happy New Year!

Birding Journal

2010-12-16T13:11:00.000-05:00

One of the reasons I haven't been blogging lately is that I have been working on this! It is a birding journal for people to record what birds they see throughout the year. It is filled with illustrations and various ways to record your bird sightings, plus lots of extra tidbits like suet recipes, birding hotspots, and tips to attract birds to your yard.

I am excited that you can now pre-order the Birding Journal on Amazon. When it is officially available I will post some of the illustrations. You can also order directly from the publisher's website - Adventure Publications.

If you know anyone who enjoys birdwatching let them know that Birding Journal - Through the Seasons will be available soon!

Mariachi Poppy

2010-12-15T11:03:00.000-05:00

The past three months have been challenging, but I'm back! After two of my next door neighbor's houses burned down,50 illustrations and copy for a new book, an infected tooth (& extraction), a Thanksgiving trip to Rochester, and a nasty case of the flu, I am finally starting to feel normal again and I have lots to blog about!

This January my Dad is turning 70 and I did this invitation for his party. He has been really into karaoke lately and we often find him wandering around his house singing and strumming the toy guitars of his grandchildren. We are going to have a Mexican singer at his party too so I put him in a cute mariachi outfit.

Check back soon because there is a back log of blogs!

Cast Iron Insects

2010-09-01T07:51:00.007-04:00

I started this collection over a year ago and have been slowly adding pieces. I've been meaning to blog it for a while but the latest piece (longhorn beetle) was so cute it reminded me it was time. The ant above is one of my favorites...I just love the ridges on it's little body and the body swivels around on top of the legs.

All of these piece have moving parts except the ladybug which was just too cute to resist. The longhorn beetle is actually a boot jack and is double the size of the others. You are supposed to place one foot on it's back and the other between the "horns" to help you pull your shoe off.

What do I use these for you might ask? I use them on the porch as weights for my tablecloths. I do worry that they might leave rust stains so I usually put them on a coaster or tray.

OK, I know this isn't an insect, but I had to include it because it is part of the collection. This was my very first piece. I got this before I even started going to the flea markets. I just love the expression on the face, the texture, and the Asian feel of it. It is also a bell but the string broke.

Framed Fabric

2010-08-29T15:32:00.004-04:00

Another flea market find inspired this project. I found this flower tablecloth on the dollar table and I thought it would go well in my bedroom so I decided to find two other coordinating fabrics and frame them. I got these frames at Ikea. I really like how the lavender-blue and cream-tan go together.

I was going to hang these in front of the bed but I found them to be too stimulating, so I moved them to bookshelves on the side of the bed. I think I need to stare at a blank wall before I go to bed to quiet my mind - otherwise I will be up all night thinking about design projects!

Vintage Wood Bird Tray

2010-08-27T14:19:00.001-04:00

I was so excited to find this tray at the Lawrenceburg flea market in Indiana a couple weekends ago. It is so me!

When I first picked it up and was considering buying it, I suddenly saw the moon hiding in the tray (you might have to click the image to see it better). That totally convinced me - it is so subtle and beautiful the way it has worn down to the wood in places to make it look like clouds in front of the moon. It makes me wonder if it was that way when it was brand new. Intentional of not, it is lovely and I love the overall Asian flair and the scant brush strokes near the bottom. It is amazing what treausres you can find at the flea market for less than five dollars!

Paver Patio

2010-08-23T11:53:00.000-04:00

Before

After

Now that the paver patio is finished I finally feel like the porch project is done! If anyone ever needs a stone mason I really enjoyed working with Tim Hodge. He did a great job and I cannot say enough good things about him. Send me an email and I will send you his contact info.

I did have a moment (no, let's say a day) of freak out when the pavers arrived and they looked very grey. I even made a trip out to the paver store to check the color and it looked different than their sample. But I am very happy with them in the end and now the mud pit is gone!

Tole Tray

2010-08-22T15:29:00.001-04:00

I found this great tole tray a couple weeks ago at Duck Creek Antique Mall. I have been totally addicted to folk prints lately and this orange-red tray caught my eye. I looked up exactly what a tole trays are and apparently they are typically metal trays that have been enameled and decoratively painted with a colorful design heavily influenced by folk art. The practice of enameling and painting has been widely practiced in Asia for centuries, but tole trays seem to have emerged around the 18th century, primarily among Scandinavian immigrants in New England.

I decided to hang it on the porch and it makes me happy every time I look up at it.

Homemade Tortillas!

2010-08-13T14:41:00.001-04:00

George has been spoiling me rotten lately by making these homemade tortillas. He got the recipe from my mom and in typical George fashion altered it a bit. Instead of mixing it in a bowl he uses the cuisinart and that makes it a lot easier. He also doesn't sift the dry ingredients and uses butter instead of shortening.

If you have half an hour they really are worth it. When they are warm they are heavenly! You can download a pdf of the recipe below by clicking here. Enjoy!

Tsutsumi and Furoshiki

2010-08-12T23:50:00.000-04:00

This is what I found on my pillow yesterday! There are so many things to say about this I don't know where to begin! First, of all I love cute surprises like this. Second, could my hubby be any more awesome than to wrap it in this incredible flour cloth from Kate Spain? I have had this cloth laying around for months because I was going to blog about how much I love Kate Spain and her great collection. I am still going to blog the other flour cloths I got from her because I love love them.

But I also have to mention that I love tsutsumi and furoshiki. Tsutsumi is the Japanese art of gift wrapping and furoshiki are the Japanese cloths used to wrap gifts. It is not only a very considerate, beautiful way to give a gift, but also a "green" method as there is paper waste.

Wondering what's inside? Check back and I will post it tomorrow on my bday!

Hollyhock August

2010-08-06T09:54:00.004-04:00

My inspiration for this month's illustration comes from my back yard. I am always fighting with hollyhocks because they try and grow in my garden where I don't want them. They are very hardy and almost impossible to kill. I actually like them but they consistently pop up in the most inopportune places.

The illustration shows the pod that forms after they flower. They are in the genus Alcea and I was tempted to call this month Alcea August but the name "Hollyhock" is just too cute not to use. Happy August!

Flea Market Bull

2010-08-04T13:06:00.001-04:00

Last weekend my Dad and I went to the Lawrenceburg flea market in Indiana where we found this beefy beauty. My Dad is a collector of southwestern items so we were excited to find this super cute cast iron bull. We were surprised when we went to pick it up...we could hardly lift it! When we got home we weighed him and he weighs 15 lbs!

I tried to find similar ones on ebay but I could only find hollow cast iron bull piggy banks. I think my Dad should take him to the antiques road show to find out how much he is worth.

More Tree Pods!

2010-08-02T12:35:00.002-04:00

OK, I know I just posted about tree pods, but who ever tires of looking at tree pods? Again, I am embarrassed to say I don't know what species this is. If anyone out there has an idea please let me know.

These photos were taken the same day as the spiral pod photos and the lighting was nice because it really illuminated the beautiful delicate skin of these pods. Some of them seemed like they were glowing.

Giant Spiral Pods!

2010-07-28T16:37:00.004-04:00

So these are the incredible pods I spoke of in the last blog. Definitely worth waking up early to photograph these guys. If anyone out there knows what kind they are please let me know. The pods are about 12-18'' long and you can see the leaves in these photos. My guess is locust or acacia?

Caladium

2010-07-26T13:47:00.000-04:00

I am not usually a morning person, but this morning I planned to get up early and photograph some incredible locust pods I saw on my walk the other day. Although the alarm was set for 7:30 a hungry cat had other ideas at about 6:30. So I was amazingly out the door by 7:00!

I did photograph the locust pods, but on my way home I ran into my neighbor Ursula who showed me some beautiful pods on her tree, which I also photographed. As she was leaving she said I should take some photos of her caladium. Well, I was almost home, my stomach was growling, and to get to the caladium I had to walk all the way around her house because the gate was closed. More to humor my neighbor, I decided to do it and I am so glad I did. They might be the best photos I took today. You just never know where life will take you!

Click on images to enlarge.

Zen Birds!

2010-07-20T09:54:00.001-04:00

I am very excited to announce the release of my new book Zen Birds! In this book I illustrate thirty species of North American birds in a style inspired by traditional Asian brushwork. I also wrote short poems that accompany each illustration and that describe the quirky traits and habits peculiar to each species. This book is a celebration of the amazing lives of birds!

So if any of you out there like birds or know anyone who is interested in birds you can order it from your local bookstore or from Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

I would like to thank my husband George for his help and inspiration. I would also like to thank all the people at Adventure Publications who made this book possible...working with you was a pleasure.

Pizza on the Grill

2010-07-19T17:05:00.001-04:00

It's been so hot here lately that George has been devising ways to use the grill instead of using the oven and this pizza was a great success. The recipe for the dough is below, typed by George:

Poolish
1/2 tablespoon yeast
1 cup water
1 cup flour (half can be whole wheat)

Dough
1 cup water
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tablespoon yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
Flour as needed

Directions
I mixed half a tablespoon or so of yeast with 1 cup water, added 1 cup flour (about half whole wheat) and stirred vigorously. I let the "poolish" sit for about 4 hours at room temp. (This step can be up to 10 hours if you want.) Then I added another cup of water, 2 teaspoons (or so) of salt, another half tablespoon or so more yeast, and about 1/4 cup of olive oil. I mixed in as much flour as needed to form a sticky dough and kneaded it in the bowl for a few minutes. I let this rise for about an hour, covered.

Then I punched it down and worked it into 3 or 4 little pizza pies (adding flour as needed). I let these rest on the counter for about 20 minutes. They formed a bit of a dry skin on top so I flipped each over onto a cornmeal-dusted pan and put the sauce and toppings on the sticky side. I kept shaking the pan to make sure the dough wasn't sticking to the pan. I just slid them right on the hot grill. I was happy not to have any real sticking-to-the-grill issues that I was worried about. I had the gas grill at about medium-high and kept the lid closed as much as possible. I was worried about burning the crust, but that was not really a problem. Next time I will try to be more brave and keep it on the grill longer.

I'm sure any pizza dough recipe will work. We added canned artichokes and fresh mushrooms, but you can add any topping you like. It was great to keep the heat out of the house!

Cypriniformes July

2010-07-13T17:17:00.006-04:00

This month I was inspired by this incredible book: Kingyo:The Artistry of Japanese Goldfish. The first time I saw this book I fell in love with these chubby fellows. Their pudgy little bodies are plump and graceful at the same time.

I normally don't include my black and white sketch, but I felt something got lost this time converting it to white for the calendar...so here it is.

FYI - Cypriniformes is the order for goldfish. I thought it had a nice ring to it.

Happy July!

Purple Coneflower and Garlic

2010-07-10T13:18:00.004-04:00

When I'm out walking I see the most amazing things and I always think about returning with the camera and I almost never do. But the other day after my walk I set out to photograph some garlic plants (below). Can you believe the beautiful necks on these? If there were a visual definition for grace this would be it.

On my way back I stopped to take a few shots of the coneflower above. The exposure on the garlic photos wasn't great, but I did like the way the coneflower shot turned out (click on it to view larger). You just never know what you will find when you are out.

Guitar Cases

2010-07-07T15:27:00.001-04:00

My two nephews loooooooooooove the guitar. They love wander around the house strumming, singing, and selling tickets to their concerts. "Tia Ness" enjoys these concerts so much she decided it was time they have proper guitar cases. This meant taking the 4-year-old on an outing to JoAnn's to pick out fabric for himself and his little brother.

The cases were not as easy I had in my head...but sewing projects never are. I even added a gusset which sounds more impressive than it is, but I didn't even know the meaning of the word before this project. (FYI - a piece of fabric sewn into a seam to add breadth).

I was also excited to use a zipper foot for the first time. I'm not sure I did it right, but it turned out OK in the end and the two rockin' boys liked their cases.

Apricot Magic

2010-06-30T10:12:00.002-04:00

Every so often all the conditions and circumstances just come together and magic happens. I love taking photos and I usually like all the ones I post on the blog...but there are times when a certain chemistry happens and everything just works out better than expected.

That's what happened with these apricots. George bought 5 or 6 apricots the other day and I just couldn't keep my eyes off of them. Their color was so vibrant and their texture so soft. I was out on the back porch taking a photo of the beet cupcake when I remembered the apricots. It was almost an afterthought to take their picture, but the light was really nice so I put them in a blue bowl and voila! Apricot magic!

I liked this photo so much I am using it as my wallpaper. If you would like too also you can download a high resolution version here. (Every time I see that little apricot smile it makes me smile too.)

(Have I mentioned I have been gaga lately over pale oranges and blues? I may have to do a whole post on this color combo because I am totally loving it!)

Chocolate Beet Cake

2010-06-24T09:35:00.000-04:00

My brother-in-law gave us this recipe. At first I was suspicious about ruining perfectly good chocolate cake with beet flavor, but was I ever pleasantly surprised! They were so delicious and you can't even tell there are a bunch of beets in it. I loved these cupcakes!

George halved this recipe and made cupcakes. Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE BEET CAKE

3 cups beets shredded
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups flour
1/4 cup oil
4 oz unsweeted chocolate
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder

options
sub. 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

2 9-inch pans

325 for 40 min or more

Tulip Pods

2010-06-22T11:53:00.003-04:00

Age is not all decay; it is the ripening, the swelling, of the fresh life within, that withers and bursts the husk. - George MacDonald.

I collected these tulip pods at the beginning of May. I just love how they look when they are all dried up...truly wabi sabi. For anyone who wants to know more about that concept I recommend this book - Living Wabi Sabi: The True Beauty of Your Life by Taro Gold.

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T18:24:00.002-04:00

I've been itching to use this new font I love called Museo 300 and this Father's Day card was the perfect time. I wanted to use it for the large text, but I ended up using Myriad instead because it was bolder. I used Museo 300 for the smaller text (you can click on the photo to make it larger). Some project of mine in the near future will definitely use this font (and its free!)

What's inside the box you ask? Corn hole replacement bean bags!

Happy Father's Day!

Hydrangea Vase

2010-06-17T13:47:00.002-04:00

The hydrangeas in my yard are in full bloom right now. These are Annabelle hydrangeas I cut from the front yard. At first I only had hydrangeas in this arrangement but then it dawned on me that Mahonia berries would be the perfect accent! I also used Soloman's seal for some greenery.

Oh, and I found the vase at the flea market. I love the classic shape and ribbed sides and it goes so perfectly with hydrangeas. Oooh la la!

Bachelor's Button June!

2010-06-15T17:10:00.000-04:00

OK, I know it's a bit late, but I'm happy if I finish by mid-month. This month I was inspired by the Bachelor's Buttons we got from our CSA (Hazelfield Farms). At first I thought they were a bit weedy, but then they grew on me. Apparently they are called Bachelor's Buttons because they were worn by young men in love; if the flower faded too quickly, it was taken as a sign that the man's love was not returned. No fading around here!

Happy June!

Paper Cut Elephant

2010-06-11T14:57:00.004-04:00

When we went to New York we had about 5 hours to wander around New York City. Of course I had to visit Purl Soho, Kate's paperie, and ABC home (poor George)...but one of the best finds I had that day was in Union Square. Luckily there was an art fair the day we walked through and I found this great booth where a woman was selling Chinese paper cuts. I bought this incredibly cute elephant and framed it with an inexpensive frame from Garden Ridge. It now sits on the ledge in the yellow room and I love, love, love it!

Vintage Field Guides

2010-06-09T11:01:00.003-04:00

A couple weeks ago we visited George's sister in Geneva, NY. Every time we go there I love to stop by the Geneva Antique Co-op. Its a great store in downtown Geneva that has loads of interesting tidbits (although "tidbits" might not be the right word as the first time we went we had to fit a nightstand in the back seat of the car).

Anyway, this time I found these great "little" field guides. I say "little" because they are only 3.5'' tall by 5.5'' wide. I love the artwork and the descriptions are wonderfully subjective. For example, when discussing the rose-breasted grosbeak the author states," Almost all observers are impressed with the wholesomeness of this grosbeak. It is seldom nervous and does not permit trivial things to bother it."

This is is dated 1931 and printed in Racine, Wisconsin.

This one was printed in Bavaria and didn't have a date .

This one was printed in 1932 also in Racine, Wisconsin.

This may be the start of a new collection! (George sighs and thinks, "At least they're not breakable and they fit into the back of the car.")

Party Lights!

2010-06-07T16:14:00.002-04:00

I was so excited yesterday to put up these string lights I got at Target (actally George put them up - thanks G). When we built the porch I knew we had to have party lights so we had the electrician put a special outlet at the top so the cords wouldn't have to come from the floor.

I also love how it looks from the outside. It looks like the room glows.