JELLY ROLL QUILT

This is a Fig Tree quilt I am making. Doesn't it look like Christmas colors? Yikes! Too soon!

HALLOWEEN CREATIONS FOR ETSY

MY STUDIO

I make custom signs in very feminine styles.....Here is one I made for my studio.

Basket of Pillows made from Vintage Fabric

Birthday Cone

Nest under cloche.

JUST CREATING FOR FUN

Here are some of my creations just for fun. Paris Cone

ZEPHYR COVE

I just got back from my yearly quilt retreat at Zephyr Cove which is at Lake Tahoe. Too beautiful to capture! We had sunsets like this every night. It is always sad to know another year has passed but we will go back next September. It is always so inspirational to be with other creative people. A lot is gained through friendship and sharing and I always come home refreshed and inspired to forge ahead in my creative endeavors as everyone is so supportive of each other. This is probably one of the most beautiful places on earth.

ENTRY SHELF

I am getting ready to change my entry room shelf for the fall season so I need to change out my cute little birds nests and birds. Now how did that little cat get in there? Hmmm

MARKET BAGS

Arent these cute? They were so cute I decided to hang them outside under the trees all in a row. Great little takealong bags to have in your car for that trip to the market.

SIMPLY SHABBY CABINET - AFTER

And here it is! Simply Shabby and distressed. My friend was looking for something to use as her computer cabinet in her very shabby chic home and saw this. I no longer own it!

SIMPLY SHABBY CABINET - BEFORE

I have a little furniture business going and I love to distress pieces with character. This is a piece I have had for a while and I decided to finally finish it.

DANVILLE, CA SHOW

I have been creating some new items for an upcoming show in Danville, California to be held on Labor Day, September 7, 2009. This is the Second Annual show and should be great! I am excited to be in the show in this beautiful little town of Danville. Here are some of my creations.

CHICKEN QUEEN

Here is a brand new creation I call the "Chicken Queen"

Creations For The Danville show

Angel Addition To The Garden

This is our new addition to the garden. A Craigslist find of my husband's and a new plant to put inside complete the area where the resident concrete bunny resides.

Sammy

SAMMY

And here is our little Sammy that adopted us a few years ago. He was a rescue cat of our neighbors and when she moved, he decided he wanted to stay with us. We are happy and so is he!

MENDOCINO COAST TRIP

Here are some photos of us on our wonderful week long Mendocino coast trip. We saw spectacular scenery, lots of animals, beautiful inns, beautiful flowers, and too many bike riders taking their lives in their hands on Highway 1.

Create Wherever You Are

No matter wherever I am I can find a little time to create something. Along with creating gourmet meals daily, I found a little time to create this, a little lingerie, clothespin, plastic bag holder.....lots of uses.

OCEAN VIEW FROM HOUSE

This is the view from the house of a friend of mine that she generously let us stay at all week. We can see Point Arena Lighthouse, the waves crashing, lots of birds (mostly real) and lots of deer. The little town of Gualala is just as quaint as Mendocino.

THE BEACH GIRLS

Here are two of my granddaughters having a great time at Irish Beach on the Mendocino coast.

National American Miss 2009

This past weekend we had the honor of attending our granddaughter Ashlyn's passing on of her crown in Santa Clara, CA. for the title of National American Miss pageant. She won for Miss California. She is a beautiful person inside and out and did a very wonderful job this year. Ashlyn passed on her crown to another beautiful winner and was exhausted after her three-day affair. Therefore, we are leaving for a week at the beach and much needed rest. And here she is.

ASHLYN'S QUILT

Here is a picture of my granddaughters quilt sitting on the coffee table. I was hand stitching down the binding and stopped to answer the phone. When I came back, I saw how pretty my roses looked sitting by the quilt!

SIT A SPELL

Here is one of my latest quilts sitting on a wicker chair on my front porch. Pretty inviting, huh?

QUILTS FOR SALE

I have been pretty inspired lately as I have been selling quite a lot of my handmade quilts. One day, I came home and decided I needed to put up a sign on the house! When I have someone stopping by I also hang a quilt over the rail.

DOLL FRIEND

This is a doll that a good friend of mine gave me many years ago. She is also a creator of things. In fact, we are truly kindred spirits! Her site is CarolKennedy.blogspot.com.

SEWING ROOM

Here is a little bit of my stash. Besides this, I have a jelly cupboard full of dark fabrics. I love having fabric on hand, and having it right in front of me gives me creative inspiration. Just like my chandelier. I will show you a little bit of my sewing room.

COMMUNITY GARDEN

I must tell you about this wonderful community garden I belong to! I wish I had more time to spend there but it is quality time when I AM there. I have grown arugula, lettuce, chives, garlic, spinach (bombed) cucumbers, zucchini, yellow pear tomatoes, tomatoes, and a sunflower! My goodness the tomatoes are SO delicious. It reminds me of what real tomatoes are supposed to taste like, not the store-bought kind. Too bad the children of today do not know the difference. Anyway, I must tell you about this very generous 93 year old person who lets people grow things on her property. Her very good friend Dan has constructed all the raised beds and has made the garden beautiful and functional. He has put many years of work, love, and friendship into this endeavor. And, this woman works in her garden EVERY day, even when it is over 100. She would rather be in the garden than anyplace else on earth! Both these people have enriched my life and rekindled my love of the garden. P.S. Dan is a Master Gardener and, to be real honest, the largest tomato in that basket is his.

BEAUTIFUL MORNING GLORIES

The garden also grows beautiful flowers and plants and almost any fruit you could want.

THE GARDEN NEEDS WATER

We have had a heat wave which means someone is always holding a hose!

A GARDENERS WORK IS NEVER DONE

There is always something to be done in the garden.... Thank goodness for volunteers!

VEGETABLES

Here are a few of my harvested vegetables of today.

MORE TOMATOES!

TOMATOES

More Summer Garden

Just some more photos of our garden. My husband also likes to add his decorative touches to the garden. Now we have a total of three potting benches. The photo of all the greenery (grape leaves) is of my grapevines which were supposed to have grapes this year. A word to the wise: Don't water grapes a lot. You will get a lot of green and no grapes!

SUMMER GARDEN

Here are some photos of my garden. It has been over 100 most days lately so my flowers are having a hard time of it. I was hoping to have some great photos of my hydrangeas to show you but they got fried about a week ago. I swear, I could have a hose continuosly running on them and they would still be screaming for more water. The birds are always in the bird baths and mostly they like to sit upon the top of the fountain. They seem to be taking turns. We have a lot of hummingbirds visiting this year and they also enjoy the water.