Just Before the Wedding Day...

Hello, readers!

I do hope that your week is off to a great start!

I must say, these days are moving way too slowly for a girl who is ready to be done with Summer school, get married, and start the real Summer vacation!

Ooooohhhhh, I am just so excited!!!

I calm myself with ramblings in my art journal.

 

Spending evenings out on the patio and tending to the gardens.

Did I tell you that I am growing herbs for drying? I'm going to make teas as well!

The Chamomile is already hanging. I want to put my tea mixes into pretty little packages or boxes for future gift giving.

 

It will be fun to use the oregano and parsley from my own garden!

I'm growing several different kinds. The hot and spicy really has a bite to it!

 

My mint chocolate leaves are Devine!

So, these are my simple pleasures...

That help keep me calm...

Just before the wedding day!

Enjoy your days, please!

XO

 

Wedding Preparations of a 47 Year Old Bride... Sigh.

Hello out there! How has your weekend been?

Mine, quite wonderful, yet productive.

It's been all about wedding and honeymoon preparations for me! Shopping all day Saturday...

Just me, all alone. It was nice. I can think while shopping, which also means better decision making on purchases! I do, however, wish that my mother could have joined me. Moments such as these, I do miss my home town and being closer to family. I am really looking forward to seeing them in just 6 days!

It's not easy being a 47 year old bride. I'm older, I have wrinkles popping up all over my face and nothing seems to help make me "a beautiful bride". Going through menopause is a very real issue for some women. For me, it's been difficult. I rarely sleep through an entire night, my hot flashes and night sweat are horrendous. My skin changed rapidly and I am one who has spent my entire adult life taking extreme care of my skin. The face just drops!

So, I may not be a sexy bride, but I'm grateful to be a healthy one...

Who will be wearing some pretty things very soon!

It's fun, no matter what age we are, to play dress up!

 

I adore my vintage style hair piece!

My dress is the same, champagne color. Lots of lace!

This chunky pendant may be worn...

But I still pondering such decisions. I may choose no jewelry at all. With age...

I like jewelry less. Isn't it interesting just how much we do change through the years? Our priorities, really change for sure.

I haven't much else to write about at this time because I am placing our wedding and family above everything else this week. I have appointments along with 4 more work days...

Oh, and the cleaning and packing!

Until next time,

XO

 

My Magical Place...

It's my magical place...

But at 6:00 this morning when I entered, it did not seem to feel very magical. Sigh.

My art studio. Oh, what a mess!

With our wedding date just seven days away, and guests arriving...

I knew that I had to devote some time and energy to tidying up!

With a cup of coffee in hand...

This project began.

 

I spent two hours sorting, rearranging, shuffling. I still have some "problem areas", but for now, I can see that magical space again...

And a bit of table space to actually work on!

So much yet to do in just seven more days!

Tomorrow I'm treating myself to some pre-wedding/pre-honeymoon shopping!

Happy Friday to you!!!!

XO

 

Wish & Fish...

Well, a new week has begun! I must say that Summer school seems to be going by quickly! Only 6 more days to go! It was so hard to leave our patio this morning...

So you can bet that once work ended today, I resumed my patio position! A nice, cool breeze and some art journaling!

I did a quick "Weston, Missouri" page.

 

It's always fun to explore. I get so many ideas from shops and boutiques. In one of the Weston shops I saw a pretty floral arrangement with Mason jars. I took the idea and put my own spin on it.

I placed 6 mason jars (large & small), into an old enamel wash bowl. I added water to each jar. Now when I cut roses from our rosé bushes, I can place them into the jars. I now have a delightful arrangement that sits on our patio table! When the roses are done...

I simply remove the sad looking ones and cut fresh roses to bring life back into the arrangement!

 

We so love playing right here at home! We make and build things for our home and yard.

My sweetheart built this little troll bridge, down by the pond.

 

Some evenings we walk down and across the troll bridge.

Under the weeping willow tree...

And a few more steps.

We are here-

 

Do you see the dock?

He also made that.

We have a picnic table for dining or sketching....

Or for sitting and feet dangling.

 

The boys fish and swim!

I snap many pictures...

And mostly just enjoy the view.

We can see our house up on the hill.

 

I'm so glad that I took that risk and leap from Maryland to come here almost 2 years ago.

I am so blessed to now have this tranquil piece of country to call my HOME.

Did you ever see the movie, "On Golden Pond"? If not, please do!!!!!

I always wished for a home such as the one in the movie, shared by Norman Thayer and his wife. A place where one may go pick berries from the bushes, fish on a pond, and gaze at the stars in the sky...

From a porch out in the middle of nowhere.

Not a soul in sight.

Now in my life...

I can tell you...

That wishes CAN come true!

BELIEVE.

XO

 

Miss Photographer...

Hello!

How is your weekend going?

I am having super fun and as always, wishing that tomorrow weren't Monday!

Yesterday morning, my sweetheart and I were outside, casually sitting on our patio. Me- fresh out of the shower, with wet hair. I was working on a small painting. He says to me, "Why don't we go spend the day in Weston"?

I said to him with a squeal in my voice, "Really"?!!!!!

(We rarely plan for our adventures).

Oh, how I adore Weston, Missouri and love playing , "Miss Photographer" in this quaint, historic town!

Ironically, I was painting her:

 

So, I dash into the house and dry my hair. Grab a few necessities for a day trip, and out the door we went!

The photos shown on this post were shot with my iPhone 4S. (I haven't yet processed the pics from my Sony Nex 5r).

We arrived in Weston at about 11:30 am, which is lunch time for Paul... Or he will have a slight meltdown. Yes, for real.

We chose to dine at a very old brewery/pub.

Although we dined outside, under a large umbrella, I took this opportunity to explore and take some pictures!

 

 

This place is so unique! We got there just in time...

People began pouring in. I see why. The food was so delightful! I had a salad with a grilled salmon steak on top of a bed of spinach leaves. The dressing was a sweet vinegarette.

After lunch, we began walking the downtown business district, which consists of beautiful boutiques, home decor, pottery shops, jewelry stores, and several antique shops.

 

Miniature gardens galore!

Hmmmm. Shall I create a miniature garden for our home? The tiny furniture is so cute! I once had a big dollhouse with all of the detailed trimmings...

But that was long ago.

We walked and walked.

Explored.

Once back home, we had just enough time to freshen up before going to a cookout.

Tired bodies.

Later...

I completed my painting just before bed.

 

Miss Photographer.

Happy Father's Day to all of the daddy's out there!

I'm so excited to soon spend some time with my dad!!!!!

Until next time,

XO

 

Tutorial Time! (Pressed flowers & mixed media)...

Ooooohhhhh! Don't you just love trying new things and adding interesting elements to your projects?

With all of the lovely flowers in bloom, here is a fun project for you to start on now...

And finish months, or even a year later...

Guilt free!

So, grab a pretty basket, some scissors, and garden gloves and seek out some flowers for clipping! (I do not recommend clipping your neighbor's flowers). If this step jut cannot happen for you, or doesn't appeal to you at all... Just drop by a grocery store or florist, and purchase a small bouquet.

You may wish to enjoy your flowers for awhile, in a vase, or, you can hang them upside down using a rubber band, clothes pins, yarn, and allow some drying time. Just don't allow your flowers to become too dry and brittle. I took my flowers directly from the vase once I noticed that some of them were dropping petals. I did not want to risk losing the vivid colors.

 

I placed my flowers into a flower press.

Now, I realize that not everyone has a flower press just sitting around. You don't really need one. Simply lay your flowers on a paper towel or chipboard, add another paper towel or chipboard on top. ( I recommend the chipboard. If using paper towels, you may want to double up).

Next, sandwich your drying flowers in a big pile of heavy books. (Books, flowers, more books on top).

Walk away for 6 months to a year! ( honestly, I cannot tell you when your flowers will be dry because I completely forgot about mine... Until a year later)!

When I did remember them...

They were fabulous!!!!

 

Paul had given me this bright, cheery bouquet and I so wanted to keep a few of the flowers!

I decided that the perfect place for these flowers would be in my art journal.

So, I jazzed it up a bit by painting some quick watercolor flowers onto a page.

To adhere and seal the flowers onto the art journal page, I used this wonderful product from Golden.

I apply it with a paintbrush, first onto the page itself. I lay down the flowers and then applied a top coat of gel medium.

 

As I was doing this, MORE ideas came into my already cluttered mind!

Pressed flowers in picture frames, on wedding album covers...

Flowers on wooden plaques and given as gifts!!!! Hmmmm. How about putting pressed flowers on porcelain objects such as vases or those premade Christmas ornament blanks? I get so excited just thinking about it!!!! Oh, the possibilities!

For now, I am quite happy with the results in my art journal...

 

The gel will dry clear.

Once it has completely dried, I will add some words either with acrylic paint or a Sharpie pen.

I hope that you too, will enjoy pressing flowers and coming up with blooming projects of your own!

Have fun!

Until next time...

XO